Arkansas
Cincinnati Bearcats basketball tips off their 2024-25 campaign vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
UC Bearcats basketball’s Wes Miller, Dillon Mitchell, Jizzle Jame
Cincinnati Bearcats basketball coach Wes MIller, Dillon Mitchell, Jizzle James preview season
After a Midnight Madness atmosphere in the CareSource Charity Classic vs. Ohio State over two weeks ago, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats men’s basketball team plays a game that counts Monday night, facing Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Fifth Third Arena.
Coming off the high of defeating the Buckeyes in a charity exhibition and the low of falling to Pitt in a controlled “secret” scrimmage, Wes Miller is as excited as many fans to see what the men in red and black have to offer in 2024-25.
The Bearcats were picked No. 6 of 16 teams in the Big 12 and the five teams ahead of them are all in the first 10 of the Top 25 in both the AP and USA TODAY Preseason polls. Texas Tech, BYU and Kansas State also received votes in both polls and Arizona State received votes in the AP tally.
“I’m always grateful when I walk out of that tunnel that I coach at Cincinnati,” Miller said. “There’s a lot of people that care. Every time I run out of that tunnel I don’t ever take it for granted. I appreciate the people that are in their seats screaming and cheering for us.”
Come on feel the noise
Miller says Fifth Third Arena is one of the best environments in college basketball. At his weekly press conference, he implored fans to continue their vocal support this season but to do it even better.
New Cincinnati Bearcats forward Dillon Mitchell, who played here for Texas last January, says the crowd can definitely be a factor to an opposing team not familiar with the territory.
“I’m excited to be able to play in front of these fans,” Mitchell said. “I’m telling y’all, when they’re out there and they’re loud, it is frightening for the opposing team. They’re going to help us win games this year.”
Is Day Day Thomas day-to-day for the Cincinnati Bearcats?
The senior point guard who started all 35 games he played in last season injured his foot before he was to fly to Kansas City as part of the UC representation (Oct. 22) at Big 12 media days. He has since returned to basketball activities, but did not participate in the Pitt “secret scrimmage.”
“We’re just not going to go from zero to 100,” Miller said. “He’s shooting. I don’t know if he’s going to miss time or not. You have to have depth in college basketball. That was important to us as we were putting our roster together. We have depth. There’s a number of guys who collectively should be able to fill a void, but no doubt about it, I’ll feel a lot better if Day Day’s playing.”
3 keys for Cincinnati Bearcats to beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions
1. Get the kinks out early, play with controlled chaos
It would be somewhat normal for an early game to be sloppy. UC should expect sloppiness early, then adapt to the surroundings. Miller would prefer to play faster this season, so the expectation should be to frazzle the opponent, not be frazzled. What confuses the Golden Lions should appear to be another day at the office for the Bearcats. That said, last year’s UAPB team averaged over 80 points a game, so it’s not like they’ll throw it around for 30 seconds a possession.
2. Never take an opponent lightly
As CBS insider Jon Rothstein often writes early in the season, it can be the “epitome of brutality” losing a game to someone you essentially paid to defeat. Nine of Pine Bluff’s first 11 games are road pay days which include games at Tulsa, USF, Kansas State, Texas Tech and Texas. If you don’t want to be included in the “Buster Douglas beat Mike Tyson” category, take care of business.
3. Leave the court unassisted
With Tyler McKinley already out for the year with a knee injury and Thomas aggravating a previous foot injury, healthy bodies are essential. Imperative to a team’s success is the ability to walk off the court on their own two feet.
Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions
Tip: 7 p.m.
TV/Radio: ESPN+/700WLW
Series: UC leads 5-0 (Bearcats last won 105-49 Nov. 27, 2018)
Scouting report Arkansas-Pine Bluff (UAPB)
Record: 13-18 (8-10 SWAC) last season
Coach: Solomon Bozeman (fourth season, 30-63)
Offense: 80.1 ppg last season
Defense: 81.8 ppg last season
Projected starting lineup
(Position, Height, Stats)
Robert Lewis (F, 6’9″, 4.2 ppg last season)
Klemen Vuga (F, 6’9″, 2.3 ppg at Monmouth last season)
Zach Reinhart (G, 6’6″, 1.9 ppg last season)
Trejon Ware (G, 5’9″, 3.4 ppg last season)
Christian Moore (G, 5’11”, 1.3 ppg at North Texas last season)
Cincinnati Bearcats scouting report
Record: 22-15 (7-11 Big 12) last season
Coach: Wes Miller (fourth season, 63-43 at UC, 248-178 overall)
Offense: 74.7 ppg
Defense: 68.2 ppg
Projected starting lineup
(Position, Height, Stats)
Dillon Mitchell (F. 6’8″, 9.6 ppg at Texas last season)
Aziz Bandaogo (C, 7′, 6.6 ppg last season)
Simas Lukošius (G, 6’8″, 11.8 ppg last season)
Dan Skillings Jr. (G, 6’6″, 12.9 ppg last season)
Jizzle James (G, 6’3″, 8.8 ppg last season)
Players to watch
Monmouth transfer Klemen Vuga is a 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward who two seasons ago averaged 9.5 points and 5.3 rebounds at Monmouth and had a high game of 29 points vs. North Carolina A&T. He was on the 2021-22 Monmouth squad that knocked off UC 61-59 in November of that season but did not play in the game.
The Bearcats saw Dillon Mitchell go a perfect 6-for-6 from the field to finish with 12 points and seven rebounds against Ohio State. They also made 10 of their 26 3-pointerswith Simas Lukošius and Jizzle James both hitting a pair.
James seems to have improved defensively, which will help the team.
