There's still time for the University of Cincinnati men's basketball team.
The Bearcats (15-7, 5-4 American Athletic Conference) have nine regular-season games left to get into a rhythm, string together some wins and make a push toward mid-March. But Cincinnati can't dwell on Sunday night's 22-point home loss to No. 6 Houston.
"We've got to learn from it," UC coach Wes Miller said. "We've got a lot of basketball coming our way in a really short period of time, so we've got to learn from it quickly and get ready to play the next game."
Cincinnati has four games in the next nine days starting with a road test Wednesday night at South Florida (7-14, 2-7). The stretch, which includes three opponents with losing records in conference play, could make or break the Bearcats' season.
A successful run during the rest of February would put Cincinnati in good position for next month's AAC Tournament and even help the Bearcats earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. But a stumble down the stretch would keep UC out of the dance for the second-straight season. (The 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)
THE GAME
Tipoff: 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida.
TV/Radio: ESPN+/WLW-AM (700)
Series info: Cincinnati and South Florida are set to meet for the 44th time, with the Bearcats owning a 34-9 advantage in the series. The Bulls' 74-71 win in last year's lone meeting snapped an 11-game win streak for UC against USF.
SCOUTING REPORT
Cincinnati (15-7, 5-4)
Coach: Wes Miller, first season (15-7)
Offense: 70.2 ppg
Defense: 63.3 ppg
Projected lineup
Player (Position, Height, Key Stat)
David DeJulius (G, 6’0", 13.9 ppg)
Mika Adams-Woods (G, 6’3”, 9 ppg)
John Newman III (G, 6’5”, 6.6 ppg)
Jeremiah Davenport (G, 6'7", 13.2 ppg)
Abdul Ado (F, 6’11”, 1.6 bpg)
South Florida (7-14, 2-7)
Coach: Brian Gregory, fifth season (64-80)
Offense: 57.3 ppg
Defense: 64.4 ppg
Projected lineup
Player (Position, Height, Key Stat)
Caleb Murphy (G, 6'4", 12.1 ppg)
Javon Greene (G, 6'4", 9.7 ppg)
Jamir Chaplin (G, 6'5", 8.9 ppg)
Corey Walker Jr. (F, 6'8", 3.6 ppg)
Russel Tchewa (C, 7', 5.3 rpg)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
David DeJulius
The senior guard scored 18 of Cincinnati's 31 first-half points Sunday against the Cougars en route to finishing with a season-high 25. DeJulius was a perfect 12-for-12 from the free-throw line. The 6-foot floor general has six 20-point games this season and is averaging a team-high 13.9 points per game (up from 9.1 last season).
Jamir Chaplin
The sophomore guard, who failed to score in 11 minutes off the bench against the Bearcats last season, is coming off a 14-point effort in a 52-49 win Monday over Temple. They were the most points for Chaplin in nearly a month. (Chaplin scored 17 on Jan. 12 at SMU.)
KEY TO THE GAME
Better shot selection
Cincinnati is in a deep offensive slump. The Bearcats are shooting just 33% (59-for-181) from the field and 21% (17-for-80) from 3-point range over the last three games (1-2). An easy way to snap out of it would be to penetrate and generate high-percentage opportunities at the rim instead of settling for long-range jumpers.
RANKINGS
KenPom.com: Cincinnati (79); South Florida (239)
NET: Cincinnati (73); South Florida (233)
RPI: Cincinnati (89); South Florida (204)
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