Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball Players to Watch: Indiana State NIT

The Bearcats travel to Indiana for this round.

Cincinnati Bearcats guard Dan Skillings Jr. (0) dunks in the second half of a college basketball / Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY

CINCINNATI — Tuesday night, Wes Miller and the Cincinnati Men's Basketball team travel to Terra Haute, Indiana, to take on Indiana State in the NIT quarterfinals.

The Sycamores are coming off an impressive season where they finished 28-5 in the regular season before falling to Drake in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship. Now for the Sycamores, that loss would eventually keep them out of the NCAA Tournament despite many bracketologists having the Sycamores in the big dance. 

The Bearcats lead the all-time series 11-1, however the last time these two programs faced off was nearly 40 years ago back, in 1986. However, for Cincinnati, a win will be the Bearcat's first win over a 30-win team since the 2019 AAC Championship, where they defeated Houston 69-57. 

It is worth noting that Indiana State is currently 15-1 at home on the season as they enter this contest as three-point betting favorites. 

Indiana State Players To Watch

The Sycamore's dynamic offense currently features all five starters scoring in double-digits, led by dynamic 6-foot-10 center Robbie Avila. The talented big man has seen his game blossom and garner national attention after earning the nickname "Cream Abdul Jabbar." The sophomore center has also been crowned the "College Nikola Jokic" as Avila currently leads the team in scoring, averaging nearly 17 points and six rebounds per game. 

Avila is a three-level scoring threat where he currently shoots from 54%/38%/82% splits. Avila should be an interesting matchup in the frontcourt for guys like Aziz Bandaogo and Jamille Reynolds. Now, for those who have followed Indiana State this season, it is safe to say that the Sycamores go as Avila goes. It is worth noting that Avila has scored in single digits just four times this season. 

The Sycamores backcourt features two prolific scores in Ryan Conwell and Isaiah Swope who both average nearly 16 points per game this season. Conwell will have his most intriguing battle of the season with the John Newman III assignment. For Conwell, this is a perfect opportunity for Newman due to his ability to defend the perimeter so well, which is something, Conwell does so well as he is shooting nearly 42% from three on the season. 

Players To Watch For Cincinnati

Jizzle James will look to build off his career showing vs Bradley with another dynamic performance on Tuesday night. He just played a career-high 38 minutes vs Bradley on Saturday, where he finished with 25 points in the win. can the talented freshman put together consecutive dynamic performances for the first time in his young collegiate career? 

This is one of those opportunities for Newman to have another elite defensive performance as we have seen throughout the 2023-2024 season. How will the veteran wing handle the matchup of a talented scorer like Conwell? Now for Newman, his defensive efforts could be the difference maker in this one if he can contain a guy like Conwell.

The Bearcats will have a battle on their hands on Tuesday night as the winner will advance to Saturday's NIT Semifinals at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

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