University of Cincinnati men's basketball coach Wes Miller snatched Landers Nolley II out of the transfer portal during the offseason to give the Bearcats more offensive firepower against teams like Houston and Memphis, the two clubs picked to finish ahead of the Bearcats in the American Athletic Conference this season.
Through Nolley's first 12 games with Cincinnati (8-4), the Memphis and Virginia Tech transfer is averaging 14.8 points (trailing only David DeJulius' 17.2 points-per-game average) and is shooting a team-high 43% (29-for-67) from 3-point range. That ranks third-best in the AAC.
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Despite Nolley's early impact, Miller knows the 6-foot-7, 220-pound senior is just getting started.
"He's an elite offensive player that's still developing as a guard," Miller said. "The thing that we noticed this summer, we couldn't believe how well he saw the floor and how capable of a passer he is. The hardest thing is to find guys that can see the floor and see the game. He has that naturally.
"... He's always been thought of as shooter and he's so much more gifted than that, and you're kind of seeing him go through that process this year. I keep telling him when he becomes an elite defensive player – because he's very capable and he's very smart and he's working at it – and when he gets his ball skills and decision-making just a touch better, I think he can play up at that next level. I really do. I think he's that good. But he's still got work to do."
Nolley's full impact won't be felt until the Bearcats open conference play Dec. 29 against Tulane. Cincinnati has one more game to play before hosting the Green Wave. UC will close out its nonconference slate Wednesday against Detroit Mercy.
The game
Tipoff: 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Fifth Third Arena
TV/Radio: ESPN+/WLW-AM (700)
Series info: The all-time series between Cincinnati and Detroit Mercy is tied at two wins apiece. Wednesday will mark the first meeting between the two teams since Dec. 11, 2004, when the Bearcats defeated the Titans 61-44 at Fifth Third Arena.
Scouting report
Detroit Mercy (5-7)
Coach: Mike Davis, fifth season (50-76)
Offense: 74.9 ppg
Defense: 76.6 ppg
Projected lineup
Player (Position, Height, Key Stat)
Antoine Davis (G, 6'1", 24.8 ppg)
TJ Moss (G, 6'4", 4 ppg)
A.J. Oliver (G, 6'5", 5.8 ppg)
Damezi Anderson (G/F, 6'7", 9.3 ppg)
Gerald Liddell (F, 6'8", 18.4 ppg and 14.6 rpg)
Cincinnati (8-4)
Coach: Wes Miller, second season (26-19)
Offense: 81.1 ppg
Defense: 69.8 ppg
Projected lineup
Player (Position, Height, Key Stat)
Mika Adams-Woods (G, 6’3”, 8.7 ppg)
David DeJulius (G, 6’0", 17.2 ppg)
Landers Nolley II (G, 6’7”, 14.8 ppg)
Jeremiah Davenport (G, 6'7", 9.5 ppg)
Viktor Lakhin (F, 6’11”, 12.5 ppg)
Players to watch
Antoine Davis
The 6-foot-1, 165-pound graduate guard can flat-out score. Davis, who is the son of Detroit Mercy head coach Mike Davis, is coming off back-to-back 30-point performances (both losses). The four-time first-team All-Horizon League selection and Co-2022 Horizon League Player of the Year has scored in double figures in every game of his college career. In fact, Davis is the NCAA's record holder with 123 consecutive games in double figures. Davis is also the second player in NCAA history with 3,000 career points (3,031) and 500 career assists (513), joining St. Peter's Keydren Clark (2002-06).
Viktor Lakhin
Lakhin enters Wednesday having scored in double figures in eight straight games. His 71.1 field goal percentage (64-for-90) is tops in the AAC and fourth-best in the country. Lakhin is averaging 12.5 points per game, a sizeable increase from his 4.2 points-per-game average a season ago.
"He just keeps coming," Miller said. "We are trying to throw him the ball more. ... We are trying to get him more touches. And our guys have a lot more confidence to throw it in now than maybe they did two months ago because they see his development and his growth. He's such a gifted offensive rebounder. I think we've got to get back to him crashing and getting into position, because I do think as he's learning to do other things, I don't want him to lose the gift."
Key to the game
Win the rebound battle
Cincinnati will need Lakhin, who is averaging seven rebounds per game, to dominate the boards against Detroit Mercy. The more possessions the Titans have, the more opportunities Davis will have to score. Detroit Mercy forward Gerald Liddell is averaging 14.6 rebounds per game, including nearly six boards per night on the offensive end. Cincinnati will need to keep Liddell far below his average in order to keep Davis far below his.
Rankings
NET: Detroit Mercy (172); Cincinnati (122)
KenPom.com: Detroit Mercy (202); Cincinnati (74)
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