Jerrod Calhoun, Cincinnati Bearcats basketball prepare for exhibitions

The first team assembled at the University of Cincinnati by men's basketball coach Jerrod Calhoun's staff has practiced since early summer, taken a short trip to the Bahamas for exhibitions and is now gearing up for three dress rehearsals in October.

Calhoun has a roster of 15, but with two question marks as October begins.

MJ Collins led Calhoun's Utah State team in scoring at 17.5 points per game, but has yet to be cleared for the season by the courts in Ohio. Collins is in the category of players denied a fifth year of eligibility, with many winning an extra season in the courts.

Collins did play in the Bahamas exhibitions and would make a tremendous difference.

Javontae Campbell is another fifth-year player from Bowling Green who averaged 18.7 points for the Falcons. However, a foot injury was discovered in a physical, and he appears sidelined until perhaps the first of the year.

UC won't comment on those players until they are cleared; otherwise, Calhoun spoke to the media Oct. 1 and seems ready to see some competition.

"We need to go play somebody else," Calhoun said. "We have a lot of things to get cleaned up. Whatever we look like next Wednesday (Oct. 7 vs. Ohio State), obviously 30 days later will be a lot better."

After facing the Buckeyes at 3 p.m. Oct. 7 in the CareSource Invitational at the Lindner Tennis Center in Mason, the Bearcats will have 10 days to get ready for national semifinalist Illinois from the Big Ten. Like Calhoun, Fighting Illini coach Brad Underwood is a former Bob Huggins assistant (at Kansas State).

UC and Illinois have a tentative 7 p.m. tip Oct. 17 for an exhibition at Fifth Third Arena. The Bearcats then entertain Oakland University in the final exhibition Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. The Golden Grizzlies have been to the NCAA Tournament four times since 2005.

UC's only returning player is walk-on Grant Darbyshire; everyone else is new.

"We need as many reps as possible," Calhoun said. "I think Ohio State, Illinois and Oakland, all three are a little bit different."

What's different is Calhoun invited Ohio State's staff into Fifth Third Arena to "live scout" them. The Buckeyes allowed the Bearcats to do the same. Calhoun says it's unconventional, but he enjoys watching other teams practice, so much so that he's been to Kentucky and Alabama in recent weeks.

"Year one is difficult, but we have the talent to be pretty good," Calhoun said.

NCAA.com's Andy Katz just released the Power 44, which corresponds to 44 at-large teams among the 76-team 2027 NCAA Tournament field. If you're looking at exhibition opponents, Illinois is No. 4 and Ohio State is No. 24. The Bearcats come in at No. 41, with Xavier at No. 44.

In the Big 12, Houston's No. 11, Kansas No. 15, BYU No. 21, Iowa State No. 23, TCU No. 30, Texas Tech No. 31, West Virginia No. 32 and Baylor No. 40.

"Exhibitions are more about yourself," Calhoun said. "We'll see how we play."

Coming from Utah State, Calhoun had the Aggies in the NCAA Tournament the past two seasons, while UC hadn't physically stepped on the floor in an NCAA Tournament game since Mick Cronin's last UC team lost to Iowa in Columbus in March 2019.

Words from Cincinnati Bearcats players about upcoming season

The staff has alternated players in media settings, opting for on-floor interviews rather than a formal press conference. Oct. 1 it was a pair of guards, Akai Fleming (Georgia Tech transfer) and Trevian Carson (North Dakota State transfer). Both were double-digit scorers at their former schools.

New UC guard Akai Fleming has improved

Fleming credits his teammates for helping him get better at reading the floor. Like many Calhoun players, he's versatile enough to play the one, two or three positions. The team is full of catch-and-shoot players like Fleming.

Fleming is looking forward to the outside game with Ohio State and will embrace the competition.

"We're definitely taking this game serious," Fleming said. "Every game we play, we're going to take it serious like it's a Final Four game."

Trevian Carson is another Bearcats weapon from perimeter

Many of the Bearcats are accomplished 3-point shooters and reliable from the free-throw line. Carson hit 37.5% of his 3-pointers for North Dakota State and 80% of his foul shots and has paid his dues. From Des Moines, Iowa, he started at a community college and now is in the Big 12.

The 6-foot-3 guard doesn't appear worried about who he plays.

"At the end, it's still basketball," Carson said. "Just stick to our principles. Everything else is going to handle itself. Pressure is a privilege, for sure."

Cincinnati Bearcats women's basketball looks for maturity

Coach Katrina Merriweather's Bearcats slumped to 11-20 last season, playing numerous freshmen and dealing with injuries. They showed some spunk by knocking off No. 11 Iowa State in Fifth Third Arena, but dropped games with local rivals Miami University and Xavier, which hurt.

"For the first time in my career and our staff, you have a losing non-conference slate," Merriweather said. "It's never happened. I know it was because of the inconsistencies. A lot of those games came down to last possessions. You can circle every single loss on our schedule from last year."

Caliyah DeVillassee is the top returning scorer at 14.5 points per game. She's one of seven sophomores who saw time as freshmen, including Purcell Marian star Dee Alexander. Alexander struggled early with injuries.

"Dee is committed to being the best player she can for this team," Merriweather said. "The hardest thing to manage are the individual expectations. I've never coached a bigger team player. She wants to do whatever we need."

UC's women have an exhibition Oct. 28 at Fifth Third Arena against Georgetown College, then start the season Nov. 4 vs. East Texas A&M. They play in the Cancun Challenge Nov. 26-27 against the Miami RedHawks and Minnesota.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Jerrod Calhoun, Cincinnati Bearcats basketball prepare for exhibitions