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2024–25 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team

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The 2024–25 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team represented the University of Cincinnati during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bearcats, led by fourth-year head coach Wes Miller, played their home games at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio as second-year members of the Big 12 Conference.

ConferenceBig 12 Conference
Record19–16 (7–13 Big 12)
Headcoach
Associate headcoachChad Dollar (4th season)
Quick facts Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball, College Basketball Crown, Quarterfinals ...
2024–25 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball
ConferenceBig 12 Conference
Record19–16 (7–13 Big 12)
Head coach
Associate head coachChad Dollar (4th season)
Assistant coaches
  • Andre Morgan (4th season)
  • Drew Adams (2nd season)
  • Jaylen Stowe (1st season)
  • Tim Buckley (1st season)
Home arenaFifth Third Arena
Seasons
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More information Conf., Overall ...
2024–25 Big 12 men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 2 Houston †19–1 .95035–5  .875
No. 8 Texas Tech15–5 .75028–9  .757
No. 15 Arizona14–6 .70024–13  .649
No. 13 BYU14–6 .70026–10  .722
No. 17 Iowa State13–7 .65025–10  .714
Kansas11–9 .55021–13  .618
Baylor10–10 .50020–15  .571
West Virginia10–10 .50019–13  .594
TCU9–11 .45016–16  .500
Kansas State9–11 .45016–17  .485
Utah8–12 .40016–17  .485
Oklahoma State7–13 .35017–18  .486
Cincinnati7–13 .35019–16  .543
UCF7–13 .35020–17  .541
Arizona State4–16 .20013–20  .394
Colorado3–17 .15014–21  .400
† 2025 Big 12 tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll
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Previous season

Main article: 2023–24 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team

The Bearcats finished the season 22–15 and 7–11 in Big 12 play to finish in 11th place in the conference standings, thus earning the 11th seed in the 2024 Big 12 Tournament. They defeated West Virginia, and Kansas in the Big 12 tournament before losing to Baylor in the quarterfinals.[1]

The Bearcats were invited to play in the NIT, where they defeated San Francisco and Bradley before falling to Indiana State in the quarterfinals.[2]

Offseason

Coaching staff changes

Former assistant coach Josh Loeffler accepted the head coaching job at Loyola.[3] South Carolina assistant Tim Buckley was hired as an assistant coach.[4] Jake Thelen, previously director of player development/assistant coach, accepted the head coaching job at Covington Catholic High School.[5] Former UC graduate assistant Jaylen Stowe, an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at High Point, was hired as an assistant coach.[6]

Departures

Due to COVID-19, the NCAA ruled in October 2020 that the 2020–21 season would not count against the eligibility of any basketball player, thus giving all players the option to return in 2022–23.[7] Additionally, any players who hde declared for the 2024 NBA draft—including seniors, who must opt into this year's draft—had the option to return if they made a timely withdrawal from the draft and ended any pre-draft relationships with agents.

More information Name, Pos. ...
Cincinnati Departures
Name Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Reason for departure
John Newman IIIG/F6' 5"215Graduate studentGreensboro, NCCompleted college eligibility
Landen LongG5' 11"185Graduate studentCincinnati, OHCompleted college eligibility
Ody OguamaF6' 9"230Graduate studentRaleigh, NCCompleted college eligibility
Viktor LakhinC6' 11"240Redshirt JuniorAnapa, RussiaGraduated; transferred to Clemson[8][9]
Jamille ReynoldsF6' 11"275SeniorSt. Petersburg, FLTransferred to South Florida[10]
Sage TolentinoC7' 1"240Redshirt SophomoreHonolulu, HITransferred to UNC Asheville[11][12]
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Incoming transfers

More information Name, Pos. ...
Cincinnati incoming transfers
Name Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Old school Remaining eligibility
Arrinten PageC6' 11"245SophomoreAtlanta, GAUSCThree years[13]
Connor HickmanG6' 3"200SeniorBloomington, INBradleyOne year[14]
Dillon MitchellF6' 8"205JuniorTampa, FLTexasTwo years[15]
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Recruiting classes

