Cincinnati Heads to UCF for Road Test

CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati men's basketball team will take to the road for the first time since its No. 15 Texas Tech win on Feb. 3 when it plays at UCF, Saturday at 4 p.m.

THE RUNDOWN

• Cincinnati went through a home gauntlet against No. 5 Houston and No. 10 Iowa State, the latter being the nation's top turnover-inducing team at 26.3 percent. Both games were within single-digits and carried flips in the box score.
• UC was beaten 41-34 on the boards against Houston, including allowing 17 offensive boards, but committed only eight turnovers to stay in it till the final minute. The Bearcats won that margin 38-24 against the Cyclones, but were forced into 25 turnovers (the fourth Big 12 team to have 20 or more against ISU).
• Dan Skillings Jr. posted his second double-double of the year with 13 points and 11 rebounds on Wednesday. He is also averaging 15.3 ppg over his last six outings and leads UC in Big 12 (13.4 ppg) and overall (12.2) scoring. Skillings has also scored in double-figures in all five league road games (15.8 ppg) and has six blocks in the last three games.
• Jizzle James' 16 points against Iowa State marked the second-most by any freshman against the vaunted Cyclones defense this year. James' 7.5 ppg also makes him one of eight freshman Bearcats to average 6.0 or more since 2010. Six of those made the NBA.
• Jamille Reynolds is gradually improving in every facet of this game, as evidenced by his minutes increase over each of the last five games. He was also +9 over his 21 minutes against Iowa State, pulling down six rebounds and two blocks. Saturday is a return to his first school and coach (2020-22).
• Ody Oguama's last two games against UCF have been a key factor in the Bearcats' success. He had two DNPs prior to the Jan. 27 meeting and gave 4 points and 6 rebounds in just 11 minutes, while the road win last year saw him go 7-for-7 from the field in the last-second win. The 43.1 percent 3-point shooter will be a critical asset in the team's home stretch as he returns to game-speed after the hamstring injury.
• CJ Fredrick Jr.'s 16 minutes vs. ISU included a three-point play, his first in the scoring column since Dec. 22.
• Cincinnati is shooting 76.7 percent from the foul line the last four games, which includes a 10-for-10 at Texas Tech, something it has sought all year.
• The defense has allowed 26.5 percent from deep the last three games, including Houston's season-low 18.8. UC's 68.1 ppg allowed in league play ranks third, while UCF is fourth (68.3).

DAWKINS ON SKILLINGS

• UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins had a lot to say about sophomore Dan Skillings Jr. following his 21-point performance against the Knights on Jan. 27.
• "I have watched the young man get better and better over the last year. You see improvement, that is what you want to see, that is what we kind of grew up with as coaches and players, is watching a natural progression of a player like him. It is fun seeing him develop and blossom, I think his best basketball is still ahead of him.  I see a lot of things this young man will be able to do as he continues to improve his game. The Cincinnati coaching staff is doing a great job with his development, and you see that."

SERIES HISTORY

• Cincinnati has won three-straight against UCF, with the last one truly being a game of runs. The Bearcats led 13-4 from the jump, trailed by 12 at the half and eventually won 68-57.
• John Newman III's emphatic dunk with five minutes left kicked off the game-deciding 11-0 run. UC shot 63 percent in the second half and held UCF to 21 percent.
• UC is 16-5 in the all-time series, with all but one of those matchups coming in the AAC. The outlier was in the Citrus Bowl Classic in 1983, and it was truly a clash of Bearcat legends. The late Chuck Machock was in his first of two years as the Knights' head coach, with this one being their final year of Division II. The UC alum was also an assistant coach in Clifton from 1990-93 and later had a lengthy tenure on the radio team.
• Eventual UC head coach, and Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer, Bob Huggins served as an assistant on the opposing bench.
• Reynolds played his first two years at UCF (2020-22), appearing in 48 games and starting 13, all as a freshman in 2020-21. He scored 16 points in Orlando last year for Temple, his return game.
• UC starter Viktor Lakhin has missed two-straight games against the Knights. This year's was a late illness scratch.
• Cincinnati swept the season series last year, with David DeJulius' runner with 0.2 seconds left securing a 73-71 road win.

UC FRESHMAN SCORERS, 6.0+ PPG (SINCE 2010)

Player (Year) - Ppg - GS
Jizzle James (2023-24) - 7.5 - 0
Mason Madsen (2020-21) - 6.5 - 0
Tari Eason* (2020-21) - 7.3 - 8
Jarron Cumberland* (2016-17) - 8.3 - 0
Jacob Evans* (2015-16) - 13.8 - 8
Gary Clark* (2014-15) - 7.8 - 34
Sean Kilpatrick* (2010-11, RS) - 9.7 - 1
Lance Stephenson* (2009-10) - 12.3 - 32

*Made NBA

OGUAMA EARNS JEAN STEPHENS MEMORIAL AWARD
In 1999, the University of Cincinnati athletics department lost one of its most loyal, dedicated staff members, Jean Stephens. Two years later, to recognize and promote the qualities Stephens exemplified in her 15 years of service, the Jean Stephens Memorial Award was instituted to recognize a Bearcats student-athlete for their high integrity, high ethical standards, respect for all persons and commitment to both Bearcats athletics and the University of Cincinnati.

Ody Oguama became the third men's basketball player to earn the award, joining Gary Clark (2018) and Sam Martin (2021) and is one of 33 athletes overall to claim it.

He was honored during pregame warmups before the Feb. 13 Iowa State game.
 

Congratulations and well deserved, @odyoguama! ❤️ https://t.co/Jdlvym3Frd pic.twitter.com/uLt8DD4KXu

— Cincinnati Men's Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) February 14, 2024