2019–20 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team
American college basketball season
The 2019–20 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team represented the University of Cincinnati in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season . The Bearcats were led by first-year head-coach John Brannen . The team played their home games at Fifth Third Arena as members of the American Athletic Conference .
Previous season
The Bearcats finished the 2018–19 season 28–7, 14–4 in AAC play , finishing in second place. They defeated SMU , Wichita State , and No. 1 seed Houston to win the AAC tournament for the second consecutive year, and received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament . As the No. 7 seed in the South region, they were upset by No. 10 seed Iowa in the first round. After the conclusion of the NCAA tournament, head coach Mick Cronin accepted the head-coaching position at UCLA .[ 1] John Brannen , the head coach at nearby Northern Kentucky , would be hired to replace Cronin.[ 2] In the transition, UC lost G/F Rashawn Fredericks and C Nysier Brooks - both of whom would've both been seniors. They also lost sophomore guard Logan Johnson and backup PF Eliel Nsoseme. Incoming freshman and Ohio's Mr. Basketball in 2019, Samari Curtis, also de-committed. Jarron Cumberland announced he would test the waters to enter the 2019 NBA draft on April 20, 2019.[ 3] On May 27, Cumberland announced he would return for his senior season.[ 4]
Despite the deluge of transfers, Brannen was able to inspire a late-season recruiting renaissance, as he moved quickly to land Jeremiah Davenport, Chris Vogt, Mika Adams-Woods, Chris McNeal, Jaume Sorolla, and Jaevin Cumberland (in that order) - with the latter four commitments transpiring in under one week's time. It is worth noting that, at the time of the final scholarship being fulfilled, both Logan Johnson and Eliel Nsoseme were still in the transfer protocol and technically "could" return to UC; this series of signings effectively locked in their transfer from the program.
After all the dust settled, UC would have a final transfer enter the portal in redshirt Freshman LaQuill Hardnett. His spot would be filled shortly thereafter by the highest rated recruit of the 2019 class, Zach Harvey. Entering this season, new scholarship players would now outnumber returning players 7-6.
Offseason
Departing players
Incoming Transfers
Name
Pos.
Height
Weight
Year
Hometown
Notes
Chris Vogt
C
7'1"
240
Junior
Mayfield, KY
Transferred from Northern Kentucky . Vogt was granted a waiver for immediate eligibility. Will have two years of remaining eligibility.[ 10]
Chris McNeal
PG
6'0"
195
Graduate Student
Jackson, TN
Transferred from Tennessee Tech after graduating. Will have one year of eligibility beginning immediately.[ 11]
Jaume Sorolla
C
6'11"
240
Graduate Student
Tortosa, Spain
Transferred from Valparaiso after graduating. Will have one year of eligibility beginning immediately.[ 12]
Jaevin Cumberland
SG
6'3"
185
Graduate Student
Wilmington, OH
Transferred from Oakland after graduating. Will have one year of eligibility beginning immediately.[ 13] Cousin of guard Jarron Cumberland .
2019 recruiting class
US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name
Hometown
High school / college
Height
Weight
Commit date
Jeremiah Davenport SG
Cincinnati, OH
Hargrave Military Academy
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
May 11, 2019[ 14]
Recruiting star ratings : Rivals : N/A 247Sports :
Mika Adams-Woods PG
Syracuse, NY
New Hampton School
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
May 30, 2019[ 15]
Recruiting star ratings : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN grade: 78
Zach Harvey SG
Topeka, KS
Prolific Prep
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
170 lb (77 kg)
June 27, 2019[ 16]
Recruiting star ratings : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN grade: 80
Overall recruiting rankings: 247Sports : 44
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:
2020 Recruiting class
US college sports recruiting information for 2020 recruits
Name
Hometown
High school / college
Height
Weight
Commit date
Mike Saunders PG
Indianapolis, IN
Wasatch Academy
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
165 lb (75 kg)
June 11, 2019[ 17]
Recruiting star ratings : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN grade: 80
Gabe Madsen SF
Rochester, MN
Mayo High School
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
August 31, 2019[ 18]
Recruiting star ratings : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN grade: 80
Mason Madsen CG
Rochester, MN
Mayo High School
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
August 31, 2019[ 19]
Recruiting star ratings : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN grade: NR
Tari Eason PF
Seattle, WA
Garfield High School (Seattle)
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
December 21, 2019[ 20]
Recruiting star ratings : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN grade: 79
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:
Preseason
The AAC media poll was released on October 14, 2019, with the Bearcats predicted to finish third in the AAC.[ 21]
Media poll
Predicted finish
Team
Votes (1st place)
1
Houston
113 (7)
2
Memphis
113 (4)
3
Cincinnati
94 (1)
4
Wichita State
88
5
USF
79
6
UConn
75
7
Temple
72
8
SMU
47
9
UCF
40
10
Tulsa
36
11
East Carolina
20
12
Tulane
15
Preseason Awards
American Athletic Conference[ 22]
All-AAC First Team - Jarron Cumberland (* Only unanimous selection)
AAC Player of the Year - Jarron Cumberland
Sporting News[ 23]
All-America: Second team - Jarron Cumberland
Roster
2019–20 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team
Players
Coaches
Pos.
