2018–19 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team

The 2018–19 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team represented the University of Cincinnati in the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bearcats were led by 13th-year head coach Mick Cronin, and played its home games at the newly renovated Fifth Third Arena as members of the American Athletic Conference. They finished the season 28–7, 14–4 in AAC play, finishing in second place. They defeated SMU, Wichita State, and No. 1 seed Houston to win the AAC Tournament for the second consecutive year, and received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. As the No. 7 seed in the South region, they were upset by No. 10 seed Iowa in the first round.

2018–19 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball
NCAA Tournament, Round of 64
ConferenceAmerican Athletic Conference
Ranking
APNo. 22
2018–19 record28–7 (14–4 AAC)
Head coachMick Cronin (13th season)
Assistant coaches
  • Darren Savino
  • Antwon Jackson
  • Greg Youncofski
Home arenaFifth Third Arena
2018–19 American Athletic Conference men's basketball standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L PCT  W L PCT
No. 11 Houston16–2 .889  33–4  .892
No. 22 Cincinnati †14–4 .778  28–7  .800
Temple13–5 .722  23–10  .697
UCF13–5 .722  24–9  .727
Memphis11–7 .611  22–14  .611
Wichita State10–8 .556  22–15  .595
Tulsa8–10 .444  18–14  .563
South Florida8–10 .444  24–14  .632
UConn6–12 .333  16–17  .485
SMU6–12 .333  15–17  .469
East Carolina3–15 .167  10–21  .323
Tulane0–18 .000  4–27  .129
† 2019 AAC Tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll

Previous season

The Bearcats finished the 2016–17 season 31–5, 16–2 in AAC play to win the regular season championship. They defeated SMU, Memphis, and Houston to win the AAC Tournament and received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. As the No. 2 seed in the West region, they defeated Georgia State in the First Round before being upset by Nevada in the Second Round.

Offseason

Departing players
NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownNotes
Jacob Evans 1 G/F 6'6" 210 Junior Baton Rouge, Louisiana Declared for NBA Draft; selected 28th overall
by the Golden State Warriors[1]
Gary Clark 11 F 6'8" 225 Senior Clayton, North Carolina Graduated
Jackson Bart 14 F 6'5" 210 RS Sophomore Bartlesville, Oklahoma Walk-on; graduated
Kyle Washington 24 F 6'9" 230 RS Senior Champlin, Minnesota Graduated

On September 13, 2018 Associate Head Coach Larry Davis resigned before the start of the season. In October, Greg Youncofski was named as the third assistant coach for the 2018-19 season.

Recruiting class of 2018
US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Logan Johnson
PG		 Mountain View, California Saint Francis High School 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Sep 14, 2017 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN grade: 68
Laquill Hardnett
SF		 Nottingham, Maryland Perry Hall High School 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Feb 26, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals: N/A   247Sports:    ESPN grade: NR
Rashawn Fredricks
SF		 St. Croix, Virgin Islands Motlow State Community College 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Apr 21, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals: N/A   247Sports:    ESPN grade: NR
Prince Gillam Toyambi
PF		 Kinshasa, DR Congo Fresno High School 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Aug 31, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: NR
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Cincinnati 2018 Player Commits". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
  • "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2017-09-20.

    Preseason

    AAC media poll

    The AAC media poll was released on October 15, 2018, with the Bearcats predicted to finish second in the AAC.[2]

    Media poll
    Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
    1UCF114 (6)
    2Cincinnati107 (3)
    3Houston103 (2)
    4Memphis85 (1)
    5UConn75
    6Temple74
    7SMU63
    8Wichita State60
    9Tulsa48
    10Tulane23
    11East Carolina22
    12USF18

    Preseason Awards

    American Athletic Conference[3]

    Lindy's Sports[4]

    • All-Conference First Team - Jarron Cumberland

    Athlon Sports[5]

    • All-AAC First Team - Jarron Cumberland

    Street & Smith's[6]

