The Cincinnati Bearcats have put themselves in a favorable position as the end of January approaches. But here’s the thing: there’s no game the Bearcats “should” win in the Big 12. I say that because I get the sense that lot of people think this game on Wednesday night at West Virginia is a game the Bearcats should win. Sure, West Virginia is 7-13 overall and 2-5 in the Big 12. But they have wins over Kansas and Texas this season.
Every game in the Big 12 is essentially a Big 12 Tournament game, and we all know every team has a chance in March. In the Big 12, every team has a chance to win on any given night in the regular season, let alone the Big 12 Tournament. The Bearcats can’t take West Virginia lightly. They have pulled off plenty of upsets in Morgantown over the years. But a win for the Bearcats Wednesday night would put them at 4-4 in Big 12 play through January, which would be a massive success. Here are my players to watch Wednesday night at West Virginia.
1. #21 RaeQuan Battle, 6’5″, 195 lbs., 5th-Year Sr., G, Tulalip, Wash., Montana State Transfer
16.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 40.6 FG%, 26% 3-PT FG, 78% FT, 8 ast.-20 TO, 15 stl, 27.4 mpg
Battle is in his first season in Morgantown after playing the first four seasons of his college career in the Pacific Northwest. He brings in a solid pedigree, with over 1,000 points scored and just shy of 250 rebounds. In 2022-23, Battle helped Montana State to an NCAA Tournament berth by scoring 25 points in the Big Sky Championship Game to earn Tournament MVP honors. That capped off a season where he was named All-Big Sky First Team averaging 17.7 points per game, shooting 46.9 percent from the floor including 35.3 percent from three-point range.
After missing the first 10 games this season, Battle has gotten off to a stellar start with five 20-point games in his first 10 games this season. But as this new-look Mountaineers team goes, Battle only has one game this season with more assists than turnovers. Battle is this team’s leading scorer with two 29-point games this season, so he is definitely a player, THE player, to keep an eye on in this game.
2. #7 Jesse Edwards, 6’11”, 240 lbs., 5th-Year Sr., C, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Syracuse Transfer
13.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 55% FG, 0-4 3-PT FG, 64.6 FT%, 11 ast.-23 TO, 17 blk, 30.2 mpg
Edwards brings four years of playing in the ACC at Syracuse into West Virginia in the Big 12. He’s coming off a 2022-23 senior season where he averaged a double-double at 14.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, and he also blocked 87 shots in being named to the All-ACC Defensive Team. Edwards has had a really good career and a really efficient career up to this point. Coming into this season, Edwards had made over 62 percent of his shots in his college basketball career. Despite missing nine games earlier this season, Edwards started this season with nine straight games scoring in double figures and three of his first six games pulling down 13+ rebounds.
