Bearcats Face Iowa in Chicago Legends on Saturday

CINCINNATI (7-4) vs. IOWA (8-3)
2019 Chicago Legends
Saturday, Dec. 21 // 9 p.m. ET // United Center
SERIES INFO: 10th meeting; Cincinnati leads 6-3 overall; series is tied 3-3 at neutral sites; 
Cincinnati leads 1-0 in Cincinnati and 2-0 in Iowa City 
LAST MEETING: Iowa won 79-72 on March 22, 2019 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Columbus, Ohio 
STREAK: Iowa - Won 1
COACHES: John Brannen is in his first season at Cincinnati (7-4); fifth season overall (89-56)
Fran McCaffery is in his 10th season at Iowa (182-135); 24th season overall (433-312)
AP/USA TODAY RANKINGS (DEC. 16): Cincinnati (--/--); Iowa (RV/RV)
RADIO: 700 WLW; Mo Egger provides play-by-play with color analyst Terry Nelson
TV:  Big Ten Network; Brian Anderson provides play-by-play with color analyst Shon Morris
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM): @GoBearcatsMBB or GoBearcatsMBB

// GAME PREVIEW 

• The University of Cincinnati (7-4) men's basketball team wraps up its nonconference schedule Saturday when it battles Iowa (8-3) in the Chicago Legends event at the United Center.
• The contest tips at approximately 9 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network and 700 WLW. 
• The Cincinnati-Iowa matchup is the second game of a doubleheader that follows Colorado vs. Dayton. That contest tips at 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.  
• The Bearcats took down No. 21 Tennessee, 78-66, on Wednesday at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. Seven of the eight Bearcats that saw action scored nine or more points led by Trevon Scott's game-high 15 points and seven rebounds. Jarron Cumberland scored eight of his 10 points inside the final six minutes of the game to help UC pull away.  
• Iowa hasn't played since it posted an 84-68 road win at Iowa State on Thursday, Dec. 12.  Five Hawkeyes scored in double figures led by Luka Garza's 21 points and game-high 11 rebounds. 
• The two team have met nine times in series history. Saturday marks the seventh neutral site matchup between the two programs with each team winning three times previously. UC and Iowa also have split two previous meetings in Chicago. Overall, UC leads the series 6-3. 
• Iowa ended UC's season a year ago, claiming a 79-72 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. 
• UP NEXT: Cincinnati opens American Athletic Conference play on New Year's Day when it welcomes UConn to Fifth Third Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network and 700 WLW. 

// CINCINNATI STORYLINES 

• UC placed a season-high six players in double figures in Wednesday's win over No. 21 Tennessee. The Bearcats have had at least four players score 10 or more points in nine of 11 games. 
• Chris Vogt ranks eighth in the nation and first in The American, shooting 68.6 percent (59 of 86) from the field. He has shot at least 50 percent from the floor in 10 of 11 games this season while scoring in double figures in 10 consecutive contests. His field-goal shooting percentage currently ranks first in school history for a single season.
• Jarron Cumberland enters Saturday's Iowa game with 1,478 career points. He needs eight more points to move past Yancy Gates (1,485 points from 2009-12) for 15th place on UC's all-time scoring list.
• Cumberland needs 22 points to become only the fourth Bearcat in school history to achieve 1,500 points and 300 assists for his career, joining former greats Oscar Robertson, Steve Logan and Deonta Vaughn. He enters the Iowa game with 308 career assists.

// CORIE BLOUNT NAMED UC'S LEGEND FOR CHICAGO LEGENDS EVENT 

• Former UC men's basketball great Corie Blount will be honored as the program's legend at halftime of the Iowa game at the Chicago Legends event Saturday at the United Center.
• Blount averaged 9.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks during two seasons as a Bearcat, helping lead Cincinnati to the NCAA Tournament's Final Four in 1992 and Elite Eight in 1993. A first-round draft pick of the NBA's Chicago Bulls, Blount went on to play 11 years in the league.

// SCOUTING IOWA

• Iowa enters Saturday's game having won seven of its last nine, including wins over then-No. 12 Texas Tech, at Syracuse, Minnesota and at Iowa State. Saturday will mark Iowa's sixth neutral site or road contest in its last seven games. 
• The Hawkeyes boast three players averaging double figures led by junior center Luka Garza's 22.4 points and 9.9 rebounds. He is shooting 55.1 percent (97 of 176) from the floor with six double-doubles this season. 
• Earlier this month, Garza scored 44 points on 17 of 32 shooting with eight rebounds in a 103-91 loss at then-No. 4 Michigan. 
• Sophomore guard Joe Wieskamp (12.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, team-high 21 3-pointers) and freshman guard CJ Fredrick (10.5 points, 3.0 assist) also average 10 or more points. Fredrick attended Covington Catholic High School in the Cincinnati area.
• Redshirt sophomore Connor McCaffery ranks third in the nation with a 4.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio entering Thursday. 
• Iowa has appeared in four of the last six NCAA Tournaments while advancing to postseason play in seven of the last eight seasons. 

// IOWA SERIES HISTORY

• Cincinnati owns a 6-3 advantage in its series with Iowa, including a 1-0 edge in Cincinnati and 2-0 lead in Iowa City.  Saturday marks the seventh neutral site meeting in series history with each team winning three times. 
• Saturday also marks the third time the two schools have played in Chicago. Iowa claimed a 78-69 victory at Chicago Stadium on Dec. 30, 1966. UC answered with a 73-69 win at Chicago Stadium on Jan. 22, 1971. 
• Iowa posted a 79-72 win over UC on March 22, 2019 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. 
• UC's last win in the series came by a 76-64 result in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis.
• vs. THE BIG TEN: Cincinnati is 58-49 (.542) all-time against current members of the Big Ten Conference: Illinois (1-3), Indiana (3-12), Iowa (6-3), Maryland (2-2), Michigan (1-3), Michigan State (4-9), Minnesota (7-2), Nebraska (5-1), Northwestern (0-0), Ohio State (4-8), Penn State (1-1), Purdue (3-0), Rutgers (16-4) and Wisconsin (5-1). 
• The Bearcats opened the 2019-20 campaign with a 64-56 setback at then No. 18 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. 
• UC head coach John Brannen owns a 1-3 coaching mark against current members of the Big Ten Conference with previous contests against Illinois (1-1), Michigan (0-1) and Ohio State (0-1).