CINCINNATI — Cincinnati’s men’s basketball team has opened the season at 3-0 with victories against Chaminade, Cleveland State and Eastern Kentucky during the past week. All three were home buy games Cincinnati was expected to win, which it did in a combination of exciting, frustrating and encouraging fashion. Coach Wes Miller spent all offseason talking about how his team had made significant strides entering his second year at the helm but had not yet arrived by any means. That was evident to open the schedule, in a tempered but promising fashion.
With the team’s first road game coming Wednesday against Northern Kentucky, just across the river, and a stacked field at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational looming, here are 12 thoughts on an optimistic start to the season for the Bearcats.
1. Press
I like the press. We heard about it last season as Miller’s preferred defensive philosophy: apply full-court and three-quarter-court pressure as a means of slowing down and disrupting the opposing team’s rhythm. Last season’s Bearcats didn’t have the players to use it unless it was absolutely necessary. This year, with the returning continuity and added athleticism on the roster, we’re finally seeing a 1-2-2, three-quarter-court press that has been successful. Cincinnati is outscoring opponents 65-6 in fast-break points through the first three games, including a ridiculous 38-2 advantage against Chaminade.
The Bearcats obviously won’t keep up that pace, and there are occasions when an opponent breaks it and gets an easy bucket. But overall it has been disruptive, and I like that UC can crank the backcourt pressure up or down based on the situation. When it works, it also allows the Bearcats to play offense in transition, which benefits a deep, versatile team that is still ironing out its half-court execution.
“I thought (the press) was effective,” Miller said after a 69-58 win over Cleveland State in which UC had a 13-0 advantage on fast-break points. “We’re going to continue to get a lot better at it. We have to be a little more focused, but over the course of the game, I thought it was effective.”
2. Nolley is as advertised
The Memphis transfer immediately has provided a perimeter scoring pop and shot creation this team was desperately lacking last season, averaging 16.3 points per game, second most on the roster. It’s even more impressive considering Landers Nolley II has not shot well from deep, at just 3-for-13 (23 percent) from 3-point range. He has found other ways to get his points, including 62 percent on 2-point field goals and a team-leading 14-for-16 (88 percent) from the foul line.
The free throws were critical against a Cleveland State squad that grabbed a three-point lead early in the second half. Nolley, who shot just 5-for-14 (0-for-5 from 3-point range) from the floor, went 6-for-6 from the foul line in the second half and created some offense when he and his team were hurting for it. His outside shooting will come around, but the ability to score and impact the game when he goes cold is a welcomed new dimension for Cincinnati’s offense.
3. DeJulius is still here
Nolley and his fellow newcomers commanded a lot of the offseason spotlight, and that translated to the court, which has only helped to open things up for David DeJulius. Last year’s leading scorer is doing the same through three games, averaging 21.3 points and slashing a ridiculous 56/70/73 from the field to go along with a team-best 3.7 assists per game. DeJulius is able to be more patient and allow the game to come to him as opposed to forcing the issue as he did so often last season. He also benefits from playing in the press and the transition opportunities it creates, which has allowed him to show off an underrated passing ability.
🔥 DeJulius ➡️ Nolley and the fans are on their feet!@ESPNPlus | pic.twitter.com/ETXlSLRTXA
— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) November 11, 2022
4. Missing Newman
After playing just 11 minutes in the blowout win over Chaminade, John Newman III has missed the past two games with a knee injury. Miller said after the EKU win that he didn’t want to divulge the severity or timeline because he wanted to discuss the details with Newman before briefing the media members, but he did say that Newman is “going to be out for some time,” before adding that the injury is not believed to be season-ending.
The news is a major blow for the Bearcats and Newman, who finally was feeling healthy after his first full offseason in years. He’s the team’s best perimeter, on-ball defender and a player Miller described as the “heart and soul” of the team’s defensive philosophy, something the Bearcats will miss against some talented opponents in Maui in a couple of weeks.
“What John means to our team, it’s impossible to put a value on that,” Miller said Sunday. “He’s one of the best defensive players on the perimeter in college basketball.”
The good news is Cincinnati should get him back at some point, but judging by the tone of Miller’s comments, it might not be until conference play.
5. Hensley, next man up
The player who will be counted on most to step up in Newman’s absence is Jarrett Hensley. The 6-foot-9 sophomore had a strong, globe-trotting offseason, and it’s showing to start the year. Hensley is averaging 6.7 points, three rebounds and one block in about 17 minutes per game while juggling multiple positions and defensive assignments, including in the post. His defense isn’t quite to the caliber of Newman’s, but it’s stout, and he has looked exponentially more comfortable and assertive on the offensive end.
“His value to our team is more than what you can see on the court because he can slide around and play different positions, different lineups, and he’s intelligent enough to do it,” Miller said.
6. Davenport’s new-ish role
Jeremiah Davenport’s game still looks mostly familiar. Defense remains a struggle, although the press at least gives him a chance to go for steals (1.3 per game) and run, which suits his style. He still hoists a tough shot too early in the shot clock now and then. But with the addition of Nolley in particular and DeJulius playing well, there is less pressure on Davenport to be a reliable and efficient second scorer and less attention from opposing defenses, two things he struggled with at times last season.
