When many were cleaning up their holiday festivities, University of Cincinnati basketball coach Wes Miller was watching the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii. In that championship game, he saw the Mustangs of Southern Methodist University almost win the tournament title against the hometown Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, falling 58-57 in Honolulu.

Miller and staff consumed themselves with SMU tape Thursday and Friday and now hope to improve their 2-4 mark away from the friendly confines of Fifth Third Arena where they are 10-2. Last season the Bearcats split with the Mustangs, defeating them by 17 at home but later losing by five in Dallas just a week before the start of the American Athletic Conference tournament.

In terms of attendance, SMU is fifth in the AAC (Cincinnati is second behind Memphis). The Mustangs average a little less than 4,700 fans per game in a 7,000-seat bandbox with the students strategically behind the bench, it can have its bothersome moments. On occasion, former President George W. Bush also makes an appearance.

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The Mustangs are now coached by Rob Lanier who led Georgia State to the Sun Belt tournament championship last season. SMU got out of the gate 3-7 early before winning two of three in the Hawaii tournament. Those wins were against Rick Pitino's 11-5 Iona Gaels and Utah State, which is 14-3. Lanier's men have won just one of the last four on the conference schedule.

The Bearcats are in Dallas, return home briefly, then in Tampa against USF on Wednesday before returning home Sunday, Jan. 22 to face the Memphis Tigers. The next week or so could be pivotal in the AAC race where UC is currently in the middle of the pack.

The game

Tip: 4 p.m (EST) Saturday, Moody Coliseum (7,000)

TV/Radio: ESPNU/700WLW

Series info: Cincinnati leads 16-6

SMU 6-11 (1-3 AAC)

Coach: Rob Lanier (6-11, first season)

Offense:  69 ppg

Defense: 73.5 ppg

Coach: Rob Lanier (6-11, first season)

Offense: 69 ppg

Defense: 73.5

Projected lineup

(Player, Position, Height, Key Stat)

Zach Nutall (G, 6'4", 13.6 ppg)

Efe Odigie (F, 6'8", 9.7 ppg)

Samuell Williamson (F, 6'8", 8.7 ppg)

Jalen Smith (G, 6'4", 3.9 ppg)

Keon Ambrose-Hylton (F, 6'8", 3.6 ppg)

Cincinnati 12-6 (3-2 AAC)

Coach: Wes Miller (30-21, second season)

Offense: 78.1 ppg

Defense: 68.1 ppg

Projected lineup

(Player, Position, Height, Key Stat)

David DeJulius (G, 6', 14.7 ppg)

Landers Nolley II (G/F, 6'7",15 ppg)

Mika Adams-Woods (G, 6'3", 10.1 ppg)

Viktor Lakhin, (F, 6'11", 12.8 ppg)

Ody Oguama, (F, 6’9”, 3.3 ppg)

Players to watch

Zhuric Phelps

The 6-foot-5, 195-pound sophomore guard is SMU's top scorer at 17.5 points per game but has missed the past two contests with an oblique injury. He's listed as a game-time decision for the Mustangs Saturday. Prior to January, he had been in double figures every game with a high mark of 28 points. Phelps was held to three points in a New Year's Day win over Tulsa and had just six in their Jan. 5 loss to top-ranked Houston.

David DeJulius

After a couple of poor shooting games, DeJulius returned to double figures Wednesday night against East Carolina with 11 points and 12 assists. The Bearcats have won every game when he's reached double figures with the exception of the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout against Xavier. The 12 assists match his career high which came at SMU two years ago.

In his two games against SMU last year, DeJulius led the Bearcats with 22 and 21 points, respectively.

"We go as he goes and he's really growing in that leadership role," Miller said of DeJulius. "He's learning his impact on our team is so much greater than any one thing on the floor."

Keys to the game

As SMU's students are able to cram into tight quarters behind both benches, it's always crucial to not get distracted by "The Mob" as they are known. Costumes are popular and past games have seen students dressed as crabs, squids, action heroes or the ever-popular hot dog.

History says if you outrebound and outshoot your opponent, such sections often quiet down. UC made 14 3-pointers against East Carolina and they're 10-2 when they make eight or more triples.

They outrebounded the Pirates and the No. 1 Houston Cougars who are the only opponent to defeat UC despite losing on the boards. The Bearcats are 10-1 when they win the glass war.

Also, Jeremiah Davenport scored 22 points on the road at Wichita State off the bench and 16 against ECU. Miller's men outscored the Pirates 33-5 from the bench. Accordingly, UC is 8-1 when its bench outscores the opponent. Should SMU score in the 50s, as it did in losses to Houston and UCF, that would also be conducive to UC notching the never-easy road "W".

The Ratings

NCAA NET: Cincinnati is No. 87, SMU No. 215.

KenPom.com: Cincinnati is No. 73, SMU No. 175

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: UC Bearcats, SMU Mustangs on Saturday's hardwood from Dallas