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GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 25 • 6 BY STACY CLARDIE SClardie@GoldandBlack.com I t ranks No. 6 in the country in scoring defense, limiting op- ponents to only 55.3 points per game. It's No. 22 in field goal per- centage defense, holding foes to only 39-percent shooting. It plays aggressively but rarely allows opponents to cash in with trips to the free throw line, rank- ing No. 10 in the country in fouls committed per game. It outrebounds opponents by a plus-five margin, 34th-best in the country. Cincinnati may be in the American Athletic Conference, but it will bring a gritty Big Ten fla- vor to its second-round matchup with Purdue Thursday in the NCAA Tournament. "(Defense) is what Cincinnati is about," said guard Troy Caupain on GoBearcats.com. "You stop the ball, get deflections, make the other team turn the ball over, you always have a chance to be in the game. That's one thing we focus on is defense, and when it's prac- tice time, you have to go hard on the defensive end." It's an identity Mick Cronin has worked to establish, and one that's been so ingrained that it's transcended his presence on the sideline. After the Bearcats started 7-2, Cronin left the bench after finding out he was suffering from a non- life threatening vascular condition known as arterial dissection. Asso- ciate head coach Larry Davis took over for Cronin on Dec. 20, and the Bearcats finished out 15-8, fueled by a fierce defensive mentality. Cincinnati built a nation-lead- ing 27-game streak of holding its opponent under 70 points until Temple scored 75 on Jan. 17. "There's not much you can control in this game, but you can control hustle and effort and we do that on defense," Cronin told Cleveland.com. "The constant is our toughness. Character and culture are No. 1 and 2 on our list. Whatever it takes to win." Cincinnati athletics Junior Octavius Ellis leads Cincinnati in scoring, rebounding and blocks in his first season with the Bearcats. QUICK FACTS Record: 22-10 Nickname: Bearcats Conference: American Athletic Conference Coach/record: Mick Cronin (184-117, eight years at Cincinnati) NCAA Tournament appearances/last: 28/2014 Series history vs. Purdue: Cincinnati, 2-0. (Wins in 2001, 2004 on neutral floors) Statistic leaders: Octavius Ellis 10.0 ppg; Ellis 7.3 rpg; Ellis 2.1 bpg; Caupain 3.5 apg. CINCINNATI PROJECTED STARTERS Name Pos. Yr. Ht. Wt. PPG RPG Octavius Ellis F Jr. 6-10 230 10.0 7.3 Gary Clark F Fr. 6-7 215 7.9 7.0 Troy Caupain G So. 6-3 200 9.5 3.6 Shaq Thomas F Jr. 6-7 205 6.4 2.9 Farad Cobb G Jr. 6-0 165 8.5 2.4 N C A A T O U R N A M E N T P R E V I E W : C I N C I N N A T I Defensive-minded Bearcats bring gritty play Davis preaches the same message, telling the website, "Our whole mantra is that we re- bound, defend and play with toughness. Be- cause some nights you don't make shots, but if you play defense and rebound you still have a chance." Sounds similar to what Purdue coach Matt Painter has said about his own team. Which could make Thursday's matchup quite interesting. Especially if it plays out the way Purdue junior guard Rapheal Davis hopes. "They're a tough group," Davis said of the Bearcats. "They play hard. They play hard de- fense. They don't have a 20-point scorer. They just grind you out, it looks like. Knowing the