#
Name
Height
Weight
Year
Previous school
Hometown
G
0
Chris McNeal
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
GS
Tennessee Tech
Jackson, Tennessee
G
1
Jeremiah Davenport
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
Fr
Hargrave Military Academy
Cincinnati, Ohio
G
2
Keith Williams
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
Jr
Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School
Brooklyn, New York
G
3
Mika Adams-Woods
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
Fr
New Hampton School
Syracuse, New York
G
5
Trevor Moore (T)
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
Jr
South Kent Prep
Houston, Texas
F
13
Trevon Scott
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
RS Sr
McIntosh County Academy
Darien, Georgia
F
20
Mamoudou Diarra
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
RS So
22ft Academy
Bamako, Mali
G
21
Jaevin Cumberland
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
GS
Oakland
Wilmington, Ohio
G
23
Zach Harvey
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
Fr
Prolific Prep
Topeka, Kansas
F
24
Prince Toyambi
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
RS Fr
Fresno High School
Kinshasa, DR Congo
G
31
Sam Martin (W)
5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
170 lb (77 kg)
Jr
Summit Country Day School
Cincinnati, Ohio
G
32
John Koz (W)
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
Sr
Bay High School
Cleveland, Ohio
C
33
Chris Vogt
7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
260 lb (118 kg)
Jr
Northern Kentucky
Mayfield, Kentucky
C
35
Jaume Sorolla (LT)
6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
240 lb (109 kg)
GS
Valparaiso
Tortosa, Spain
G
34
Jarron Cumberland
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
Sr
Wilmington High School
Wilmington, Ohio
F
44
Adam Cook (W)
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
Jr
Marysville High School
Marysville, Ohio
F
45
Rob Banks (W)
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
Fr
Gould Academy
Bracknell, England
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
(W) Walk-on
(T) Transferred
(LT) Left team
Injured
Current redshirt
Roster Last update: March 4, 2020
Preseason - Prince Toyambi underwent surgery to correct a cardiac issue, leading him to sit out for the entire season.[ 24]
Dec. 9, 2019 - Trevor Moore elected to transfer to Morgan State after the fall semester.[ 25]
Feb. 4, 2020 - Jaume Sorolla left the team. He elected to return home to Spain to pursue a professional career.[ 26]
Mar. 1, 2020 - Jeremiah Davenport did not make the trip to Houston. He later underwent surgery to correct a knee injury, leading him to sit out for the rest of the season.[ 27]
Depth chart
Source [ 28]
Schedule and results
The Bearcats traveled to in-state rival Ohio State to open the season for the second part of a home-and-home series with the Buckeyes. The Bearcats also began a home-and-home series with Tennessee beginning in the 2019–2020 season in Cincinnati. Tennessee visited Fifth Third Arena on December 18, 2019.[ 29] The Bearcats traveled to Chicago to take on Iowa in the Chicago Legends event.[ 30] Cincinnati traveled to the Virgin Islands to compete in the Paradise Jam tournament where they finished in third-place.[ 31]
Date time, TV
