Cincinnati returns home this week looking for something it hasn’t had much of lately: offensive rhythm and a clean bill of health. The Bearcats, sitting at 6-4, are trying to regroup after back-to-back losses-first a tight 79-74 battle with Xavier, followed by a rough 84-65 showing against Georgia.
The Georgia game exposed some of the very issues head coach Wes Miller has been trying to patch up. Cincinnati struggled to find consistent scoring, shooting just 35.4% from the field and a cold 25.9% from deep (7-of-27). That kind of inefficiency has been a recurring theme during this recent skid, and it’s something Miller says the team has been addressing behind the scenes for weeks-not with sweeping changes, but with steady, intentional tweaks.
“We started that process weeks ago,” Miller said. “It’s not about flipping everything overnight. We’ve been installing things gradually, working on them at the right time, and trying to build something more sustainable.”
One bright spot has been senior Jalen Celestine, who came off the bench to lead the Bearcats with 13 points against Georgia. The Baylor transfer is proving to be more than just a scorer-he’s a glue guy, a veteran presence who brings versatility and poise to a team still trying to find its identity.
“He’s one of those seniors that’s older, experienced and versatile,” Miller said. “When we put our roster together, we felt like he could connect the roster because you can play him in so many different places.”
Alongside Celestine, Baba Miller and Moustapha Thiam each chipped in 11 points in the Georgia loss, but the Bearcats never found their groove offensively. With Alabama State coming to town on Wednesday, Cincinnati has a chance to reset before the schedule tightens up again.
Alabama State, meanwhile, rolls into Cincinnati with a 3-7 record and a four-game losing streak, most recently falling 85-77 at Missouri. Despite the record, the Hornets showed some fight in that game, outscoring the Tigers 38-33 in the second half and giving head coach Tony Madlock a glimpse of the toughness he’s been preaching.
“We are a tough team,” Madlock said. “We aren’t as tough as we need to be yet.
But if you look at our record and think we’ve only won three games, I want you to do the math. We’ve played 13 games and only one home game.”
That’s a brutal stretch for any team, and it doesn’t get easier with road trips to Cincinnati, Memphis, and Mississippi State still ahead. But the Hornets aren’t backing down.
They’re led by Asjon Anderson, who’s averaging 18.4 points per game, and Micah Simpson, who adds 16.2. Both are capable scorers who can heat up quickly, and they’ll be looking to test a Cincinnati defense that’s been up and down of late.
Madlock’s message is clear: effort and grit matter just as much as the scoreboard right now.
“We understand the task,” he said. “As long as my guys fight and compete, we’re good with it.”
For Cincinnati, Wednesday’s matchup is less about the opponent and more about finding themselves. The Bearcats have the pieces-they just need to put them together. With conference play looming, now’s the time to start clicking.