What To Watch For: South Florida vs. Cincinnati
TAMPA, Fla., (Feb. 8, 2022) – South Florida aims for a momentum building victory when it hosts Cincinnati Wednesday night.
The Bulls scored seven consecutive points in the final 2:13 Monday night to earn a come from behind 52-49 win over Temple.
Cincinnati fell, at home, to No. 6 ranked Houston on Sunday 80-58.
BullsInsider.com has your quick facts and what to watch for against Cincinnati:
Quick Facts
Matchup: USF (7-14, 2-7 AAC) vs. Cincinnati (15-7, 5-4 AAC)
Date: Wednesday February 9
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Tampa, FL | Yuengling Center
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: USF Bulls Unlimited
History: USF is 9-34 all-time against Cincinnati. The Bulls won the last matchup 74-71 at Cincinnati on Dec. 16, 2020. The two programs did not play in the Yuengling Center last season.
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 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 37.8 percent of his three-point attempts in conference games and he is almost always moving and running off screens to get open. Watch for him on the baseline. DeJulius is playing at a high level. He has scored 20+ points seven times this season and he is averaging 18.5ppg in his last four games.
Davenport lives to catch-and-shoot three-pointers and has attempted more of them (152) than any other Bearcat. He 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 sports an elite 3.3 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 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. The 6-foot-11, 265-pounder is long and mobile. USF needs to find a way to use his aggressiveness against him and get him into early foul trouble.
When Ado comes out of the game Viktor Lakhin, a big, strong, 6-foot-11, 245 pound Russian comes in. He is big, strong and skilled. UC will post Lakhin and play through him. He presents a match-up problem for USF. Especially without Jalyn McCreary.
Cincinnati plays almost exclusively man defense (99.1 percent) and they are limiting teams to 36.4 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.