Jarron Cumberland Season in Review

The Numbers

• 8.3 points per game (17.5 per 40 minutes)
• 2.4 rebounds per game (5.0 per 40 minutes)
• 1.5 assists per game (2.9 per 40 minutes)
• 1.0 steals per game (2.0 per 40 minutes)
• .493/.355/.651 shooting splits

The true freshman from Wilmington, Ohio truly impressed the Cincinnati fan base in his first season with the team. I know none of his stats truly jump off the page at people, but with how heavy the roster was last season, playing time wasn’t always easy to come by. However, with Troy Caupain and Kevin Johnson on their way out, Cumberalnd will certainly get a lot of playing time this upcoming season.

Coming in at 6’5” 218 pounds, Cumberland doesn't necessarily fit into any prototypical slots on the floor, a bit heavy for a guard and too short to play the post. Although his size was a question mark on where he would exactly fit in, his effort and play in the short time that he did see definitely earned him a spot for the future. Cumberland’s stocky build made him a matchup problem for most guards because he can drive the ball to the basket unlike any freshman that UC has seen in awhile. And his speed and athleticism make him a nightmare to guard for big men because his ability to work on the perimeter as well as shoot the long ball. Cumberland is a matchup problem no matter who you play against which is why he will be starting thre next three seasons as a Bearcat. Cumberland had a few games this past year that prove he has the capability of being one of the best players in the conference, and the fact that he was easily the primary sixth man off the bench as a freshman shows he has Mick Cronin’s confkidence already.

Best of the Best

Saturday November 26, 2016 vs. Lipscomb

Cumberland turned a lot of heads in a big way with a 17-point outing that included three steals.

Tuesday December 13, 2016 vs. Texas Southern

Cumberland continued to prove he could score at will if given the minutes and dropped 18 points with six rebounds in a blowout win for the Bearcats.

Thursday January 26, 2017 vs. Xavier

In the biggest game of his young college career, Cumberland came off the bench and rallied the Bearcats to beat Xavier in the Crosstown Shootout. Although only a freshman, he proved that night he is not afraid of taking over games, scoring 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting.

Sunday January 29, 2017 vs. USF

In a big win for UC, Cumberland was absolutely on fire in all aspects of his game. He would drop a career high 26 points and add three rebounds, three assists and four steals.

Saturday February 4, 2017 vs. UConn and Sunday March 5, 2017 vs UConn

Against a conference rival, Cumberland showed up big in both games with 15-point outings both times.

Sunday March 19, 2017 vs. UCLA

Although the Bearcats would lose this game, Cumberland scored 15 points and really put an exclamation point on his freshman year.

For Next Year

The future for Cumberalnd looks extremely bright. His ability to run the floor, finish at the rim and his fearless attitude on the court will make him very fun to watch over the next couple of seasons. If there’s anything he needs to improve, its his free throw shooting, especially as he’s shown he likes to get to the rim. With Caupain and Johnson leaving, Cumberalnd will have plenty of minutes to show what he has got going forward. It is not crazy to think that Cumberland could win a couple player of the year awards in the American Athletic Conference in the upcoming years, so stayed tuned.