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By Bill Koch
GoBearcats.com
UNCASVILLE, Conn. - Given the way he's performed during his first four games for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats, it's hard to understand why Kyle Washington had such a difficult time getting consistent playing time at North Carolina State.
"I think he's still adjusting to playing extended minutes," said UC coach Mick Cronin. "He never did it at NC State. Some games he didn't play. Some games he played 20 minutes, then he played five, then he'd play 27. So being able to be out there and to have to play defense when you're tired, it's an adjustment for him.
Playing time doesn't figure to be an issue for Washington at UC. The 6-foot-9, 230-pound junior transfer has averaged 17.0 points and 10.5 rebounds while shooting 54 percent from the field. He has also blocked seven shots.
Washington, who was named to the all-tournament team, scored 16 points and pulled down a season-high 17 rebounds Sunday to lead the 24th-ranked Bearcats to a 71-50 victory over Penn State in the consolation game of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Tip-Off tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Jacob Evans scored 14 points on five-of-seven shooting, Troy Caupain scored 12 points with four assists, and redshirt freshman Tre Scott scored a season-high 10 points in 18 minutes for UC. Shep Garner scored 20 points for Penn State.
The victory was a nice bounce-back for UC after Saturday's disappointing loss to No. 21 Rhode Island.
"We watched a lot of film," Evans said. "We talked as a team and we decided that if we wanted to be a great team we had to buy into what Coach was telling us. We bought in and it showed today."
After the loss to Rhode Island that prevented the Bearcats from playing Duke, Cronin was upset by the lack of physical and mental toughness he had seen from his players. The Bearcats were out-rebounded by nine and repeatedly were beaten to loose balls by the Rams.
None of that was a problem Sunday. UC out-rebounded the Nittany Lions, 40-26, forced 19 turnovers, 15 in the first half, and limited them to 34.7 percent shooting. They made only six of 21 shots in the first half.
"Our defense was much better today," Cronin said. "Penn State's a capable offensive team. They came into the game averaging (79) points a game. They shot (55.9) percent in the second half against Duke yesterday, so I give my guys a lot of credit. I thought they were locked in on the defensive end. They played with a commitment to defense and rebounding. That was the difference in the game."
UC never trailed after vaulting to a 5-0 lead. From the 10:38 mark of the first half until the 3:58 mark, the Bearcats outscored the Nittany Lions, 16-1. They held Penn State without a field goal for almost nine minutes during a stretch in the first half.
Penn State reduced a 22-point deficit to 15 at halftime, but UC took control again at the start of the second half and quickly secured the win. By the 6:11 mark of the second half, the Bearcats led by 26 points. UC outscored Penn State, 34-18, in the paint and 15-2 in second-chance points on 10 offensive rebounds.
Washington's scoring has not been a surprise. He's probably the most offensively skilled big man UC has had in the Cronin coaching era, which began in 2006. Yancy Gates, who scored 1,485 points from 2009 to 2012, was an outstanding offensive player, but he was more of a power player and lacked Washington's shooting touch.
There were doubts about whether Washington would be able to supply the rebounding production that Octavius Ellis displayed the last two years. So far, he has exceeded expectations in that regard. Even more impressive is the fact that Washington has played so well so quickly after sitting out last year under NCAA regulations for transfers.
The truth is he's just happy to be on the floor so much, averaging 29 minutes per game.
"My playing time at NC State fluctuated so much," Washington said. "For me to see these extended minutes, it's an adjustment. But in the off-season, training with (strength and conditioning coach) Mike Rehfeldt and going through Coach's individual workouts, it gets me ready to say, 'OK, I know I'm tired but I've just got to get over this fatigue.'"
The Bearcats earned a split of their two games here, which wasn't what they had in mind, but the trip will have been beneficial if the loss to Rhode Island taught them a lesson they needed to learn. The early returns Sunday were positive.
"We had some talks," Cronin said. "If you try to win with jump shots you're not gonna make the NCAA Tournament. We make the NCAA Tournament because we understand how to make it. You've got to play defense, you've got to rebound and you've got to do it with toughness."
The Bearcats' next game is Wednesday at Fifth Third Arena against Samford, followed by a Saturday contest at home vs. Lipscomb. Their next game against a major opponent is Dec. 1 at Iowa State.
"We have a bunch of non-conference games coming up on our schedule against significant teams," Washington said. "If we want to make a deep run in March we have to win those games, so we have to make winning plays and be focused on playing as a unit. We have to keep on working for that."
Bill Koch covered UC athletics for 27 years - 15 at The Cincinnati Post and 12 at The Cincinnati Enquirer - before joining the staff of GoBearcats.com in January 2015.