It seems like just yesterday the season ended with the Bearcats getting dog walked by Houston in the AAC Championship Game. It was a mass exodus six players in total declared for the transfer portal, with that more information came out with John Brannen’s malpractice with the current team which led to him being fired and UNCG’s Wes Miller being hired. Miller came here to a team in shambles with only five players under scholarship. Would he be able secure enough to play in the 2021-22 season?
Miller hit the ground running getting recommitments from Mike Saunders, Jr. and Mason Madsen in back to back days of being hired as the coach. The five that were known to be on the roster were Jeremiah Davenport, Mika Adams-Woods, Viktor Lakhin, David DeJulius and Rob Banks. Then Miller struck fast getting swingman John Newman III, big man Hayden Koval, forward Jarrett Hensley and combo A.J. McGinnis. Last week they landed big man Ady Oguama from Wake Forest. Oguama is a huge get for the Bearcats because they needed size with the loss of Tari Eason, Chris Vogt and Mamoudou Diarra. All three transferred out and have found new homes.
As things stand now they have one scholarship to burn for another big man, but you can finally see how things are shaping up for this team. DeJulius, Saunders, Jr. and Adams-Woods will handle most of the point guard duties. McGinnis and Madsen are your combo guards who can shoot it from deep. Newman III is your swingman that can guard at a high level and finish at the rim. Davenport and Hensley will be your wings that will sometimes have to get dirty in the paint. Oguama is a power forward that may have to play center from time to time when Cincinnati goes small. Koval and Lakhin will be your centers as it stands now, Koval is the more known commodity right now due to his background. Banks will be in the mold of Newman III as an athletic wing.
The team now has a chance to complete in the AAC, which at the end of the season most didn’t know how they would have a chance against Memphis and Houston. A little more than 30 days after Brannen was relived of his duties the program has hope and retained some players most thought they would lose. While I would like them to get another big man they now have pieces to that can play 94 feet of basketball. I’ll be excited to see how they play this season, but it is good to see them team taking form and actually having enough players to play five on five again is always a plus.
