TAMPA, Fla., (Feb. 25, 2022) – South Florida goes for a road split in its second consecutive away game when it plays at Cincinnati on Saturday.
The Bearcats, who have lost two games in a row, defeated the Bulls 70-59 on Feb. 9 in the Yuengling Center. That game started a six game losing streak for USF.
BullsInsider.com has your quick facts and what to watch for against Cincinnati:
Quick Facts
Matchup: USF (7-20, 2-13 AAC) at Cincinnati (17-11, (7-8 AAC)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 26
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Cincinnati, OH | Fifth Third Arena
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: Bulls Unlimited
History: USF is 9-35 all-time versus Cincinnati. Last season USF won at Cincinnati for the first time since 1988.
The Opponent: UC returned three of its top four scorers in forward Jeremiah Davenport, guard David DeJulius and guard Mika Adams-Woods. Wes Miller is in his first season as the Bearcats head coach.
DeJulius, as we saw two-weeks ago when he scored 24 points against USF, is capable of taking over a game. The 6-foot guard is difficult to keep out of the paint on his drive and kick attempts. His is connecting on 37.0 percent of his three-point attempts in conference games and he is almost always moving and running off screens to get open. He has scored 20+ points nine times this season and ranks third and sixth in AAC-only play for scoring (16.6 ppg) and field-goal percentage (43.7).
Davenport lives to catch-and-shoot three-pointers and has attempted more of them (194) than any other Bearcat. He connected four times from deep when the teams met Feb. 9. Davenport is tough, he scores, rebounds, impacts the game in a variety of ways. Davenport is a good offensive rebounder and an excellent put back finisher.
Adams-Woods has started every game at point guard for UC this season and is second in the AAC with a 2.65 assist-to-turnover ratio. I love his feel for the game and his ability to deliver good passes on target. Adams-Woods is also a three level scorer. The lefty is not a “shooter” per say but don’t give him space and time or he can make you pay.
Sophomore point guard Mike Saunders is a serious open court weapon. His first step is lethal. Saunders gives UC an energy boost off the bench and the Bearcats play with more tempo when he is in the game. Saunders’ speed, quickness and passing ability puts pressure on defenses. He doesn’t score much, he did have 10 points against USF, but he makes his teammates better.
Abdul Ado is one of the three best rim protectors in the AAC. Ado is averaging 1.6 blocks per game. He blocked three shots in the Yuengling Center and altered several more. The 6-foot-11, 265-pounder is long and mobile.
When Ado comes out of the game Viktor Lakhin, a big, strong, 6-foot-11, 245 pound Russian or Hayden Koval comes in. Lakhin is big, strong and skilled. UC will post Lakhin and play through him. Koval is the Nation’s active shot-block leader (362), ranking 37th all-time.
Cincinnati plays almost exclusively man defense (98.9 percent) and they are limiting teams to 38.2 percent shooting. We did see a 2-3 zone for one or two possessions per game. Typically after a timeout to give the opponent a different look. UC frequently applies ball pressure to stop your secondary break.
Watch for UC to deny the wings. If this happens, hopefully, USF will space the court and drive to the basket, perhaps use some mid-pick and rolls to help guys get downhill.
Keys To A Win
USF must play with toughness, win the battle of the glass, own the paint, take care of the ball and make some outside shots.
