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Round of 32: Meet UCLA’s opponent, the Cincinnati Bearcats

By Evan Lovett

Mar 17, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Kansas State Wildcats forward Dean Wade (32) and Cincinnati Bearcats forward Kyle Washington (24) reach for the ball in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Kansas State Wildcats forward Dean Wade (32) and Cincinnati Bearcats forward Kyle Washington (24) reach for the ball in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Following the UCLA Bruins first-round victory over Kent State, they face a Cincinnati team in the Round of 32.

The Bearcats are a stout defensive team, but aside from that, what should the Bruins expect as they attempt to advance to the Sweet 16?

Mick Cronin is in his 11th year as head coach the Bearcats (30-5, 16-2, 2nd place American Athletic Conference). In that time, the city’s native son has emblazoned the program with tough, gritty defense.

The 2016-17 edition of the University of Cincinnati is no different, ranking 12th in Ken Pomeroy’s defensive efficiency ratings, which measures points allowed per 100 possessions.

The Bruins are second in the KenPom offensive side, scoring 123.4 points using the same metrics. In short, this is an intriguing matchup of strength vs. strength.

This Cincinnati offense is an improved version of previous iterations, however, averaging 74.5 points per game, the highest scoring output they have managed under Cronin.

Their offense is balanced, with sophomore guard Jacob Evans leading the way with 13.5 points per game.

Junior forward Kyle Washington averages 13.1 points to go along with 6.8 rebounds, while junior forward Gary Clark and senior guard Troy Caupain round out double-digit scorers with 10.8 and 10.5 averages, respectively.

The Bearcats average 16 assists and 10 turnovers per game and shoot 46.2% from the field. Evans is their best long-distance shooter, hitting at a 41.6% clip. They only shoot 35.1% from long-distance as a team.

The Bearcats have depth in numbers, relying on a 10-man rotation to enforce their brawny, no-holds-barred defense.

The scoring drop off after the starters is precipitous, however, with only one bench player, freshman guard Jarron Cumberland, averaging more than three points per game.

Though Cronin was generous with minutes during the regular season, Cumberland was the only Bearcat to notch double-figure minutes in their first round game against Kansas State. Cincinnati won, 75-61.

These two teams are meeting for only the fourth time, with three of the matchups taking place in the tournament. The 2002 matchup was particularly memorable as the eighth-seeded Bruins upset the top-ranked Bearcats in double overtime.

Next: Who's Likely To Be Dealt From Young Core?

This is also only the third all-time Round of 32 contest matching two teams with 30 wins apiece.

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