Per GoBearcats:
Cincinnati men’s basketball grad student John Newman III was named to the Big 12’s All-Defensive Team, while senior Aziz Bandaogo and sophomore Dan Skillings Jr. earned Honorable Mention nods in the Bearcats’ inaugural season in the league.
Newman, the heart and soul of the Bearcats, was one of five honorees on the All-Defensive unit. Among his many accomplishments against top assignments in the nation’s best conference was holding No. 15 Texas Tech’s leading scorer to 5-of-19 shooting in the road win. His 41 steals are second to Day Day Thomas, and he also has seven blocks. Even on the offensive end, he is shooting 10.2 percent higher than his 2021-22 campaign. The master’s grad’s return from the season-long injury in 2022-23 has been a source of pride within the program and greater community. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Clemson in three years, then earned a master’s at UC last May.
Bandaogo began his year with a bang after missing the first four games due to his NCAA waiver appeal in blocking a shot, slamming an alley-oop and helping force a shot-clock violation in Cincinnati’s 35-point win over Georgia Tech. His presence in the paint included 1.6 blocks per game, the most by a Bearcat since Chris Vogt in 2019-20, and double-doubles in top-15 road wins at BYU and Texas Tech. He is shooting 65.2 percent from the field and averaging 7.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
Skillings leads the Bearcats in scoring, including 12.8 ppg in league play. His 6.4 rebounds overall are also second on the squad. All nine of the sophomore’s career starts have come in Big 12 play, highlighted by 24 points at No. 14 Baylor. He posted a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double against No. 10 Iowa State and had 10 rebounds versus Oklahoma State. Skillings scored in double-figures 12 times out of 17 conference contests in addition to numerous highlight-reel plays. His 29 points off the bench against Stetson marked the most by a UC reserve since Tony Bobbitt in 2002.
The trio have also helped UC to rank 13th nationally in rebounding margin, up from 101 last year and 211 in 2021-22.
Cincinnati (18-13) opens Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship play Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET against West Virginia in Kansas City.
