2014 NCAA tournament preview: Cincinnati

Season summary: The Bearcats took home a share of the American Athletic Conference regular season title and earned the No. 1 seed in their conference tournament, but were stymied by a determined Connecticut squad in the semifinal in a close 58-56 contest. The Bearcats have the talent to beat a top ranked team and make a deep tournament run, but they have proven inconsistent in big games this year. Cincinnati has beaten Louisville, Connecticut and Memphis—all NCAA tournament-bound teams. The conference losses largely came later in the year, as the Bearcats fell to the Cardinals once and the Huskies twice, all by a combined nine points. Cincinnati relies heavily on senior guard Sean Kilpatrick for scoring and creating offensive opportunities for other players. Kilpatrick leads the team with 20.7 points and 2.6 assists per game. Fellow senior, forward Justin Jackson, is the team's second leading scorer and top rebounder. The defensive side of the ball is where the Bearcats are most successful, allowing the sixth fewest points per game for in the country (58.3 PPG) and averaging 7.9 steals per game. That defensive intensity and experience has aided Cincinnati in capturing the regular season AAC title and could be their greatest asset heading into the tournament, despite falling short of the conference title game.

How they make a run: Kilpatrick commands the game on the offensive end, and the Bearcats contain opposing teams' potent scoring threats.

How they falter: Kilpatrick falls silent in his final collegiate games, and Cincinnati's defense cannot compensate for the loss of production on the offensive end.