By Henry Rawn
GAME NOTES
https://gobearcats.com/documents/2024/12/28/2024-25_Game_Notes_K-State.pdf
CBS SPORTS NETWORK
https://www.cbssports.com/watch/cbs-sports-network
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CINCINNATI — The No. 17 Cincinnati men’s basketball team is back from its holiday break to open Big 12 play Monday night at Kansas State. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
THE RUNDOWN
- Cincinnati’s best non-conference record since 2012-13 included a 23-point win at Georgia Tech, a final-second victory over Xavier in the heated Crosstown Shootout and a neutral-site win over No. 22 Dayton in which UC never trailed and led by as much as 18 in the second half.
- The defense is ninth nationally in allowing 58.5 ppg, with its 11-game streak of allowing under 70 points the best for the program since 12 in 2018-19. UC is also 10th nationally in allowing 27.5 percent from beyond the arc. Villanova (40.0 percent) is the only team to shoot above 33.3 percent from deep.
- UC is fifth nationally in KenPom defense, 48th in offense and has 35 offensive boards the last two games.
- Dan Skillings Jr., UC’s leading scorer last year, has started the last three games after suffering a six-game injury absence after the season opener. He had 15 points, helped by four offensive rebounds, in the Dayton win that included a career-high four steals.
- Dillon Mitchell is fifth nationally at 69.5 percent from the field, and that’s only part of the story. He has double-doubles against Georgia Tech and Xavier and leads UC in rebounds (7.5 per game) and steals (19). He is also tied for third nationally in dunks (31), one behind national leader and teammate Aziz Bandaogo. In two games against K-State last year, he averaged 10.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in a split for Texas.
- Bandaogo, helped by the impressive retention of last year’s core, has been an even better lob threat than he was last year. Not only that, his 72.7 percent clip from the foul line is a career-high, up 18.2 percent from last year, and he leads UC in blocks at 20. He swatted 49 shots last year.
- Jizzle James has fully embraced the starting role this year, kicked off by 25 and 21 points in the two NIT games he started last year. He is 24th nationally with a 3.25 assist-turnover ratio, helped by eight dimes and no turnovers against Grambling. He was 4-for-6 from deep against Dayton, and his 34.1% mark is up from 28.8 last year.
- Cincinnati’s top three foul-shooting games have been over the last three games (74.6 percent overall). It was shooting 59.4 percent until that point.
- The Bearcats won their Big 12 opener last year at No. 12 BYU, joining No. 15 Texas Tech and UCF as their league road wins. They overcame a 10-point deficit against Evansville to win 76-58 in their first post-Christmas game as well.
AZIZ’S OFFENSE: NEW X-FACTOR?
Cincinnati is now 12-1 in Aziz Bandaogo’s two years when he scores in double-figures. While the 2023 WAC Defensive Player of the Year is most known for that side of his game, he and the Bearcats have been much more in-sync for lob attempts. Also, Bandaogo is shooting a career-best 72.7 percent from the foul line, and it should be noted that he has taken extra reps during team water breaks.
Game (2023-24) – Points (notes)
at Howard – 12
FGCU – 10
Bryant – 12
vs. Dayton – 10 (only loss)
at (12) BYU* – 12
at (15) Texas Tech* – 10
at UCF* – 13
Game (2024-25) – Points (notes)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff – 11
Morehead State – 12
Alabama State – 10
Howard – 17 (UC career-high)
Xavier – 12
Grambling – 15
SERIES HISTORY
- Cincinnati leads the all-time series 8-1, with the first seven of those coming from 1958-68.
- Last year’s meeting, a 74-72 win for Cincinnati that had major bubble implications for both teams, saw Simas Lukosius hit the winning three-pointer as he curled around a screen with 9.9 seconds left and let it go from the top of the key.
- Cincinnati led by as much as 13 with 15 minutes left before K-State’s Tylor Perry scored 17 of his 26 pooints in the second half. The other big takeaway was UC winning the turnover battle 19-6, which led to a 29-6 point differential in scoring off turnovers.
- The other modern meeting came in the 2017 NCAA Tournament First Round, a 75-61 win for the Bearcats.
- Cincinnati shot 62.8 percent, including making its first 10 shots, in that 2017 meeting, a school NCAA Tourney record. Troy Caupain led all scorers with 23 points, while Kyle Washington and Gary Clark followed with 16 and 15, respectively.
- Oscar Robertson posted one of his 10 triple-doubles against the Wildcats in the 1959 NCAA Tournament (24 points, 17 rebounds, 13 assists).
- The 1961 meeting, played at Allen Fieldhouse, was an Elite Eight victory for the Bearcats en route to their first of consecutive national titles.
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