2025–26 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team
American college basketball season
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The 2025–26 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team represented the University of Cincinnati during the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bearcats, led by fifth-year head coach Wes Miller, played their home games at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio as third-year members of the Big 12 Conference.
ConferenceBig 12 Conference
Record18–15 (9–9 Big 12)
Headcoach
- Wes Miller (5th season)
Associate headcoachChad Dollar (5th season)
| 2025–26 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Record | 18–15 (9–9 Big 12) |
| Head coach |
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| Associate head coach | Chad Dollar (5th season) |
| Assistant coaches |
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| Home arena | Fifth Third Arena |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 3 Arizona † | 16 | – | 2 | .889 | 36 | – | 3 | .923 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 7 Houston | 14 | – | 4 | .778 | 30 | – | 7 | .811 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 20 Kansas | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 24 | – | 11 | .686 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 21 Texas Tech | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 23 | – | 11 | .676 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 8 Iowa State | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 29 | – | 8 | .784 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TCU | 11 | – | 7 | .611 | 23 | – | 12 | .657 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Virginia | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 21 | – | 14 | .600 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCF | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 21 | – | 12 | .636 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 18 | – | 15 | .545 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BYU | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 23 | – | 12 | .657 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colorado | 7 | – | 11 | .389 | 17 | – | 16 | .515 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona State | 7 | – | 11 | .389 | 17 | – | 16 | .515 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Baylor | 6 | – | 12 | .333 | 17 | – | 17 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oklahoma State | 6 | – | 12 | .333 | 20 | – | 15 | .571 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kansas State | 3 | – | 15 | .167 | 12 | – | 20 | .375 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Utah | 2 | – | 16 | .111 | 10 | – | 22 | .313 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2026 Big 12 tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Previous season
The Bearcats finished the season 19–16 and 7–13 in Big 12 play to finish in tie for 12th place in the conference standings, thus earning the 13th seed in the 2025 Big 12 men's basketball tournament. They defeated Oklahoma State in the first round before losing to Iowa State in the second round.[1][2]
The Bearcats were invited to play in inaugural College Basketball Crown, a single-elimination, fully-bracketed men's college basketball postseason tournament featuring sixteen National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams not selected to participate in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.[3][4] In their first round game, they defeated DePaul and lost to fellow Big 12 Conference opponent UCF in their quarterfinals game, 88–80.[5][6]
Offseason
Coaching staff changes
Former assistant coach Drew Adams accepted an assistant coach job with Indiana, following two years at Cincinnati.[7] Mamadou N'Diaye accepted the assistant coaching vacancy after spending the previous four seasons at UCF.[8]
Departures
Any players who have declared for the 2025 NBA draft—including seniors, who must opt into this year's draft—have the option to return if they make a timely withdrawal from the draft and end any pre-draft relationships with agents. Thus, separate lists will initially be maintained for confirmed and potential departures.
| Name | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CJ Anthony | G | 6' 0" | 195 | Senior | Columbus, OH | Transferred to Iona |
| Aziz Bandaogo | C | 7' 0" | 235 | Graduate student | Dakar, Senegal | Completed college eligibility |
| Tyler Betsey | F | 6' 8" | 225 | Freshman | Windsor, CT | Transferred to Syracuse |
| Rayvon Griffith | G/F | 6' 6" | 210 |  Freshman | Cincinnati, OH | Transferred to Kent State |
| Connor Hickman | G | 6' 3" | 200 | Senior | Bloomington, IN | Transferred to Charleston |
| Jizzle James | G | 6' 3" | 205 | Sophomore | Orlando, FL | |
| Simas Lukošius | F | 6' 8" | 225 | Senior | Kaunas, Lithuania | Completed college eligibility |
| Dillon Mitchell | PF | 6' 8" | 210 | Junior | Tampa, FL | Transferred to St. John's |
| Arrinten Page | C | 6' 11" | 240 | Sophomore | Atlanta, GA | Transferred to Northwestern |
| Josh Reed | G | 6' 7" | 220 | Junior | Atlanta, GA | Transferred to Penn State |
| JJ Rembert | G | 5' 10" | 155 | Freshman | Jamaica, Queens, N.Y. | Transferred to McNeese |
| Dan Skillings Jr. | SF | 6' 6" | 210 | Junior | Blackwood, N.J. | Transferred to Baylor |
Source:[11]
Incoming transfers
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Old school | Remaining Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Celestine | 32 | G | 6' 7" | 215 | Graduate student | Ajax, Ontario | Baylor | One year |
| Sencire Harris | 5 | G | 6' 4" | 175 | Junior | Canton, OH | West Virginia | Two years |
| Jalen Haynes | 3 | PF | 6' 8" | 260 | Graduate student | Fort Lauderdale, FL | George Mason | One year |
| Kerr Kriisa | 11 | PG | 6' 3" | 185 | Graduate student | Vissu Küla, Estonia | Kentucky | One year |
| Baba Miller | 18 | C | 6' 11" | 215 | Senior | Mallorca, Spain | Florida Atlantic | One year |
| Moustapha Thiam | 52 | C | 7' 2" | 235 | Sophomore | Dakar, Senegal | UCF | Three years |
Recruiting classes
2025 recruiting class
| College recruiting information (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:  247Sports: ESPN: (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: 247Sports: ESPN: (88) | ||||||
| Bryson Buckingham G |
Edmond, OK | Link Academy | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jul 4, 2025 | |
| Recruit ratings: No ratings found | ||||||
| Jordi Rodriguez G |
Barcelona, Spain | Grupo Ureta Tizona Burgos | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Oct 1, 2025 | |
| Recruit ratings: No ratings found | ||||||
| Lucas Atauri G |
Campinas, Brazil | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Oct 9, 2025 | ||
| Recruit ratings: No ratings found | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: | ||||||
Sources:
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Preseason
The Big 12 preseason coaches poll was released on October 16, 2025. All awards were voted on by the league's 16 head coaches, who could not vote for their own team or players. The Big 12 preseason media poll was released on October 30, 2025.
