Suddenly, the No. 17-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats seem to have an easier matchup than it first appeared against No. 5 Florida on Saturday.
While UC (7-1) comes off a decisive 89-76 loss at No. 13 Xavier last Saturday, Florida is in even worse shape. The Gators (5-3) have lost three straight basketball games, most recently a shocking 65-59 home court loss to Loyola-Chicago on Wednesday.
Before that, Florida was upset 83-66 by Florida State (also on the Gators' floor) on Monday. The slide began with an 87-84 loss to No. 1 Duke on Nov. 26 at the Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, Oregon, where Florida blew a 17-point lead in the second half.