Rank#
Opponent#
Result
Record
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Site (attendance) city, state
Exhibition
October 31, 2019 *6:00pm, Bearcats TV
Thomas More
W 79–36
15 – McNeal
5 – Diarra
4 – Adams-Woods
Fifth Third Arena (5,389)Cincinnati, OH
Non-conference regular season
November 6, 2019 *8:30pm, FS1
at No. 18 Ohio State
L 56–64
0–1
13 – Tied
12 – Scott
3 – Jar. Cumberland
Value City Arena (13,845)Columbus, OH
November 11, 2019 7:00pm, FSOH /ESPN3
Drake
W 81–59
1–1
17 – Jae. Cumberland
11 – Scott
4 – McNeal
Fifth Third Arena (10,133)Cincinnati, OH
November 14, 2019 *7:00pm, FSOH/ESPN3
Alabama A&M
W 85–53
2–1
18 – Vogt
10 – Vogt
6 – Jae. Cumberland
Fifth Third Arena (9,830)Cincinnati, OH
November 22, 2019 *5:45pm, FloSports
vs. Illinois State Paradise Jam Quarterfinals
W 66–65
3–1
23 – Jar. Cumberland
13 – Vogt
3 – Scott
Sports and Fitness Center Saint Thomas, USVI
November 24, 2019 *7:45pm, FloSports
vs. Bowling Green Paradise Jam Semifinals
L 84–91 OT
3–2
21 – Jae. Cumberland
11 – Scott
4 – McNeal
Sports and Fitness Center (1,525)Saint Thomas, USVI
November 25, 2019 *5:45pm, FloSports
vs. Valparaiso Paradise Jam Third-place game
W 81–77 OT
4–2
21 – Vogt
11 – Scott
4 – Tied
Sports and Fitness Center Saint Thomas, USVI
November 30, 2019 *7:00pm, FSOH/ESPN3
UNLV
W 72–65 OT
5–2
20 – Jar. Cumberland
9 – Scott
5 – Jar. Cumberland
Fifth Third Arena (10,783)Cincinnati, OH
December 3, 2019 *7:00pm, CBSSN
Vermont
W 82–73
6–2
23 – Williams
12 – Scott
5 – Williams
Fifth Third Arena (10,220)Cincinnati, OH
December 7, 2019 *5:00pm, FS1
at Xavier Crosstown Shootout
L 66–73
6–3
15 – Williams
9 – Williams
4 – Jar. Cumberland
Cintas Center (10,811)Cincinnati, OH
December 14, 2019 *7:00pm, FSOH/ESPN3
Colgate
L 66–67
6–4
16 – Vogt
7 – Tied
4 – Jar. Cumberland
Fifth Third Arena (10,416)Cincinnati, OH
December 18, 2019 *7:00pm, ESPN2
No. 21 Tennessee
W 78–66
7–4
15 – Scott
7 – Scott
4 – Tied
Fifth Third Arena (12,012)Cincinnati, OH
December 21, 2019 *9:00pm, BTN
vs. Iowa Chicago Legends
L 70–77
7–5
18 – Jar. Cumberland
8 – Vogt
4 – McNeal
United Center (6,814)Chicago, IL
AAC Regular Season
January 1, 2020 7:00pm, CBSSN
UConn
W 67–51
8–5 (1–0)
19 – Vogt
13 – Scott
5 – Tied
Fifth Third Arena (10,833)Cincinnati, OH
January 4, 2020 4:00pm, CBSSN
at Tulane
L 71–76
8–6 (1–1)
21 – Vogt
6 – Tied
8 – Scott
Devlin Fieldhouse (2,513)New Orleans, LA
January 8, 2020 7:00pm, ESPNU
Tulsa
W 75–44
9–6 (2–1)
22 – Jar. Cumberland
11 – Vogt
8 – Jar. Cumberland
Fifth Third Arena (10,138)Cincinnati, OH
January 11, 2020 12:00pm, ESPN2
at UCF
W 68–54
10–6 (3–1)
16 – Williams
11 – Scott
7 – Jar. Cumberland
Addition Financial Arena (5,482)Orlando, FL
January 16, 2020 7:00pm, ESPN
at No. 22 Memphis Rivalry
L 49–60
10–7 (3–2)
19 – Jar. Cumberland
8 – Williams
2 – Tied
FedEx Forum (16,079)Memphis, TN
January 19, 2020 6:00pm, ESPNU
East Carolina
W 82–57
11–7 (4–2)
16 – Scott
11 – Tied
7 – Jar. Cumberland
Fifth Third Arena (11,103)Cincinnati, OH
January 22, 2020 7:00pm, ESPNews
at Temple
W 89–82
12–7 (5–2)
22 – Jar. Cumberland
11 – Scott
6 – Jar. Cumberland
Liacouras Center (6,463)Philadelphia, PA
January 28, 2020 7:00pm, ESPNews
SMU
W 65–43
13–7 (6–2)
28 – Jar. Cumberland
9 – Tied
4 – Jar. Cumberland
Fifth Third Arena (11,221)Cincinnati, OH
February 1, 2020 6:00pm, ESPN2
