By Henry Rawn

1 7 2025

UC GAME NOTES

https://gobearcats.com/documents/2025/1/6/2024-25_Game_Notes_at_Baylor.pdf

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati men’s basketball team is headed out for its second Big 12 road game when it battles Baylor on Tuesday night. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. ET.

THE RUNDOWN

• Cincinnati has lost back-to-back games for the first time this season, and it came after tying the game in the final minute despite being down by 19, which would have been the largest and ninth double-digit comeback win under Wes Miller. Dating back to last year, 10 of UC’s 13 league losses have been by five points or less.
• UC held the Wildcats to eight assists and preseason First-Team All-American Caleb Love to 3-of-15 shooting. The last two games are the only times in which Cincinnati’s opponent has surpassed 70 points.
• Dan Skillings Jr. scored a season-high 18 points for the second-straight game. He was also the scoring leader in both Baylor matchups last year, averaging 19.5 ppg and having four steals in the Big 12 Tourney matchup. His 4-of-6 performance from deep on Jan. 13 in Waco remains one of his three games with four makes, with another coming in this year’s Big 12 opener at K-State.
• Nineteen of his 33 rebounds are on the offensive glass, which includes all six against Arizona and four of his five versus No. 22 Dayton. His 88 last year led UC by 22 and were the most by a Bearcat since Nysier Brooks in 2018-19.
• On the team front, UC out-rebounded Arizona by 39-34 (including 17-8 offensively), the Wildcats’ lowest of the season after it entered the day seventh nationally with a 11.5-per-game mark.
• Aziz Bandaogo did not play in the first Baylor matchup due to a back injury suffered against Dayton which stayed with him through much of Big 12 play. He did have four blocks in only 15 minutes against the Bears in Kansas City. He is 41st nationally and fifth in the Big 12 with 1.9 blocks per game, and UC is 12-1 (6-0 this year) when he scores in double-figures. His 37 dunks leads the nation, with Dillon Mitchell third at 35.
• Mitchell remained consistent with 13 points, seven boards and two breakaway steals at midcourt that led to highlight-reel dunks. He is 3-for-6 from deep in his two Big 12 games after starting 3-for-11, which were all of his first-career makes after two years at Texas.
• Mitchell is fourth nationally with a 67.6 field-goal percentage while leading UC in steals (23) and rebounds (7.7). As a freshman and sophomore, his teams were 2-2 against Baylor, with him starting all four.
• Despite the shots not falling to UC’s delight on Saturday, Jizzle James has managed 17 assists his last three games, ranking 42nd in the country with a 2.87 assist-turnover ratio.
• UC is sixth defensively in KenPom, helped by its scoring defense (60.5, ninth) and overall and 3FG (both 19th).

SERIES HISTORY

• Baylor is 3-0 all-time, including a 62-59 decision in Waco on Jan. 13 and a 68-56 one in the Big 12 Quarterfinals.
• Dan Skillings’ breakaway dunk gave UC a 36-29 lead with 17:13 left in the first meeting, but Baylor responded with a 13-0 spurt to lead 44-38 with 10:13 left. Cincinnati had three misses from deep in the final moments to lead or tie.
• The second matchup was a battle until the Bearcats, playing their third-straight day, fell victim to fatigue in the second half against Baylor, making its debut because of a double-bye.
• UC led 26-24 at the half, holding Baylor to 6-of-24 shooting, but the Bears made 8 of their first 12 after the break.
• Last year’s meetings were the only ones since a Cincinnati home loss in 1946.
• Bandaogo and Baylor big Josh Ojianwuna both participated in the NCAA’s Next Generation Sunday event at the 2019 Men’s Final Four (Minneapolis) for NBA Global Academy.
• Dillon Mitchell attended the prestigious Montverde Academy, as did three of Baylor’s players.

COURTESY UC SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS