Cincinnati Bearcats forward Aziz Bandaogo (55) embraces wing John Newman III after Newman reaches the 1,000 point milestone in his career during a college basketball game against the Bradley Braves at Fifth Third Arena on Saturday, March 23, 2024, in Cincinnati. The Bearcats advance in the National Invitation Tournament after defeating the Braves 74-57.
The Bearcats’ basketball team hasn’t made it to March Madness since 2019.
They’ve come close a few times, making the late stages of the NIT (National Invitational Tournament) the last two seasons, losing to Utah Valley in 2023 and Indiana State this past year.
In 2024-25, the Bearcats will be looking to recapture the success that came to them in the 2010s. They certainly have the roster to do it.
National college basketball insider Jon Rothstein notes that the Bearcats have up to seven players who could start. They are one of the deepest rosters in the country, and it shows with all of the talent that returned to Clifton.
The only member of the starting lineup that left was do-it-all wing John Newman III, who graduated after last year. Ody Oguama also used up all of his eligibility, and now finds himself playing overseas with Sluneta Usti and Labem in the Czech Republic. Viktor Lakhin, who saw his role reduced as the season progressed, transferred to Clemson. Jamille Reynolds, the thunderous dunker and post presence, took his talents to South Florida.
Every other major contributor will see time for the Bearcats this go around. Dan Skillings Jr, who has already said that he will enter the NBA draft after this season, returns as the lead scorer with 12.9 ppg in 2023-24. Simas Lukosius (11.8 ppg) and Day Day Thomas (10.3 ppg) will follow him up.
Thomas figures to come off the bench to provide athleticism and defense behind national breakout candidate and former top 100 prospect Jizzle James. The son of NFL Hall of Fame running back Edgerrin James, it shows in his play. James welcomes contact in the paint, bruising into defenders and finishing through the hit.
Also in the backcourt is redshirt freshman and fellow 2023 graduate Rayvon Griffith. A Cincinnati native, Griffith did not see any action after redshirting his freshman year. In 2024, he will be a prominent member of the Bearcats rotation. Despite his 6’6 height, head coach Wes Miller says he led the team in rebounding on both sides of the ball in summer camp.
“If you know anything about me, you know I love that stat.” Miller added.
Likely to lead Cincinnati in rebounding this year are centers Aziz Bandaogo and USC transfer Arrinten Page. Bandaogo only averaged 6.6 points per game, but most of his contributions came on defense and on the boards. He led the team in blocks at 1.9 per game, and had 7.4 rebounds per game, 2.3 offensively. Page was a highly touted 4-star recruit coming out of high school and decided to attend USC for his freshman season, teaming up with Isaiah Collier and Bronny James. Over only 10.7 minutes per game, he averaged 3.1 ppg and 2.1 rpg. These numbers figure to increase with an increased role with the Bearcats.
Other newcomers include Connor Hickman (Bradley) and Dillon Mitchell (Texas). Hickman is one of the more interesting pieces on Wes Miller’s roster, a 6’2 guard with one of the best verticals on the squad. He isn’t just your typical small 3-point shooting combo guard. His perimeter defense and dunking ability make him much more of a threat.
Mitchell was the eighth-ranked prospect in the 2022 high school class, so all the potential is there. He is another big dunker, throwing down big slams during his time in Austin. Mitchell is a candidate for the currently unnamed starting lineup at the three spot. In 2023, he scored 9.6 points per game for the Longhorns. One thing to watch: he has yet to shoot a three-pointer in his collegiate career.
Another forward that should see minutes is freshman Tyler Betsey. As the 47th overall recruit in the 2024 class, Betsey hails from St. Thomas More in Connecticut. His shooting from the four will provide good spacing for the Bearcats, with his 6’8 frame being a matchup problem for larger power forwards.
Filling out the rest of the roster, CJ Frederick, Josh Reed, and CJ Anthony all return as other bench options. Reed is the most similar to Newman III, Frederick provides lights out shooting if he can catch a hot streak, and Anthony provides strong veteran leadership.
All in all, this figures to be the most talented and deepest roster Miller has had during his time in Cincinnati. Contributions will come from at least nine different guys each night. While the Big 12 is certainly nothing to take likely, watch out for the Bearcats to make some noise in 2024 and beyond.