No. 21 Houston
W 64–62
14–7 (7–2)
17 – Jar. Cumberland
11 – Scott
7 – Jar. Cumberland
Fifth Third Arena (12,189)Cincinnati, OH
February 6, 2020 7:00pm, ESPN
at Wichita State
W 80–79
15–7 (8–2)
24 – Jar. Cumberland
11 – Scott
5 – Jar. Cumberland
Charles Koch Arena (10,211)Wichita, KS
February 9, 2020 12:00pm, CBSSN
at UConn
L 71–72 OT
15–8 (8–3)
25 – Scott
13 – Scott
10 – Jar. Cumberland
Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (9,409)Storrs, CT
February 13, 2020 7:00pm, ESPN
Memphis Rivalry
W 92–86 OT
16–8 (9–3)
25 – Scott
19 – Scott
9 – Jar. Cumberland
Fifth Third Arena (12,239)Cincinnati, OH
February 16, 2020 12:00pm, CBSSN
at East Carolina
W 70–67 OT
17–8 (10–3)
17 – Williams
12 – Scott
5 – Williams
Williams Arena (4,082)Greenville, NC
February 19, 2020 7:00pm, ESPNU
UCF
L 87–89 2OT
17–9 (10–4)
22 – Scott
21 – Scott
9 – Jar. Cumberland
Fifth Third Arena (10,874)Cincinnati, OH
February 23, 2020 1:00pm, ESPN
Wichita State
W 67–64
18–9 (11–4)
24 – Jar. Cumberland
11 – Scott
4 – Tied
Fifth Third Arena (12,137)Cincinnati, OH
March 1, 2020 1:00pm, ESPN
at No. 25 Houston
L 55–68
18–10 (11–5)
17 – Scott
11 – Scott
4 – Jar. Cumberland
Fertitta Center (7,096)Houston, TX
March 3, 2020 7:00pm, ESPNU
at South Florida
W 79–67
19–10 (12–5)
30 – Williams
11 – Scott
3 – Scott
Yuengling Center (3,008)Tampa, FL
March 7, 2020 8:00pm, CBSSN
Temple
W 64–63
20–10 (13–5)
20 – Jar. Cumberland
12 – Scott
7 – Jar. Cumberland
Fifth Third Arena (12,365)Cincinnati, OH
AAC Tournament
March 13, 2020 1:00pm, ESPN2
(1)
vs. (8) UCF / (9) South Florida Quarterfinals
Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Dickies Arena Fort Worth, TX
*Non-conference game.
# Rankings from
AP Poll . (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in
Eastern Time .
Rankings
Ranking movementsLegend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes Week Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Final AP RV RV — — RV — — — — — — — — — — RV RV — — Coaches — — — RV RV — — — — — — — — — — RV RV — —
*AP does not release post-NCAA tournament rankings
Awards and honors
American Athletic Conference honors
All-AAC Awards
Defensive Player of the Year: Trevon Scott
Most Improved Player: Trevon Scott
Sportsmanship Award: Trevon Scott
All-AAC First Team
Player of the Week
Weekly Honor Roll
Week 4: Chris Vogt
Week 10: Trevon Scott
Week 11: Jarron Cumberland
Week 12: Jarron Cumberland
Week 13: Jarron Cumberland
Week 14: Trevon Scott
Week 16: Trevon Scott
Week 18: Keith Williams
Source[ 32] [ 33] [ 34]
References
^ Borzello, Jeff (April 9, 2019). "Cronin leaves Cincinnati to take UCLA job" . ESPN.com . Retrieved April 9, 2019 .
^ "John Brannen Named Cincinnati Men's Basketball Coach" . GoBearcats.com . Retrieved April 14, 2019 .
^ Rauch, Jeremy (April 20, 2019). "UC's Jarron Cumberland will test the NBA draft waters" . fox19.com . Fox 19 . Retrieved April 15, 2020 .
^ Danneman, Joe (May 27, 2019). "UC's Jarron Cumberland to return for senior season" . fox19.com . Fox 19 . Retrieved April 15, 2020 .
^ Clark, Dave. "Cincinnati Bearcats transfer Logan Johnson commits to St. Mary's Gaels" . Cincinnati.com . Retrieved June 11, 2019 .
^ Clark, Dave. "UC Bearcats transfer Rashawn Fredericks announces he'll play for UAB" . Cincinnati.com . Retrieved May 8, 2019 .