The small, statistical sample of three games is almost a mirror of last season, but Davenport is going to the hoop more, averaging an extra free-throw attempt per game. If he can add that element long-term, cut out a bad shot or two per game and be a reliable third option as opposed to a second option, it will make the Bearcats a pain to defend and be enough for Miller and the team to withstand Davenport’s defensive shortcomings.
7. Follow your miss
Crashing the offensive glass has been an emphasis for the Bearcats, and they have gotten results early: Cincinnati is averaging 15 offensive boards and 19.3 second-chance points. Again, that’s probably not a sustainable pace, but for a team that wants to play fast and shoot a lot of 3s, it’s going to be an important factor. The EKU game was a good example. UC set the tone early with 14 offensive rebounds and 19 second-chance points in the first half, going up by as many as 23.
In the second half, however, the Bearcats had only three offensive rebounds for six second-chance points, allowing EKU to fight back before a late run to pull away. Against Cleveland State, the trend was reversed, with 12 of the 17 offensive boards and 17 of the 21 second-chance points in the second half to grind out an 11-point win.
“I thought our offensive rebounding was probably the difference in the game,” Miller said following the Cleveland State victory.
In addition to being a point of emphasis, the accumulative length of this season’s roster has been vital.
”You look at lineups, and we have a lot more guys not just going to the offensive board but that have the ability to get their hands on it because of size and length,” Miller said.
8. Clean the boards
Rebounding in general is going to be critical for this team on the offensive and defensive glass. Post play is the thinnest position on paper and remains the biggest unknown, particularly when the Bearcats finally face some elite competition in Hawaii. Viktor Lakhin and Ody Oguama have been encouraging, with Lakhin averaging 8.3 boards per game and Oguama 6.3, including a career-high 12 rebounds in 17 minutes against EKU. Lakhin has more of a role offensively and as a rim protector, but if Oguama simply can come in and swallow boards off the bench, he’ll have a crucial role.
9. Ezikpe still settling in
The frontcourt questions haven’t been quelled yet by Kalu Ezikpe, who looks to be finding his bearings in the early going. He played just below 18 minutes combined the past two games, with only one shot attempt, two free throws and two rebounds. The raw talent and skills are there, and he has had a couple of moments when he has posted up hard and drawn fouls, something the team didn’t have last season.
But Cincinnati needs the Old Dominion transfer to be much better and more of an interior presence if they’re going to sustain success, something Miller is confident will come in time.
“(Kalu is) a really good player; he just has to settle into being a Cincinnati Bearcat,” said Miller, who added that Ezikpe led the team in scoring and rebounding in a closed offseason scrimmage against Purdue. “He’s working hard in practice. He’s going to be an important part of this team, and all of us coaches and players have to figure out how to get him in a more comfortable position.”
10. Big Vik is emerging
For three years, Bearcats fans have been hearing about the talent and potential of Lakhin. After his first full offseason since he arrived at Cincinnati, the Russian big man is finally healthy and putting his ability on display. Just as important, he’s doing it on both ends, averaging 9.0 points, 8.3 boards, 1.3 blocks and one steal in 18.3 minutes. He has been enough of a force defensively and is another player whose instincts and athleticism are amplified by the press, which already has resulted in a pair of gorgeous behind-the-back passes for layups in transition.
Vik the Slick! What a pass from Lakhin!@ESPNPlus | pic.twitter.com/rPTwfnOlgh
— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) November 13, 2022
His post scoring is another new dynamic that can elevate Cincinnati’s offense if it continues to develop, as highlighted by this lob pass on an underneath out-of-bounds set against EKU:
As Ezikpe works to get comfortable, the Bearcats will need Lakhin to keep ascending and, most importantly, stay healthy.
11. Redshirts?
Through the first three games, freshman center Sage Tolentino has sat out in street clothes and freshman forward Josh Reed has dressed and participated in warmups but not played. Miller has declined to comment on either situation, stating that neither player has done anything wrong but offering no further updates. The sense is that Tolentino is a prime redshirt candidate, while a final resolution on Reed is still being weighed, something that could be impacted by the length of Newman’s injury. Daniel Skillings Jr. rolled his ankle against EKU, but the initial hope is it’s nothing major.
12. Collier’s decision coming Wednesday
Isaiah Collier, a five-star point guard and top-rated prospect in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports, was on Cincinnati’s campus this past weekend for an unofficial visit, including a stop at the Bearcats’ Friday night football win over East Carolina.
#Bearcats MBB 5-star priority recruit and the No. 1 prospect in the 2023 class Isaiah Collier (@isaiahcollier04) is in attendance at Nippert Stadium. pic.twitter.com/Rtg9E8bp3Q
— Justin Williams (@Williams_Justin) November 12, 2022
Collier, who has been a priority recruit of Miller’s for months, was in town for a scrimmage between his Wheeler High (Atlanta) squad and local Sycamore High on Saturday. It was fortuitous timing with Collier set to announce his college commitment decision Wednesday, choosing between finalists Cincinnati, Michigan, USC and UCLA. However it shakes out, the Bearcats are squarely in the mix, and being the last of his finalists to host him on campus can’t hurt their chances. If Miller and company manage to pull this one off and land Collier, it will be a program-altering addition as Cincinnati enters the Big 12 Conference next season.
(Photo of Wes Miller: Katie Stratman / USA Today)
