Bearcats Host Memphis on Senior Day Sunday

MEMPHIS (13-6, 9-3 AAC)
at CINCINNATI (9-8, 7-5 AAC)
Sunday, Feb. 28 // 1 p.m. ET
Fifth Third Arena // Cincinnati, Ohio
SERIES INFO: 82nd meeting; Cincinnati leads 47-34 overall; Memphis leads 23-15 in Memphis;
Cincinnati leads 26-10 in Cincinnati and 6-1 at neutral sites;
LAST SEASON'S MEETINGS: Memphis won 60-49 on Jan. 16, 2020 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn.; 
Cincinnati won 92-86 [OT] on Feb. 13, 2020 at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati
STREAK: Cincinnati - 1
COACHES: John Brannen - second season at Cincinnati (29-18); sixth season overall (111-70)
Penny Hardaway - third season at Memphis (56-30); third season overall (56-30)
AP/USA TODAY RANKINGS (FEB. 22): Cincinnati (--/--); Memphis (--/--)
RADIO: 700 WLW; Dan Hoard provides play-by-play with color analyst Terry Nelson
TV: ESPN; Kevin Brown provides play-by-play with color analyst Jon Crispin
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM): @GoBearcatsMBB

GAME PREVIEW 

• Cincinnati (9-8, 6-5 American) plays its fourth game in eight days Sunday when it welcomes long-time rival Memphis (13-6, 9-3) to Fifth Third Arena. Tipoff is 
• 1 p.m. ET on ESPN. 
• UC basketball celebrates Senior Day on Sunday saluting student manager Jack Keller along with seniors Adam Cook, Mamoudou Diarra, Sam Martin, Chris Vogt and Keith Williams.  The trio of Diarra, Martin and Williams have been a part of the UC program for four seasons, helping the Bearcats to a pair of AAC regular-season championships and two conference tournament crowns.
• UC earned its most lop-sided victory of the season Friday with a 91-71 home win over Tulane. Jeremiah Davenport scored a career-high 27 points with four 3-pointers while Tari Eason posted his first double-double as a Bearcat with a career-high 20 points and 13 rebounds. Mika Adams-Woods matched a career best with 16 points and handed out a career-high seven assists.   
• Memphis topped Tulane at home Wednesday, 61-46. Boogie Ellis led the Tigers with 13 points and a trio of threes. 
• UC and Memphis split a pair of meetings last season. The Bearcats own a 47-34 series lead against the Tigers.
• The UC-Memphis matchup in Memphis on Feb. 11 was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols within the Tigers program. 
• UP NEXT: UC plays its regular-season home finale Thursday against SMU. Tipoff is 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

CINCINNATI HEADLINES

• Cincinnati is 6-1 since coming off a 25-day pause for COVID-19 issues.
• Preseason AAC First Team honoree Keith Williams enters Sunday ranked ninth in the AAC in scoring, averaging 14.4 points. He scored a game-high 24 points with a career-best six assists at Tulsa (2/25). 
• Jeremiah Davenport leads UC over the last three games, averaging 17.3 points while shooting 51.4 percent (19 of 37) from the field and 47.6 percent (10 of 21) from 3-point range. He scored a career-high 27 points against Tulane (2/26).
• Tari Eason ranks among the AAC leaders in blocked shots (4th at 1.2), field goal percentage (7th at .510), offensive rebounds (7th at 2.1) and rebounds (10th at 5.7) entering Sunday. He registered his first career double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds vs Tulane (2/26).
• Mason Madsen is averaging 8.4 points and 3.0 rebounds with seven 3-pointers in 18.2 minutes of play since UC's 25-day layoff due to COVID-19 protocols.  
• UC head coach John Brannen owns a 31-9 (.775) mark in February over the past five seasons, including an 11-3 (.786) record at Cincinnati. 
• In November, CBS Sports named Cincinnati the 10th greatest college basketball program since the advent of the NCAA Tournament in 1939. 

