Cincinnati Basketball Players To Watch: BYU Edition

The wait is officially over for Bearcats fans as Big 12 conference play is officially amongst us, as the Bearcats prepare for their matchup vs #12 BYU on Saturday.

Author:
Neil Meyer
Jan 5, 2024 10:40 AM EST

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Cincinnati Bearcats

CINCINNATI — BYU enters this matchup against Cincinnati 12-1 on the season as the Cougars are currently No. 12 in the country. The Cougars have taken the college basketball world by storm as Mark Pope and company were picked to finish 13th in the Big 12 preseason polls, but are one of the most complete teams in the country.

The Bearcats enter this one 11-2 on the season following their win over Evansville last week. However, Wes Miller and company know they have a huge challenge at hand come Saturday vs a very talented Cougars team.

"This is going to be a theme all year," said Wes Miller. "We will be facing really good basketball teams all year night in and out in this league. BYU is one of the best teams in the country."

BYU is currently fifth in the country in scoring offense (90 points per game), while sitting fifth in the country in true field goal percentage (58.5%). The Cougars are also one of the most dynamic three-point shooting teams in the country as they shoot nearly 40% from behind the arch. This Cougars team has caused a lot of problems for opposing teams this season and they look to build off their tremendous start ahead of Saturday's Big 12 opener.

The Bearcats have struggled outside Clifton in matchups against Dayton and Xavier, but on Saturday, they will have to find their rhythm early, or the Cougar faithful will quickly take over the Marriott Center. It is one of the most underrated venues in all of college basketball, but also one of the toughest environments to play in for many reasons, whether it's the crowd or the elevation, all of that comes into play.

"I have heard that the Marriott Center is one of the most underrated venues in college basketball," said Wes Miller.

Now, this isn't an easy matchup for the Bearcats as Wes Miller and company are still yet to have a full squad for multiple games this season, as CJ Fredrick and Aziz Bandaogo's status for Saturday is still uncertain. Miller did note in his weekly press conference that Bandaogo is trending in the right direction after going through practice all week.

Fredrick is still completely shut down from basketball activities due to that lingering hamstring injury. Which is not a great sign heading into Saturday's matchup.

The Cougars are currently listed as 82.5% favorites according to ESPN's matchup predictor as of Thursday.

The Cougars on the other hand enter this contest ranked third in the country in total rebounds, while the Bearcats are not far behind them at sixth. BYU has shown they are one of the best teams in the country so far this season as they have six players who average 10 plus points per game, while the team shoots nearly 50% from the field.

"You look at the way they are shooting the ball, better than anyone in the country," Miller said. "Sometimes as coaches, we say things not necessarily totally literally to emphasize, but BYU is the best shooting team in the country. They are literally and statistically the best three-point shooting team in the country."

Players To Watch For The Cougars

Jaxson Robinson: The 6-foot-7 guard currently leads the Cougars in scoring with 16 points per game on 48% field goal shooting. Although he leads the team in scoring, the Cougars just actually moved Robinson to the bench in recent games. Robinson is a player they have to keep an eye on, and someone we expect John Newman to be locked in on as the Cougars guard currently shoots 41% from behind the arch. Look for Newman to follow Robinson wherever he may go come Saturday, as Newman is the best Bearcats on-ball defender.

Foussenyi Traore: The 6-foot-7 forward is set to return after missing the Cougars' last seven games due to a hamstring injury. Before the injury, Traore was averaging nearly 11 points and six rebounds for the Cougars on 66% field goal shooting. Cougars head coach Mark Pope gave an update on Traore's status ahead of Saturday stating, "He had practiced all week, but he is knocking at the door," hinting that Traore was close to 100% healthy.

Noah Waterman: The 6-foot-11 center is currently averaging nearly 12 points and seven rebounds per game, which leads the Cougars. Waterman is shooting nearly 50% from the field, including 42% from behind the arch. The big man has thrived since joining the Cougars after starting his career at Detroit Mercy.

Players To Watch For The Bearcats

Aziz Bandaogo: The seven-footer has returned to practice after missing the Bearcats' last three games due to that lingering back injury sustained vs Dayton. However, if the big man is capable of playing, the Bearcats definitely need him and his rim presence on Saturday.

It provides the Bearcats much-needed flexibility in the front court.

Miller, provided an in-depth update at his weekly 700 WLW radio show, stating "Aziz has been cleared to return to practice and has started to look like his old self. However, his status for Saturday’s contest vs BYU is still up in the air."

If Bandaogo is available to go for the Bearcats, that is a great sign as Miller and the Bearcats can get back to full strength in the front court, as Bandaogo was averaging a near double-double through six games (nine rebounds, nine points).

"Aziz is so long, and vertical. He is one of the elite shot blockers in the country." BYU head coach Mark Pope said. "He is an elite-level rebounder, who is super mobile for someone his size. He is an elite-level roller, when he rolls to the basket, he rolls so hard, it's a race to the rim. The point of impact is one foot above the rim. That is where the point of contention is, and it is really hard to get there. Aziz is capable of running the floor really well. He is capable of guarding 1-5. He is a really special player. When he is full go, he will be a massive impact player for Cincinnati."

The Bearcats know they will have to find ways to keep the Cougars off the glass, and it starts right there with a guy like Bandaogo. The Cougars have already made it known that the key to this one is the battle on the glass, and if Bandaogo can go, it provides a much-needed boost for the Bearcats on both ends of the court.

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