In the season-opening win over the Illinois-Chicago Flames on Monday night, Cincinnati Bearcats point guard DaVeon Thomas shined in his team debut!
Several newcomers made a significant impact in the double digit win alongside Thomas including transfer guard CJ Fredrick and freshman guard Jizzle James.
The Bearcats starting point guard showed off his impressive blend of playmaking and scoring with a team-high 15 points, three assists and three steals.
With a chance to secure an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since 2019, the Bearcats are trying to improve on a 23-13 overall record from last year.
DaVeon Thomas shined in his #Bearcats debut with a team-high 15 points, three assists and three steals.https://t.co/uFJlrXhrwb pic.twitter.com/uYu1BkAHej
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) November 7, 2023
Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats transfer DaVeon Thomas shines in season debut
Cincinnati held a single digit lead for most of the first half until a 9-0 run created separation, capped off by a first-class fastbreak finish from Daniel Skillings Jr.
Despite struggling to shoot outside, the Bearcats created 15 turnovers and dominated the paint en route to eventually pulling away in the second half.
Skillings scored 13 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench, and Fredrick added 11 points and two boards on 3/6 shooting from 3-point range.
Wes Miller’s team got off to a relatively slow start before taking a 40-30 lead into the locker room and later securing a quality win to tip off the season.
DaVeon Thomas continues his dominant debut with a steal and slam as the #Bearcats hold a second half lead!pic.twitter.com/7jGIMKRqOb
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) November 7, 2023
Cincinnati Basketball: Newcomers make a statement in Bearcats season-opening win
Coming up next for the Bearcats is a game against the Detroit Mercy Titans on Friday night. The Titans lost to the Toledo Rockets 94-60 in their opener.
During the postgame press conference, Miller broke down the season-opening outing and his thoughts on Thomas’ recent debut via Cincinnati Athletics.
There is still a lot of room for improvement as the Bearcats hope to find a rhythm from the perimeter and protect the rim at a high level going forward.
"“Day Day was amazing and is going to make a lot of plays. He is really good and I think that’s clear. He’s got to learn quickly because playing point guard at this level is very difficult.”"