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Big 12 scouting report: Cincinnati Bearcats host Kansas State Saturday night

scott springer, cincinnati enquirer
·5 min read

In desperate need of a Big 12 home victory, University of Cincinnati Bearcats basketball hosts Kansas State Saturday night. The Bearcats have three games left with only one chance of a Quadrant 1 win should they be able to knock off Oklahoma on Tuesday in Norman.

By current NCAA NET math, a win over Kansas State would fall in the Quad 2 category. However, should Jerome Tang's Wildcats prevail, they would be credited a Quad 1 triumph since it came on the road.

Both teams need the win for seeding purposes in the Big 12 tournament. Seed Nos. 11-14 will play on the opening day March 12 and would have to win five of five to beat the odds and win the automatic bid.

The Bearcats entered Thursday in 12th place in the Big 12 at 5-10 in the conference.

Kansas State let a 22-point halftime lead slip at home Monday and allowed West Virginia 53 second-half points to force overtime. The Wildcats prevailed 94-90. The Bearcats never led at No. 1 Houston but made a comeback late in a 67-59 defeat. They've lost three straight and five of their last six.

3 ways UC can get back on track at home

Scoreless in the first half, Dan Skillings Jr. had eight points late as UC fought to cut No. 1 Houston's lead. The Cougars prevailed 67-59 Feb. 27.
Scoreless in the first half, Dan Skillings Jr. had eight points late as UC fought to cut No. 1 Houston's lead. The Cougars prevailed 67-59 Feb. 27.

1. Grab a halftime lead and finish

Of UC's home Big 12 games, they've only led once at halftime. The Bearcats led Houston 32-29 Feb. 10, only to fall 67-62. For that matter, in most of UC's Big 12 losses, leads vanished.

Jan. 9, Texas: UC led 73-70 after a Simas Lukošius 3-pointer with 59 seconds to play. They lost 74-73.

Jan. 13 at Baylor: UC led 38-31 with 16:40 to play. With 1:44 to go they were down 60-59 after a Day Day Thomas basket, but lost 62-59.

Jan. 20, Oklahoma: UC led at 17:57 of the second half, 34-31. With 10 seconds to go they trailed 65-63 on a Lukošius free throw, then 67-65 with three seconds to go after an Aziz Bandaogo dunk. Oklahoma won 69-65.

Jan. 22 at Kansas: UC and the Jayhawks were tied at 38 after two Viktor Lakhin free throws at 18:52 of the second half. Late in the game, Jizzle James got UC within five twice (at :22 and with :06 to play). Kansas won 74-69.

Jan. 31 at West Virginia: UC led 63-62 with 1:29 to play on a Lukošius 3-pointer. West Virginia won 69-65.

Feb. 10, Houston: UC led with 17:19 to play 38-31 on a basket by John Newman III. They were down 61-59 with 1:41 to go on two Jamille Reynolds free throws. The Cougars won 67-62.

Feb. 13, Iowa State: UC's last lead here was in the first half at 4:19, 24-23. As close as they got in the second was 66-59 with 24 seconds to play and the Cyclones won 68-59.

Feb. 21, Oklahoma State: UC led 68-66 after a pair of Bandaogo free throws at 3:26. The Cowboys won 80-76.

Feb. 24 at TCU: UC led 23-22 in the first half until the 5:36 mark. In the second half, they were down 49-44 with 14:08 to play but only scored 13 more points, losing 75-57.

UC big man Jamille Reynolds guards Houston's Joseph Tugler Feb. 27. The Cougars won 67-59 at the Fertitta Center, and the Bearcats fell to 16-12 and 5-10 in the Big 12, good for 12th place.
UC big man Jamille Reynolds guards Houston's Joseph Tugler Feb. 27. The Cougars won 67-59 at the Fertitta Center, and the Bearcats fell to 16-12 and 5-10 in the Big 12, good for 12th place.

2. Park by the arc

Kansas State defeated West Virginia in overtime Monday 94-90. The Wildcats hit 15-of-31 3-pointers compared to 13-for-33 for the Mountaineers. You don't want the game to become "Tylor Perry's Trifecta Takedown" as the Bearcats will have to tie up the North Texas transfer. Perry was 6-for-11 Saturday in Manhattan.

Kansas State guard Tylor Perry, here in a game against BYU, made six of 11 3-pointers in the Wildcats' victory over West Virginia on Monday.
Kansas State guard Tylor Perry, here in a game against BYU, made six of 11 3-pointers in the Wildcats' victory over West Virginia on Monday.

3. Represent in March

While the bandwagon route in the Big 12 contains many twists and turns, the Bearcats could use some fan support against a Kansas State team that has just two road wins and only one in the Big 12 (Jan. 9 at West Virginia). After UC's standing-room-only crowd of 12,112 in their UCF win Jan. 27, they upped that to 12,715 in their close loss to Houston Feb. 10. The Feb. 13 Iowa State game drew 11,819 and the Oklahoma State loss just 11,029.

There are two more regular season home games and this one couldn't be more important.

Cincinnati vs. Kansas State

Tip: Saturday, March 2 at 7 p.m. (Fifth Third Arena, 12,012)

TV/Radio: ESPN+/700WLW

Series: Cincinnati leads 7-1 (last win in NCAA tournament March 17, 2017, 75-61)

Kansas State's Jerome Tang was the Naismith Coach of the Year last season after leading the Wildcats to the Elite Eight.
Kansas State's Jerome Tang was the Naismith Coach of the Year last season after leading the Wildcats to the Elite Eight.

Kansas State Wildcats scouting report

Record: 17-11 (7-8 Big 12)

Coach: Jerome Tang (second season, 38-21)

Offense: 72.6 ppg

Defense: 69.8 ppg

Projected lineup

(Position, Height, Stats)

Arthur Kaluma (F, 6'7", 14.9 ppg)

Tylor Perry (G, 5'11", 15.6 ppg)

Cam Carter (G, 6'3", 15.2 ppg)

Dai Dai Ames (G, 6'1", 4.7 ppg)

Jerrell Colbert (F, 6'10", 2.4 ppg)

Cincinnati Bearcats scouting report

Record: 16-12 (5-10 Big 12)

Coach: Wes Miller (third season, 57-40)

Offense: 74.4 ppg

Defense: 67.9 ppg

Projected lineup

(Position, Height, Stats)

Dan Skillings Jr. (F, 6'6", 11.9 ppg)

Day Day Thomas (G, 6', 10.3 ppg)

John Newman III (F, 6'5", 9.0 ppg)

Simas Lukošius (G, 6'8", 10.0 ppg)

Aziz Bandaogo (C, 7', 7.4 ppg)

Tylor Perry of Kansas State gets instructions from head coach Jerome Tang against West Virginia Feb. 26. Perry had 29 points in the Kansas State overtime victory.
Tylor Perry of Kansas State gets instructions from head coach Jerome Tang against West Virginia Feb. 26. Perry had 29 points in the Kansas State overtime victory.

Players to watch

Tylor Perry had a season-high 29 points against West Virginia Monday and rarely comes off of the floor. He's started every game and is deadly if you let him on the free throw line, shooting 91%. You also have a "Dueling Day Day/Dai Dai" situation. Dai Dai Ames is a freshman for the Wildcats whose real name is Darrin. UC's Day Day Thomas is a junior whose real name is DaVeon.

Rankings

NCAA NET: UC is No. 45, Kansas State No. 74

KenPom.com: UC is No. 44, Kansas State No. 71

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How UC Bearcats basketball can earn Big 12 home win vs. Kansas State