7. This may have been the Bearcats most complete game of the season, given that it was a postseason tournament game. Cincinnati shot 47.5 percent from the floor, 10-of-28 from three-point range and won the rebound battle 40-32. Are there things the Bearcats can still improve on? Yes, considering they were just 8-of-15 from the free-throw line. But the Bearcats were good in many other categories.
8. The big three of Jizzle James, Simas Lukosius and Dan Skillings Jr. were sensational on Saturday afternoon, the stars of the show combining for 62 of the Bearcats 74 points. My hope is those three are the three best players on the team next season.
9. For as great as Lukosius has been, I do wonder if he is going to be a player that lives and dies by the three. He was 5-of-13 from three-point range Saturday afternoon, which is good. But on nights or days when shots aren’t falling, does he keep shooting from beyond the arc? Or does he start to attack the rim for higher percentage shots? Then again, I have said that Lukosius is a sharp shooter. We will see what happens going forward in the NIT and next season, but he is still white hot from three-point range in this month of March.
10. Dan Skillings is the most active player on the Bearcats. His stat line from Saturday is as follows: 20 points, five rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal in 30 minutes. He does a lot when he’s on the court and when all that activity is a net positive for the Bearcats, he can be a game-changer.
11. John Newman can impact games in so many ways. Even though Newman only scored six points Saturday afternoon, Newman still pulled down 10 rebounds, dished out four assists and had two steals.
12. Three more wins and Cincinnati will join just 20 other teams that have won both the NCAA Tournament and the NIT.
Next Game: The Bearcats will now face Indiana State Tuesday night at 9 p.m. on ESPN. Because Indiana State is the number one seed in the Bearcats bracket, the Bearcats will go on the road to a face an Indiana State team that is 15-1 at home this season. The winner of Tuesday’s game will advance to the NIT Semifinals on Tuesday April 2nd at Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse.
