Leading up to the game this year on December 10th, the rivalry seemed to be even more heated than usual. Xavier, an undefeated and top 10 team, was looking for revenge after they lost by 20 points on the road to Cincinnati in their previous meeting. Prior to the game, there was a lot of chatter between players on both teams, especially Cincinnati, through social media, which added a lot of fire to the already heated rivalry. In an interview before the game, Cincinnati starter Sean Kilpatrick called out Tu Holloway. What asked if he was a better player than the preseason all-American, Kilpatrick said, "I'll let the fans decide," before saying, "Yes I am." When Kilpatrick was asked if Holloway would start for Cincinnati, he said, "Would he, with the players we have now? I would say no?" Then after the first half expired, Mark Lyons began to get into it with a few Cincinnati players that came off of the bench. All of the trash talking plus the game being between two heated rivals was all leading up to something bad. You could just feel it.
With the game out of hand and the Cincinnati players frustrated after being down by 23 points, 76-53, all hell broke lose and a bench clearing brawl marred a great rivalry and a quality Xavier win. The fight between the two clubs was a disgrace to both universities and an embarrassment to both basketball programs and their players. Watching the tape of the brawl, which ended the game despite there being 9.4 seconds remaining on the clock, makes the fight seem more and more of a shame. Xavier center Kenny Frease was hit by a right forearm punch by Cincinnati center Yancy Gates and was then kicked by Cincinnati's Cheikh Mbodj, while he was bleeding out of his left eye from the punch from Gates. Punches were being thrown from all different angles from Xavier and Cincinnati players including Xavier starters Dezmine Wells and Mark Lyons.
The fight has received incredible national attention and even legal attention. Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said, "It's a shame... I have never been this embarrassed in my entire career. It's a complete embarrassment. Toughness is doing the right thing. You take your ass-whipping and go home. If my players don't act the right way, they will never play another game at Cincinnati... The whole thing is frustrating because it shouldn't have happened." Cincinnati president Gregory H. Wiliams said in a statement, "We hold our student-athletes to a high standard, and this behavior will not be tolerated." Xavier coach Chris Mack tweeted, "If my players say they've been taught to be tough their whole life, they mean ON THE FLOOR. Nothing else is condoned." In a later tweet he said, "No one, no regrets our ending to the UC game more than me... Both teams were at fault." Xavier president Michael J. Graham said in a statement, "This behavior was not representative of Xavier's standards and has no place in intercollegiate athletics." Coaches from around the country entered into the discussion about the brawl. Kansas St. coach Frank Martin, who is considered by many to be the most intense and toughest coach in all of college basketball said, "It's a rivalry that's deeper than the game. But there's no place for that. We have to preach to our guys to never cross the line and that toughness on the street is a different word than toughness in education."
The embarrassment of the brawl and the suspensions have already hurt both programs. Xavier, which was ranked in the top 10 and was 8-0 with wins over Vanderbilt, Purdue, and Butler, were hammered in their first game after the brawl by Oral Roberts 64-42, as Tu Holloway, Mark Lyons, and Dezmine Wells, the teams three leading scorers were unable to play. Meanwhile, Cincinnati still has to play Oklahoma and #13 Pittsburgh on the road without Yancy Gates.
Obviously, it is going to take some time to rebuild the image of these programs. However, the Xavier-Cincinnati rivalry should continue and the in-state rivals should continue to play each other every year. The brawl this season was a horrible scene, but if the rivalry was removed for this one incident, it would still be a shame.
The two teams have played each other 79 times dating back to their first meeting in 1928 and they have met once every season since the 1942. To put in perspective how historic this non-conference rivalry is, Kentucky and Louisville have played each other just 42 times and the Holy War between Villanova and St. Joe's has been played just 68 times. Therefore, it would be a shame to see these two great programs end their long and storied rivalry.
The Crosstown shootout, which the rivalry is also called, is a matchup that has had some great moments, especially in the last two decades. In 1996, Cincinnati, led by future first round pick Danny Fortson, were the #1 team in the country when unranked Xavier pulled off the huge upset over the Bearcats 71-69. In 1999, Xavier once again beat Cincinnati when the Bearcats were ranked #1 in the country, as they pulled off the huge upset 66-64 at home.
The two schools should continue to play but there obviously needs to be changes made to the rivalry. The biggest solution to the problem is to play the game on a neutral floor instead of at one of the school's campus. Since 2000, the teams have alternated from playing on Xavier's home floor at the Cintas Center to playing on Cincinnati's home floor at Fifth Third Arena. However, the rivalry should go back to playing on a neutral floor like Cincinnati Gardens, which has hosted 42 Crosstown shootouts including nearly every one of the rivalry games from 1948 to 1974. Although the game may lose a bit of its flavor by moving to a neutral site, the strong emotions of an entirely pro-Xavier crowd or an entirely pro-Cincinnati crowd, would help keep the players emotions in check.
Xavier athletic director Mike Bobinski has openly said that he would still like to continue the series with the Bearcats. He said, "We need to grow up. We have a chance to do things right and I don't think the right move is to walk away from this [rivalry]."
Obviously, it is going to take some time to rebuild the image of these programs. However, the Xavier-Cincinnati rivalry should continue and the in-state rivals should continue to play each other every year. The brawl this season was a horrible scene, but if the rivalry was removed for this one incident, it would still be a shame.
The two teams have played each other 79 times dating back to their first meeting in 1928 and they have met once every season since the 1942. To put in perspective how historic this non-conference rivalry is, Kentucky and Louisville have played each other just 42 times and the Holy War between Villanova and St. Joe's has been played just 68 times. Therefore, it would be a shame to see these two great programs end their long and storied rivalry.
The Crosstown shootout, which the rivalry is also called, is a matchup that has had some great moments, especially in the last two decades. In 1996, Cincinnati, led by future first round pick Danny Fortson, were the #1 team in the country when unranked Xavier pulled off the huge upset over the Bearcats 71-69. In 1999, Xavier once again beat Cincinnati when the Bearcats were ranked #1 in the country, as they pulled off the huge upset 66-64 at home.
The two schools should continue to play but there obviously needs to be changes made to the rivalry. The biggest solution to the problem is to play the game on a neutral floor instead of at one of the school's campus. Since 2000, the teams have alternated from playing on Xavier's home floor at the Cintas Center to playing on Cincinnati's home floor at Fifth Third Arena. However, the rivalry should go back to playing on a neutral floor like Cincinnati Gardens, which has hosted 42 Crosstown shootouts including nearly every one of the rivalry games from 1948 to 1974. Although the game may lose a bit of its flavor by moving to a neutral site, the strong emotions of an entirely pro-Xavier crowd or an entirely pro-Cincinnati crowd, would help keep the players emotions in check.
Xavier athletic director Mike Bobinski has openly said that he would still like to continue the series with the Bearcats. He said, "We need to grow up. We have a chance to do things right and I don't think the right move is to walk away from this [rivalry]."
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