BEARCATS TIP-INS

• COVID-19 CHALLENGES: It's been a challenging year for all college basketball programs. Here's a look at some of the ways the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Cincinnati. 
• UC currently has eight scholarship players as its February schedule concludes. Four players have opted out of the program, most recently David DeJulius earlier this week. 
• The Bearcats had six games postponed (one of which was rescheduled) from Jan. 13 through Jan. 30, marking a 25-day layoff between games. 
• UC is playing its fourth game in eight days today against Memphis after the Tulane game was rescheduled from Jan. 16 to Feb. 26. 
• The Bearcats recently came off a stretch of six of eight games on the road before their current three-game homestand. UC's game with Temple (2/12) marked its first home game since a 70-66 loss to Tulsa (1/2) - a span of 41 days.
• UC entered the month of February having played only 10 games for the first time since 1944-45. 
• CLOSE ENCOUNTERS: Cincinnati enjoyed a rare 20-point win Friday, 91-71, over Tulane. It marked UC's sixth win in seven games since a 25-day layoff for COVID-19 issues. Five of UC's six previous wins during the stretch came by a combined 10 points. In fact, nine of UC's 17 games this season have been decided by five points or less. UC is 5-1 this season in games decided by three points or less.
• Despite having eight losses this season, UC has played its opponents closely in nearly every contest. The Bearcats have been within three points or less in the final 100 seconds of five of their eight losses this season.
• BRANNEN IN FEBRUARY: John Brannen-coached teams have performed well during the month of February. Over the last five seasons (including his last three at Northern Kentucky) his squads have compiled a 31-9 (.775) mark during the month, including an 11-3 record at Cincinnati. 
• WILLIAMS NINTH IN AAC IN SCORING: Preseason AAC First Team honoree Keith Williams enters Sunday ranked ninth in the AAC in scoring, averaging 14.4 points. 
• He scored a game-high 24 points with a career-best six assists at Tulsa (2/25).
• Williams has led the Bearcats in scoring in eight games this season. He scored a game-high 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting with five rebounds against Furman (12/9).
• Williams became the 54th member of UC's 1,000-point club at Tulane (2/7) with a game-high 20 points against the Green Wave.  
• Williams was named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll following his performance against UCF (12/22). He posted his first career double-double with a team-high 19 points and game-best 10 rebounds against the Knights.
• DAVENPORT LEADING IN LAST THREE: Sophomore guard Jeremiah Davenport leads the Bearcats, averaging 17.3 points and shooting 51.4 percent (19 of 37) from the field and 47.6 percent (10 of 21) from 3-point range to go with 4.7 rebounds over UC's last three games. 
• So far this week, he's tallied a career-high 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting with four triples and five assists against Tulane (2/26) and posted 14 points with four threes and seven rebounds at Tulsa (2/24).
• Davenport ranks among the AAC leaders in 3-pointers per game (9th at 1.9), field goal percentage (14th at .457), 3-point field goal percentage (15th at .368) and points (18th at 11.1).
• In his first career start against SMU (1/7), Davenport posted his first career double-double with 18 points and a career-best 10 rebounds while hitting a trio of 3-pointers.
• EASON REGISTERS FIRST DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Freshman Tari Eason posted his first collegiate double-double against Tulane (2/26) with a career-high 20 points and career-high 13 rebounds to go with three blocks. He finished 8 of 8 from the field with a 3-pointer. Eason, who has led UC in rebounds in eight games this season, ranks among the AAC leaders in blocked shots (4th at 1.2), field goal percentage (7th at .510), offensive rebounds (7th at 2.1) and rebounds (10th at 5.7).
• ADAMS-WOODS NAMED TO AAC WEEKLY HONOR ROLL: UC sophomore guard Mika Adams-Woods was named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll on Feb. 15. He averaged a team-best 12.5 points during the week while shooting 50 percent from both the field (8 of 16) and 3-point range (5 of 10) and averaging 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals two weeks ago helping UC to a pair of wins.
• The Syracuse, New York, native tallied 13 points with a trio of threes to go with five rebounds in UC's 69-68 win over UCF (2/14). He posted 12 points with a pair of 3-pointers, five rebounds, and two steals in UC's 71-69 victory over Temple (2/12). Adams-Woods averages 7.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists this season. Since the start of AAC play, he ranks tied for 11th in the league, shooting 37.5 percent from 3-point range (12 of 32).    

SCOUTING MEMPHIS

• Memphis returned to action Wednesday after a 17-day layoff, earning a 61-46 home win over Tulane. The Tigers have won four in a row and seven of their last eight.
• The Tigers have four players averaging nine or more points: Landers Nolley II (13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.4 3-pointers), DeAndre Williams (10.4 points, 6.2 rebounds), D.J. Jeffries (9.8 points, 5.5 rebounds) and Lester Quinones (9.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists).