Cincinnati is heating up at just the right time, and Sunday’s matchup against a reeling Utah squad gives the Bearcats a golden opportunity to keep that momentum rolling in Big 12 play.
After a rocky stretch that saw them dip below .500 for the first time under Wes Miller-and the first time since the 2020-21 season-Cincinnati (13-12, 5-7 Big 12) has responded with authority. The Bearcats have rattled off back-to-back wins in dominant fashion, scoring 92 points against UCF and following it up with a 91-point outburst at Kansas State. For a team that had been searching for offensive consistency in conference play, these last two games have been a breakthrough.
What’s changed? For starters, the Bearcats are getting major production from their young backcourt and frontcourt tandem.
Freshman guard Jizzle James has found his groove, averaging 19.5 points over the last two games while shooting an eye-popping 58.3% from the field and 69.2% from deep. His confidence is clearly growing, and it’s translating to efficient, high-impact scoring.
“I got in a rhythm [against Kansas State] and I kept trusting my work,” James said after the win. “I'm glad they were able to go down.
That’s something I’ve been working on consistently. We’ll just build on [the win], and now we’re just looking forward to our next game.”
Meanwhile, forward Baba Miller has been a force inside, averaging 16.5 points and 11 rebounds over that same two-game span. He’s shooting over 52% from the floor and anchoring a frontcourt that’s beginning to assert itself on both ends.
Cincinnati’s team-wide shooting has also taken a massive leap. Against UCF, the Bearcats shot a season-best 58.9% from the field.
Then they went out and drilled a season-high 16 threes against Kansas State, hitting 57.1% from beyond the arc. That followed a 61.1% effort from deep against UCF.
In a conference as competitive as the Big 12, those kinds of shooting nights can be game-changers-and Cincinnati is suddenly putting them together back-to-back.
On the other side, Utah (9-15, 1-10 Big 12) is still searching for answers. The Utes have lost six straight and 11 of their last 12. They’ve yet to win a road game this season, sitting at 0-8 away from home, including 0-5 in conference road matchups.
Still, there are bright spots. Terrence Brown continues to be the engine for the Utes, averaging 20.8 points per game-good for fourth in the Big 12 entering the weekend.
He’s shooting 44.9% from the field and also chipping in 3.9 assists, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game. But Utah head coach Alex Jensen wants more from his star guard.
“Terrence needs to have more of a well-rounded, complete game, not just scoring,” Jensen said. “He’s got to do it with his defense and passing, and he’s gotten better at that.”
Forward Keanu Dawes has also stepped up lately. After being held scoreless against Kansas State, the 6-foot-9 big man has responded by averaging 15.8 points and 9.4 rebounds over the last five games. He’s shooting a scorching 62.5% from the field and has posted double-digit rebounds in three of his last four outings, including a pair of double-doubles.
For Cincinnati, Sunday is about keeping the momentum alive and continuing to climb the Big 12 standings. For Utah, it’s about finding a spark-any spark-to stop the slide.
One team is surging, the other searching. We’ll see which storyline takes center stage when the ball tips in Cincinnati.