TicketsCINCINNATI — Baba Miller, a senior forward on the Cincinnati men’s basketball team, has been named to the Big 12’s Starting Five, the conference office announced Tuesday. The honor is the second weekly conference award this season for Miller, who earned the distinction Nov. 10.
Miller is joined on the Starting Five by Baylor’s Tounde Yessoufou, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson and Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson.
With 11 points, 21 rebounds and seven assists in Monday’s 89-62 win over Lipscomb, Miller became just the 16th player in all of college basketball – and third from a power conference school – to go for at least 10 points, 20 rebounds and seven assists in a game dating back to the 1996-97 season. The native of Mallorca, Spain, pulled down career highs in offensive (six), defensive (15) and total rebounds (21) en route to the first 20-rebound game by a Big 12 player this season and the most for a Bearcat since Tre Scott grabbed 21 in double-overtime contest vs. UCF Feb. 19, 2020.
The rebound total also tied Scott for the second-most boards by UC player dating back to the 1996-97 season. Kenyon Martin grabbed 23 vs. DePaul Feb. 21, 1998. But in addition to that, Miller dished out a season-high seven assists, while notching his seventh double-double of the season and 13th of his career.
Miller is averaging 13.6 points and 11.5 rebounds in 11 contests this season. He’s also second on the team with 18 blocks and third with 29 assists and 12 steals. Miller is tied for the Big 12 lead and 10th nationally with seven double-doubles. His 8.82 defensive rebounds per game lead the country and his 11.5 rebounds per game lead the Big 12 and rank fourth nationally.
Cincinnati opens Big 12 play at 2 p.m. Saturday against No. 8 Houston at Fifth Third Arena.