Scouting report: Cincinnati Bearcats play 1st road game at TCU since 2005 Saturday

Cincinnati Bearcats basketball will spend five days in Texas as their Big 12 road swing takes them to Fort Worth then Houston Friday through Tuesday.

With Wednesday's Oklahoma State disappointment (an 80-76 home loss to a team that hadn't won a conference road game), UC is now 2-5 at home in the Big 12, and 3-3 on the road.

The Bearcats return to TCU for the first time in 19 years to face the Horned Frogs. In 2005, Jihad Muhammad had 21 points as the 24th-ranked Bearcats defeated TCU 89-74.

Including January's overtime thriller, UC has never lost to the Horned Frogs.

Saturday afternoon won't exactly be a fun-filled day at the rodeo as TCU has its own tournament resumé to build. They have only lost twice in Schollmaier Arena (Iowa State and Texas) and the game is billed as a "Purple Out." It probably doesn't help that they just lost at No. 23 Texas Tech, 82-81.

3 keys for a UC win at TCU

1. Deny the payback

While their coach Jamie Dixon has had his success against UC, TCU has never beaten them. That dates back to 1959 and the Oscar Robertson Bearcats. Two of the six losses have come in overtime with the last being Jan. 16 when the Bearcats recorded their first Big 12 basketball win.

The students rushed the floor, something you can bet Dixon will remind his players. TCU led for 37 minutes at Fifth Third Arena, so the best way to stop Purple Rain in Fort Worth is to try and rein in the Frogs.

TCU leads the NCAA in fast-break points, so the more UC shots fall, the less the Frogs can hurry down the hardwood.

2. Win key statistical categories

The Jan. 16 game was a rarity where the Bearcats not only were outrebounded 41-35 but also turned the ball over 19 times to TCU's 12. The 19 turnovers were the most this season until they committed 25 against Iowa State. UC also allowed TCU 11 3-pointers out of 25 attempts and the Bearcats missed 10 of their free throw attempts (11-for-21). In addition, while UC had four players in double figures, TCU had five.

However, numbers can be deceiving, especially when UC shot 50% vs. Oklahoma State, outrebounded them by six, but lost by four.

3. Make sure it's not 80s Night

Sure there were some great tunes then but if TCU gets in their 80-plus point mode, a win could be difficult. In all but two of their losses (Kansas and Texas Tech) TCU was held to less than 80 points. At the end of regulation the first time around, the Bearcats and Horned Frogs were knotted at 67. UC got the 81-77 win in overtime.

It wasn't particularly good that UC allowed Oklahoma State 80 points, including 24 in the final six minutes. Three of the four teams that have put 80 or more on the Bearcats have won.

Cincinnati vs. TCU

Tip: Saturday, 2 p.m. Central/3 p.m. Eastern (Schollmaier Arena, 6,800)

TV/Radio: ESPN+/700WLW

Series: UC leads 6-0

TCU Horned Frogs scouting report

Record: 18-8 (7-6 Big 12)

Coach: Jamie Dixon (eighth season, 157-105)

Offense: 81.5 ppg

Defense: 71.3 ppg

Projected lineup

(Position, Height, Stats)

Micah Peavy (G, 6'8", 11.5 ppg)

Emanuel Miller (F, 6'7", 16.1 ppg)

Jameer Nelson Jr. (G, 6'2", 10.9 ppg)

Trevian Tennyson (G, 6'3", 9.5 ppg)

Xavier Cork (F, 6'9", 4.3 ppg)

Cincinnati Bearcats scouting report

Record: 16-10 (5-8 Big 12)

Coach: Wes Miller (third season, 57-38)

Offense: 75.6 ppg

Defense: 67.7 ppg

Projected lineup

(Position, Height, Stats)

Dan Skillings Jr. (F, 6'6", 12.2 ppg)

Day Day Thomas (G, 6', 10.3 ppg)

John Newman III (F, 6'5", 9.5 ppg)

Simas Lukošius, (G, 6'8", 10.0 ppg)

Aziz Bandaogo (C, 7', 7.5 ppg)

Players to watch

Emanuel Miller has been TCU's top scorer and has only been held below double digits twice. He had 15 against the Bearcats in January, but it was Trevian Tennyson who knocked down five 3-pointers and led the Horned Frogs with 17 points.

Day Day Thomas had a season-high 21 points in the last meeting, but Jizzle James was held to a mere point. The Bearcats could use good efforts from both on the road. Both had 10 points in the Oklahoma State loss. One of Jizzle's shots made SportsCenter's Top 10.

A wildcard could be Viktor Lakhin if there is a winter awakening before March. Even though he's scored just four points all month and has been a non-participant, he's still averaging double figures at 10.2 points per game. Lakhin had 11 points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks the last time UC played TCU.

"We shouldn't pile on Viktor," UC coach Wes Miller said. "I've just decided to roll with other guys that have been more consistent here over the last month. I've said this all along, for us to be the best team we can be, I think Viktor Lakhin has to be a big part of it. When we've played our best basketball, for the most part, he has been."

Miller would like Lakhin to return to being a force defensively and on the backboard.

"He's a terrific kid," Miller said. "He cares a lot about our program. He's got opportunities every day. We have gone away from him the last couple of games and that's not been easy to do as a coach."

Rankings

NCAA NET: TCU is No. 37, UC No. 45

KenPom.com: TCU is No. 31, UC No. 41

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How UC Bearcats can start a 2-game Texas stretch with a win at TCU