Game Primer & LIVE Blog: How to Watch, Key Players and Important Information for Cincinnati at Kansas
The Kansas Jayhawks have had a week to rest after the win over Houston extended their streak in conference to three games. Tonight they hope to continue that trend against a team that has struggled in their first Big 12 season: the Cincinnati Bearcats.
The Bearcats are led by 1st-year head coach Katrina Merriweather, who coached previously at Memphis and Wright State. She has a 168-81 overall record in her 8 seasons, and is 12-11 at Cincinnati.
The Jayhawks and Bearcats have never met in women's basketball before. Head Coach Brandon Schneider has never faced the Bearcats, while Merriweather has faced the Jayhawks and Schneider once, losing that matchup.
Check out the essentials below, and then come join us for LIVE updates during the game. We'll hit on everything that is happening around this matchup:
The Numbers
Editor's Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats are provided by CBB Analytics. CBB Analytics is a new stats website in college hoops, covering both men and women's basketball in D-I, D-II and D-III. You can follow them on Twitter @CBBAnalytics
Kansas: 13-10 (6-6 Big 12): CBB Analytics Adjusted Net Rating - 61st overall, 54th offense, 72nd defense
Cincinnati: 12-11 (4-8 Big 12): Net Rating - 105th overall, 162nd offense, 71st defense
Line: TBD
O/U: TBD
How to Watch
Thursday, February 8th, 6:30 p.m. CST
Lawrence, KS: Allen Fieldhouse
TV: Big12 NOW on ESPN+
- Josh Klingler (Play-by-Play), Brenda VanLengen (Analyst)
Radio: IMG Jayhawk Radio Network
- Steven Davis (Play-by-Play), David Lawrence (Analyst)
Webcast: Kansas Online Radio
Game Coverage
Come join the conversation in the Blue Wings Rising Discord Server.
Opponent Team Form
The Bearcats grade out as the worst in the conference, and it isn't hard to see why. A slow-paced team that struggles to score, Cincinnati instead relies on a disruptive defense and hitting the boards hard to create second chances.
The offense is right in the middle of the rankings for all of Division I, mainly because of the poor shooting percentages. The Bearcats shoot under 40% from 2 and just 26.5%. They also only make 72.4% of their free throws. And they don't make up for that poor shooting with a high volume of shots, getting about the average for all of Division I. The main thing they do well is getting offensive rebounds and scoring on those extra chances.
Defensively, they force plenty of tough shots, especially from the perimeter. But they allow a decent number of offensive rebounds, and they mainly play interior defense by preventing inside touches. But despite the solid defense, they don't force a large number of turnovers, instead keeping teams in front of them.
Players to Watch
Jillian Hayes - 6'1" Senior Forward
Season: 12.4 pts, 8.3 rebs, 1.0 asts, 1.2 stls, 0.9 blks, 45.1% 2P%
Last 5: 12.4 pts, 8.6 rebs, 1.0 asts, 1.8 stls, 1.8 blks, 40.4% 2P%
Hayes has been the main option for the team, and her offensive rebounding has put her in good position to be able to get easy second try points. She gives up several inches to Taiyanna Jackson, but she is quicker and can use that to her advantage.
Reagan Jackson - 5'8" Freshman Guard
Season: 8.2 pts, 2.3 rebs, 3.5 asts, 0.5 stls, 0.0 blks, 31.3% 3P%
Last 5: 10.4 pts, 3.4 rebs, 0.8 asts, 0.6 stls, 0.0 blks 27.8% 3P%
Since entering the starting lineup, Jackson has had a big impact for the Bearcats. For a team that struggles to pass consistently, she has been a huge boon to the team. The downside has been struggling with ball security at times, as she has one of the higher turnover rates on the team.
A'riel Jackson - 5'9" Sophomore Guard
Season: 8.3 pts, 2.1 rebs, 1.4 asts, 0.8 stls, 0.1 blks, 75.0% FT%
Last 5: 10,2 pts, 3.0 rebs, 2.2 asts, 0.8 stls, 0.2 blks, 75.0% FT%
Jackson has stepped up her scoring recently, and in general has just been more productive. However, that's come with a decrease in efficiency, as she is needing to take more shots than normal to get those points. She also has a decent free throw percentage, but her attempts have been cut in half during the last 5 games.
Matchups to Watch
While Cincinnati has done fairly well at defending passes from the perimeter to the post, Kansas is usually pretty good on entry passes. The assists in that situation compared to the turnovers will be a key indicator on how difficult a game this will be.
I'm also excited to see the matchup of Hayes on Taiyanna Jackson. Both are rebounding machines for their team, and we could be in for an entertaining battle all night.
Prediction
Cincinnati has a few good pieces, but they don't have enough to be a serious challenge in this game. Hayes will get her points and rebounds, but Jackson should be just as prolific for the Jayhawks. So if you give me the Kansas perimeter against the Cincinnati perimeter, I'll take the senior-laden group every time.
Kansas 74, Cincinnati 58.
