By Packy Moore

GAME NOTES

https://gobearcats.com/documents/2024/12/7/2024-25_Game_Notes_Howard.pdf

CINCINNATI — The No. 14 Cincinnati men’s basketball team will look to avenge its first loss of the season when it hosts two-time defending MEAC champion Howard at 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

Multiple promotions are on tap for the matinee, including 18 holes of putt-putt around the concourse, split evenly among the 300 and 400 levels. Prizes are available for hole-in-ones. Santa Bearcat will also appear for photos outside of the speakeasy on the west side of the concourse for all December games.

Also, due to other simultaneous events on campus, expect added traffic on Calhoun and Corry Streets. Entry to Calhoun garage from atop Calhoun Street is encouraged.

THE RUNDOWN

• The Bearcats are back home after their third road game out of the last four overall, joining only Alabama and Marquette among the high-major leagues in playing three true road non-conference games.
• Cincinnati’s loss to Villanova on Tuesday saw the Bearcats lead in the opening minutes before trailing by as much as 13. UC got back within two with 13 minutes left but missed out on some opportunities throughout the game. It committed only six turnovers but shot 38.3 percent, while Villanova was 48.9 percent and 14-for-17 from the foul line.
• Villanova was also the first team to shoot better than 29 percent from deep against UC, finishing 8-for-20 (40 percent). Eric Dixon, the nation’s second-leading scorer at 25.9 ppg, was 3-for-7 from deep while scoring 31 of the Wildcats’ 68 points. Cincinnati’s defense still ranks in the top-10 for scoring and field-goal percentage.
• Simas Lukosius (16.0 ppg) and Jizzle James (14.6) lead the Bearcats in scoring, as well as reaching double-figures in all seven games. Lukosius is 12th nationally in overall offensive rating according to KenPom.
• James’ 19 points at Villanova matched his season-high, and he’s no stranger to the road. Other top performances away from home his freshman year include 19 at Xaver, 12 at No. 12 BYU,  16 at Oklahoma and 21 at Indiana State. With 39 assists, James has had five or more in five of the seven games. He is 38th nationally at 5.6 per game.
• Dan Skillings, UC’s leading scorer of 12.9 ppg and second-leading rebounder at 6.4, has “a chance” to play, per Wes Miller at his radio show. Skillings had 17 points and 11 boards in the season opener discovering a knee injury days later. The starting lineup has remained consistent the rest of the way, with Connor Hickman (998 points for his career) stepping in his place.
• Cincinnati is sixth nationally with only 9.0 turnovers per game, having committed six against Villanova.
• Josh Reed played 16 minutes, contributing three rebounds, a made three-pointer and stellar defense. He played 16 or more in four Big 12 games last year and won the team’s “Do Your Job” award against Villanova.
• Speaking of defense, the Bearcats are still third in opponent effective field goal percentage at 40.6 percent, conversely ninth offensively at 59.2, per KenPom.
• Day Day Thomas played a season-high 22 minutes after missing the first three due to a foot injury. As the team leader in steals (61) and assists (116) last year, his role this year will continue to be something to watch.

SERIES HISTORY

• UC is 3-0 against Howard, with the first two wins coming at home in 1996 and 2006, followed by overtime on the road last year.
• Day Day Thomas knocked down a pair of free-throws with seven seconds left in regulation before Howard hit a contested three-pointer at the buzzer to force OT. Jizzle James also scored all nine of his points over a 5-minute stretch in the second half to keep Howard at bay.
• CJ Fredrick’s scoring career-high came against Howard in the 2022-23 opener, his debut for Kentucky. His 20 points included going 2-for-5 from deep while earning a starting nod.
• Jizzle James’ brother, Eden, is an All-MEAC running back at Howard who had 177 yards on the ground at Northwestern in 2023.
• Both coaches have combined for three national titles as players in the Tobacco Road rivalry (Wes Miller and North Carolina in 2005, Kenny Blakeny and Duke in 1991 and 1992).

COURTESY UC SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS