Akai Fleming, Trevian Carson Lead Cincinnati Bearcats 2026 Shooting Guard Position Preview

A new roster under Calhoun

Cincinnati finished 18-15 last season and stayed well short of the NCAA tournament. New head coach Jerrod Calhoun will lead the Bearcats as they look to improve. The shooting guard review identifies Fleming and Carson as the main options. Calhoun has emphasized the importance of each game and possession, while noting that opponents present different challenges.

Carson brings broad production

Carson played his first two college seasons at the junior college level before spending one year at North Dakota State. He averaged 11.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals for the Bison.

He appeared in all 35 games during the 2025-26 season, shooting 48% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range. His season high was 29 points in a win over Drake.

Fleming has a case to start

Fleming came to Cincinnati from Georgia Tech, where he was a sophomore. He averaged 10.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists, shooting 37.3% from the field and 32.9% from beyond the arc.

If Fleming and Carson are the only contenders, the position preview favors Fleming. It also points to his performance on a struggling Georgia Tech team as a reason Cincinnati may want to trust him early.

More players could rotate in

Calhoun is expected to use a mix of players at shooting guard, with wings on the roster potentially filling the role at times. That could make the position less of a two-player contest over the season.

Carson is not expected to be irrelevant if he does not start. He could earn important minutes off the bench and offer leadership to a roster assembled largely through transfers in Calhoun’s first year.