Cincinnati Basketball Players to Watch: Texas Longhorns

Wes Miller and the Cincinnati Bearcats are coming off their biggest win since 2014 following their 71-60 victory over BYU on Saturday night.

Author:
Neil Meyer
Jan 8, 2024 10:48 AM EST

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Cincinnati Bearcats

CINCINNATI — Texas enters this matchup with Cincinnati 11-3 and 0-1 in the Big 12 this season following their 78-67 loss to Texas Tech on Saturday. UT's other two losses come from top ten opponents in UConn and Marquette, both of which were without key contributor, Dylan Disu, who was unavailable due to a foot injury suffered in the preseason.

However, for the Longhorns, the main question is, how will they respond following their loss to Texas Tech heading into Cincinnati? A game the Longhorns controlled for the first 30 minutes before the Red Raiders flipped a switch in the final 10 minutes.

Rodney Terry and the Longhorns have yet to come to Cincinnati in front of an expected sellout crowd come Tuesday Night at Fifth Third Arena.

Players To Watch For The Longhorns

Rodney Terry has put together a potential powerhouse of a roster, highlighted by former Oral Roberts guard Max Abmas. The Big 12 is known for talented point guards and Terry made sure to lock down a very talented player like Abmas once he entered the transfer portal.

Earlier this offseason, I caught up with Abmas at Big 12 Media Day in Kansas City, Missouri, and discussed his decision to join Terry and the Longhorns for his final year of eligibility.

"I have one year left, so I have been really locked in and enjoy the moment day by day." Abmas told AllBearcats. "My relationship with Coach Terry is great, he is a guy that cares about me on the court, but life off the court as well. The biggest thing for me in my decision to come to Texas, was understanding that the Big 12 is the best basketball conference in the country, you're playing some of the best competition night in and night out."

Abmas leads the Longhorns in scoring, averaging nearly 17 points per game at a 46% clip. However, Abmas can also beat you with the long ball as we have seen from his time at Oral Roberts during the NCAA Tournament over the last few seasons.

Something Abmas does very well that teams have a hard time defending is his ability to get to the rim and finish through contact. That has been something the Bearcats have struggled with during the non-conference slate, allowing teams to get to the rack draw contact and get 20-30 free throws on some nights.

Keeping Abmas off of the free throw line is essential or he will make you pay, shooting nearly 92% from the charity stripe, which is 17th in the country.

Tyrese Hunter: The Longhorns' backcourt is very dynamic between a duo of Abmas and Hunter. Both are able to score the ball very efficiently, a key part of the Longhorns' success so far this season. Hunter, is averaging nearly 13 points per game, but is coming off back-to-back performances of 20-plus points vs UTA and Texas Tech. Hunter had a team-high 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting in 34 minutes of action on Saturday in the Longhorns 78-67 loss to Texas Tech.

Dillion Mitchell: The 6-foot-8 forward is posting a near double-double for the Longhorns through the team's 13 games, averaging 11 points and nine rebounds. Mitchell is the heart and soul of the Longhorns, and he has showcased that over the last two seasons. Mitchell is a guy who will be a forceful player in the frontcourt for the Longhorns, as he is shooting a team-high 60% from the field on the season. Look for the Longhorns to find a way to establish Mitchell inside early, as he will not shoot the three (0-6 from behind the arc this season).

Dylan Disu: Worth noting that Longhorns forward Dylan Disu is back and healthy for the Longhorns after missing the first eight games due to injury. Since his return, the 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward has averaged nearly 11 points on 46% shooting over the Longhorns' last five games.

Players To Watch For The Bearcats

Jizzle James: The true freshman is coming off arguably his best game following a 12-point performance vs BYU on Saturday. James brought the energy on both ends of the court and was the spark the Bearcats needed against BYU as he really sparked the match during the final 10 minutes against the Cougars.

James has raised his stock following Saturday's performance. The Bearcats need that consistency out of him as Big 12 play moves forward. Everyone knows how talented the guard play is in the Big 12 conference and this will be a good chance for James to put the league on notice.

Day Day Thomas really struggled on Saturday vs BYU, getting held to just four points on 0-7 shooting, with a game-high seven turnovers. It may be time to see what James provides as the starting point guard heading into this contest vs the Longhorns.

We have seen James take over games in limited minutes a few times this season, but the thing that stands out the most is the lights are never too bright for the freshman. It appears every time the Bearcats have faced early adversity and needed that spark, James answers the bell. The freshman provides so much for the Bearcats in all aspects, as he is a guy who can not only score the ball and do so with ease but also a guy who can turn it up a notch on defense with his tenacious energy.

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