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Cincinnati turns to alum Jerrod Calhoun with a rebuilt roster in the rugged Big 12
A new coach takes over the basketball program; the university overhauled the roster following several seasons of decline
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Cincinnati (18-15, 9-9 Big 12)
The Bearcats are turning to one of their own to get them back to being a contender. Alumnus Jerrod Calhoun, who was a student assistant under Hall of Fame coach Bob Huggins, replaced Wes Miller, who was fired after five seasons. Cincinnati has not made the NCAA Tournament since 2019, which was Mick Cronin's final season before he left for UCLA. Calhoun was at Utah State for two seasons and made the NCAA field both years, including a first-round upset of Villanova in March.
Players to watch
Senior guard Tylen Riley, a transfer from Tulsa, scored 31 points with 13 assists in an exhibition game loss to Illinois, which made the Final Four last season. He was ranked 11th nationally in free throws last year, sinking 203.
MJ Collins is one of three players Calhoun brought from Utah State. He led the Aggies in scoring last season, averaging 17.5 points. The senior participated in the NBA's G League Combine camp but gained another year of eligibility after Ohio governor Mike DeWine signed an executive order making all Class of 2022 athletes eligible.
Departures and arrivals
It is an entirely new roster for the Bearcats as only one of the players from last year's squad is back. Senior foward Tyler Tejada was the 2025 Colonial Athletic Conference Player of the Year at Towson. Junior center Jayden Hastings had 47 blocks last season at Boston College. Sophomore guard Akai Fleming started 22 games at Georgia Tech last season and averaged 10.4 points. Guard Elijah Perryman and forward Adlan Elamin also played for Calhoun at Utah State. Both are sophomores.
Top games
The Bearcats host Minnesota on Nov. 9 before facing Georgia and Boston College in Orlando, Florida, on Thanksgiving weekend. The Crosstown Shootout against Xavier is Dec. 5. The Bearcats will also host Clemson on Dec. 19. Cincinnati opens Big 12 play against Texas Tech on Jan. 2. It hosts Kansas on Jan. 19 and Arizona on Feb. 2 along with Houston on March 2.
Facts and figures
The Bearcats tied for eighth out of 16 teams in the Big 12 Conference preseason coaches’ poll. ... Cincinnati is one of just seven teams nationally to return zero points from a season ago. ... The lone returning player is Grant Darbyshire, who played in seven games off the bench.
See AP’s full March Madness coverage here and see the March Madness bracket here
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