Cincinnati Basketball Keys to the Game: Texas Longhorns

The Bearcats are riding high following the biggest win of the Wes Miller era.

CINCINNATI — The Bearcats got a short time to celebrate the biggest win of the season over #12 BYU before shifting focus to its first Big 12 home game ever against Texas.

The Longhorns just dropped a home conference bout to Texas Tech and enter this game 11-3 overall. ESPN's Matchup Predictor gives Cincinnati a 73.4% chance to win the game at home. The Bearcats enter as the 27th-best team in KenPom's rankings, while Texas is 39th.

Cincinnati has not faced Texas in the regular season dating back to the 1949-50 season.

When Texas Has The Ball

Sound ball movement led by a microwave scorer. 

Texas brings that to the table on offense Tuesday night as they average 78.3 points (97th nationally) and sit 40th in adjusted offensive efficiency.

Lead guard Max Abmas (17.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists) and running mate Tyrese Hunter (13.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists) drive this wing-laden rotation. The only notable players with a 24% usage rate or higher, John Newman III and the rest of UC's perimeter defenders have their work cut out for them in the top thing to watch on this end.

Texas (16.4 assists per game, 38th nationally) pings the ball around fantastically and often hunts high-percentage two-point looks or free throws out of those lead guards. Cincinnati has to stay sound on the ball as they did against BYU and rely on their elite rebounding (43.9 per game, fifth nationally) to swipe away extra chances for Texas.

Forward Dillon Mitchell (11.4 points, 9.4 rebounds) is going to offer the most resistance toward Viktor Lakhin, Aziz Bandaogo, and Jamille Reynolds. He's posted the seventh-most offensive rebounds among all Big 12 players this season (35). Getting a body on him (and 6-foot-11 Kadin Shedrick) with big fellas while Cincinnati's long wings fly in for rebounds in open space could be the best way to nullify his impact.

Shedrick (11 points, 4.3 rebounds) is a shot-blocking maven at 216 pounds.

Cincinnati will win this game if it can limit Shedrick and the No. 2 rebounder in the Big 12 on the glass, while forcing other Longhorns to beat them besides Abmas and Hunter.

When Cincinnati Has The Ball

Texas enters this game with a stout defense allowing just 65.3 points per game (52nd nationally) with the 54th-ranked adjusted defensive efficiency.

Shedrick, Mitchell, and Dylan Disu (11 points, three rebounds, 1.4 blocks) drive that defense, with Shedrick posting 1.5 blocks per game (fourth among Big 12 players in block rate). All three players are built well with frames at 6-foot-9 and above. They are a big reason why Texas ranks 11th nationally in blocks per game (5.7).

Cincinnati's guards will have to be smart about their angles to the rim and screen setting accuracy is crucial in this game. Timing the rolls well and making sure there's no wasted motion is key against a Texas team that's arguably the biggest front line UC's faced this season.

The outside matchup in this one is also fascinating. Texas has done a great job limiting three-point attempts this season (18.7, 40th nationally) and is only allowing opponents to shoot 32.8% from deep. How Cincinnati attacks that is crucial. Do they try to hammer the three-point line with volume? Or do they go towards the BYU route with timely open looks and more aggression towards the basket for trips to the free throw line?

It'll likely be a feel-out scenario as the Bearcats aim to pull off a Quad 1 and Quad 2 win in four days.

Prediction: 76-70 Bearcats

The home crowd helps power a tight contest until the free throws start coming in the final moments. I think one of UC's guards goes off in this game and is aided by a double-double from Dan Skillings.

Cincinnati stays perfect in Skillings's career when he posts 10-plus points thanks to continued growth and timing on defense as UC stays atop the Big 12 standings with a 2-0 start in the conference.

Catch Bearcats athletics action on fuboTV! Start your free trial here.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel on all things Bearcats athletics and Bearcat Blitz on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Make sure you bookmark All Bearcats for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more.

You may also like:

Cincinnati Football Adds Commitment From Grambling Running Back Deuce Williams

Bearcats Land Commitment From West Virginia Transfer Linebacker Jared Bartlett

Winners and Losers from Cincinnati's 71-60 win over #12 BYU

Cincinnati Football Gets Commitment From North Texas Safety Logan Wilson

Watch: Highlights From Cincinnati's Historic First Big 12 Win Over BYU

Three Man Weave: Cincinnati Pulls Off Biggest Win This Decade 71-60 Over BYU

Cincinnati Cracks Final Four Schools For Four-Star 2025 Shooting Guard RJ Greer

Look: Travis Kelce, Jason Kelce, Sauce Gardner Named NFL Pro Bowl Starters in Consecutive Seasons

Cincinnati Stays Static in ESPN Bracketology Entering Big 12 Conference Schedule

On3 Gives Scott Satterfield a D Grade Following Opening Season at Cincinnati

Watch: UC Forward Josh Reed Discusses His Growth And More During Sophomore Season

Watch: Wes Miller Addresses Media Ahead of Big 12 Play, Updates Aziz Bandaogo's, CJ Fredrick's Health

Weekly NET: Cincinnati Jumps Into Top-40 Nationally Ahead of Big 12 Conference Slate

Watch: Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift Kiss at New Year's Eve Party

Local Four-Star 2025 Edge Rusher Justin Hill Places Cincinnati Among Top-10 Schools

Pinging The Portal: Cincinnati Offers Marshall OLB Elijah Alston, Grambling RB Chance Williams

Cincinnati Among 'Next Four Out' in ESPN's Latest Bracketology Update

-----

Be sure to keep it locked on All Bearcats all the time!

Follow All Bearcats on Twitter: @AllBearcats

Like All Bearcats on Facebook: All Bearcats