2024 recruiting class

More information Name, Hometown ...
College recruiting
Name Hometown School Height Weight Commit date
Tyler Betsey
SF		 Windsor, CT St. Thomas More School 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Oct 6, 2023 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 4/5 stars   247Sports: 4/5 stars   ESPN: 4/5 stars   (87)
Tyler McKinley
PF		 Cincinnati, OH Winton Woods High School 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Nov 8, 2023 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 4/5 stars   247Sports: 4/5 stars   ESPN: 4/5 stars   (83)
Halvine Dzellat
PF/C		 Loir-et-Cher, France ADA Blois Basket 41 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Sep 11, 2024 
Recruit ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:    (NR)
Overall recruit ranking:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Cincinnati 2024 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.
  • "2024 Cincinnati Basketball Commits". ESPN.
  • "2024 Team Ranking". Rivals.
  • "Cincinnati 2024 Basketball Commits". 247Sports.
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2025 recruiting class

More information College recruiting (2025), Name ...
College recruiting (2025)
Name Hometown School Height Weight Commit date
Keyshuan Tillery
PG		 Albany, NY New Hampton School 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 184 lb (83 kg) Sep 20, 2024 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 4/5 stars   247Sports: 4/5 stars   ESPN: 4/5 stars   (85)
Shon Abaev
SF		 Fort Lauderdale, FL Calvary Christian Academy (Florida) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Nov 28, 2024 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 4/5 stars   247Sports: 4/5 stars   ESPN: 4/5 stars   (88)
Overall recruit ranking:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

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Preseason

Big 12 Preseason Poll

More information Big 12 Coaches, Points ...
Big 12 Coaches Points
1. Kansas 215 (9)
2. Houston 211 (5)
3. Iowa State 194 (1)
4. Baylor 185
5. Arizona 179 (1)
6. Cincinnati 140
7. Texas Tech 135
8. Kansas State 133
9. BYU 116
10. TCU 90
11. UCF 83
12. Arizona State 64
13. West Virginia 62
14. Oklahoma State 46
15. Colorado 37
16. Utah 30
Reference:[16] (#) first-place votes
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Pre-Season All-Big 12 Team

First Team
More information Player, School ...
Player School
Caleb Love Arizona
LJ Cryer Houston
J’Wan Roberts
Tamin Lipsey Iowa State
Hunter Dickinson† Kansas
† denotes unanimous selection
Reference:[16]
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Second Team
More information Player, School ...
Player School
Norchad Omier Baylor
Jeremy Roach
Keshon Gilbert Iowa State
Dajuan Harris Jr Kansas
Coleman Hawkins Kansas State
† denotes unanimous selection
Reference:[16]
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Roster

More information Players, Coaches ...
2024–25 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G 0 Daniel Skillings 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)215 lb (98 kg) JrRoman Catholic High School Blackwood, NJ
G 1 Day Day Thomas 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)215 lb (98 kg) SrKilgore College Columbia, SC
G 2 Jizzle James 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)205 lb (93 kg) SoOlympia High School Orlando, FL
G/F 3 Rayvon Griffith 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)210 lb (95 kg) RS FrAZ Compass Prep School Cincinnati, OH
G 5 CJ Fredrick 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)185 lb (84 kg) GSKentucky Cincinnati, OH
G 8 Connor Hickman 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)200 lb (91 kg) SrBradley Bloomington, IN
G 10 Josh Reed 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)220 lb (100 kg) JrPace Academy Atlanta, GA
G 11 CJ Anthony (W) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)195 lb (88 kg) SrPutnam Science Academy Columbus, OH
F 14 Tyler Betsey 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)225 lb (102 kg) FrSt. Thomas More School Windsor, CT
G 20 JJ Rembert (W) 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)155 lb (70 kg) FrNation Ford High School Queens, NY
F 22 Arrinten Page 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)240 lb (109 kg) SoUSC Atlanta, GA
F 23 Dillon Mitchell 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)210 lb (95 kg) JrTexas Tampa, FL
F 24 Tyler McKinley Injured 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)240 lb (109 kg) FrWinton Woods High School Cincinnati, OH
G/F 41 Simas Lukošius 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)225 lb (102 kg) SrButler Kaunas, Lithuania
C 55 Aziz Bandaogo 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)235 lb (107 kg) GSUtah Valley Dakar, Senegal
F/C 65 Halvine Dzellat 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)225 lb (102 kg) FrADA Blois Basket 41 Loir-et-Cher, France
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: October 8, 2024

