2023-24 roster

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skyblade said:
Injuries played a role in that shooting decrease. But before he got injured last year he was still only shooting 36%.

Not much besides shooting that he does that really stands out.
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Just joined this board the other day so I could comment on this post. :)

Keep in mind the guy went over a year and a half without playing a single game against P5 caliber defense, so yes before his injuries he struggled re-adjusting to the quickness of those defenses, while shooting nearly 50% against UK's lower mid-major opponents.

Also, not much besides shooting? Even with his injuries, his assist/turnover ratio was just under 3.0 at UK, and his last year at Iowa it was 5.2. At one point that season he went 13 consecutive games, playing 331 minutes, without a single turnover to go with 29 assists in the same stretch. The guy doesn't make many mistakes.

I've been following Fredrick since his sophomore year at Covington Catholic. He has a super-high basketball IQ. Talks constantly on defense, knows how to space the floor, moves great without the ball, and will know both the offense and defensive schemes as well as the coaches and will use that knowledge to help his teammates on the floor.

His defense is underrated. He's clearly not a great leaper, so historically he's focused more on getting out in transition when a teammate gets a defensive rebound, or spotting up at the 3pt line when a they get an offensive one. Also doesn't get many blocks, but doesn't go for them - usually just tries to challenge shots without fouling. He also doesn't go for a lot of steals, instead focusing on containing his man. So his defensive metrics aren't usually very good since they put an emphasis on defensive rebounds, blocks, and steals. But he does a lot of things that don't show up in the stats.

He occasionally does get beat off the dribble, which is what most people see and then proclaim him to be a defensive liability even if he only gives up 4 points in a game on those plays.

Where he shines defensively is in denying his man the ball. He's very good at it and it often disrupts the opponent's offense. I can only recall one time last season where he got beat back door. He is also almost always in the right spot defensively when playing off the ball, and is able to close out quickly if the ball goes to his man at the 3pt line.

I'm hoping he has a great season and the team exceeds expectations.
 
So I see Flory Bidunga on 24/7 has a crystal ball prediction to UC.

That would be a major recruitment. I'm thinking this won't happen for Miller, but maybe you guys have heard something positive?
 
Wes recently did a 30-minute interview with Chad the other day. Didn't reveal anything groundbreaking, but it's still worth the listen if you have the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK1pHukC9KY&ab_channel=BearcatJournal

Here are the cliff notes on individual player updates:

Rayvon Griffith... high character, good energy guy off-the-court; nasty and mean on the court... didn't encourage the move to Arizona for his Senior year but feels like he gained a lot of positives from the experience (playing/practicing against better comp and maturing as a young man)...

Jizzle James... plays with a big chip on his shoulder, has a crazy work ethic, and is very competitive... Wes says he sometimes does "too much" with how hard he works... plays bigger than his listed height (6'2) because he is so strong and well built... feels confident in his leadership abilities...

DaVeon Thomas... His ball speed stands out (along with Jizzle's) and will allow the team to play faster... Elite start/stop ability in the open court... Can finish above the rim (along with Jizzle)... Can make plays in tight spaces (for himself and others)...

Jamille Reynolds... Felt confident in knowing his abilities/capabilities by evaluating him and coaching against him at UCF and Temple... 6'11 with an impressive wingspan and can move very well all over the floor... The challenge will be to get him to maximize his abilities every single possession... Has already made serious improvements to his body during a short time on campus as they aim for him to get into the best shape of his life...

CJ Frederick... Gained an upper-hand in his most recent transfer recruitment due to the relationship they built when he transferred from Iowa two years earlier... Love his shooting ability and want him to shoot more than he does... Has become a great defensive player (reliable, in the right sport, communicates well) with a lot of that credit going to the work of Coach Cal at Kentucky... Makes great decisions with the basketball that often don't get recognized...

Simas Lukosius... He can play/defend multiple positions on the perimeter while also being a threat to shoot the ball... Can be a primary facilitator in the halfcourt (as DeJulius was)...

Aziz Bandaogo... His size/dimensions (along with Jamille's) is something they've been actively seeking to add to the program for defense/rebounding... Really caught Wes's attention when he was watching him play against Colorado in the NIT round before we played him; identified him as the best player on the court... Possesses a great work ethic and great character values for what they want in the program... No update/timeline on his waiver process (along with Jamille's)...

Wes was really upbeat and positive when talking about the overall development of the returning players

Dan Skillings... has physically taken a big step over the offseason; no longer a "freshman" with how he handles himself on the floor... has had a terrific offseason to date...

Josh Reed... Has changed his body (for the better); likely did more than any other player with his time "back home"... Has always had a good feel for the game so thinks he will naturally improve on the court due to his notable physical development...

