UC Basketball 2023-24 Preview Paw Prints: Howard

Cincinnati's strengths matchup well for the for first road bout of the season.

CINCINNATI — UC basketball is trying to keep its hot start rolling and move to 6-0 on the season against Howard. Tuesday marks the first true road game of the campaign as Wes Miller's crew travels to the nation's capital to face the 3-4 Bison.

Cincinnati is one of 24 undefeated teams remaining nationally as of this writing. Meanwhile, the Bison are 2-0 at home as they get ready to face UC for the third time ever (Bearcats lead series 2-0).

The impact of Aziz Bandaogo's return (eight points, nine rebounds) was palpable against Georgia Tech last Wednesday night and he gets another chance to gel during game speed on Tuesday. ESPN's matchup predictor has UC as a 75.2% favorite to beat Howard.

When UC Has The Ball

The Bearcats motion offense should thrive on Tuesday, especially with its mix of size now that Bandaogo is in the mix. Opposing teams are lighting up the Bison for 80.4 PPG (329th nationally).

They are a little better in adjusted defensive efficiency (246th nationally), but overall teams are shooting a crisp 46.4% this season (297th) and 52.9% inside the arc (286th). Forward Shy Odom is the top defender to worry about as a long, versatile piece at 6-foot-6, 229 pounds.

He can guard a wide range of positions and is the only Bison player averaging at least one block and one steal per game. Howard's top scorer, Seth Towns, is the lone player in the rotation over 6-foot-6 as UC faces another team much smaller than them to open the season.

It's led to little resistance around the rim as evidenced by the two-point defense. The only thing Howard's done well defensively this year is rebound (27.6 per game, 107th nationally). They share those duties across the roster with six players averaging at least 3.5 rebounds per game.

Sound box outs on the offensive glass should give Cincinnati the possession advantage to have a clear offensive edge against this rough defense. Howard is great at getting opponents into foul trouble so discipline is key in this matchup.

When Howard Has The Ball

Fouls, fouls, and more fouls.

That's largely how Howard is staying afloat on offense as they enter this game ranked 39th nationally in free throw attempts (25.1) and 54th in percentage (75.6%). The Bison are a veteran-laden group that knows how to push opponents' buttons and get them to play in uncomfortable foul scenarios.

Leading scorers Bryce Harris (17.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, team-high 5.4 FT attempts) and Towns (16.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.8 FT attempts) are the best overall scorers and foul hunters on the team.

Towns is one of the oldest players in college basketball and is capitalizing on his experience as the most efficient three-point shooter on the team (48% on 6.3 attempts per game). Harris is the most efficient scorer overall, shooting 70.5% on twos this season.

Cincinnati must force him away from the paint and into more jump shots to knock him out of offensive rhythm. Harris ranks 64th nationally in FG %, but is seventh among guards, showing just how effective he is at scoring inside with a 6-foot-4 frame.

Keep those two players off the free throw line at a heavy clip and Cincinnati should have little trouble in this game. Cincinnati figures to have a clear possession advantage in this game if they win the rebounding battle. Howard is awful at taking care of the ball (16.7 turnovers per game, eighth-most nationally), while Cincinnati is one of the nation's best (8.6, 11th fewest).

That means plenty of chances for Cincinnati (19 fast break points per game, 15th nationally) to run in transition.

Prediction: 93-75 Cincinnati

These are two of the top-120 teams nationally in pace so there should be plenty of points to go around. I just don't think Howard will get nearly enough possessions to keep this close with a porous defense.

The tempo setup and Cincinnati's discipline make it hard for me to see how this stays tight. UC only commits 15 fouls per game (96th nationally) and the staff will obviously key in on that lone strength from the Howard offense.

Bandaogo drops in a few lobs, UC wins, and gets to 6-0 in a season for the first time in the Miller era.

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:

Grading The Cats: Cincinnati Plays Worst Game of Season in Blowout Loss to West Virginia

UC Football Six-Point Underdogs Against Kansas in Season Finale

Cincinnati Bearcats Beat NKU Norse 90-66, Improve to 4-0 For Second Time Under Wes Miller

Final Huddle: West Virginia Punishes Cincinnati 42-21

Desmond Ridder Named Falcons Starting Quarterback After Two Week Benching

Scott Satterfield Confirms Pair of Injuries Following 42-21 Loss to West Virginia

Cincinnati Adds Third Commitment From 2024 Class in Guard JJ Rembert

Wes Miller Dives Into His Theory Behind Why The NCAA is Refusing to Deem Aziz Bandaogo, Jamille Reynolds Eligible

Scott Satterfield, Dontay Corleone Praise UC Coverage Members For Stepping Up Against Houston

Grading The Cats: Offensive Line, Solid QB Play, And Jordan Young's Breakout, Drive Win Over Houston

Watch: Braden Smith Dives Into His Recent Solid Stretch, Team Goals to Close the 2023 Season, And More

UC Basketball 2023-24 Preview Paw Prints: Detroit Mercy Titans

Scott Satterfield Dives Into Nuances of Playing Youth, What Came Out of Sunday's Team Meeting

Recruiting Roundup: Tyler McKinley Signing UC NLI, Wes Miller Offers Four-Star 2025 Guard King Grace

Four-Star 2024 Point Guard Travis Perry Places UC Among Top-Five Schools

Wes Miller Passionate in Defense of Jamille Reynolds, Aziz Bandaogo's Eligibility Following UIC Win: 'It's Bittersweet'

-----

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