It’s March, which means basketball is in full swing—but in Cincinnati, eyes are already shifting toward the diamond. Welcome to The Nati Report, your weekly home for everything happening in the 513. From Reds previews and Bengals signings to FC Cincinnati recaps and college updates, we’ve got you covered. Have an idea for something you want to see? Our comments are open—we’re building this for you!
Recap of Last Week’s Action
FC Cincinnati: It was an up and down week for Pat Noonan and his crew. They started off the week with the 2nd leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 game. They had a 3-0 lead on aggregate and were in a great spot. However, they took a 5-1 beating to lose the aggregate 5-4. Kevin Denkey had the lone goal on FCC’s only shot on goal of the entire game. That was a tough loss to watch. Back to MLS play, they hosted Montreal and won in a 4-3 smokeshow. Tom Barlow tied the game up 3-3 in the 80th minute and Kevin Denkey put in an stoppage time game winner. Ender Echenique and Ayoub Jabbari added in earlier scores. Not to mention, Miles Robinson got a Red in the 60th minute and FCC rallied back with 10 guys on the field.
Reds: The Reds have been playing up in Arizona the past few weeks in spring training, prepping for Opening Day, which is this Thursday! They play their last spring training game against the Brewers this Tuesday.
Bengals: The Bengals have been making some moves in free agency, last week they signed DT Jonathan Allen to a two-year contract and he should have an impact for a defense who needed a lot of help. They also added Boye Mafe to a 3 year, 60 million dollar deal in order to fill the gap left by Trey Hendrickson. They picked up two-time Super Bowl Champ Bryan Cook, who should be a great add at safety. Cincy is bolstering their defense, which is exactly what they needed. Finally, after a great year last year, Joe Flacco signed a 1 year deal to come back to Cincinnati.
In College Basketball News:
Cincinnati parted ways with coach Wes Miller, who now lands with the Charlotte 49ers. The Bearcats are bringing back Jerrod Calhoun (former assistant under Huggins), from Utah State to lead the charge in Clifton. More on his hire, here:
Miami (OH) won their First Four matchup in Dayton with SMU before falling in the Round of 64 to Tennessee. They will look to retain Travis Steele this offseason.
Xavier’s season has been over for 2 weeks now, and portal entries are already happening. Anthony Robinson, Roddie Anderson, and All Wright have announced they will be transferring out. However, in the biggest offseason news for the Muskies, Jovan Milicevic has announced he will return to Xavier for his junior season. The Xavier Season In Review here:
Northern Kentucky has also been done for a while, yet things have been quiet on that front. Mainly because there just isn’t much news right now as they work through the roster and look ahead to next season. Our season in review here:
Moving on to the week ahead for our local teams below.
Want the 513’s biggest stories delivered to your inbox every week? Join the club below!
This Week’s Preview
Reds: It’s the main event in Cincy this week! Opening Day is iconic here in Cincinnati. The Reds open up the season against the Boston Red Sox this Thursday, and the series continues through Saturday. The Red Sox are not a typical team to see this early, so this is a huge matchup. The Reds will need their young core to carry themselves through this series (and the season). The starting rotation is looking like Andrew Abbott will start the season, then Brady Singer, and then Rhett Lowder.
Fans are asking, “Where is Hunter Greene?” Unfortunately, he underwent arthroscopic surgery last week and is expected to be out for 14–16 weeks. While a devastating blow, the Reds’ pitching depth is currently a projected strength. Nick Lodolo has also been added to the IL due to a finger injury.
For the Sox, they will start Garrett Crochet, who led the MLB in strikeouts last year. After that, they will pass the ball to former Red Sonny Gray. Their 3rd game starter is undetermined. This matchup is looking like it will come down to the offensive production, as the pitching is pretty solid for both sides.
The Redlegs need guys like Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer to start out the season hot. As one of the main struggles last year were the cold stretches where the Reds offense would go completely stagnant for multiple games in a row. They are coming off a playoff appearance and are looking to repeat that success in year 2 under Terry Francona. I think all of Cincinnati is anticipating one of the biggest Opening Days in a while.
FC Cincinnati: FCC is off this week due to the FIFA International Schedule.
Bengals: Keep an eye out for some more free agent signings for the Bengals, as the offseason is starting to heat up.
That’ll wrap up this week’s Nati Report, but make sure to check it out every week, as we will keep you prepped for the Reds, Bengals, FCC and our local colleges all season long.
