Before diving into our coverage from Cincinnati’s men’s basketball media availability 6/25, we’d like to extend our sincere gratitude to the University of Cincinnati Athletics Department for welcoming our media team. As a growing independent outlet dedicated to covering Bearcats athletics, opportunities like this mean a great deal to us. The access provided not only allows us to bring our readers closer to the program, but also reflects the University’s commitment to engaging with the passionate community that supports Cincinnati athletics. We are incredibly thankful for the opportunity and look forward to continuing to tell the stories of this program throughout the season.
Interview #1 Riley Allenspach
First reaction seeing Riley Allenspach in person, he is EVERY bit of his listed 6’11”, 247lbs. Has a great frame and I suspect he’s already put on a little bit of muscle since arriving on campus. Below, I will attach the full media interview, and some Q & A’s that really stuck out to me.
Q: What’s happening in the monster factory that you can tell us?
A: We’re getting stronger, we’re in there almost every day. Mike is helping us with the work.
Q: What’s the process of learning this offense, learning the system been like for you?
A: Yeah, it’s a lot of fun. Especially as a big, we get to have a lot of fun being able to make decisions and pass the ball.
Q: What’s the best part of your game?
A: I think my ability to go inside and out, makes it hard to guard against and scout.
Q: Being here, being acclimated. How do you feel that your game has improved being in the system?
A: Decision making, especially on the perimeter. Making reads.
Q: What is the correct pronunciation of your last name?
A: Allens-sp-ack
Interview #2 Elijah Perryman
First thoughts seeing Elijah Perryman in person, taller than I expected, and has very long arms. Very energetic personality. Below, I will attach the full media interview, and some Q & A’s that really stuck out to me.
Q: How long did it take you to decide to follow these guys here?
A: It was a no brainer. Coach and the coaching staff mean a lot to me. They’ve been with me through ups and downs, and battles throughout my life.
Q: How competitive have practices been?
A: Very competitive, we all want to win. Our team does not like losing. Very competitive I would say.
Q: Why would you say this team might be better than what people think?
A: Because the bond that I feel like we’ve made already. I feel like we connected instantly, everybody likes each other.
Interview #3 Assistant Coach Mantoris Robinson
First thoughts, very personable. Listening to him felt very laid back and casual. Seemed very happy to be joining the staff. I’ll include his portion below. One thing that stood out to us was that Adlan Elamin has already gained 10 pounds of muscle since arriving in Cincinnati!
Familiar Faces On The Court
Two familiar faces also caught the eye inside the practice gym. Cincinnati commit and hometown hero Kam Mercer could be seen dribbling a basketball and chatting with several Bearcat players, looking right at home inside Fifth Third Arena. A sight that should make every Bearcat fan smile.
On the other side of the gym, four-star Lakota West CG Joshua Tyson. One of Cincinnati’s top recruiting targets in the 2027 class. Was all smiles as he spent time talking with head coach Jerrod Calhoun, watching current players put shots up.
Our Thoughts
The overall length and athleticism is a notable improvement for this roster and I think it’ll clearly elevate them in the Big 12 pecking order.
Tylen Riley is very vocal and his charisma is going to be something really fun throughout the season. He was also the last guy out getting shots up before practice started which we thought was telling.
Guards are super quick and distribute the ball well.
Love how involved and hands on Coach Calhoun was in practice, he carries a presence and its very apparent listening to his coach speak he’s on a completely different level of basketball IQ.
I’ll be curious to see what the starting lineup looks like in the upcoming exhibition games, this team is very deep, versatile, and has a little bit of everything where needed.
Elijah Perryman looked very comfortable running drills, has a nice stroke and his ability to facilitate the basketball to his teammates is without a question as advertised.
Tyler Tejada is going to be a matchup nightmare for opponents both in non conference and Big 12 play. He has tremendous length, the physicality is there, he knows how to find his spots.
Adlan Elamin had a nice fake from the perimeter and knocked a three down. His form looks great. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing him knock down a plethora of three pointers this season.
Jayden Hastings is the vocal leader on defense. Hands down the loudest on the court.
Drill Work
Follow us on X for more coverage!
Noah: @CriglerMedia @CalhounsCats
Hunter: @BracketNKY
If you’ve ever needed better online security and wanted to save a ton of money while doing so, make sure you check out this link! We’ve partnered with NordVPN to get you 65%+ off at the link below. Sansom Sports Media is happy to partner with them to keep our connections safe, and you should consider it as well!
https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=1002&aff_id=147031
Leave a Reply