Cincy aims to douse UCLA’s hot offense

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Cincinnati’s second-round scouting report was redundant for a game the team unintentionally had been preparing for since November.

“All season I’ve watched UCLA,” guard Kevin Johnson said.

Fellow senior Troy Caupain frequently caught the nation’s highest-scoring offense, too, even watching highlights of UCLA star freshman guard Lonzo Ball on YouTube.

“They got a lot of weapons, and [we need] to keep the game from getting out of hand,” Caupain said.

No. 6 Cincinnati (30-5) isn’t just an underdog but an undercard in Sunday’s NCAA Tournament matchup with No. 3 UCLA. The Bruins are their own show, a must-see act regardless of their opponent. The Bearcats are just an obstacle in the way of the high-flying spectacle and perhaps one of the few teams in the country with a defense that can disfigure the Bruins’ fast-paced attack.

UCLA’s Thomas Welsh hadn’t seen nearly as much of Cincinnati, but the big man was just as familiar with the reputation of the upcoming opponent.

“We know that they’re a physical and tough team,” Welsh said. “I think it will be a really good test for us.”

Under Mick Cronin, the Bearcats have consistently ranked as one of the country’s best defenses, but this season, Cincinnati finally found the missing balance that long held it back from being a true contender.

After finishing the season ranked 32nd in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency, the Bearcats shot better than 62 percent from the field in their first-round win over Kansas State. Cronin said a repeat performance is even more important to stopping Ball and the Bruins from unleashing another 40-minute sprint.

“Our defense is just as bad as everybody else’s if we’re on the run,” Cronin said. “If we’re on the run defensively, our scouting report is out the window, [and] they’re going to kill us. …

“The reason we are as good as we’ve been all year on defense and historically is when you score and you get fouled you’re forcing teams to play 5on-5 against you, and that’s the key to all defense in basketball. If you’re constantly playing transition defense, you’re not going to be very good, and if you’re playing transition defense against this UCLA team, you’re going to lose. You’re not going to win.”