Days after hinting at his return during a University of Cincinnati baseball broadcast, Bearcat basketball sophomore Dan Skillings Jr. made it official Thursday afternoon via Instagram.

He will return for his junior year.

University of Cincinnati forward Dan Skillings Jr. will return for his junior year with Wes Miller’s Bearcats
The 6-foot-6 native of Blackwood, New Jersey who played high school ball at Philadelphia Roman Catholic led the Bearcats in scoring this season at 12.9 points per game and was second in rebounding (6.4) and blocks (25). His high game came against Stetson in December when he hit for 29 points and he twice had 25 (vs. NKU and in the Big 12 tournament win over No. 16 Kansas).

Skillings had 25 double-figure scoring games, including his last eight. He played in 36 of 37 games and started 15. He improved his numbers dramatically from his freshman season when he averaged 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. That season he showed his potential in an AAC first-round tournament win over Temple with 20 points.

Tipping his pitches

Skillings tipped his hand a tad last weekend during an ESPN+ baseball broadcast of the UC vs. Kansas game. After throwing out the game’s first pitch, he joined the announcing crew in the booth.

“This year coming up will be my last year for sure. Then, I’ll be going to the league. That’s been the goal.”

He added that players that want to learn things and not be misled, would like Wes Miller.

“He said, ‘We don’t see you doing more than two, three years here,’ ” Skillings Jr. said.

Returning ‘Cats

Miller should be happy to get a third season. Skillings Jr. now joins Simas Lukošius and Day Day Thomas in officially announcing a return. Aziz Bandaogo is testing the NBA draft waters, but also added he would return. The NFL Hall of Fame father of Jizzle James, Edgerrin, has also indicated his son’s return to the Bearcat backcourt. Reserve Josh Reed is also back.