Alabama St. @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 13, 2011 ) Alabama St. 40, Cincinnati 65

After rolling to a dominant victory at the Cayman Islands Classic last week, No. 13 Cincinnati is ready for its showdown with rival Xavier. But first, the Bearcats need to take care of business in their return to BB&T Arena as they prepare to host winless Alabama State on Monday.

After opening with a narrow victory over a plucky Buffalo team, Cincinnati wasn't seriously challenged in the final two rounds of inaugural Classic in George Town, defeating Richmond in the semifinals and Wyoming in the championship game by a combined 53 points. "This is a good start to the season," Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin told reporters following the victory over Wyoming. "You practice winning three in row, but down here you have to focus especially with fun in sun." The Bearcats haven't been tested much in 2017-18, boasting an average margin of victory of just over 30 points - the second-best rate in Division I. They'll look to bump that average against an Alabama State team coming off a heartbreaking four-point loss to Savannah State.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT ALABAMA STATE (0-6): The Hornets had lost their first five games by an average of 33.6 points before finding themselves in a competitive contest, trailing by a single point with 3:22 remaining but ultimately failing to pull ahead. Alabama State comes into Monday's action ranked dead last among FBS teams in scoring defense - allowing an absurd 94 points per game - and are allowing teams to shoot a robust 50.7 percent from the field, ranking 338th overall. Reginald Gee averages a team-best 14.8 points - more than five points better the next closest Hornet - and had 19 points in just 21 minutes in the loss to Savannah State as he battled foul trouble throughout.

ABOUT CINCINNATI (6-0): All those lopsided victories have produced several positive statistical trends - most notably, a whole pile of missed opponent shots that have contributed to the Bearcats coming into Monday ranked fourth in rebounds per game (47.3) while leading the nation in average rebounding margin (plus-18). Gary Clark leads five players in double figures at 13.7 points per game while adding 8.3 rebounds and shooting 53.8 percent from the field; he bounced back from an eight-point effort against Richmond to pour in 17 points in the Cayman Islands title game against Wyoming. Jacob Evans contributes 11.7 points and a team-best 4.5 assists; he shot 5-for-11 from 3-point range in the tournament.

TIP-INS

1. Opponents are shooting just 33.9 percent versus the Bearcats, the third-best rate in the nation.

2. Cincinnati F Jarron Cumberland had a rough time in the Cayman Islands, committing seven turnovers in the opener and scoring 12 total points in the final two games of the event.

3. Alabama State allows teams to shoot 47.8 percent from beyond the arc, the worst rate in Division I.

PREDICTION: Cincinnati 110, Alabama State 54