Scouting report: 3 keys for Cincinnati Bearcats basketball to break skid vs. West Virginia

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The slumping Cincinnati Bearcats basketball team has returned from a two-game stay in Mountain time and must now face Mountaineers from Morgantown, West Virginia Sunday (2 p.m.) at Fifth Third Arena.

Under new coach Darian DeVries, West Virginia is on a three-game losing streak, having just hosted No. 6 Houston. The Bearcats are back from high altitude with low results having just dropped consecutive games at BYU and Utah.

“I think you have to continue to find every edge to maximize every day to turn over every leaf,” UC coach Wes Miller said of getting back in the win column. “That’s what we’re doing as a staff and encouraging our players to do. I think there’s great character in our locker room. I think they’re good guys and they want it. I value that.”

West Virginia has been short-handed

The Mountaineers have been without the coach’s son, Tucker DeVries. A 6-foot-7 NBA prospect, DeVries averaged nearly 15 points per game and drained 47% of his 3-pointers in eight games this season before being injured.

They are the only team UC played three times last season. The first game was in Morgantown, where they lost 69-65. UC then won 92-56 at home and 90-85 in the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City.

Cincinnati Bearcats guard Day Day Thomas (1) and Simas Lukosius combined to hit 14 3-pointers last March when UC last played West Virginia, in the Big 12 tournament.

WVU is a much different team than the one that knocked off four Top 25 teams this season, beating No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 24 Arizona, No. 7 Kansas (in Allen Fieldhouse) and No. 2 Iowa State. They’ve also suffered inconsistencies like UC, falling to Arizona State 65-57 just days after UC beat the Sun Devils, then losing at Kansas State 73-60 Jan. 25. In those two games they were a combined 8-for-50 from behind the arc, where they normally make nine per game. Houston kept them at 4-for-18 in Wednesday night’s 63-49 home loss.

West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries celebrates with forward Amani Hansberry (13) after defeating the Iowa…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/scouting-report-3-keys-cincinnati-050516807.html

Author : The Enquirer

Publish date : 2025-01-31 05:05:00

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