Cincinnati Battles Furman on Wednesday

CINCINNATI (1-1) vs. FURMAN (4-0)
Wednesday, Dec. 9 // 5 p.m. ET
Fifth Third Arena // Cincinnati, Ohio
SERIES INFO: Second meeting; Cincinnati leads 1-0 overall, including 1-0 at neutral sites  
LAST MEETING: Cincinnati won 93-77 on Dec. 31, 1953 in the Oklahoma City Tournament in Oklahoma City, Okla.
STREAK: Cincinnati - Won 1
COACHES: John Brannen - second season at Cincinnati (1-1); sixth season overall (103-63)
Bob Richey - fourth season at Furman (77-26); fourth season overall (77-26)
AP/USA TODAY RANKINGS (Dec. 7): Cincinnati (--/--); Furman (--/--)
RADIO: 700 WLW; Dan Hoard provides play-by-play with color analyst Terry Nelson
TV: ESPN+; Matt Noonan provides play-by-play with color analyst Kevin Johnson
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM): @GoBearcatsMBB or GoBearcatsMBB

GAME PREVIEW 

• Cincinnati (1-1) plays host to Furman (4-0) on Wednesday to close out a three-game homestand at Fifth Third Arena. Tip time is set for 5 p.m. ET on ESPN+. 
• Cincinnati looks to rebound from a 77-69 home loss to city-rival Xavier on Sunday in the 88th annual Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout. 
• Keith Williams led the Bearcats attack with 18 points. David DeJulius added 16 points, five rebounds, six assists and zero turnovers. Rapolas Invanauskas contributed 10 points and six rebounds. 
• Furman remained undefeated Saturday following an 81-57 win at the College of Charleston. Mike Bothwell scored a game-high 26 points with six 3-pointers. Noah Gurley posted 18 points and four 3-pointers. 
• Wednesday's matchup marks the first time since 1953 the two teams have met. Cincinnati earned a 93-77 win over Furman on New Year's Eve in 1953 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 
• UP NEXT: UC plays its first road game of the season Saturday at No. 12 Tennessee. The game tips at 12:30 p.m. on the SEC Network Alternate channel.  

CINCINNATI HEADLINES

• Of the five nonconference opponents on Cincinnati's 2020-21 schedule, three were picked to win their conference in the preseason: Lipscomb (Atlantic Sun), Furman (Southern Conference) and No. 12 Tennessee (Southeastern Conference). 
• UC was predicted to finish fourth in the American Athletic Conference (behind Houston, Memphis and SMU) according to a preseason poll of the league coaches. 
• Senior guard Keith Williams earned preseason First Team All-AAC honors while senior center Chris Vogt was tabbed a Second Team 
• All-AAC selection according to league coaches. 
• Williams enjoyed his best season as a Bearcat a year ago, starting 29 of UC's 30 games while averaging 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists. Vogt posted his best numbers at the collegiate level in 2019-20, his first in a Bearcats uniform. He averaged 11.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and shot 64.8 percent from the field.
• The Bearcats won a share of the AAC regular-season crown with Houston last season, finishing 13-5 in the league and 20-10 overall. 
• John Brannen became the first UC coach since Tay Baker (Missouri Valley Conference) in 1966 to guide the Bearcats to a regular-season league crown in his first season at the helm.
• In November, CBS Sports named Cincinnati the 10th greatest college basketball program since the advent of the NCAA Tournament in 1939. 

BEARCAT TIP-INS

• BETTER SHOWING FOR WILLIAMS: After Preseason AAC First Team honoree Keith Williams struggled with foul trouble in the season opener against Lipscomb, the senior guard accounted for a team-high 18 points with six rebounds and three assists against city-rival Xavier on Sunday. It marked the 43rd time Williams has scored in double figures during his career.
• Williams (12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds in 2019-20) enjoyed his best season as a Bearcat a year ago, starting 29 of 30 games. 
• SALUTING THE EFFORT: Michigan junior transfer David DeJulius gave a solid effort against Xavier on Sunday. The UC starting point guard tallied 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting with five rebounds, six assists and zero turnovers in the setback. He has 10 assists without a turnover this season. 
• BEARCAT DEBUTS: Five UC newcomers made their Bearcat debuts last Wednesday against Lipscomb (12/2), including two in the starting lineup: Colgate graduate transfer Rapolas Ivanauskas (11 points, six rebounds) and Michigan junior transfer David DeJulius  (eight points, six rebounds, four assists, zero turnovers). 
• Three freshmen Tari Eason (two points, three rebounds and two blocks), Gabe Madsen and Mike Saunders Jr. also clocked from three to eight minutes of play each.  
• CAREER HIGH FOR ADAMS-WOODS: Mika Adams-Woods posted a career-high 16 points against Lipscomb. It marked his eighth double-figure scoring effort as a Bearcat. He has started 21 of UC's last 22 games dating back to last season. 
• VOGT COMES ALIVE LATE: Chris Vogt helped the Bearcats rally late for Wednesday's victory over Lipscomb. Trailing  49-43 with 7:50 left, UC closed the game on a 24-6 run thanks in part to Vogt's eight points, four rebounds and two blocks during the span. 
• LATEST SEASON OPENER SINCE: The battle with Lipscomb marked Cincinnati's latest season opener since the 1978-79 campaign (an 84-72 loss at Long Beach State 12/2/78). Each of the prior two Bearcat season openers have marked the earliest start dates in program history: 11/7/2018 vs. Ohio State and 11/8/2019 at Ohio State.

SCOUTING FURMAN

• Furman's roster features five double-digits scorers led by Mike Bothwell (21.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 66.7 FG%).
• Bothwell, Clay Mounce (12.8 points, 5.5 rebounds) and Noah Gurley (11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds) were named to the 2020-21  Preseason All-Southern Conference Team.
• Furman was picked to win the SoCon in the preseason according to media and picked to finish second according to the league's coaches.
• The Paladins have won 25 games in each of the past two seasons and own a 55-17 record in SoCon regular-season play since the start of 2016-17.