This is the first of many NCAA Tournament games we are picking to help you fill out your bracket.

The Big Ten was the arguably the strongest conference from top to bottom in the country. They have seven teams representing them in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Purdue was a bubble team and I strongly believe they deserved a spot in the Big Dance.

The American Athletic Conference wasn’t as strong, but Cincinnati made it through the season with a lot of adversity.

Can Cincinnati score enough points to win games in the NCAA Tournament?

How will Purdue handle Cincinnati’s elite perimeter defense?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

The Cincinnati Bearcats finished third in the American Athletic Conference this season. They won’t wow you in any offensive category. They were 294th in Division-I in points scored per game. The reason they made the tournament is due to their defense. Cincinnati’s backcourt duo of Troy Caupain and Farad Cobb will cause perimeter issues for Purdue.

Purdue finished third in the Big Ten in the regular season and lost to Wisconsin in the conference tournament. Purdue’s offense is based on moving the ball around for the best shot. A.J. Hammons helps move everything along. He will be key in this game.

Purdue has played many teams like Cincinnati this season. The Big Ten is historically known for slow-tempo offenses and the Boilermakers have done well against them. Purdue is just better offensively and if they get out to a big lead, Cincinnati doesn’t have the firepower to come back.

Prediction: #9 Purdue Boilermakers

**Check out the rest of our NCAA Tournament picks** 

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About the Author…

Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.