Where Does Jermaine Lawrence Fit On The Bearcats?

There’s no doubt about it that Jermaine Lawrence is the most gifted athlete to commit to Cincinnati in years. You’d probably have to go as far back as Yancy Gates to find a high school prospect who sparkled with as much praise from the recruiting services and garnered as many scholarship offers from major programs around the country as Lawrence has.

But nabbing such a talented player is half the battle. Finding a place for him on this team presents a whole new set of challenges. This is what faces Mick Cronin heading into next season. He will be tasked at figuring out how to use Lawrence’s unique skill set to benefit the Bearcats.

In general, the UC head coach is one of the best in the business at developing players and getting the most out of them. While the argument can be made that his offensive system is lacking, Mick sure as heck teaches stellar defense. And, in doing so, he generates outstanding defensive players. Wide-eyed freshmen tend to evolve into gritty, hard-nosed men by the time they graduate from Cincinnati because of the rigors Mick puts them through. So rest assured Bearcats fans, Jermaine Lawrence is in the right hands development-wise and he will find a place on this team. The only thing standing between him and significant playing time as a freshman are a slew of veteran post players but because of his skill set, some will prove less impactful than others.

First it’s best to understand exactly who Jermaine Lawrence is as a basketball player. Despite being a 6’9″ tower of a human being, he is in no way a back-to-the-basket post player like Yancy Gates, who also stood at 6’9″. As such he won’t play the same position as David Nyarsuk and Kelvin Gaines who will be tasked at gobbling up rebounds and picking up tip-ins around the bucket. Forcing Lawrence to play the 5 makes no sense and quite frankly it would be a waste of his God given talents to place him the in the low post.

Lawrence’s likely position at Cincinnati will be the 3 or the 4. Around these parts it’s uncommon to see a player of his size play the small forward but that’s just the kind of freak of nature this kid is. To help put your mind at ease, it’s best to picture Lawrence as a SF/PF hybrid where he will operate all over the court inside the arc. It’s here where I think he does most of his damage. The only time he will see much time outside of the three point line will be to set screens and drive to the hoop from 19ish ft out. Lawrence is extremely talented at high pointing the basketball. Sorry to traverse into football terminology but it really seems like the guy does leap higher than everyone else on the court. That will serve him well around the rim nabbing rebounds and getting putbacks.

Again, Lawrence won’t be tasked at hovering around the rim like Nyarsuk and Gaines next year. The key is that if he does grab boards he has the athleticism to finish around the rim which is something Cincinnati has been missing from a big man since Yancy Gates graduated. Instead he will be in an ancillary role. At his core, Lawrence is an aggressive basketball player and it only makes sense for him to be placed in a position to utilize that aggression in the most efficient manner. As such the 3/4 is the best spot for him where his athleticism, speed, size, and slashing abilities will shine.

Next let’s roll down the list of Lawrence’s likely competition at this spot. It’s not farfetched to think he will start in his first season in Clifton. Even though Cheikh Mbodj’s graduation will vacate a spot in the post we basically have to omit Nyarsuk, Gaines, and incoming freshman Jamaree Strickland from the list. Like I mentioned those three are exclusively centers with far different skill sets than Lawrence.

Therefore we have to move inside-out, targeting Justin Jackson and Titus Rubles as the most likely set of challengers for Jermaine Lawrence’s playing time. It’s of my opinion that #MeanFace has plateaued at Cincinnati. In three years as a Bearcat, Jackson is still making similar mistakes he made as a freshman. He has always been a sparkplug that can energize his teammates and the home crowd but the junior is putting up basically the same numbers he did last year. Unless something magically clicks as a senior, Jackson’s reps are ripe for the taking.

Next is Titus Rubles who appears most similar to Lawrence from an abilities standpoint. Since he first stepped on the court the JUCO transfer from Blinn College has impressed me with his strength grabbing boards and how he attacks on offense. This season Rubles is leading the Bearcats in rebounds, defensive rebounds, and is third in offensive boards. He’s also pretty nifty with the ball in his hands, ranking second behind Cashmere Wright in assists and averages the most points per game of UC’s big men. And the aggression? Well it’s allowed him to go to the free throw line more than any other Bearcats post player. Getting to the stripe is key for any team and seeing Rubles’ aggressiveness with the basketball isn’t something that is lacking from the other Cincinnati forwards.

It’s all these factors combined that leads me to believe Titus Rubles will be the biggest roadblock to Lawrence seeing meaningful playing time next season. Justin Jackson will probably be in the mix but Rubles is the one to keep an eye on. The main difference between the two is that Rubles is more experienced and will probably be improved next year despite having some holes in his game now. Regardless Jermaine Lawrence will see playing time as a true freshman. But the defining factor between him garnering 10 – 15 minutes per game and 20 – 25 minutes per game or potentially starting is how Titus Rubles develops into his senior year. If he improves defensively, a like-minded coach Cronin will very much favor the veteran over the rookie.