Cincinnati Bearcats guard Jizzle James (2) rises to the basket in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between the Houston Cougars and the Cincinnati Bearcats, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. © Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
No. 10 Iowa State (18-5, 7-3) travels to Cincinnati, Ohio Tuesday to face off with a new Big 12 foe in the Bearcats (15-8, 4-6) (6:00 p.m., ESPN2).
The Cyclones took care of business on Saturday with a 71-59 win over the TCU. They were able to hold the Horned Frogs to their lowest scoring output on the season. Cincinnati dropped a 67-62 back-and-forth game against No. 3 Houston in its last game.
About the Bearcats
In Cincinnati’s first season in the league, coach Wes Miller has his team tied for 12th place in the league at 4-6. But that record doesn’t do justice to how well they have played. The Bearcats have yet to lose any game by more than five points so far in Big 12 play. Miller’s team is in every game, right down to the end.
With Selection Sunday in just over a month, Cincinnati is firmly in the mix for one of the last remaining at-large spots. Miller’s team is desperate for another Quad-1 win and a victory against Iowa State would greatly improve their chances.
The Bearcats currently have eight players averaging 7.0 points are more this year. They are led by a Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year candidate Dan Skillings Jr. The 6-foot-6 guard leads the team in scoring with 12.2 points per game on 42.6 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from behind the arc. He also grabs 6.0 rebounds per game.
Coach Miller’s frontcourt is full of size and athleticism, and it starts with the duo of Viktor Lakhin and Aziz Bandaogo.
Lahkin, a native of Anapa, Russia, is in his third season with the Cincinnati program. He is the second leading scorer and rebounder for the Bearcats with 11.1 points and rebounds 7.0 per game. Lakhin isn’t just an inside player, he can shoot the three-ball when the defense gives it to him. His three-point shooting numbers aren’t staggering at 26.9 percent, but if the Cyclones give him open looks, he can knock them down.
The other force in the paint is the 7-foot-0 center Bandaogo. The Utah Valley transfer is averaging 7.6 points per game and a team-high in rebounds (7.9) and blocks (1.4) since returning from an NCAA ruling back in December. Bandaogo was the WAC Defensive Player of the Year last year, and through 15 games this season, he has recorded 21 blocks. That’s only three behind Lakhin, who has played seven more games than him. Iowa State still needs to attack him in the paint to try and get him in foul trouble early.
Junior guard Day Day Thomas is a Division 2 transfer out of Kilgore College and has been a nice addition to Coach Miller’s squad in the back-court. He was rated as the No. 4 junior college product in the offseason before committing to the Bearcats. Thomas averages 10.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.
Iowa State’s bench production
In years past, even before the T.J. Otzelberger era, the Cyclones have needed more production off the bench, especially in March. The way the staff assembled this team with the transfers, freshmen, and returners from last season, is ideal to the identity that Otzelberger wants his team’s to have.
Curtis Jones’ emergence as a scorer and defender of the bench has been a boost for the team. The Buffalo transfer has scored in double-figures six straight games leading back to his first start at TCU where Tamin Lipsey didn’t play because of injury. Jones is averaging 9.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.8 on the season.
Second-year player Hason Ward makes an instant impact when he gets in the game. His athleticism and length cause problems on the defensive end with his ability to guard on the perimeter and block shots at the rim. The 6-foot-9 senior has also improved his offensive game since coming to Ames. Ward isn’t just a lob threat like he was last season. He has improved his pick-n’roll scoring ability. He can catch the ball on the roll and make the middle of the paint floater or drive and dunk the ball at the rim.
Wofford transfer Jackson Paveletzke and returner Demarion Watson have given the team superb minutes since Big 12 play started. Their stats don’t jump off the page, but they do the things that don’t show up on a stat sheet. But they rebound and defend like a T.J. Otzelberger-coached team.
Where’s Iowa State’s limit?
Iowa State is in the top 10 of the KenPom, Torvik, NET, and now AP Poll rankings for the first time this season. The Cyclones are playing some of their best ball at the right time. A Big 12 regular season title is still on the table as well as high seeds in the Big 12 and NCAA Tournament.
The Cyclones have a chance to collect a 3-seed for the first time since the 2014-2015 team did. The team even has a chance to receive a 2-seed on Selection Sunday if they can find a way to win a couple more road games.
If Iowa State continues to play the way they have for the past three weeks, the sky is the limit on what they can accomplish.
