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Broo View: UC fans should feel a little shaky

Posted at 6:27 PM, Feb 18, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-19 12:38:18-05

Random thoughts:

If my school were UC and I'm looking ahead to March, I'd feel a little shaky. Before UC's 70-68 overtime loss at Tulsa, ESPN's bracketology expert, Joe Lunardi, had UC one of the last four teams in, which may be the definition of shaky...

UConn and SMU are the only teams left on UC's schedules that have an RPI of note. Connecticut is a 44 and SMU is a 12. Cincinnati's RPI number is 60. The other two games left on the Bearcats' schedule (Houston, 89, and East Carolina, 201) offer no help for impressing the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee.

I said before the Tulsa game that UC could afford to lose one of the big 3 left on its schedule with a deep run into the American Conference tournament, but that was a risky bet. Now there is no wiggle room.

I still think Octavius Ellis can be a major star IF the Bearcats get into the Tournament...

We'll have an interesting debate this Sunday night on Meijer Sports of All Sorts on 9 On Your Side: If you're within a basket of winning a game, which Xavier player do you want with the ball? The candidates are Myles Davis, Trevon Bluiett or Edmond Sumner. Fox Sports' Jeff Piecoro will be our guest for the 11:35 p.m. show...

Very few NBA trades at the deadline today. Maybe some of these teams were shopping for defense and couldn't find it after the latest All-Star Game...

Nice touch by the now-former Carolina Panther, Jared Allen, literally riding into the sunset today after announcing his retirement...

The NFL Scouting Combine begins next week in Indianapolis. Prepare to be inundated with video and stories of future NFL draft picks running 40-yard dashes, lifting weights and jumping in their underwear. What does it all mean? Nothing.

It's mostly a way for the NFL to remain a 24/7/365 business.

Players are scouted extensively in their college games, in person and on tape. If you really need to go to Indianapolis to watch what's coming up next week, you simply haven't been doing your due diligence. The ONLY thing that's important about the Combine is for the NFL coaches to meet and talk with the potential draftees -- which ought to tell you a lot about how the Cleveland Browns went about their business at the Combine last year.

Ask yourself this: If the Combine were so important, how did Andre Smith wind up a millionaire and Vontaze Burfict become one of the best linebackers in the NFL? Smith was the size of a hotel during his Combine and took his shirt off to prove it. He's about to print money as he prepares to become a free agent. Burfict wasn't even drafted...

Everyone knows the Reds are going to be bad this year. They know it. USA TODAY just put the Reds' 2016 projected win totalat 61. Over/under on wins in Vegas is 71.

For whatever happens on the field this season, the Reds front office needs to get ahead of it.

And the smart suits at Great American Ball Park haven't been doing a very good job of that.

I haven't heard enough of "We're building for the future and here's what we're doing." I've heard a lot of couching by the smart guys, at functions like Redsfest and from reports back from the annual Reds Caravan.

But I think the team, in particular owner Bob Castellini, needs to tell the fan base exactly what the plan is. Cincinnati baseball fans are smart. They get it. And if you have a plan, outline it publicly and then show signs that the plan is working, the fans will accept it.

But the first of the 12 steps is to use the word "rebuilding", not "retooling" or some other nonsense. It happens to every team, in every sport. The Reds should own it...