    • All-Conference - Jarron Cumberland
    • All-Newcomer - Rashawn Fredricks

    Roster
    2018–19 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team
    PlayersCoaches
    Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
    G 0 Logan Johnson 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)175 lb (79 kg) FrSaint Francis High School Mountain View, California
    G 2 Keith Williams 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)210 lb (95 kg) SoBishop Loughlin Memorial High School Brooklyn, New York
    G 3 Justin Jenifer (C) 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)175 lb (79 kg) SrMilford Mill Academy Baltimore, Maryland
    G 5 Trevor Moore 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)195 lb (88 kg) SoSouth Kent Prep Houston, Texas
    G/F 10 Rashawn Fredricks 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)200 lb (91 kg) JrMotlow State CC St. Croix, Virgin Islands
    F 11 LaQuill Hardnett  6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)210 lb (95 kg) FrPerry Hall High School Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    F 13 Tre Scott 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)220 lb (100 kg) RS JrMcIntosh County Academy Darien, Georgia
    G 15 Cane Broome (C) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)165 lb (75 kg) SrSacred Heart East Hartford, Connecticut
    F 20 Mamoudou Diarra 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)215 lb (98 kg) RS Fr22ft Academy Bamako, Mali
    F/C 22 Eliel Nsoseme 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)225 lb (102 kg) SoThe RISE Centre Academy Kinshasa, DR Congo
    F 24 Prince Gillam Toyambi  6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)225 lb (102 kg) FrFresno High School Kinshasa, DR Congo
    G 31 Sam Martin (W) 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)170 lb (77 kg) SoSummit Country Day School Cincinnati, Ohio
    G 32 John Koz (W) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)200 lb (91 kg) JrBay High School Cleveland, Ohio
    C 33 Nysier Brooks 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)240 lb (109 kg) JrAdvanced Prep International Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    G 34 Jarron Cumberland 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)205 lb (93 kg) JrWilmington High School Wilmington, Ohio
    Head coach
    Assistant coach(es)
    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • (W) Walk-on

    Roster
    Last update: September 29, 2018

    Schedule and results

    The Bearcats had a pre-season tour in Canada, playing three teams on the trip.[7] The Bearcats will reopen Fifth Third Arena against Ohio State on November 7, 2018.[8][9]

