Game 11: Bearcats Beat Brakes Off Grambling, Finish Non Conference Slate 10-1 As Kansas State Looms

The Cincinnati Bearcats continued their impressive start to the season with a dominant 84-49 victory over Grambling State. This win caps off a strong non-conference slate that sees the Cats sitting at 10-1 heading into Big 12 play.

While the game against Grambling was never in doubt, there were still some encouraging signs. Aziz Bandaogo led the way with 15 points, including going 5-6 from the free throw line. His improved free throw shooting could be huge for UC moving forward. Dillon Mitchell also had a solid game with 13 points and 7 rebounds.

However, Cincinnati's three-point shooting continues to be a concern. UC went just 9-32 (28%) from beyond the arc against Grambling. This has been a trend in recent games after a hot start to the season. Players like Dan Skillings and Jizzle James, who we're counting on to at least be formidable shooters, both went just 1-6 from three.

Looking ahead to Big 12 play, UC's schedule sets up favorably compared to some other teams in the conference. Cincy avoids playing powerhouses like Iowa State and Kansas twice, instead getting two games each against more beatable opponents like Kansas State, Utah, BYU and West Virginia.

The Big 12 as a whole hasn't looked quite as dominant in non-conference play as many expected. Outside of Iowa State, Kansas, Houston and UC, there aren't many other ranked teams at the moment. Baylor and Arizona in particular have underwhelmed so far.