# 2022–23 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team

The 2022–23 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team represented the University of Cincinnati in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bearcats were led by second-year head coach Wes Miller. The team played their home games at Fifth Third Arena as members of the American Athletic Conference. They finished the season 23–13, 11–7 in AAC play to finish in fourth place. They defeated Temple in the quarterfinals of the AAC tournament, before losing to Houston in the semifinals. They received an at-large bid to the National Invitation Tournament. There they defeated Virginia Tech and Hofstra before losing to Utah Valley in the quarterfinals.
In September 2021, Cincinnati and fellow conference members Houston and UCF accepted invitations to join the Big 12 Conference. The schools had been contractually required to remain with The American through 2024, but all reached a separation agreement that will allow them to join the Big 12 in 2023. Accordingly, the 2022–23 season was the program's last season as a member of The American.

## Previous season

The Bearcats finished the 2021–22 season 17–14, 7–11 in AAC play to finish seventh place. They defeated East Carolina in the AAC tournament before losing to Houston in the quarterfinals.

## Offseason
### Player departures

Cincinnati Departing Players :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| Abdul Ado | 00 | F | 6' 11" | 225 | Graduate Student | Lagos, Nigeria | Completed college eligibility |
| A.J. McGinnis | 2 | G | 6' 3" | 180 | Sophomore | Huntsville, AL | Transferred to Lipscomb |
| Mike Saunders Jr. | 3 | G | 6' 0" | 185 | Sophomore | Indianapolis, IN | Transferred to Utah |
| Hayden Koval | 25 | C | 7' 1" | 225 | Graduate Student | Prosper, TX | Completed college eligibility |
| Sam Martin | 31 | G | 5' 10" | 180 | Graduate Student | Cincinnati, OH | Walk–on; completed college eligibility |
| Rob Banks | 43 | F | 6' 5" | 210 | Junior | Bracknell, England | Walk-on; transferred to Texas A&M-Commerce |
| Mason Madsen | 45 | G | 6' 4" | 200 | Sophomore | Rochester, MN | Transferred to Boston College |
* 1 2 Ado and Koval were both graduate transfers in the 2021–22 season, with Ado having graduated from Mississippi State and Koval from UNC Greensboro.

### Incoming transfers

Cincinnati Incoming Transfers :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| Kalu Ezikpe | 1 | F | 6' 8" | 240 | Graduate Student | Lawrenceville, GA | Transferred from Old Dominion after graduating. Will have one year of remaining eligibility. |
| Landers Nolley II | 2 | G | 6' 7" | 208 | Graduate Student | Atlanta, GA | Transferred from Memphis after graduating. Will have two years of remaining eligibility. |
| Rob Phinisee | 10 | G | 6' 1" | 187 | Graduate Student | Lafayette, IN | Transferred from Indiana after graduating. Will have one year of remaining eligibility. |

### Class of 2022

Cincinnati signed a three-man class consisting of Sage Tolentino, Josh Reed and Daniel Skillings.
US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Sage Tolentino C | Honolulu, HI | Hamilton High School (OH) | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Jul 15, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 ||||||
| Daniel Skillings SG | Philadelphia, PA | Roman Catholic High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Sep 23, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 82 ||||||
| Josh Reed SF | Atlanta, GA | Pace Academy | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Oct 1, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 79 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 36 247Sports: 32 ||||||
| 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 2022 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 16, 2022. "2022 Cincinnati Bearcats Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 16, 2022. "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 16, 2022. ||||||

### Class of 2023

US college sports recruiting information for 2023 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Rayvon Griffith SG | Cincinnati, OH | AZ Compass Prep | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | May 1, 2022 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 83 |||||||
| Jizzle James PG | Orlando, FL | Olympia High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | October 4, 2022 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 84 |||||||
| 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 2023 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 4, 2022. "2023 Cincinnati Basketball Commits". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 4, 2022. "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 4, 2022. "Cincinnati 2023 Basketball Commits". 247sports.com. Retrieved October 4, 2022. |||||||

## Preseason
### AAC preseason media poll

On October 12, The American released the preseason Poll and other preseason awards
Coaches Poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Houston | 100 (10) |
| 2 | Memphis | 87 (1) |
| 3 | Cincinnati | 82 |
| 4 | Tulane | 74 |
| 5 | Temple | 66 |
| 6 | UCF | 51 |
| 7 | SMU | 43 |
| 8 | Wichita State | 35 |
| 9 | South Florida | 33 |
| 10 | Tulsa | 21 |
| 11 | East Carolina | 13 |

