KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — After picking up a win earlier in the week against Colorado, the Vols will be back in action on Saturday as Cincinnati comes to town. Starting the season off against a team of Colorado's caliber may not have been ideal, but a test like the one Tennessee saw on Tuesday will serve to help the Vols as the year goes on. As the Vols prepare for their second opponent, it's of note that Cincinnati defeated Tennessee last season 78-66.
The Bearcats are coached by John Brannen. Brannen is entering just his second year as the head coach, but he already won a share of the American Athletic Championship last year. His team enters Saturday's contest at 2-1, with their lone loss coming to an undefeated Xavier team.
From a personnel standpoint, in a word the Bearcats are balanced. Keith Willaims leads the team at just over 17 points per game, but after Williams, the next four highest scorers for Cincinnati all average between 9.3-10.3 points per game. Of their five highest scorers, three are guards and two are posts.
Offensively the Bearcats may not be the most intimidating team that Tennessee will face all season, but they are balanced. Watching film of Cincinnati, one of the constants that sticks out is how Brannen's squad gets to the basket with intention. Often, it's a guard like Williams or Mike Adams-Woods who will take defenders off the dribble. However, if that doesn't work, back cuts and baseline cuts by posts can be used to get those close shots. In an era where it seems like increasingly teams are stretching the floor and settling for long jumpers, Cincinnati looks to get to the rim whenever possible. And, looking at the long-range shooting statistics on the young season, that's probably for good reason.
From the Perimeter is perhaps where the Vols will need to force the Bearcats to shoot. Their top four guards are shooting just 27% from three-point range. What's even more to that point is that Williams and David DeJulius, who play have played the most minutes at guard for Cincinnati, are shooting a combined 4-21 (19%) on the year from beyond the arch. Even on jump shots, Tennessee's big men will have to put an emphasis on boxing out. 7'1" center Chris Vogt and 6'10" forward Rapolas Ivanauskas will crash the boards, so even if they aren't the target of an offensive play, they can still pose as threats to score on put backs and tip-dunks.
Defensively is where the Bearcats could wear on the Vols. This is area Brannen emphasizes. Clearly, with the two post players mentioned earlier, along with the rising role of the athletic 6'8" freshman Tari Eason will likely make it tough for the Vols to get easy looks inside.
The Bearcats aren't afraid to play physical and aggressive defensively, but they aren't the quickest or most athletic team. Because of this, the Vols could try to take advantage of quick cuts or dribble drives from guards like Keon Johnson and Victor Bailey Jr. Back cuts and screens to switch matchups could be a key for Tennessee as they look to get quality shots against Cincinnati's man to man defense.
Much like the Colorado opener, this looks like it will be a game that should be a good test for the Vols. Tennessee will look to get revenge from last year's loss on Saturday at 12:30 PM on the SEC Network Alternate Channel.