    Date
    time, TV    		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
    city, state
    Exhibition
    August 5, 2018*
    2:00pm    		 at Ottawa W 85–57 
    		 18 – Williams  7 – Tied  4 – Jenifer  Jean de Brébeuf College 
    Montréal, Québec
    August 6, 2018*
    7:00pm    		 at Carleton L 67–86 
    		 12 – Cumberland  8 – Nsoseme  2 – Tied  Ravens Nest Arena 
    Ottawa, Ontario
    August 7, 2018*
    5:30pm    		 at McGill W 79–53 
    		 17 – Cumberland  5 – Tied  5 – Cumberland  Love Competition Hall (161)
    Montréal, Québec
    November 1, 2018*
    7:00pm    		 Tusculum W 68–41 
    		 15 – Broome  10 – Scott  3 – Jenifer  Fifth Third Arena (10,101)
    Cincinnati, OH
    Non-Conference Regular Season
    November 7, 2018*
    6:00pm, ESPN2    		 Ohio State L 56–64  0–1
    		  22 – Cumberland  6 – Tied  5 – Jenifer  Fifth Third Arena (12,012)
    Cincinnati, OH
    November 13, 2018*
    7:00pm, FSOH/ESPN3    		 North Carolina Central
    Emerald Coast Classic First Round    		 W 73–51  1–1
    		  15 – Williams  7 – Brooks  6 – Jenifer  Fifth Third Arena (10,037)
    Cincinnati, OH
    November 16, 2018*
    7:00pm, ESPN3    		 Milwaukee W 74–63  2–1
    		  17 – Broome  10 – Tied  6 – Johnson  Fifth Third Arena (10,163)
    Cincinnati, OH
    November 19, 2018*
    7:00pm, ESPN3    		 Western Michigan
    Emerald Coast Classic Second Round    		 W 78–52  3–1
    		  27 – Cumberland  10 – Brooks  6 – Cumberland  Fifth Third Arena (8,998)
    Cincinnati, OH
    November 23, 2018*
    7:00pm, CBSSN    		 vs. George Mason
    Emerald Coast Classic Semifinal    		 W 71–55  4–1
    		  21 – Broome  8 – Scott  3 – Jenifer  The Arena at NWFSC (1,250)
    Niceville, FL
    November 24, 2018*
    7:00pm, CBSSN    		 vs. Ole Miss
    Emerald Coast Classic Championship    		 W 71–57  5–1
    		  25 – Cumberland  9 – Scott  4 – Broome  The Arena at NWFSC (1,250)
    Niceville, FL
    November 27, 2018*
    7:00pm, FSOH    		 Arkansas–Pine Bluff W 105–49  6–1
    		  13 – Jenifer  7 – Scott  6 – Cumberland  Fifth Third Arena (8,513)
    Cincinnati, OH
    December 1, 2018*
    6:00pm, CBSSN    		 at UNLV W 65–61  7–1
    		  15 – Williams  8 – Williams  6 – Jenifer  Thomas & Mack Center (9,572)
    Las Vegas, NV
    December 4, 2018*
    7:00pm, FSOH/ESPN3    		 Northern Kentucky W 78–65  8–1
    		  22 – Scott  10 – Scott  5 – Cumberland  Fifth Third Arena (11,218)
    Cincinnati, OH
    December 8, 2018*
    2:00pm, ESPN2    		 Xavier
    Crosstown Shootout    		 W 62–47  9–1
    		  19 – Cumberland  10 – Scott  9 – Jenifer  Fifth Third Arena (12,513)
    Cincinnati, OH
    December 15, 2018*
    8:30pm, SECN    		 at No. 18 Mississippi State L 59–70  9–2
    		  21 – Cumberland  8 – Brooks  4 – Jenifer  Humphrey Coliseum (9,120)
    Starkville, MS
    December 19, 2018*
    9:00pm, ESPN2    		 UCLA W 93–64  10–2
    		  25 – Cumberland  6 – Brooks  5 – Jenifer  Fifth Third Arena (12,689)
    Cincinnati, OH
    December 22, 2018*
    2:00pm, FSOH/ESPN3    		 South Carolina State W 77–56  11–2
    		  17 – Brooks  8 – Brooks  5 – Jenifer  Fifth Third Arena (11,623)
    Cincinnati, OH
    AAC Regular Season
    January 2, 2019
    6:30pm, CBSSN    		 Tulane W 93–61  12–2
    (1–0)    		  22 – Cumberland  7 – Cumberland  5 – Tied  Fifth Third Arena (10,689)
    Cincinnati, OH
    January 5, 2019
    1:00pm, CBSSN    		 at East Carolina L 71–73  12–3
    (1–1)    		  18 – Cumberland  9 – Scott  4 – Cumberland  Williams Arena (4,238)
    Greenville, NC
    January 10, 2019
    7:00pm, ESPN2    		 at Tulsa
    Thursday Night Showcase    		 W 70–65 OT 13–3
    (2–1)    		  16 – Broome  9 – Scott  6 – Broome  Reynolds Center (4,342)
    Tulsa, OK
    January 12, 2019
    8:00pm, ESPN2    		 UConn
    Saturday Showcase    		 W 74–72 OT 14–3
    (3–1)    		  22 – Cumberland  6 – Tied  7 – Cumberland  Fifth Third Arena (11,375)
    Cincinnati, OH
    January 15, 2019
    7:00pm, ESPNews    		 South Florida W 82–74  15–3
    (4–1)    		  34 – Cumberland  6 – Brooks  5 – Broome  Fifth Third Arena (10,347)
    Cincinnati, OH
    January 19, 2019
    2:00pm, CBS    		 at Wichita State W 66–55  16–3
    (5–1)    		  18 – Cumberland  11 – Scott  2 – Cumberland  Charles Koch Arena (10,254)
    Wichita, KS
    January 24, 2019
    7:00pm, ESPN2    		 Tulsa
    Thursday Night Showcase    		 W 88–64  17–3
    (6–1)    		  23 – Cumberland  11 – Scott  5 – Tied  Fifth Third Arena (10,484)
    Cincinnati, OH
    January 27, 2019
    12:00pm, CBSSN    		 at Temple W 72–68  18–3
    (7–1)    		  25 – Cumberland  8 – Cumberland  3 – Tied  Liacouras Center (6,652)
    Philadelphia, PA
    February 2, 2019
    8:00pm, CBSSN    		 SMU W 73–68  19–3
    (8–1)    		  24 – Cumberland  9 – Cumberland  5 – Cumberland  Fifth Third Arena (12,256)
    Cincinnati, OH
    February 7, 2019
    7:00pm, ESPN2    		 No. 25 at Memphis
    Rivalry/Thursday Night Showcase    		 W 69–64  20–3
    (9–1)    		  17 – Cumberland  9 – Scott  6 – Cumberland  FedEx Forum (16,363)
    Memphis, TN
    February 10, 2019
    4:00pm, ESPN    		 No. 25 at No. 12 Houston L 58–65  20–4
    (9–2)    		  27 – Cumberland  10 – Brooks  2 – Broome  Fertitta Center (7,039)
    Houston, TX
    February 17, 2019
    1:00pm, ESPN    		 Wichita State W 72–62  21–4
    (10–2)    		  27 – Cumberland  8 – Tied  5 – Cumberland  Fifth Third Arena (12,223)
    Cincinnati, OH
    February 21, 2019
    7:00pm, ESPN2    		 UCF
    Thursday Night Showcase    		 W 60–55  22–4
    (11–2)    		  12 – Tied  7 – Tied  6 – Cumberland  Fifth Third Arena (12,377)
    Cincinnati, OH
    February 24, 2019
    2:00pm, ESPN    		 at UConn W 64–60  23–4
    (12–2)    		  12 – Williams  8 – Scott  4 – Cumberland  XL Center (11,904)
    Hartford, CT
    February 27, 2019
    9:00pm, CBSSN    		 No. 23 at SMU W 52–49  24–4
    (13–2)    		  12 – Cumberland  12 – Brooks  4 – Cumberland  Moody Coliseum (5,747)
    Dallas, TX
    March 2, 2019
    8:00pm, ESPNU    		 No. 23 Memphis
    Rivalry    		 W 71–69  25–4
    (14–2)    		  26 – Cumberland  12 – Brooks  3 – Tied  Fifth Third Arena (12,392)
    Cincinnati, OH
    March 7, 2019
    7:00pm, ESPN2    		 No. 20 at No. 25 UCF
    Thursday Night Showcase    		 L 55–58  25–5
    (14–3)    		  20 – Scott  9 – Scott  5 – Cumberland  CFE Arena (9,141)
    Orlando, FL
    March 10, 2019
    12:00pm, CBS    		 No. 20 No. 12 Houston L 69–85  25–6
    (14–4)    		  20 – Cumberland  8 – Scott  5 – Broome  Fifth Third Arena (12,701)
    Cincinnati, OH
    AAC Tournament
    March 15, 2019
    7:00pm, ESPNU    		 (2) No. 24 vs. (10) SMU
    Quarterfinals    		 W 82–74  26–6
    		  26 – Cumberland  12 – Scott  8 – Cumberland  FedExForum (7,356)
    Memphis, TN
    March 16, 2019
    5:00pm, ESPN2    		 (2) No. 24 vs. (6) Wichita State
    Semifinals    		 W 66–63  27–6
    		  13 – Brooks  9 – Brooks  4 – Cumberland  FedExForum (7,819)
    Memphis, TN
    March 17, 2019
    3:15pm, ESPN    		 (2) No. 24 vs. (1) No. 11 Houston
    Championship    		 W 69–57  28–6
    		  33 – Cumberland  8 – Tied  2 – Tied  FedExForum (7,223)
    Memphis, TN
    NCAA Tournament
    March 22, 2019*
    12:15pm, CBS    		 (7 S) No. 22 vs. (10 S) Iowa
    First Round    		 L 72–79  28–7
    		  19 – Jenifer  7 – Scott  4 – Cumberland  Nationwide Arena (19,641)
    Columbus, OH
    *Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. S=South.
    All times are in Eastern Time.

