RE: 20-21 BBall schedule
Love the thought of DD and MS in same backourt:
Inside the Cincinnati Bearcats plan at the guard position for the 2020-21 season
University of Cincinnati guard David DeJulius imagined what the Bearcats back-court could look like this season, and he listed seven different guard pairings that head coach John Brannen could use over the next few months.
Last season, the Bearcats only had two guards on the roster who averaged more than 16 minutes per game. This season, UC has three guards who the coaches believe can run the offense and four more that can provide a scoring punch in the back-court.
“Playing for a coach like John Brannen is really a blessing,” DeJulius told The Enquirer. “Offensively, we’re playing fast, playing together and letting our natural abilities dictate the offense.”
When UC plays its first game, the coaches can pick from a group of six highly regarded players to feature alongside DeJulius, a Michigan transfer.
DeJulius is at the center of UC’s plans for the 2020-21 season. The Bearcats have only had three point guards average more than 10 points per game since 2005, and DeJulius intends to exceed that mark this season.
But in Brannen’s up-tempo offense, it’s always better to have two ball-handlers than one.
“That’s a strength of our team this year, you have so many different combinations,” assistant coach Sean Dwyer told The Enquirer. “We’ve got a lot of versatility and combinations that can do different things.”
In the first game of the year, sophomore guard Mika Adams-Woods is likely going to be paired with DeJulius in the Bearcats’ backcourt. Adams-Woods started the final 20 games of the 2019-20 regular season, with the exception of UC’s Senior Night.
Adams-Woods only averaged 5 points and 1.6 assists per game. But, more importantly to the coaching staff, Adams-Woods shot a team-high 37.3 percent from three-point range and consistently took difficult defensive assignments.
Last season, Adams-Woods complemented Jarron Cumberland in the back-court. This season, Adams-Woods can do the same for DeJulius and senior forward Keith Williams.
“He’s so consistent,” Brannen said. “He brings such a calming presence. He’s a multi-position guy, he’s a guy who defends at a high level. He doesn’t turn the ball over, makes the right decisions. Great teammate. He doesn’t pop off the page if you just came to one practice. But if you’re at every practice, he’s so important to what this team does.”
So far during the offseason, DeJulius has played with Adams-Woods during practice more than any other guard on UC’s roster.
As a result, DeJulius has more experience with Adams-Woods than anyone else.
“He’s the ultimate complementary player,” DeJulius said. “He’s one of those guys you don’t have to worry about. He’s as calm as anyone on the team, he’ll make open shots and he’s not going to turn the ball over. I love playing with him because he can play off the ball, but he also can relieve a lot of the pressure off me and let me play on the wing.”
Adams-Woods only played 21.5 minutes per game last season. Even though his playing time could increase this year, the coaching staff is also looking forward to seeing how DeJulius looks next to some of the other guards on the roster.
Aside from Adams-Woods, DeJulius said he’s played most often with freshman Mike Saunders Jr., a four-star guard from Indiana.
“The pace they would play at would be incredible,” Dwyer said. “(DeJulius and Saunders) can both get in the paint and be disruptive defensively.”
“Offensively, me and (Saunders) can really push the tempo,” DeJulius said. “Because I’m able to play without the ball in my hand and he can really push the ball in transition, he allows me to get up the floor even quicker.”
The Bearcats have other options in the backcourt, including several different combinations that don’t include DeJulius.
Sophomore Zach Harvey is a former top-50 recruit who only averaged 1.8 points per game last season. Even though Harvey has dealt with an injury that forced him to miss some practices this month, Harvey is going to be a factor when healthy.
“He’s a guy that can really score the ball,” DeJulius said. “As a top-50 player out of high school, he’s another guy we can get the ball and watch him create.”
Sophomore Jeremiah Davenport will also be in the rotation. “Jeremiah is a great spacer, shot maker and energy guy,” Dwyer said.
DeJulius has also spent time in practice playing with freshman guard Mason Madsen and freshman guard Gabe Madsen, and DeJulius said they both provide much-needed spacing as the best shooters on the roster.
“I’ll get time with Madsens,” DeJulius said. “They’re just shooters. They can shoot.”
By design, the Bearcats plan to have a deep rotation this season that features as many as twelve players in the season opener.
With the college basketball season starting at the end of November, Brannen has another week to determine what UC looks like on Opening Night.
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20-21 BBall schedule