Viktor Lakhin... one of Wes's "favorites" (without Wes explicitly saying so)... proud of how he has embraced Cincinnati (as a school and place) over the past few years... notes the improvement he made last season due to having a full healthy offseason in 2022 and believes he's having an even better offseason in 2023... has worked hard on his 3-point shot for a long time and thinks we'll get to see it on display more this season...

John Newman... he's healthy and explosive right now... his skill set had improved quite a bit going into 22/23 and looks even better now... as disruptive as ever defensively...

Ody Oguama... another one of Wes's (silent) "favorites"... compliments how Ody worked his way into the starting lineup last season after starting the season with a much smaller role... he's starting to step out and shoot 3s more... can nearly guard every position on the court... making better more impactful decisions with the ball on the perimeter...

Sage Tolentino... Night and day difference from last season; not a "freshman" anymore... Stronger and more explosive this season... People will be surprised at how skilled he is...
 
Great writeup. I wonder when we find out about Aziz and Jamille's eligibility. That will have huge implications for what our team looks like. Hopefully Sage is ready to contribute if they have to sit.
 
These all sound great. I'm still not too jazzed about the guys we have coming back this year, and the transfers are big question marks especially on defense. We need stronger defense against elite athletes.

I am excited to see the freshmen and hope that Wes' first Big 12 class develops in a way we'd all hope. I'll try to stay patient on that. LOL

Skillings showed flashes of a guy who wants to take over at times. Vic could dominate lesser opponents but he really needs a system where everyone is doing what they have to do in order for him to score more easily. Reed needed this physical build up, so hopefully it pays off. Sage...well why the f didn't he get more floor time if he wasn't going red shirt? Makes no sense.
 
My understanding is that Sage is still eligible to redshirt. You can play 4 games and still redshirt. I believe he only played two.
 
Gocats said:
My understanding is that Sage is still eligible to redshirt. You can play 4 games and still redshirt. I believe he only played two.
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I thought that is the rule for football. A redshirt in basketball can only be awarded if you do not play any games. That may not be correct, however.
 
Bearcat_Z said:
I thought that is the rule for football. A redshirt in basketball can only be awarded if you do not play any games. That may not be correct, however.
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In 2018 there was an NCAA medical redshirt rule change. According to the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Compliance, Scott Young, “the NCAA has two requirements for a medical redshirt; the injury must have occurred in the first half of the season, and the athlete must have competed in less than 30 percent of the season. You must provide documentation of the injury, and it must be considered season-ending.”

Newman and Sage would both qualify for medical redshirts according to this rule update as long as the staff provided the necessary injury documentation.
 
Queens_NYC said:
In 2018 there was an NCAA medical redshirt rule change. According to the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Compliance, Scott Young, “the NCAA has two requirements for a medical redshirt; the injury must have occurred in the first half of the season, and the athlete must have competed in less than 30 percent of the season. You must provide documentation of the injury, and it must be considered season-ending.”

Newman and Sage would both qualify for medical redshirts according to this rule update as long as the staff provided the necessary injury documentation.
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Thank you for the clarification. Hopefully they did provide the documentation to preserve the eligibility.
 
Simas Lukosius recently competed in a 4-team U23 tournament in Toronto over the past 10 days with a German select team.

His team went 1-2 in pool play with a win against an African select team (88-79) along with losses to a Canadian select team (84-81 in OT) and the University of Kentucky (81-73).

His German team would go on to beat the African select team again 77-72 in the tournament's 3rd place game.

Here are his stats from the tournament:

18.5 minutes per game (only started the final game)
8.5 points per game
4 rebounds per game
2 assists per game
0.75 steals per game
25.9% FG (7/27)
25% 3FG (4/16)
92.3% FT (12/13)
 
In the last few days we've seen hints that the NCAA is serious about its new restrictive transfer policies, as multiple ACC football transfers were denied waivers. Could be an ominous sign for Aziz and Reynolds.
 
sedziobs said:
In the last few days we've seen hints that the NCAA is serious about its new restrictive transfer policies, as multiple ACC football transfers were denied waivers. Could be an ominous sign for Aziz and Reynolds.
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I just hope we can get news either way really soon. I can't imagine what practice is like right now... You want to let Aziz and Reynolds get major runs in practice but you also need to be really developing Sage. If they can come out with the decision in the next week or 2, then we can start really practicing with the right rotations.
 
Aziz will improve things considerably.

Excited to see him on the court and how it will impact others' roles on the team.

Viktor's game is fairly different. Hoping they can flow and improve each other's opportunities.

We definitely need more lobs to the basket!
 
sirthought said:
Aziz will improve things considerably.

Excited to see him on the court and how it will impact others' roles on the team.

Viktor's game is fairly different. Hoping they can flow and improve each other's opportunities.

We definitely need more lobs to the basket!
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I'd like to see us play like the Arizona team that gave us so many problems in Maui last season.

They had a 7'0 & 6'10 frontcourt combo that reminds me a lot now of what we have with Aziz and Vik.
 

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