    Awards and milestones

    All-American
    • Honorable Mention: Jarron Cumberland

    American Athletic Conference honors

    All-AAC Awards

    All-AAC First Team
    • Jarron Cumberland

    Player of the Week
    • Week 3: Jarron Cumberland
    • Week 7: Jarron Cumberland
    • Week 10: Jarron Cumberland
    • Week 11: Jarron Cumberland

    Weekly Honor Roll
    • Week 5: Trevon Scott
    • Week 9: Jarron Cumberland
    • Week 12: Jarron Cumberland
    • Week 13: Jarron Cumberland
    • Week 14: Jarron Cumberland
    • Week 15: Cane Broome
    • Week 16: Jarron Cumberland

    AAC Tournament honors

    AAC Tournament MVP
    • Jarron Cumberland

    All Tournament Team
    • Jarron Cumberland
    • Trevon Scott

    Source[10]

    Rankings
    Main article: 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings
    Ranking movements
    Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
    NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. т = Tied with team above or below. ( ) = First place votes.
    Week
    Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Final 
    AP RV RV NR NR NR NR RV RV RV RV NR RV RV RV 25 RV RV 23 20 24 22 
    Coaches RV RV NR NR NR RV RV RV RV RV NR NR RV RV 23 RV 25-T 22 19 23 24

    *AP does not release post-NCAA tournament rankings

    References
    1. "Reactions: Bearcats' Jacob Evans drafted in first round by Golden State Warriors". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved 2018-07-16.
    2. Groeschen, Tom. "Cincinnati Bearcats edged out for 1st place in AAC men's basketball Media Day poll". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
    3. "Coaches Select UCF as Preseason Favorite". American Athletic Conference. October 15, 2018. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
    4. "College Basketball". Lindy' Sports. 2018-19: 41.
    5. "College Basketball". Athlon Sports. 2018-19: 76.
    6. "College Basketball". Street & Smith's. 2018-19: 19.
    7. "Men's Basketball to Visit Canada in August". GoBearcats.com. Sidearm Sports. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
    8. "Three Home Dates Announced for 2018-19 Schedule". GoBearcats.com. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
    9. "OHIO STATE, CINCINNATI TO START HOME-AND-HOME SERIES IN 2018-19". OhioStateBuckeyes.com. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
    10. "American Athletic Conference Basketball Report" (PDF). American Athletic Conference. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
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