Adding more offensive firepower was a major priority for University of Cincinnati men's basketball coach Wes Miller during the offseason. The dividends of that have shown on the court early on for the Bearcats.
Through the first three games, Cincinnati (3-0) has been able to play a more open, positionless brand of basketball. That's in large part due to the arrival of Memphis transfer Landers Nolley II. The improved ball-handling and decision-making of Jeremiah Davenport, the all-around improvement of versatile big man Viktor Lakhin, and Mika Adams-Woods exhibiting growth as a playmaker for himself and others have also contributed to the Bearcats' new-look, balanced offensive attack.
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No player has benefited more from Cincinnati's early-season developments than David DeJulius. The preseason second-team All-American Athletic Conference selection earned AAC Player of the Week honors on Monday after averaging 21.3 points and 3.7 assists over the three-game stretch.
"We've got a lot of guys who can play this year, so I don't really have to force as much," said DeJulius, who was named AAC Player of the Week for the first time in his three seasons at Cincinnati. "I can kind of let the game come to me. And then when the points get evenly spread around, the defense kind of relaxes."
The graduate guard is shooting 56.1% from the field (23-of-41) and is 7-for-9 from 3-point range (77.8%).
"The crazy thing is I feel like like I'm kind of like a point guard masquerading as a two guard," he said. "I maybe don't bring the ball up the court, but my mindset isn't to score, my mindset is to make a play. When you've got guys like we have, and guys like (Nolley), they make it so much easier to make plays and make it so much easier for my game, as well, to score."
Cincinnati's roster development has also allowed DeJulius to play more off the ball, and not just on offense. DeJulius, a 6-foot guard, would likely be a point guard for any other team. But Miller needs DeJulius to play more off the ball in order for him to preserve energy and be more effective on both ends of the floor. The arrival of Indiana transfer guard Rob Phinisee allows DeJulius to not have to exert so much of himself guarding the opposing team's best player or its most prominent ball-handler.
The Bearcats' 84.7 points-per-game average marks their highest three-game stretch since November 2017. They'll look to keep it going Wednesday when they head across the Ohio River to take on Northern Kentucky. The game will be part of a two-for-one agreement the schools reached when Cincinnati rented NKU's Truist Arena for the 2017-18 season while Fifth Third Arena was being renovated.
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The game
Tipoff: 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Truist Arena
TV/Radio: ESPN+/WLW-AM (700)
Series info: Cincinnati and NKU are set to meet for the second time. The Bearcats defeated the Norse 78-65 in their only other meeting Dec. 4, 2018, at Fifth Third Arena.
Scouting report
Cincinnati (3-0)
Coach: Wes Miller, second season (21-15)
Offense: 84.7 ppg
Defense: 60.7 ppg
Projected lineup
Player (Position, Height, Key Stat)
Mika Adams-Woods (G, 6’3”, 9 ppg)
David DeJulius (G, 6’0", 21.3 ppg)
Landers Nolley II (G, 6’7”, 16.3 ppg)
Jeremiah Davenport (G, 6'7", 13.3 ppg)
Viktor Lakhin (F, 6’11”, 8.3 rpg)
Northern Kentucky (1-1)
Coach: Darrin Horn, fourth season (58-33)
Offense: 73 ppg
Defense: 64 ppg
Projected lineup
Player (Position, Height, Key Stat)
Xavier Rhodes (G, 6'1", 6.5 ppg)
Marques Warrick (G, 6'2", 16 ppg)
Trevon Faulkner (G, 6'4", 15 ppg)
Trey Robinson (G, 6'6", 5.5 ppg)
Chris Brandon (F, 6'8", 14.5 rpg)
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Players to watch
Josh Reed
Sources told The Enquirer that Cincinnati graduate wing John Newman III is out indefinitely after undergoing knee surgery Monday. Miller has called Newman the "heart and soul" of everything the Bearcats do defensively. With Newman absent, Cincinnati will need other players to step up, including freshman Josh Reed. Sources said the 6-foot-7, 220-pound former high-three-star recruit is expected to make his college debut Wednesday after sitting out the first three games.
Chris Brandon
Chris Brandon is an undersized interior presence at 6 feet, 8 inches and 212 pounds. But the Detroit transfer has proven to be a load on the glass. Brandon is averaging 14.5 rebounds per game through the Norse's first two outings. He has 13 total offensive rebounds. Brandon led the Horizon League with 3.12 offensive rebounds per game a season ago.
Key to the game
Force Warrick to give it up
Northern Kentucky guard Marques Warrick can flat-out play. He scored a game-high 26 points on 10-for-20 shooting, including a 5-for-9 effort from beyond the 3-point line in a 40-point home win Saturday against UC Clermont. He also added four assists, three rebounds and two steals. Warrick is off to a hot start after earning a second-team All-Horizon League selection last season. The Bearcats will need to slow down Warrick and force someone else to beat them.
Rankings
KenPom.com: Cincinnati (53); Northern Kentucky (180)
RPI: Cincinnati (249); Northern Kentucky (68)
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