Today brought about a big commitment for the Cincinnati Bearcats as they look to completely revitalize the roster for this year. 6’11”, 247lb Riley Allenspach committed from George Mason. The big man averaged 13.6/6.1/0.8 on 56% shooting last year for George Mason.
What to Expect on the Court:
Riley will help fill the gap left by Thiam leaving this year, and while he won’t be that level of a big, his size and game should translate well to the Big 12. He shot 31% from deep this year (21-67). He added in 59% from the field, while taking 290 shot attempts. He does, however, struggle from the free throw line at 68% (85-125). When diving into him, it really stood out to me that he was able to show year-over-year improvement especially while taking a step up (Riley transferred from Samford to George Mason last year). in 2024-25, he shot 58% from the field on 174 attempts, this year, he maintained similar shooting rates overall, while taking 120 more attempts. This gradual jump up in competition means that he should be primed and ready to step up to the high-major level with confidence. Of note, he did not foul out of any games this year, and only committed 4 fouls 1 time. He put up double digits 22 times. He also had 4 games with more than 20 points.
Key Performances:
- At Virginia Tech (12/6): He put up 11/5 while committing 1 foul in 27 minutes of action
- Vs. VCU (1/10): 16/3/1, 3 fouls and a turnover in 22 minutes
- Vs. Dayton (2/18): 12/5/1, 1 foul in 24 minutes
- @ VCU (3/3): 17/10/1, 4 fouls in 32 minutes
- Vs. Saint Louis (3/7): 13/5/0, 5 turnovers, 3 fouls.
His biggest performance of the year was a 26 point outburst vs. Old Dominion on 12/13. He played 27 minutes and put up 26/8/2.
Player Comparison
Riley reminds me of the types of guys we’re used to seeing Clemson deploy down low. PJ Hall stands out as a similar guy. Both were big, bruising guys who were extremely efficient down low. Both have also been able to step out and hit the deep ball as needed. This is a guy Bearcat fans should be extremely excited about, especially after beating out Clemson for him.
Overall, this was a player that Calhoun and co. prioritized from the get-go this offseason, and a guy with clear upside. While I don’t necessarily expect him to be an all-conference player, I do believe he’ll help anchor the interior this season in Clifton.
