Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball Players to Watch: No. 10 Iowa State

Wes Miller and the Cincinnati Basketball team welcome in consecutive top-10 home opponents for the first time since the 1988-1989 season.

Author:
Neil Meyer
Feb 12, 2024 4:58 PM EST

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Cincinnati Bearcats

CINCINNATI — TJ Otzelberger's Cyclone squad is looking to pull off a crucial road victory against Cincinnati and prove why they are ranked 10th nationally in the AP Poll.

Plenty of key players will decide the outcome as Iowa State goes for a 1-1 record at Fifth Third Arena

Players To Watch for Iowa State

The Cyclones are led by 6-foot-4 junior guard Keshon Gilbert as the crafty guard currently leads the Cyclones in scoring averaging nearly 14 points per game on a very efficient 46% clip. Gilbert is a good midrange shooter and is great at getting to his spots, separating, and rising to fire.

However, the talented guard struggles to shoot the three ball (29% from behind the arch on the season), which is something that Wes Miller and the Bearcats have defended very well all season.

Gilbert uses his size and physicality to his advantage as the junior is not afraid of getting downhill and attacking through contact. That is what makes Gilbert such a dynamic player, as he leads the team in free throws (130) despite shooting just 73% from the charity stripe. Expect a guy like Gilbert to find a way to attack early and see what he can get in the paint as Iowa State would look to get the Bearcats in potential foul trouble.

Sophomore guard Timan Lipsey compliments a guy like Gilbert in the backcourt, combining for one of the toughest backcourts in the Big 12.

Lipsey enters this contest averaging 13 points and five assists per contest as the talented guard continues to make a huge leap from his freshman season, quickly becoming an impact player for Otzelberger's Cyclones squad. Lipsey is the team's best three-point threat as the sophomore has been very efficient so far this season, producing 44/39/66 shooting splits for the Cyclones.

Players To Watch for The Bearcats

The Bearcats' talented frontcourt gets the group treatment in this highlight.

Whether it's Jamille Reynolds, Viktor Lakhin, Aziz Bandaogo, or Ody Oguama, the Bearcats have a clear advantage when it comes to depth, size, and physicality around the rim.

Iowa State currently averages 35 rebounds per game and is a team that grinds you down for a full 40 minutes. Yet the Bearcats enter this contest averaging nearly 41 rebounds per game, which is good for 11th in the country. They have to keep up that aggressiveness on the boards for a full 40 minutes.

If the Bearcats allow the Cyclones to come out and punk them on the glass early as the Cougars did on Saturday, it could be a long night. This is a huge opportunity for Lakhin to bounce back after a rough four-game stretch.

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