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    • Cincinnati Bearcats Men’s Basketball Arkansas-Pine Bluff Big 12 Season Opener
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    Cincinnati Bearcats Men’s Basketball Arkansas-Pine Bluff Big 12 Season Opener

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    After a Midnight Madness atmosphere in the CareSource Charity Classic vs. Ohio State more than two weeks ago, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats men’s basketball team will play a game that counts Monday night, facing Arkansas-Pine Bluff at the Fifth Third Arena.

    After the high of beating the Buckeyes in a charity exhibition and the low of falling to Pitt in a controlled ‘secret’ scrimmage, Wes Miller is as excited as many fans to see what the men in red and black have to offer in 2024. 25.

    The Bearcats were picked No. 6 out of 16 teams in the Big 12 and the five teams ahead of them are all ranked in the top 10 of the Top 25 in both the AP and USA TODAY Preseason polls. Texas Tech, BYU and Kansas State also received votes in both polls, and Arizona State received votes in the AP count.

    “I’m always grateful when I walk out of the tunnel coaching at Cincinnati,” Miller said. “There are a lot of people who care. Every time I run out of that tunnel, I never take it for granted. I appreciate the people sitting in their seats and yelling and cheering for us.”

    Come on, feel the sound

    Miller says Fifth Third Arena is one of the best environments in college basketball. At his weekly press conference, he implored fans to continue their vocal support this season, but to do even better.

    New Cincinnati Bearcats forward Dillon Mitchell, who played here for Texas last January, says the crowd can certainly be a factor for an opponent unfamiliar with the area.

    “I’m excited to be able to play in front of these fans,” Mitchell said. “I’m telling you all, when they’re out there and they’re loud, it’s scary for the opponent. They’re going to help us win games this year.”

    Is Day Day Thomas an everyday occurrence for the Cincinnati Bearcats?

    The senior point guard, who started all 35 games he played last season, injured his foot before he was scheduled to fly to Kansas City as part of the UC representation (Oct. 22) at Big 12 media days. He has since returned to basketball activities, but did not participate in Pitt’s “secret scrimmage.”

    “We’re just not going from zero to 100,” Miller said. “He’s shooting. I don’t know if he’s going to miss time or not. You’ve got to have depth in college basketball. That was important to us when we were building our roster. We have depth. There are some guys who collectively could be a should be able to fill the void, but there is no doubt that I will feel a lot better when Day Day plays.”

    3 keys for Cincinnati Bearcats to beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions

    1. Work out the kinks early, play with controlled chaos

    It would be somewhat normal for an early game to be sloppy. UC must plan for sloppiness early on and then adapt to the environment. Miller would like to play faster this season, so the expectation should be to shut down the opposition, not wear him out. What confuses the Golden Lions should seem like another day at the office for the Bearcats. That said, last year’s UAPB team averaged over 80 points per game, so it’s not like they’re going to throw it around for 30 seconds per possession.

    2. Never take an opponent lightly

    As CBS insider Jon Rothstein often writes early in the season, losing a match to someone you essentially paid to beat can be the “epitome of brutality.” Nine of Pine Bluff’s first 11 games are paydays, including games at Tulsa, USF, Kansas State, Texas Tech and Texas. If you don’t want to be included in the “Buster Douglas defeated Mike Tyson” category, get your act together.

    3. Leave the court without assistance

    With Tyler McKinley already out for the year with a knee injury and Thomas aggravating a previous foot injury, healthy bodies are essential. Critical to a team’s success is the ability to leave the field on its own two feet.

    Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions

    Tip: 7:00 PM

    TV/Radio: ESPN+/700WLW

    Series: UC leads 5-0 (Bearcats last won 105-49, November 27, 2018)

    Arkansas-Pine Bluff (UAPB) Scouting Report

    File: 13-18 (8-10 SWAC) last season

    Coach: Solomon Bozeman (fourth season, 30-63)

    Offence: 80.1 ppg last season

    Defense: 81.8 ppg last season

    Projected starting lineup

    (Position, Height, Statistics)

    Robert Lewis (F, 6’9″, 4.2 ppg last season)

    Klemen Vuga (F, 6’9″, 2.3 ppg at Monmouth last season)

    Zach Reinhart (G, 6’6″, 1.9 ppg last season)

    Trejon Ware (G, 5’9″, 3.4 ppg last season)

    Christian Moore (G, 5’11”, 1.3 ppg at North Texas last season)

    Cincinnati Bearcats scouting report

    File: 22-15 (7-11 Big 12) last season

    Coach: Wes Miller (fourth season, 63-43 at UC, 248-178 overall)

    Offence: 74.7 pages

    Defense: 68.2 pages

    Projected starting lineup

    (Position, Height, Statistics)

    Dillon Mitchell (F. 6’8″, 9.6 ppg at Texas last season)

    Aziz Bandaogo (C, 7′, 6.6 ppg last season)

    Simas Lukošius (G, 6’8″, 11.8 ppg last season)

    Dan Skillings Jr. (G, 6’6″, 12.9 ppg last season)

    Jizzle James (G, 6’3″, 8.8 ppg last season)

    Players to watch

    Monmouth transfer Klemen Vuga is a 6-foot-1, 240-pound forward who averaged 9.5 points and 5.3 rebounds at Monmouth two seasons ago and had a game-high 29 points against North Carolina A&T. He was part of the 2021-2022 Monmouth squad that defeated UC 61-59 in November of that season, but did not play in the game.

    The Bearcats saw Dillon Mitchell go a perfect 6-for-6 from the field and finish with 12 points and seven rebounds against Ohio State. They also made 10 of their 26 three-pointers, with Simas Lukošius and Jizzle James both hitting a pair.

    James appears to have improved defensively, which will benefit the team.

    “To get to the next level you have to play both sides,” James said. “In this conference (Big 12), you have to be a defense dog. This is the best defensive conference.”

    If Thomas doesn’t play, look for Bradley transfer Connor Hickman and holdover CJ Fredrick to get key minutes. Hickman averaged 14.5 points for Bradley and scored 14 against UC in the NIT. Last season he shot over 40% from three-point range, while Fredrick shot almost 43%.

    Rankings

    NCAA NET: Cincinnati No. 37 last season, UAPB No. 328

    KenPom.com: Cincinnati is No. 17, UAPB No. 355

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