Bearcats Tip Off AAC Play Hosting USF

USF (4-2, 0-0 AAC)
at  CINCINNATI (2-2, 0-0 AAC)
Wednesday, Dec. 16 // 7 p.m. ET
Fifth Third Arena // Cincinnati, Ohio
SERIES INFO: 43rd meeting; Cincinnati leads 34-8 overall; Cincinnati leads 19-1 at home; 
Cincinnati leads 13-6 in Tampa, Fla.; Cincinnati leads 2-1 at neutral sites
LAST MEETING: Cincinnati won 79-67 on March 3, 2020 in Tampa, Fla. 
STREAK: Cincinnati - 11
COACHES: John Brannen - second season at Cincinnati (2-2); sixth season overall (104-64)
Brian Gregory - fourth season at USF (52-55); 17th season overall (300-235)
AP/USA TODAY RANKINGS (DEC. 14): Cincinnati (--/--); USF (--/--)
RADIO: 700 WLW; Dan Hoard provides play-by-play with color analyst Terry Nelson
TV: ESPN2; Jordan Bernfield provides play-by-play with color analyst Mark Adams
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GAME PREVIEW

• Cincinnati (2-2) opens up American Athletic Conference play Wednesday when it hosts USF (4-2) at Fifth Third Arena. 
• The game tips at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. 
• Cincinnati is coming off a 65-56 setback at No. 12 Tennessee on Saturday. Jeremiah Davenport scored a career-high 14 points with four 3-pointers while David DeJulius added 11 points, seven assists and three steals
• USF wrapped up its non-league schedule with a 58-56 home win over Wofford on Saturday. David Collins led the Bulls with 13 points and 11 rebounds. 
• UC leads the series with USF 34-8 overall, including a 19-1 lead in Cincinnati. The Bearcats have won the last 11 meetings.  

CONFERENCE OPENERS

• The Bearcats are 26-4 in conference openers since 1990 (start of the Bob Huggins coaching era). 
• The Bearcats are 6-1 in American Athletic Conference openers with the lone loss coming in 2015-16, a 77-70 home loss to Temple (12/29/2016). 
• Cincinnati has won 10 of its last 11 league openers. 
• Wednesday marks UC earliest AAC opener since league formation in 2013-14. The previous earliest league start date: Dec. 28, 2016 (56-50 road win at Temple).

BEARCATS IN THE AAC

• Cincinnati has claimed three AAC regular-season crowns (2014, 2018, 2020) and two AAC Tournament titles (2018, 2019) while winning an AAC-best 99 conference games.  
• Last season, UC head coach 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.

CINCINNATI HEADLINES

• Cincinnati opens its eighth season of American Athletic Conference play Wednesday against USF. The Bearcats own a league-best 99-27 record all-time in the AAC, having claimed three AAC regular-season crowns (2014, 2018, 2020) and two AAC Tournament titles (2018, 2019). 
• Wednesday's contest also marks the 500th game in Fifth Third Arena history. The Bearcats have registered a 415-84 record (.832 win percentage) at the arena since its opening for the 1989-90 campaign. 
• 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. 
• John Brannen is one of six active coaches in the nation to have won a conference regular-season championship in each of the past three seasons (Northern Kentucky [2018, 2019], Cincinnati [2020]).
• In November, CBS Sports named Cincinnati the 10th greatest college basketball program since the advent of the NCAA Tournament in 1939. 

BEARCATS TIP-INS

• SOLID PLAY AT THE POINT: Michigan junior transfer David DeJulius has made a strong showing this season. 
• Named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll on Monday, DeJulius is averaging 10.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists for the Bearcats. 
• Entering the week, DeJulius ranks among AAC leaders in assists (second at 5.5), assist-to-turnover ratio (second at 4.4), defensive rebounds (tied for third at 5.5), free throw percentage (tied for fifth at .900) and minutes played (ninth at 31.8).
• He tallied seven points and a game-high nine rebounds and five assists in UC's 78-73 win over Furman (12/9)  and posted 11 points with seven assists and three steals at No. 12 Tennessee (12/12).
• He tallied 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting with five rebounds, six assists and zero turnovers against Xavier (12/6).
• WILLIAMS LEADS SCORING EFFORT: Preseason AAC First Team honoree Keith Williams enters the week tied for 10th in the league in scoring, averaging 14.5 points. 
• Williams has led the Bearcats in scoring in two games this season but also has seen limited play in two other contests due to foul trouble. 
• He scored a game-high 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting with five rebounds against Furman (12/9) and accounted for a team-high 18 points with six rebounds and three assists against city-rival Xavier (12/6). 
• EASON MOVES INTO STARTING LINEUP: Freshman Tari Eason started the first game of his young career against Furman (12/9), scoring eight points of 4-of-7 shooting with two blocks in 24 minutes.  
• Eason is averaging 4.8 points and 5.0 rebounds, having led UC in rebounding against both Xavier (eight) and No. 12 Tennessee (seven). 
• DECEMBER GRADUATES: Three former Bearcats earned their undergraduate degrees from the University of Cincinnati upon the conclusion of the 2020 Fall semester. Tarrice Gibson (1990-93) and AD Jackson (1991-93), who both were members of UC's 1992 NCAA Final Four team, and James White (2004-06), who played on two teams that made NCAA Tournament appearances, earned degrees.

SCOUTING USF

• USF enters the week having played six games this season, the second most among AAC schools (Memphis - 7). 
• David Collins (13.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.7 steals) and Alexis Yetna (10.8 points, 6.3 rebounds) average double figures for the Bulls. 
• Yetna was tabbed Second Team All-AAC in the preseason.
• USF head coach Brian Gregory registered his 300th career coaching victory Saturday against Wofford. Gregory coached eight seasons at nearby Dayton (2004-2011). 
• USF was picked to finish fifth in the AAC in the preseason.

SERIES HISTORY

• UC owns a 34-8 advantage in the series overall, including a 19-1 advantage in Cincinnati, a 13-6 lead in Tampa, Fla., and a 2-1 edge at neutral sites. 
• The Bearcats have won the last 11 meetings, including a 79-67 win on March 3, 2020 at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Fla. 
• USF's last win in the series came by a 46-45 tally on 
• Feb. 26, 2012 in Tampa, Fla. The Bulls' only series win in Cincinnati came via a 76-73 result on Feb. 25, 1988 at Cincinnati Gardens.
• Cincinnati is 15-0 against USF at Fifth Third Arena.
• UC is 10-0 against USF as members of The American and 7-5 against the Bulls when both schools were members of the former BIG EAST Conference (2006-2013).