“To get to the next level, you’ve got to play both sides,” James said. “In this conference (Big 12) you’ve got to be a dog on defense. This is the best defensive conference.”
If Thomas doesn’t play, look for Bradley transfer Connor Hickman and holdover C.J Fredrick to get key minutes. Hickman averaged 14.5 points for Bradley and scored 14 against UC in the NIT. He shot over 40% from three-point range last season, while Fredrick hit nearly 43%.
Rankings
NCAA NET: Cincinnati No. 37 last season, UAPB No. 328
KenPom.com: Cincinnati is No. 17, UAPB No. 355
Arkansas
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Louisiana heads to Jonesboro looking to extend its late-season push, while Arkansas State tries to lock up bowl eligibility after dropping a tight one to Southern Miss.
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The Ragin’ Cajuns arrive with a run-heavy identity and back-to-back wins, but they’re slight underdogs against a Red Wolves team that has taken four of its last five.
With both defenses leaking yardage and rain in the forecast, this matchup tilts toward whichever offense handles the conditions and protects the ball better.
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What our Post expert thinks about Louisiana vs. Arkansas State
Arkansas State’s Jaylen Raynor has topped 2,450 passing yards with a 68.2% completion rate, giving the Red Wolves one of the Sun Belt’s steadier aerial attacks.
Louisiana’s defense has struggled to contain the run, allowing 192.6 yards per game and 22 rushing touchdowns, a troubling matchup against an opponent that leans on balance.
And with Louisiana averaging 186 rushing yards per outing and controlling possession for 38 minutes in its last win, the Cajuns’ ability to dictate tempo could become the decisive swing factor.
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Arkansas
Arkansas plan to implement SNAP junk food restrictions ‘not feasible,’ lawmaker says
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — Arkansas’ prohibition on the use of SNAP benefits for unhealthy food items like soda and candy takes effect next year, and state lawmakers and retailers are questioning how it can realistically be implemented.
At an Arkansas Legislative Council meeting Tuesday, State Sen. Jonathan Dismang, (R) District 18, expressed concerns about the lack of clarity from the state on what food items are banned.
“I have started getting concerns from retailers on how we’re going to implement the nutrition side of the program,” Dismang said.
There’s not a clear list of SNAP-prohibited junk food products Arkansas has named in its new ban, which only says that “soda, fruit and vegetable drinks with less than 50 percent natural juice, unhealthy drinks, and candy” are now ineligible for SNAP.
The Arkansas Department of Human Services has planned to put the burden of defining what is or isn’t eligible on retailers rather than creating its own list.
The plan was for retailers to refer to GS1 U.S. food product classifications as a guide, but very few retailers actually use that. The state has two other options.
“If they choose to use a third party to help take that GS1 framework and apply it to their own individual product array that they sell, that’s an option as well… the third option is take the broad definitions that we are providing through the GS1 framework and apply it in good faith to their own product array,” said Mary Franklin, director of the DHS Division of County Operations, at Tuesday’s ALC Peer meeting.
“Your three options are not workable options for retailers. That may be the easiest thing for DHS to do, but it is not feasible for every grocer or retailer in the state to maintain their own list,” Dismang responded, “we’re going to be asking our retailers to make those judgment calls at their own peril if they do it incorrectly.”
The senator expressed concern that it may discourage retailers from participating in SNAP, potentially costing recipients their access to benefits, particularly in rural areas.
“What I’m scared you’re going to do is create a scenario where entities, probably in areas that they need it the most, are not going to be able to offer SNAP because of the risk associated with not appropriately categorizing an item,” Dismang said.
“We want to make sure that the rules don’t unintentionally reduce access across communities that already face barriers,” Claire Tiffin, director of community engagement with the Arkansas Food Bank, told KATV.
Dismang has asked that DHS establish its own list of SNAP-ineligible food items that retailers can rely on.
Arkansas
Arkansas basketball win vs Winthrop marred by scuffle between players
John Calipari explains why Arkansas hoops couldn’t blow away Samford
Arkansas basketball coach John Calipari explains why the Hogs had trouble landing a knockout punch vs Samford.
Arkansas men’s basketball mounted a large surge to erase a five-point deficit in the final 1:15 and avoid what would have been a massive upset against Winthrop in an 84-83 victory at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
The comeback might not have even been the most notable event from the game’s waning moments.
Trailing by one with 15 seconds remaining, Arkansas’s Meleek Thomas got a steal and initiated a fast break, which ended with a Nick Pringle layup with 11.9 seconds left to give the Razorbacks what would ultimately prove to be the game-winning basket.
After the bucket, Pringle turned around to head back to get on defense, but had his head caught between the arms of Winthrop center Logan Duncomb, who caught the ball after it went through the basket. The two tangled players fell to the court, after which Pringle lifted Duncomb up by the front of his jersey before pushing him back down on the ground.
Coaches and players from both teams sprinted on the court to break the players up before the situation could escalate into a fight.
Both Pringle and Duncomb were issued Class A technical fouls. Duncomb’s foul was his fifth of the game, removing him from the contest. Two players from each team were ejected from the game for running onto the court from the bench.
After the game, Pringle said he apologized to his teammates in the huddle for the altercation.
“I can’t have my team in those type of scenarios, no matter what happens,” Pringle said. “So, you know, just gotta be smarter. I shouldn’t react. I should have just, you know, took it as it was, and let it slide. Big games, that can cost us.”
Winthrop’s Daylen Berry missed a contested 3-pointer on the other end, allowing the No. 22 Razorbacks to hold on for a win in a game in which they were favored by 23.
Pringle, a 6-foot-10 senior, is in his first season at Arkansas after transferring over from South Carolina after the 2024-25 season. He entered the game against Winthrop averaging 5.8 points and six rebounds per game this season.
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