“I don’t think it’s about downplaying it like it’s another game, because it isn’t.”
That’s what Sean Miller had to say about preparing his team - and especially the guys who had never played in a Crosstown Shootout - during the pregame press conference. Nobody who has been watching this rivalry for any amount of time needs convincing of that. Legitimate bad blood exists between these programs and their fanbases; this is the best rivalry game in all of college basketball.
Cincinnati comes into the game riding high. They thumped a hapless Louisville to salvage their trip to Maui and fed it to low majors NJIT and Bryant at Fifth Third to establish a modest three-game winning streak.