NCAA Basketball: Top 10 players to wear jersey No. 30 in 2023-24 season
By Joey Loose
10. Viktor Lakhin (Cincinnati)
Lakhin is an intriguing forward originally from Russia who has settled in nicely during his time in Cincinnati. After missing his first season due to medical issues, Lakhin was a bench piece as a redshirt freshman and has had more measured success in these last two years. This hasn’t exactly been the glory days for Cincinnati basketball, though Lakhin has stepped up as a key frontcourt weapon recently.
The numbers weren’t as great as the season prior, but the junior averaged 9.2 points and 6.0 rebounds as a starting forward for the Bearcats in their first season in the Big 12. Lakhin would miss a few games due to injury but would rate among the best rebounders and 2-point field goal shooters in the league. This Cincinnati squad had bright moments during a 22-win campaign and Lakhin certainly shined at times.
His outstanding 26-point, 11-rebound affair against Eastern Washington was part of a hot start to the season for both him and these Bearcats. He played well in wins over Georgia Tech and BYU, while also dropped 19 points against Howard and Florida Gulf Coast. Lakhin fell out of favor and dealt with those injuries late in the year, but will look for a bounce back effort after transferring to Clemson this offseason.