The Cincinnati Bearcats have locked in another notable non-conference test, this time against Clemson in a neutral-site game at Heritage Bank Center in downtown Cincinnati on December 19.
It’s a rematch of sorts from the Greeneville Winter Invitational, where Clemson slipped past Cincinnati 68-65. Even in that loss, the Bearcats made things uncomfortable, holding the Tigers to 30 points in the second half.
This time, the setting changes. Last season’s neutral-site meeting was in Greeneville, South Carolina, and this one will be played in Cincinnati at a different venue than Fifth Third Arena.
That Clemson matchup is part of a busy non-conference slate that already includes multiple Power 4 programs and top 70-kenpom caliber opponents. Cincinnati will also face Dayton, Minnesota, Xavier, Boston College and Georgia, plus an exhibition against Ohio State at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
Clemson arrives with the No. 52 transfer class and only four additions through the portal, a group ranked No. 10 in the ACC. The Tigers brought in David Fuchs from San Francisco, Cole Certa from Notre Dame, Dylan Faulkner from Samford and Liutauras Lelevicius from TCU. On the other side of the ledger, Clemson had four players transfer out from last season’s team: Dillon Hunter, RJ Godfrey and Jake Wahlin.
The Tigers also added three high school players, with two coming from Georgia and one from North Carolina.
As Clemson looks ahead to next season, the expected headliners are the new faces. Certa, who came over from Notre Dame, averaged 12.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per game last season.
Fuchs put up 12.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game at San Francisco. Faulkner posted 17.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists last season, and those transfers are expected to carry the load for the Tigers.
In Other News...
Nate Woodys New Bearcats Defense Could Create The Havoc Fans Missed
The University of Cincinnati defense is heading into a different kind of season under new coordinator Nate Woody, whose track record with Scott Satterfield at Appalachian State and Army gives the staff some familiarity as it reshapes the unit. The Bearcats are moving away from last years 3-3-5 look, and the early emphasis has been on building a front and linebacker group that can apply more pressure and play with a little more edge.
Returners and transfers alike are being asked to fit into a more aggressive blueprint, one meant to create the sort of disruption Bearcats fans have been missing. With the linebackers and defensive line working through that transition, the real question is how quickly the new pieces can turn Woodys plan into the kind of havoc that changes games, and which defenders end up becoming the faces of it. [Read more 🡒]
Former Bearcats Star Landers Nolley II Keeps His Pro Journey Going
Landers Nolley II is adding another stop to a pro career that has already taken him well beyond his Bearcats days. The former Cincinnati forward has signed with AEK Basketball Club in Athens, giving him another chance to stay on the European track after going undrafted in the NBA Draft, spending time with the Philadelphia 76ers in Summer League and getting a look with the Birmingham Squadron in the G-League.
Nolley has already carved out a globetrotting path with professional stops in Venezuela, Greece and Taiwan, and his latest move comes after a strong stretch in Taiwan's Professional Basketball League. That performance appears to have opened the door to the Greek Basketball League once again, a reminder that his journey has been defined less by a straight line and more by persistence, adaptability and finding the next opportunity wherever it shows up. [Read more 🡒]