Scouting report: Cincinnati Bearcats basketball hosts Oklahoma in Big 12 Saturday matinee

It's been over a dozen years since the Cincinnati Bearcats played Oklahoma in basketball and this season they'll play them at least twice.

The first comes Saturday at 1 p.m. with Porter Moser's Sooners coming in at No. 15 in the nation. After going 15-17 last season, Oklahoma has already won 14 games. The losses have come to North Carolina in Charlotte in December and back-to-back in the Big 12 at TCU and Kansas. In Lawrence, Oklahoma has dropped 23 straight.

The Bearcats got national attention with their court-storming 81-77 overtime victory over No. 19 TCU Tuesday night. Oddly, UC hasn't lost an overtime game to a ranked team in 30 years (Xavier at Cincinnati Gardens).

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"We just had to weather the storm," John Newman III said. "I know what kind of guys I've got in the locker room with me. It was all about weathering the storm and continuing to fight."

Post-Oklahoma, Wes Miller's Bearcats will be in the Phog Allen Fieldhouse Monday night for yet another chance at a Quadrant 1 win against the Kansas Jayhawks.

The most recent AP Top 25 poll lists eight Big 12 schools: Kansas (No. 3), Houston (No. 5), Baylor (No. 9), Oklahoma (No. 15), TCU (No. 19), BYU (No. 20), Iowa State (No. 24) and Texas Tech (No. 25). The Sooners defeated West Virginia Wednesday, 77-63.

3 keys to snatching a home win vs. Oklahoma

1. Produce points in the paint

In their loss at Kansas, the Sooners produced 20 fewer points in the paint than the Jayhawks (46-26). Part of that can be attributed to the presence of Kansas' 7-foot-2 Hunter Dickinson, a double-double stat stuffer who had 24 points and 14 rebounds. If the Bearcats towers of 7-footer Aziz Bandaogo, 6-foot-11 Viktor Lakhin and 6-foot-11 Jamille Reynolds are healthy and able, they typically combine for around 28 points and 20 rebounds. UC dominated points-in-the-paint against No. 19 TCU, 50-30.

The Bearcats are also among the NCAA leaders in rebounding margin and rebounding average. Before Tuesday, when they were outrebounded 41-35, UC had beaten every other team on the boards and tied Baylor with 32.

2. Keep the Sooners 30% or lower on treys

In their losses, Oklahoma has been held to 30.4% from behind the arc against North Carolina, 28% vs. TCU and 30% vs. Kansas. Guard Javion McCollum has the most attempts on the team, but the best percentage comes from sophomore guard Otega Oweh at 60% (15-for-25). Perhaps making it better for UC to know where he is, Oweh wears No. 3.

3. Bring the early Saturday noise

Oklahoma's Lloyd Noble Center has a capacity of 10,967 but the Sooners have drawn just under 6,300 on average for their home games. On the other hand, they've played in front of an average of 11,500 on the road. With Fifth Third Capacity at 12,012 the more voluminous the noise, the better for the home team. Coach Porter Moser is mindful of the atmosphere in tough road venues.

“If you can steal a road game, that’s huge,” Moser told The Oklahoman after the Kansas loss. “The atmospheres are tough. That’s why I’m trying so hard to get our atmosphere where it needs to go. I thought we had a good start to our league atmosphere . . . The atmosphere has to be a sixth man.”

Tuesday's UC atmosphere was memorable, but at 10,314 was still 1,698 from a sellout. The Oklahoma game is sold out.

Cincinnati vs. Oklahoma

Tip: 1 p.m. Saturday at Fifth Third Arena (12,012)

TV/Radio: ESPN+/700WLW

Series: UC leads 4-2 (Bearcats last won in 2011)

Oklahoma Sooners scouting report

Record: 14-3 (2-2 Big 12)

Coach: Porter Moser (third season, 48-36)

Offense: 79.9 ppg

Defense: 65.1 ppg

Projected lineup

(Position, Height, Stats)

Javion McCollum (G, 6'2", 14.9 ppg)

Miles Uzan (G, 6'4", 9.1 ppg)

Otega Oweb (G, 6'5", 14.2 ppg)

Sam Godwin (F, 6'10", 7.7 ppg)

Jalon Moore (F, 6'7", 9.4 ppg)

Cincinnati Bearcats scouting report

Record: 13-4 (2-2 Big 12)

Coach: Wes Miller (third season, 54-32, overall 239-167)

Offense: 79.5 ppg

Defense: 66.4 ppg

Projected lineup

(Position, Height, Stats)

Viktor Lakhin (F, 6'11", 13.5 ppg)

Dan Skillings Jr. (F, 6'6", 11.8 ppg)

Day Day Thomas (G, 6', 11.2 ppg)

John Newman III (F, 6'5", 9.2 ppg)

Simas Lukošius (G, 6'8", 8.9 ppg)

Players to watch

Javion McCollum is a junior transfer from Siena where he averaged 15.9 points per game last season. For the Sooners this year he's been around 15 per game with a high game of 23 against Central Arkansas in late December. Oklahoma also brings 6-foot-10, 275-pound John Hugley IV off the bench at 9.1 points per game and UC fans will remember Le'Tre Douthard from the NIT and Utah Valley. He was a teammate of Aziz Bandaogo last season.

The combination of Bandaogo, Jamille Reynolds and Viktor Lakhin could provide trouble if Oklahoma struggles inside as the Sooners did at Kansas.

"It was good to see Aziz back there (against TCU)," UC coach Wes Miller said of Bandaogo's return. "He said he felt great. I was worried about playing him too much, especially as the game got going on, but he was so effective. You look he's plus 12 and the impact he has on the game and on our team is tremendous. He said he felt pretty good after the game. That's a good sign."

Rankings

NCAA NET: Oklahoma is No. 22, UC No. 29

KenPom.com: Oklahoma is No. 20, UC No. 28

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Big 12 Saturday: 3 keys for UC Bearcats basketball vs. Oklahoma