Cincinnati Season Preview

2022-23 Record: 23-13, 11-7 AAC (4th)

Coach: Wes Miller, Third Year

Departures: Landers Nolley, F (Graduation)

David DeJulius, G (Graduation)

Mika Adams-Woods, G (Transfer)

Jeremiah Davenport, W (Graduation)

Kalu Ezikpe, F (Graduation)

Rob Phinisee, G (Gradiation)

Jarrett Hensley, F (Transfer)

Arrivals: CJ Fredrick, W (Transfer from Kentucky)

Simas Lukosius, W (Transfer from Butler)

Aziz Bandaogo, C (Transfer from Utah Valley)

Jamille Reynolds, C (Transfer from Temple)

DaVeon Thomas, G (Junior College Transfer)

Jizzle James, G (Freshman)

Rayvon Griffith, W (Freshman)

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Jizzle James

SG: CJ Fredrick

SF: Simas Lukosius

PF: Viktor Lakhin

C: Aziz Bandaogo

Roster Breakdown

Another newcomer to the Big 12, the Cincinnati Bearcats have a proud basketball history, with great coaches such as Bob Huggins and Mick Cronin having patrolled the sidelines, and great players like Oscar Robertson and Kenyon Martin having graced the court. Wes Miller is entering his third season with the program, and he's looking to manage the transition to a new conference and his coaching mettle will be tested, as he's got a lot of new faces on his team. He'll have to lean on some of his returners, headlined by Viktor Lakhin. The 6'11" Russian is back after putting up 11.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 1.2 steals last season. He's an excellent scorer in the paint, with a strong post game, a nice floater package from the foul line and in, and he's a tenacious offensive rebounder, grabbing 2.3 a game last year. If he can add a three point shot to his game, perhaps not likely given his struggles from the foul line, then he will be a real weapon in the Big 12. Ody Oguama is also back in the from the frontcourt. He played his first two years in college at Wake Forest before coming to Cincinnati for the last two. He's averaged 4.8 points and 4.7 rebounds over his career. He's another player who operates almost exclusively in the paint, and the big man has some starting experience. He has 64 starts in 120 games in his career, but I project him to be more of a veteran presence off of the bench for the Bearcats this season. Also returning are wings Daniel Skillings and Josh Reed. Both are rising sophomores, with Skillings checking in at 114 nationally and Reed 155 in the 247 Sports Composite. Both of them are long wings, and can play defense and attack the rim. Skillings got more minutes last year, averaging 14.6 minutes and putting up 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds a game. Reed, meanwhile, had some more trouble finding the court, only averaging 8 minutes and putting up 1.5 points and 1.7 rebounds. I think they both have the potential to shoot, and if either can add an effective jump shot, they have excellent 3 and D potential. 7 foot big man Sage Tolentino is a redshirt freshman looking to make an impact after getting hurt in the season. He was the #250 recruit in the 2022 class, and has potential to stretch the floor. He will need to show that he has put on muscle while rehabbing to hang in the paint with Big 12 bigs, but he has potential to crack the rotation thanks to his skillset. Everyone else is new to the program, and Wes Miller has a talented portal class, with two wings and two bigs. Simas Lukosius joins from Butler, and he had a bit of a breakout season as a sophomore for the Bulldogs last year. He put up 11.6 points, 4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1 steal a game, and knocked down 37.8% of his threes all across 33.3 minutes. He's a big guard at 6'6" who is a really good secondary ball handler and playmaker, plus provides shooting from beyond the arc. Speaking of, CJ Fredrick is a deadeye shooter from behind the arc. Don't be fooled by his 31.8% mark from deep last year, he made 46.6% of his shots from three point range during his first two seasons at Iowa. He has missed time due to injuries throughout his career, but when he is on the court, you have to be aware of him at all times, because he make you pay. In the front court, Aziz Bandaogo and Jamille Reynolds join the fold. Bandaogo is joining after one year at Utah Valley, where he had a big breakout season. There are questions about his eligibility, as he is a two time transfer, but if he does get on the court, Bandaogo is a force on the interior. The 7 footer put up 11.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks a game last season after two unspectacular years at Akron. He's a good athlete with bounce and length, and as the stats show, he is a prodigious shot blocker. He's not doing anything revolutionary offensively, most of his shots end with his hands on the rim, but he doesn't need to to be effective. Reynolds is another interior presence and another two time transfer. He's got more bulk to him at 6'9", 230 pounds, and uses his strength to back players down and get to the rim. He averaged 10.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks a game for Temple last season, and if he is eligible this year, he'll be a physical presence on the interior for Cincy. To round out the team, Wes Miller has brought in two freshmen and a junior college transfer. DaVeon Thomas has joined out of Kilgore Community College. He started all 29 games last year, and put up 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists a game. He is a quick guard who can get to the rim and finish, and has no problem sitting down and guarding at the point of attack. He was fairly highly recruited, and the hope is he can play against Big 12 competition right out of the gate. Point guard Jizzle James and wing Rayvin Griffith will also be looking to make a big impact right away. James has a great athletic pedigree, being the son of former NFL running back Edgerrin James. Like his father, he's a quick and shifty athlete who can get into the lane. He plays with a fearless on both sides of the ball, being a pest defensively and constantly being in attack mode offensively. However, he's a bit undersized and will need to add strength, and his jumper is simply not where it needs to be at the moment. As for Griffith, he's a 6'7" wing who's long and athletic. He'll fit right in with Wes Miller's defensive system of pressure, and it should unlock his abilities in transition. He's also improving in the half court, where he boasts a respectable jumper and some ability in isolation. He's probably ready to contribute from day 1 as well.

My Thoughts

I'm pretty in on Cincinnati in their first year in the Big 12, although I do have some questions that need to be answered. The most glaring is the point guard position. They'll be relying on two guys who have never played Division I college basketball, which is definitely a worry. I am a fan of Jizzle James, but he may be more of a long term prospect than a instant impact player. That would be a lot on DaVeon Thomas, who is maybe more ready to play immediately. Maybe one or both of these guys steps up and runs point well, and I actually have some confidence that will happen. But when looking at the roster, that is a glaring issue. There is also the question of how the front court looks. With two guys who have eligibility questions, we don't 100% know how this will shape out. But if they both get waivers, I expect Bandaogo to for what it's worth, it will be interesting to see how Wes Miller manages minutes. He could maybe play really big with Lakhin and Bandaogo together, and that's what I'm currently projecting, because both guys are simply too talented to not be on the the court in my opinion. But neither spaces the floor, and college basketball isn't exactly moving towards playing two bigs together. I think it could work, Lukosius and Fredrick will spade the floor around them, but it might be more interesting to have a small ball four, especially given how Wes Miller has liked to play. On positive notes, I think Simas Lukosius is one of the more underrated transfer portal adds, as he was really good at Butler last year and hasn't been getting any real hype behind him that I have seen. And I really like Skillings and Griffith as wing depth, and those guys really fit that high pressure Wes Miller system. I'm super interested to see how this rotation breaks down, as we could see Miller go big or deploy a lineup where he plays more athletes and goes with a pressure system. Honestly, I know I've had some questions here, but I'm a believer in the talent on the roster and I like Wes Miller a lot, so I think they could compete for an NCAA Tournament spot this year in their first in the Big 12.