Preview Paw Prints: Miami (OH)

Cincinnati continues its matchup slate against Ohio teams on Wednesday.

CINCINNATI — David DeJulius and the Bearcats (6-4) are back in action on Wednesday as the Miami RedHawks (4-5) travel to Fifth Third Arena. The two programs rekindled the longtime rivalry for the first time since 2011 in a 59-58 UC win last season.

The Redhawks have one of the 20-worst defenses in the country and isn't nearly the same test Xavier was in this year's Crosstown Shootout. Cincinnati has won 14 straight games against Miami and is ranked 283rd on KenPom, while UC sits at 75th. ESPN's Matchup Predictor has Cincinnati winning 92% of the time.

Here's a look at UC and Miami ahead of the Bearcats' fourth-straight game at home.

Season Goals Teetering

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So close, yet so far. Many UC basketball fans feel that way after a fourth-straight loss to Xavier on Saturday. The Bearcats never led as they tied things in the final seconds but ultimately fell short.

The 80-77 result marked a fourth-straight loss in a series that Xavier has owned since 2007. It also meant UC will enter the AAC schedule with zero Q1 wins, and likely no Q2 wins either unless Miami, La Salle, or Detroit Mercy flip the script over the next week.

UC is now 166th in the NET ranking, one spot above last week, which was the lowest rating since Wes Miller took over last season.

"I can't tell you how bad I want it for our team and for people who support this program," Miller said about the loss to Xavier. "For the people who have played and coached in this program. I can't tell you how bad I want us to get to where we're supposed to be as a Cincinnati basketball program. I don't say the words ’I promise’ a lot, but I promise we'll freaking get there. And I mean we'll get there or I'll damn be in the grave. It's that simple. We will get there. You look at that building tonight, and you want it so bad for those people. They deserve it. You want it so bad for these kids. They deserve it. We will get there."

UC has missed the chance to start fast and stack a couple of signature wins, one of those chances resulted in the worst loss of Miller's tenure (OSU 81-53). Now, they'll have to beat Houston and Memphis at least once while going 12-6 or 13-5 in the AAC to have any case at a Tourney bid.

It's hard to peak at the light through the trees right now, but this program needs patience from the fanbase. I love what I'm seeing in practice and the more talent Miller gets, the more wins will follow.

Young guys like Dan Skillings and Josh Reed are already getting valuable experience. Plus, the next two recruiting classes should produce more chances at star players in the Big 12. 

Patience is a much-needed virtue when judging Year Two of the Miller Era.

Downgrade Davenport?

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It's time to have the conversation about Jeremiah Davenport's role in UC's lineup. The senior was supposed to post his highest efficiency season ever as a Bearcat. So far, it's been the opposite. 

The guard is tallying 9.4 Pts, 1.8 Ast, and 3.7 Reb through 10 games. All on his worst two-point (30.3%) and three-point (32.2%) shooting splits over the last three years. His ice-cold shot played a big part in UC's 13-1 hole to start Saturday (0-3 FGs less than four minutes in).

The hard looks Davenport sometimes hit over the past two years aren't falling through 10 games. All while he somehow attempts fewer free throws this year than last year (2.4 FT attempts per game). He's cut his turnover rate in half (4.7%), but that's largely because of a declining usage rate as he struggles to finish games strong on offense.

Add in improved, but still lacking man-to-man defense, and you get a player plenty of fans want to see more out of. He'll get his chances to work through a cold shot. 

I'd be shocked if his minutes get reduced significantly right now. 

UC is still at least a few weeks away from getting John Newman III (knee) or Rob Phinisee (foot) back from injury. Taking JD off the floor for more Reed/Skillings or CJ Anthony seems like another tax on team depth. But if these shooting trends hold firm, anything should be on the table.

Meh Miami

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Wednesday should be a great tune-up game for a Bearcats offense that's been solid in 2022-23 (79.2 PPG, 61st nationally). The RedHawks rank 343rd in adjusted defensive efficiency and 290th in scoring defense (73.6 PPG).

Head coach Travis Steele is transitioning the program to his new vision after coaching at Xavier over the last few years. A pair of seniors are guiding his team thus far, Mekhi Lairy (15.7 Pts, 3.4 Reb, 3.8 Ast) and Anderson Mirambeaux (13.0 Pts, 4.6 Reb, 2.3 Ast).

Lairy is ninth among all MAC players in scoring and makes a lot of his hay near the basket. He's a downhill guard that likes to explode at the rim and take contact (4.4 FTs per game). It's a good thing any time he shoots a three (28.3% from deep this season).

Mirambeaux could be a big mismatch for UC. He is a pure bowling ball in the lane at 6-foot-8, 305 pounds. The Dominican Republic native is efficient near the rim (49.4% on two-point shots) just like Lairy. He loves to use physicality on the post and stays away from the perimeter (1.6 3FG attempts per game.)

The lead offensive duo makes up the two best free-throw shooters on the second-best free-throw shooting team in the country (82.7%, second nationally). Both shoot over 90% from the line, and Miami ranks 38th in three-pointers made per game (9.4).

Junior guard Morgan Safford (14.8 Pts, 5.2 Reb, 2.0 Ast) has a lot to do with that mark from deep. He returned from injury over the weekend and has hit 40% of his threes, albeit on a low sample size (8-of-20). 

Running him off the line and avoiding too many fouls on Lairy/Mirambeaux should give UC a comfortable victory.

The game tips off this Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

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