In his second offseason as the University of Cincinnati head basketball coach, John Brannen has proven that he is able to convince talent to become Bearcats. After bringing in four transfers to the program his first season, Brannen has proven it was not just beginner’s luck.
In just this week, Cincinnati has secured two more transfers that will make large impacts on the court in the upcoming years.
Center Rapolas Ivanauskas, who transferred from Colgate, stands at a formidable 6-foot-10, 230 pounds and will most likely be paired with 7-foot-1 big man Chris Vogt to give Cincinnati a huge height advantage in the paint. Ivanauskas played two seasons with Colgate after a stint at Northwestern to begin his college career. Last season, Ivanauskas averaged 13.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 43.2 percent from the field.
Ivanauskas dropped 21 points and nine rebounds while playing for Colgate in a win over Cincinnati last season. He is a prototypical, back-to-the-basket player who Brannen does seem to be drawn to. His pairing with Vogt could give the Bearcats a big advantage in the low post. As a grad transfer, Ivanauskas will not have to sit out a full year and will be eligible to play at the beginning of the upcoming season.
Guard David DeJulius comes from the opposite side of the height spectrum at 6-foot tall. The Michigan transfer is a sophomore who will have two years of eligibility remaining. Due to NCAA transfer rules, he will have to sit out games this upcoming year but will be able to suit up come the start of the 2021-22 season. This past year, DeJulius played in a limited role behind senior point guard Xavier Simpson but he was still able to make an impact in the stat sheet.
In about 20 minutes per game, DeJulius averaged seven points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. He was a four-star recruit in Michigan at the time of his commitment so it will be exciting to see him reach his full potential in a Cincinnati jersey over the next few seasons.