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Schedule and results

More information Date time, TV, Rank# ...
Date
time, TV		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
October 18, 2024
7:00 p.m.		 No. 20 Ohio State
CareSource Exhibition Game for Mental Health[17]		 W 80–62  –
  12 – Tied  7 – Mitchell  6 – Thomas  Fifth Third Arena 
Cincinnati, OH
Regular season
November 4, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN+		 No. 20 Arkansas–Pine Bluff W 109–54  1–0
  20 – Lukošius  11 – Skillings  10 – James  Fifth Third Arena (10,290)
Cincinnati, OH
November 8, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN+		 No. 20 Morehead State W 83–56  2–0
  14 – Tied  9 – Mitchell  6 – Lukošius  Fifth Third Arena (10,604)
Cincinnati, OH
November 15, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN+		 No. 17 Nicholls
Twyman-Stokes Classic[18]		 W 86–49  3–0
  19 – Tied  9 – Mitchell  6 – Lukošius  Fifth Third Arena (10,485)
Cincinnati, OH
November 19, 2024
7:00 p.m., FDSNOH		 No. 18 at Northern Kentucky
Twyman-Stokes Classic		 W 76–60  4–0
  18 – Lukošius  6 – Mitchell  6 – James  Truist Arena (7,485)
Highland Heights, KY
November 23, 2024
2:00 p.m., ACCNX/ESPN+		 No. 18 at Georgia Tech W 81–58  5–0
  14 – Tied  11 – Mitchell  7 – James  McCamish Pavilion (4,970)
Atlanta, GA
November 27, 2024
7:00 p.m., ESPN+		 No. 16 Alabama State W 77–59  6–0
  16 – Lukošius  9 – Bandaogo  5 – James  Fifth Third Arena (10,970)
Cincinnati, OH
December 3, 2024
6:30 p.m., FS1		 No. 14 at Villanova
Big East–Big 12 Battle		 L 60–68  6–1
  19 – James  5 – Tied  5 – James  Finneran Pavilion (6,501)
Villanova, PA
December 8, 2024
2:00 p.m., ESPN+		 No. 14 Howard W 84–67  7–1
  18 – Lukošius  8 – Page  4 – Lukošius  Fifth Third Arena (10,913)
Cincinnati, OH
December 14, 2024
2:00 p.m., ESPN+		 No. 22 Xavier
Crosstown Shootout		 W 68–65  8–1
  14 – Lukošius  10 – Mitchell  5 – James  Fifth Third Arena (12,513)
Cincinnati, OH
December 20, 2024
8:30 p.m., ESPNU		 No. 19 vs. No. 22 Dayton
Simple Truth Hoops Classic		 W 66–59  9–1
  17 – Skillings Jr.  7 – Mitchell  3 – James  Heritage Bank Center (15,107)
Cincinnati, OH
December 22, 2024
4:00 p.m., ESPN+		 No. 19 Grambling State W 84–49  10–1
  15 – Bandaogo  7 – Mitchell  8 – James  Fifth Third Arena (11,175)
Cincinnati, OH
Big 12 regular season
December 30, 2024
7:00 p.m., CBSSN		 No. 16 at Kansas State L 66–70  10–2
(0–1)		  15 – Mitchell  11 – Mitchell  4 – James  Bramlage Coliseum (9,970)
Manhattan, KS
January 4, 2025
2:30 p.m., ESPN2		 No. 16 Arizona L 67–72  10–3
(0–2)		  18 – Skillings Jr.  9 – Bandaogo  5 – James  Fifth Third Arena (11,212)
Cincinnati, OH
January 7, 2025
8:00 p.m., ESPN+		 at Baylor L 48–68  10–4
(0–3)		  18 – Skillings Jr.  5 – James  5 – Lukošius  Foster Pavilion (7,500)
Waco, TX
January 11, 2025
2:00 p.m., ESPN+		 No. 11 Kansas L 40–54  10–5
(0–4)		  10 – Mitchell  8 – Bandaogo  3 – Lukošius  Fifth Third Arena (12,003)
Cincinnati, OH
January 15, 2025
9:00 p.m., ESPN+		 at Colorado W 68–62  11–5
(1–4)		  16 – Lukošius  10 – Bandaogo  2 – Tied  CU Events Center (6,576)
Boulder, CO
January 18, 2025
2:00 p.m., CBSSN		 Arizona State W 67–60  12–5
(2–4)		  14 – Mitchell  9 – Bandaogo  4 – Thomas  Fifth Third Arena (11,090)
Cincinnati, OH