### Preseason Awards

* AAC Preseason All-Conference Second Team - David DeJulius

## Roster

* November 15, 2022: John Newman III injured his knee, leading to him missing the rest of the season.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Regular Season |||||||||
| November 7, 2022* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Chaminade | W 98–55 | 1–0 | 24 – DeJulius | 6 – Tied | 8 – Phinisee | Fifth Third Arena (9,043) Cincinnati, OH |
| November 10, 2022* 8:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Cleveland State | W 69–58 | 2–0 | 18 – DeJulius | 12 – Lakhin | 6 – DeJulius | Fifth Third Arena (9,227) Cincinnati, OH |
| November 13, 2022* 12:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Eastern Kentucky | W 87–69 | 3–0 | 22 – DeJulius | 12 – Ogauma | 4 – Adams-Woods | Fifth Third Arena (9,103) Cincinnati, OH |
| November 16, 2022* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Northern Kentucky | L 51–64 | 3–1 | 9 – Tied | 9 – Lakhin | 4 – Phinisee | Truist Arena (8,503) Highland Heights, KY |
| November 21, 2022* 11:30 p.m., ESPN2 | | vs. No. 14 Arizona Maui Invitational Tournament quarterfinals | L 93–101 | 3–2 | 33 – Nolley II | 5 – Tied | 5 – DeJulius | Lahaina Civic Center (2,400) Lahaina, HI |
| November 22, 2022* 5:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | vs. Ohio State Maui Invitational Tournament consolation round | L 53–81 | 3–3 | 12 – Lakhin | 4 – Tied | 1 – Tied | Lahaina Civic Center (2,400) Lahaina, HI |
| November 23, 2022* 7:30 p.m., ESPNU | | vs. Louisville Maui Invitational Tournament 7th–place game | W 81–62 | 4–3 | 26 – DeJulius | 6 – Tied | 6 – Davenport | Lahaina Civic Center (2,400) Lahaina, HI |
| November 30, 2022* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | NJIT | W 86–60 | 5–3 | 22 – DeJulius | 10 – Lakhin | 2 – Tied | Fifth Third Arena (8,769) Cincinnati, OH |
| December 4, 2022* 12:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Bryant | W 97–71 | 6–3 | 16 – Lakhin | 13 – Tied | 7 – DeJulius | Fifth Third Arena (9,273) Cincinnati, OH |
| December 10, 2022* 3:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | Xavier Crosstown Shootout | L 77–80 | 6–4 | 22 – DeJulius | 8 – Lakhin | 6 – Adams-Woods | Fifth Third Arena (12,012) Cincinnati, OH |
| December 14, 2022* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Miami (OH) | W 103–76 | 7–4 | 22 – DeJulius | 4 – Tied | 6 – Adams-Woods | Fifth Third Arena (8,976) Cincinnati, OH |
| December 17, 2022* 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | La Salle | W 78–60 | 8–4 | 17 – Tied | 8 – Davenport | 6 – Nolley II | Fifth Third Arena (8,869) Cincinnati, OH |
| December 21, 2022* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Detroit Mercy | W 72–54 | 9–4 | 18 – Lakhin | 15 – Lakhin | 5 – Davenport | Fifth Third Arena (9,519) Cincinnati, OH |
| AAC Regular Season |||||||||
| December 29, 2022 9:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | Tulane | W 88–77 | 10–4 (1–0) | 23 – Nolley II | 13 – Lakhin | 6 – Adams-Woods | Fifth Third Arena (9,484) Cincinnati, OH |
| January 1, 2023 3:00 p.m., ESPN | | at Temple | L 61–70 | 10–5 (1–1) | 15 – Nolley II | 5 – Oguama | 3 – Nolley II | Liacouras Center (3,224) Philadelphia, PA |
| January 5, 2023 9:00 p.m., ESPNU | | at Wichita State | W 70–61 | 11–5 (2–1) | 22 – Davenport | 11 – Nolley II | 6 – DeJulius | Charles Koch Arena (6,876) Wichita, KS |
| January 8, 2023 3:00 p.m., ESPN | | No. 2 Houston | L 59–72 | 11–6 (2–2) | 19 – Adams-Woods | 6 – Tied | 5 – DeJulius | Fifth Third Arena (10,264) Cincinnati, OH |
| January 11, 2023 9:00 p.m., ESPNU | | East Carolina | W 83–55 | 12–6 (3–2) | 20 – Nolley II | 10 – Nolley II | 12 – DeJulius | Fifth Third Arena (9,118) Cincinnati, OH |
| January 14, 2023 4:00 p.m., ESPNU | | at SMU | W 54–52 | 13–6 (4–2) | 16 – Tied | 12 – Nolley II | 5 – DeJulius | Moody Coliseum (3,817) University Park, TX |
