Pinging The Portal: Bearcats Pursuing Akron Forward; Top MVC Guard

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati hasn't added a player from the transfer portal so far in this cycle, but they are reaching out to plenty of names, including a few new ones over the past few days.

The contact starts with Akron star Ali Ali, who Cincinnati reached out to on Monday. The 6-foot-8 forward posted 13.9 points and 2.9 rebounds for the Zips last season. He was a member of the 2021-22 All-MAC team and was also named to this year's All-Tournament team.

Ali flashed the ability to score and make plays for others at a decent rate. He finished 17thin the MAC in assists per game (2.5) and posted the 12th-best true shooting rate in the conference (56.1%). The sophomore led Akron in scoring and is being pursued by schools like Butler, Tennessee, and Memphis. According to Evan Miya, Ali is the 195th-best transfer available.

Cincinnati is also talking to more guards starting with Presbyterian's Rayshon Harrison. The gunner averaged 17.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and three assists last season.

The rangy 6-foot-4 guard showed a knack for getting to the line and could form a nice combo with David Dejulius. The All-Big south performer finished with the second-highest scoring average in the conference. Although, it was far from efficient. Harrison posted a so-so 48% true shooting rate and had the 13th-highest turnover rate in the league (11.6%).

Harrison has heard from schools like Georgia Tech, Minnesota, and Georgia. According to Evan Miya, Harrison is way down the list at No. 930 on the transfer rankings.

Finally, we have Bradley guard Terry Roberts.

The 6-foot-3 juco transfer was first-team All-MVC last year after posting 14.5 points, 4.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds. Roberts produced like a veteran ready to take on a higher bar of competition.

He would be a welcome running mate for Dejulius in the Bearcats' backcourt. Roberts is a savvy passer who reads the game well and knows where his best shootings spots are—while using his long frame to defend at a high level.

Roberts led the MVC in assists last season, finished ninth in points, and showed up on the other end. The guard was second among MVC players in steals per game (1.6) and third in defensive rating (93.7).

That kind of play could do wonders for Cincinnati and plenty of other schools. Roberts has heard from schools like Florida, Purdue, Kansas State, Memphis, West Virginia, and Clemson. According to Evan Miya, Roberts is a strong transfer compared to the field. He ranks 39th on Miya's database and is the 16th-best point guard available.

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