Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin redshirted Sean Kilpatrick two years ago because he would’ve been playing behind veteran guard Deonta Vaughn and one-and-done phenom Lance Stephenson.

Once Vaughn and Stephenson departed, it opened the doors for Kilpatrick to step into a major role with the Bearcats.

Now a sophomore, the 6-foot-4 wing is a major reason why Cincinnati (15-4 overall, 5-1 in the Big East) is off to its best start in conference play since joining the league in 2005.

He drained a game-winning 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds left Wednesday to lead Cincinnati to a 70-67 over No. 13 UConn at Gampel Pavilion. (more…)

Since the now infamous Cincinnati-Xavier brawl of Dec. 10, the two programs have been headed in opposite directions.

Despite playing without Yancy Gates, Octavius Ellis and Cheikh Mbodj, the Bearcats are a perfect 4-0 since the brawl and are averaging nearly 94 points per game. In two of those wins, they topped the century mark.

Cincinnati is actually playing better without the 6-foot-9 Gates and the 6-10 Mbodj.

Sophomore wing Sean Kilpatrick of White Plains, N.Y., whose smack-talking about Xavier guard Tu (more…)

**Watch the video above**

Yancy Gates issued a tearful apology Monday for his role in the now-famous Cincinnati-Xavier brawl, and the future of the game itself is in doubt.

“I want to apologize, really, to the whole city of Cincinnati, for my actions,” Gates, 22, said in reference to his cold-cocking of Xavier center Kenny Frease. “The actions that I displayed are not what I’m about, not what the University of Cincinnati is about.”

With his eyes full of tears, he added: “I’m just not that type of person. A lot of people have been calling me a thug, a gangster.” (more…)

Sean Miller wanted to defend his former guys at Xavier.

Instead, he ended up appearing to condone their bloody brawl Saturday with Cincinnati that left eight players on both teams suspended.

Now, the Arizona coach is backtracking. In a big way.

“I made comments following our win Saturday over Clemson regarding my former team, Xavier University,” he said in a statement. “These remarks were in response to a question as to whether I have been following Xavier’s on-the-court successes this season.  My comments were directed toward my admiration of their on-the-court toughness and their respective approach to giving great effort as a team. (more…)

Cincinnati and Xavier announced the suspensions of a combined eight players for their participation in Saturday’s bloody brawl at the conclusion of their men’s basketball game.

Cincinnati’s Yancy Gates, Octavius Ellis and Cheikh Mbodj will each be suspended for a total of six games — meaning they are out until the Jan. 4 Big East game against Notre Dame — and Ge’Lawn Guyn for one game.

The suspensions will take effect immediately and will be concurrent with the NCAA-standard one-game mandated suspensions that would be applied to Gates and Mbodj for ejections from the game for fighting. (more…)

The game between No. 8 Xavier and crosstown rival Cincinnati was called with Xavier up 76-53 and 9.4 seconds left when the teams got into a full-fledged brawl on court and the referees called it.

After Xavier’s Tu Holloway jawed with the Cincinnati bench, a brawl ensued. Cincinnati forward Yancy Gates unloaded a punch to Xavier center Kenny Frease’s face, and Cincy big man Cheikh Mbodj later stomped on Frease’s head. Frease was left with a cut under his left eye and blood pouring out.

Expect both to be suspended for a good while.

Xavier’s Mark Lyons and Dez Wells also threw punches. (more…)

In this video interview from Big East Media Day, Cincinnati senior forward Yancy Gates talks about his summer with adidas Nations and the World University Games tryouts; several of his younger teammates, including Sean Kilpatrick of White Plains, N.Y., and Jermaine Sanders out of Rice High School; and his expectations for the No. 21 Bearcats.

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As first reported by SNY.tv last month, Cincinnati freshman Shaquille Thomas has had his initial eligibility waiver approved by the NCAA and has been granted a full financial scholarship.

Thomas will be cleared for practice activities at the conclusion of the fall quarter in mid-December.

The 2011-12 academic year will be considered a redshirt season for Thomas, who will have four years of eligibility to play for the Bearcats starting in the fall of the 2012-13 school year.

“We are very happy that Shaq has been cleared to attend the University of Cincinnati,” Bearcats coach Mick Cronin said. (more…)

Shaquille Thomas, a 6-foot-7 forward from Montclair, N.J., has been cleared by the NCAA to play at Cincinnati.

“He was cleared to go to school,” his grandmother, Dorothy Thomas, told SNY.tv. “He’s leaving now. He’ll be out of here in a couple days.”

Cincinnati operates on a quarterly system and school begins next week. The first quarter ends Dec. 10.

It remains unclear if Thomas will have to miss any time on the basketball court, but he won’t miss any school. (more…)

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — In this video interview from the Peach Jam, Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin talks about his recruiting plans for the summer, his goals for the Class of 2012 and how the Bearcats will look this upcoming season. Coach is expecting a lot from White Plains, N.Y., native Sean Kilpatrick. “He’s going to have a great year coming up,” Cronin said.

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