| January 18, 2023 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at South Florida | W 85–69 | 14–6 (5–2) | 21 – Tied | 9 – Nolley II | 7 – DeJulius | Yuengling Center (3,359) Tampa, FL |
| January 22, 2023 1:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | Memphis Rivalry | L 68–75 | 14–7 (5–3) | 22 – Lakhin | 10 – Lakhin | 6 – DeJulius | Fifth Third Arena (8,622) Cincinnati, OH |
| January 28, 2023 2:15 p.m., CBS | | at No. 3 Houston | L 69–75 | 14–8 (5–4) | 24 – Nolley II | 6 – Tied | 9 – DeJulius | Fertitta Center (7,477) Houston, TX |
| February 1, 2023 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Tulsa | W 81–55 | 15–8 (6–4) | 20 – Davenport | 13 – Nolley II | 9 – DeJulius | Fifth Third Arena (9,334) Cincinnati, OH |
| February 4, 2023 12:00 p.m., ESPNU | | UCF | W 73–64 | 16–8 (7–4) | 20 – Lakhin | 8 – Lakhin | 7 – DeJulius | Fifth Third Arena (10,351) Cincinnati, OH |
| February 7, 2023 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Tulane | L 94–101 $^{OT}$ | 16–9 (7–5) | 26 – Nolley II | 13 – Oguama | 8 – DeJulius | Devlin Fieldhouse (2,328) New Orleans, LA |
| February 11, 2023 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | South Florida | W 84–65 | 17–9 (8–5) | 18 – Tied | 10 – Nolley II | 5 – Davenport | Fifth Third Arena (11,046) Cincinnati, OH |
| February 15, 2023 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at East Carolina | L 71–75 | 17–10 (8–6) | 19 – Tied | 9 – Oguama | 5 – DeJulius | Williams Arena (4,065) Greenville, NC |
| February 19, 2023 12:00 p.m., ESPNU | | at UCF | W 73–71 | 18–10 (9–6) | 18 – Nolley II | 6 – Tied | 8 – DeJulius | Addition Financial Arena (5,213) Orlando, FL |
| February 22, 2023 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | Temple | W 88–83 $^{OT}$ | 19–10 (10–6) | 20 – 2 tied | 6 – 2 tied | 7 – DeJulius | Fifth Third Arena (10,059) Cincinnati, OH |
| February 26, 2023 2:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | at Memphis Rivalry | L 73–76 | 19–11 (10–7) | 16 – DeJulius | 9 – Lakhin | 8 – Adams-Woods | FedExForum (12,211) Memphis, TN |
| March 5, 2023 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | SMU | W 97–74 | 20–11 (11–7) | 30 – DeJulius | 6 – Lakhin | 6 – 2 tied | Fifth Third Arena (11,068) Cincinnati, OH |
| AAC Tournament |||||||||
| March 10, 2023 3:00 p.m., ESPN2 | (4) | vs. (5) Temple Quarterfinals | W 84–54 | 21–11 | 22 – Nolley II | 12 – Oguama | 5 – Adams-Woods | Dickies Arena Fort Worth, TX |
| March 11, 2023 3:00 p.m., ESPN2 | (4) | vs. (1) No. 1 Houston Semifinals | L 48–69 | 21–12 | 14 – Nolley II | 9 – Oguama | 5 – DeJulius | Dickies Arena Fort Worth, TX |
| NIT |||||||||
| March 15, 2023 9:00 p.m., ESPN2 | (4) | Virginia Tech First Round – Rutgers Bracket | W 81–72 | 22–12 | 21 – DeJulius | 12 – Nolley II | 7 – DeJulius | Fifth Third Arena (3,995) Cincinnati, OH |
| March 18, 2023 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | (4) | at Hofstra Second Round – Rutgers Bracket | W 79–65 | 23–12 | 20 – Nolley II | 11 – Oguama | 9 – DeJulius | Mack Sports Complex (2,228) Hampstead, NY |
| March 22, 2023 9:00 p.m., ESPN2 | (4) | at Utah Valley Quarterfinals – Rutgers Bracket | L 68–74 | 23–13 | 23 – Nolley II | 10 – Lakhin | 4 – 2 tied | UCCU Center (5,289) Orem, UT |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
Source

## Awards and honors
### American Athletic Conference honors
#### All-AAC First Team

* Landers Nolley II

#### All-AAC Third Team

* David DeJulius

#### Player of the Week

* Week 1: David DeJulius

#### Weekly Honor Roll

* Week 4: Viktor Lakhin
* Week 5: David DeJulius
* Week 6: David DeJulius
* Week 9: Viktor Lakhin
* Week 10: Landers Nolley II
* Week 11: Landers Nolley II
* Week 12: Landers Nolley II
* Week 13: David DeJulius
* Week 15: David DeJulius
* Week 17: David DeJulius

#### AAC All-Tournament Team

* Landers Nolley II