Cincinnati landed a point guard on Friday, when four-star floor general Keyshaun Tillery chose the Bearcats over fellow finalist Virginia and Wake Forest. Tillery’s Sept. 13 official visit to Cincy seems to have swung his recruitment, as Wes Miller and company were able to make a splash while hosting the New Hampton (NH) High School standout.

Below, Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy examines what the Bearcats are getting in the 6-foot-1 guard as well as what the news means for Miller’s rebuilding program.

Tillery is a traditional-ish point guard that is a distributor first and a scorer second. That’s not to say there isn’t excitement to his game, however, as it’s quite the opposite. The quick and creative floor general is one of the more creative passers in the country and shows a knack for highlight-worthy assists without being careless with the basketball. There are stretches where he trusts his floor vision a bit too much, but the senior has limited turnovers as of late, looking more mature from a ball-valuing standpoint in recent viewings. Tillery is a well above average long-range shooter and has the confidence and the handle to attack the basket off the bounce, even if his size might limit him a bit from that standpoint at the Big 12 level. Defensively, he’s what you expect. His lack of size limits his versatility, but his motor, quickness and intensity allow him to be a pest on the perimeter, oftentimes speeding up opposing ball handlers and creating chaos.

Obviously, the biggest reason for Bearcats fans to be excited by this is Tillery’s skill set, feel for the game and impressive court vision. The fact that recent intel suggests his commitment won’t affect the decision of fellow Bearcat recruiting target Jalen Reece is a bonus. Wes Miller and company are having a lot of recruiting success, particularly with guards, in the last handful of classes. The program feels like it’s a successful 2024-25 season away from taking the next step on the trail and becoming a serious player for some seriously heavy hitters. If Miller can parlay the recruiting momentum he’s built into a NCAA Tournament berth next spring, things could start to snowball in a positive manner and do so quickly.