January 21, 2025
7:00 p.m., ESPNU		 Texas Tech L 71–81  12–6
(2–5)		  17 – James  5 – Skillings Jr.  3 – Tied  Fifth Third Arena (10,790)
Cincinnati, OH
January 25, 2025
10:30 p.m., ESPN2		 at BYU L 52–80  12–7
(2–6)		  14 – Lukošius  5 – Mitchell  5 – James  Marriott Center (17,483)
Provo, UT
January 28, 2025
10:00 p.m., CBSSN		 at Utah L 66–69  12–8
(2–7)		  18 – James  6 – Mitchell  4 – Tied  Jon M. Huntsman Center (7,570)
Salt Lake City, UT
February 2, 2025
2:00 p.m., ESPN+		 West Virginia
rivalry		 L 50–63  12–9
(2–8)		  10 – Thomas  10 – Mitchell  3 – Mitchell  Fifth Third Arena (11,085)
Cincinnati, OH
February 5, 2025
7:00 p.m., CBSSN		 at UCF W 93–83  13–9
(3–8)		  20 – Thomas  6 – Tied  6 – Thomas  Addition Financial Arena (7,421)
Orlando, FL
February 8, 2025
6:00 p.m., ESPN2		 BYU W 84–66  14–9
(4–8)		  24 – James  6 – Bandaogo  4 – Thomas  Fifth Third Arena (12,217)
Cincinnati, OH
February 11, 2025
7:00 p.m., ESPN+		 Utah W 85–75  15–9
(5–8)		  25 – James  10 – Bandaogo  6 – James  Fifth Third Arena (10,510)
Cincinnati, OH
February 15, 2025
4:00 p.m., ESPN2		 at No. 10 Iowa State L 70–81  15–10
(5–9)		  25 – James  5 – Mitchell  4 – Thomas  Hilton Coliseum (14,267)
Ames, IA
February 19, 2025
7:00 p.m., ESPN2		 at West Virginia
rivalry		 L 59–62  15–11
(5–10)		  13 – Tied  10 – Bandaogo  3 – Tied  WVU Coliseum (10,683)
Morgantown, WV
February 22, 2025
12:00 p.m., ESPN2		 TCU W 75–63  16–11
(6–10)		  18 – James  13 – Mitchell  4 – James  Fifth Third Arena (10,648)
Cincinnati, OH
February 25, 2025
7:00 p.m., ESPN2		 Baylor W 69–67  17–11
(7–10)		  18 – James  9 – Mitchell  4 – Thomas  Fifth Third Arena (10,598)
Cincinnati, OH
March 1, 2025
4:30 p.m., CBS		 at No. 4 Houston L 64–73  17–12
(7–11)		  19 – Thomas  8 – Bandaogo  5 – James  Fertitta Center (7,035)
Houston, TX
March 5, 2025
7:00 p.m., ESPN+		 Kansas State L 49–54  17–13
(7–12)		  12 – Thomas  7 – Tied  5 – Lukošius  Fifth Third Arena (10,814)
Cincinnati, OH
March 8, 2025
3:00 p.m., ESPN+		 at Oklahoma State L 67–78  17–14
(7–13)		  17 – James  9 – Reed  4 – Tied  Gallagher-Iba Arena (6,597)
Stillwater, OK
Big 12 tournament
March 11, 2025
12:30 p.m., ESPN+		 (13) vs. (12) Oklahoma State
First round		 W 87–68  18–14
  21 – Thomas  15 – Mitchell  5 – Mitchell  T-Mobile Center (6,406)
Kansas City, MO
March 13, 2025
12:30 p.m., ESPN		 (13) vs. (5) No. 12 Iowa State
Second round		 L 56–73  18−15
  17 – James  5 – Mitchell  4 – Thomas  T-Mobile Center (12,922)
Kansas City, MO
College Basketball Crown
April 1, 2025*
3:00 p.m., FS1		 (2) vs. (15) DePaul
First round		 W 83−61  19−15
  15 – Mitchell  7 – Mitchell  5 – Thomas  MGM Grand Garden Arena (1,495)
Paradise, NV
April 3, 2025*
7:00 p.m., FS1		 vs. UCF
Quarterfinals		 L 80–88  19–16
  19 – Thomas  12 – Mitchell  6 – Mitchell  MGM Grand Garden Arena (2,279)
Paradise, NV
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern Time.
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Source[19][20]

Rankings

See also: 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings
More information Week, Poll ...
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516171819Final
AP201718161422191716RVRVRV—————————
Coaches201716141423201717RV———————————
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