TicketsBUFFALO (2-0) vs. No. 12/13 CINCINNATI (3-0)
Cayman Islands Classic - Opening Round
SERIES INFO: Second meeting; Cincinnati leads 1-0 overall; UC leads 1-0 at home
LAST MEETING: Cincinnati won 86-59 on March 2, 1971 at UC's Armory Fieldhouse
STREAK: Cincinnati - 1
COACHES: Mick Cronin is in his 12th season at Cincinnati (240-135); 15th season overall (309-159)
Nate Oats is in his third season at Buffalo (39-30); third season overall (39-30)
AP/USA TODAY RANKINGS (Nov. 13): Cincinnati (12/13); Buffalo (--/--)
RADIO: 700 WLW; Dan Hoard provides play-by-play with color analyst Terry Nelson
TV: FloHoops (Internet stream, subscription required)
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By Bill Koch
GoBearcats.com
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands – The real heavy hitters on the University of Cincinnati basketball schedule won't arrive until the Bearcats face the opponents listed on their December schedule, but they'll take an incremental step up in the level of competition Monday night when they face Buffalo in the first round of the Cayman Islands Classic.
No. 12 UC (3-0) cruised through the first week of the regular season by defeating Savannah State, Western Carolina and Coppin State by an average score of 102.0-66.7 and was just three points from becoming the first team in school history to score 100 points in three straight games.
The Bearcats are expected to receive more resistance from Buffalo (2-0) at approximately 7:30 p.m. at John Gray Gymnasium. The winner will advance to face the winner of the game between Richmond and UAB on Tuesday.
The Bulls, who were picked to win the Mid-American Conference East Division, have beaten Canisius, 80-75, and Jacksonville State, 81-76. Nick Perkins, who scored a career-high 26 points against Canisius, is averaging 21.0 points per game, followed by C.J. Massinburg with an average of 16.5. Both players were named to the MAC's preseason all-conference team.
The UC players began their trip here Sunday morning with an outdoor yoga workout and had some free time in the afternoon to splash around in the pool and relax on the beach. They practiced late in the afternoon in preparation for their first games of the season away from their temporary home court of BB&T Arena at Northern Kentucky University.
One of the pleasant surprises so far this season has been the play of junior point guard Justin Jenifer, who has emerged as one of six UC starters averaging in double figures. After averaging 2.8 points and 12.7 minutes in his first two seasons, the Baltimore native is averaging 11 points in 16.5 minutes this season. He's shooting 50 percent from the field, 41.7 percent from 3-point range, and has turned the ball over only once in three games while recording eight assists.
UC coach Mick Cronin said he's not surprised by Jenifer's increased production.
"You've got to give the kid the credit," Cronin said. "People talk about player development. Well, some guys develop like (former UC All-American) Sean Kilpatrick and others don't. You've got to give the player the credit when he puts in the work and is notably getting better.
"You guys watched Justin. He's obviously a totally different player. I would say it's (for two reasons) - maturity, but it's also his commitment level, his practice habits and the time he puts in in the gym. He just takes it a lot more serious."
In high school, Jenifer was known as a flashy ball-handler, but in college he has had to learn to tone that act down and become more sound fundamentally. You still see the occasional flash from Jenifer, especially in transition, but that's not his priority.
"I'm just coming into the game being more aggressive," he said. "Everybody says I'm a pass-first guard. If I go ahead and be aggressive coming out, then it'll make my assists a lot easier. I have to be aggressive and get in the paint and work on my shot because everything is going to open up when my shot is falling."
For the past two seasons, Jenifer was a little-used substitute for Troy Caupain, who rarely came out of a game. Now the point guard position is being shared by Jenifer and transfer Cane Broome, who's averaging 12 points with 10 assists.
"There's no days off for me and him," Jenifer said. "We make sure we go at each other every day."
Jenifer's journey is similar to other players who have gone through Cronin's program in recent years. In addition to Kilpatrick, Justin Jackson and JaQuon Parker both figured out after a year or two what role they needed to fill to earn more playing time and how hard they had to work to get it.
"I told him he wasn't going to play if he played like he did the first two years," Cronin said. "Sometimes people put it on the coach. I put it back on them. The players determine playing time."
Jenifer still has to prove that he can play at this level over the course of an entire season against better competition, but so far he's responded favorably to Cronin's challenge.
"When it comes to basketball," Cronin said, "I'm paid to win games. I'm just going to play the best players. Do I play favorites? Yeah. Play well and you'll be one of my favorites."
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.