^ Clark, Dave. "LaQuill Hardnett: UC Bearcats transfer commits to Buffalo" . Cincinnati.com . Retrieved July 2, 2019 .
^ Clark, Dave. "Eliel Nsoseme, Cincinnati Bearcats transfer, commits to Georgia State" . Cincinnati.com . Retrieved June 11, 2019 .
^ Clark, Dave. "Nysier Brooks: Miami Hurricanes land Cincinnati Bearcats transfer center" . Cincinnati.com . Retrieved May 8, 2019 .
^ Clark, Dave. "Cincinnati Bearcats get commitment from Northern Kentucky Norse center Chris Vogt" . Cincinnati.com . Retrieved May 17, 2019 .
^ Brendel, Chad. "BREAKING: Grad transfer Chris McNeal Decides On Cincinnati" . 247Sports . 247Sports. Retrieved May 31, 2019 .
^ Weinstein, Robbie. "Former Valparaiso center Sorolla to transfer to Cincinnati" . NWI.com . Retrieved June 2, 2019 .
^ Hawkins, James. "Ex-Oakland guard Jaevin Cumberland spurns Michigan, transfers to Cincinnati" . www.detroitnews.com . The Detroit News. Retrieved June 3, 2019 .
^ Clark, Dave (May 11, 2019). "Former Moeller basketball standout Jeremiah Davenport commits to Cincinnati Bearcats" . Cincinnati Enquirer.
^ Ditoa, Donna (May 30, 2019). "Former Bishop Ludden star Mika Adams-Woods makes college choice" . Syracuse Post Standard. Retrieved May 30, 2019 .
^ Daniels, Evan (June 27, 2019). "Zach Harvey commits to Cincinnati, reclassifies to 2019" . 247Sports. Retrieved June 27, 2019 .
^ Clark, Dave (June 11, 2019). "Mike Saunders Jr. gives Cincinnati Bearcats Class of 2020 commitment" . Cincinnati Enquirer.
^ Page, Fletcher (September 1, 2019). "UC basketball: Gabe and Mason Madsen commit to play for John Brannen" . Cincinnati Enquirer.
^ Page, Fletcher (September 1, 2019). "UC basketball: Gabe and Mason Madsen commit to play for John Brannen" . Cincinnati Enquirer.
^ Evans, Corey (December 22, 2019). "Cincinnati wins out with four-star forward Tari Eason" . Rivals.
^ "Houston, Memphis Tabbed 2019-20 American Men's Basketball Preseason Favorites" . American Athletic Conference . October 14, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2019 .
^ "Houston, Memphis Tabbed 2019-20 American Men's Basketball Preseason Favorites" . American Athletic Conference . October 14, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2019 .
^ "Sporting News' 2019-20 college basketball preseason All-Americans" . Sporting News . October 24, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2019 .
^ Page, Fletcher. "Cincinnati basketball forward Prince Toyambi undergoes surgical procedure" . Cincinnati.com . Retrieved March 10, 2020 .
^ Borzello, Jeff [@jeffborzello] (December 9, 2019). "Cincinnati guard Trevor Moore has entered the transfer portal, source told ESPN" (Tweet ). Retrieved February 2, 2020 – via Twitter .
^ Page, Fletcher. "Jay Sorolla leaves Cincinnati basketball, will turn pro" . Cincinnati.com . Retrieved February 4, 2020 .
^ Page, Fletcher. "Cincinnati basketball without Jarron Cumberland at USF" . Cincinnati.com . Retrieved March 10, 2020 .
^ "2019-20 Cincinnati Bearcats Roster and Stats" .
^ "Cincinnati to Start Men's Basketball Series with Tennessee" . GoBearcats.com . Retrieved April 2, 2019 .
^ "Men's Basketball to Play Iowa in 2019 Chicago Legends Event" . GoBearcats.com . Retrieved April 2, 2019 .
^ "Cincinnati to Compete in 2019 Paradise Jam" . GoBearcats.com . Retrieved April 2, 2019 .
^ "American Men's Basketball Release" (PDF) . American Athletic Conference. Retrieved March 10, 2019 .
^ "American Athletic Conference Announces All-Conference, All-Freshman Teams" . theamerican.org . March 10, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020 .
^ "American Athletic Conference Announces Individual Awards" . theamerican.org . March 11, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2020 .
Venues Rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons NCAA national championships in bold; NCAA Final Four appearances in italics