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Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll
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Big 12 Preseason Media Poll
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Roster
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Schedule and results
| Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exhibition | |||||||||||
| October 17, 2025 6:00 p.m., B1G+ |
at No. 7 Michigan | W 100–98 | – |
15 – Tied | 6 – Tied | 4 – Tied | Crisler Center (10,166) Ann Arbor, MI | ||||
| October 24, 2025 8:00 p.m., SECN+ |
at No. 14 Arkansas | L 61–89 | – |
10 – Dzellat | 6 – Tied | 4 – Harris | Bud Walton Arena (14,832) Fayetteville, AR | ||||
| Regular season | |||||||||||
| November 3, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Western Carolina | W 94–63 | 1–0 |
18 – Tied | 10 – Miller | 4 – Kriisa | Fifth Third Arena (9,126) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| November 7, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Georgia State | W 74–64 | 2–0 |
24 – Miller | 10 – Miller | 4 – Thomas | Fifth Third Arena (10,009) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| November 11, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Dayton Twyman-Stokes Classic |
W 74–62 | 3–0 |
20 – Thomas | 10 – Miller | 8 – Kriisa | Fifth Third Arena (11,815) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| November 16, 2025 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Mount St. Mary's | W 72–55 | 4–0 |
16 – Thomas | 11 – Miller | 5 – Tied | Fifth Third Arena (9,007) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| November 21, 2025 6:30 p.m., ESPN2 |
vs. No. 6 Louisville Rivalry — The Hoops Classic |
L 64–74 | 4–1 |
12 – Tied | 9 – Thiam | 5 – Thomas | Heritage Bank Center (8,507) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| November 24, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
NJIT | W 94–67 | 5–1 |
20 – Abaev | 10 – Thiam | 6 – Kriisa | Fifth Third Arena (8,774) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| November 26, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Eastern Michigan | L 56–64 | 5–2 |
17 – Thomas | 7 – Abaev | 6 – Kriisa | Fifth Third Arena (9,853) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| December 1, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Tarleton State | W 76–58 | 6–2 |
20 – Kriisa | 11 – Miller | 6 – Thomas | Fifth Third Arena (8,092) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| December 5, 2025 7:30 p.m., TNT |
at Xavier Rivalry/Crosstown Shootout |
L 74–79 | 6–3 |
16 – Abaev | 17 – Miller | 6 – Miller | Cintas Center (10,880) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| December 13, 2025* 2:00 p.m., ESPNU |
vs. Georgia Holiday Hoopsgiving |
L 65–84 | 6–4 |
13 – Celestine | 9 – Thiam | 4 – Thomas | State Farm Arena Atlanta, GA | ||||
| December 17, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Alabama State | W 88–51 | 7–4 |
26 – Miller | 14 – Miller | 7 – Kriisa | Fifth Third Arena (7,757) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| December 21, 2025* 3:00 p.m., ESPN |
vs. Clemson Greenville Winter Invitational |
L 65–68 | 7–5 |
17 – Thomas | 7 – Miller | 3 – Tied | Bon Secours Wellness Arena (4,065) Greenville, SC | ||||
| December 29, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Lipscomb | W 89–62 | 8–5 |
18 – Thiam | 21 – Miller | 7 – Miller | Fifth Third Arena (9,793) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| Big 12 regular season | |||||||||||
| January 3, 2026 2:00 p.m., FOX |
No. 8 Houston | L 60–67 | 8–6 (0–1) |
15 – Thomas | 8 – Miller | 4 – Tied | Fifth Third Arena (11,062) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| January 6, 2026 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
at West Virginia rivalry |
L 60–62 | 8–7 (0–2) |
15 – Celestine | 7 – Miller | 6 – Miller | WVU Coliseum (9,903) Morgantown, WV | ||||
| January 11, 2026 5:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
at No. 25 UCF | L 72–73 | 8–8 (0–3) |
24 – Thiam | 7 – Miller | 6 – Harris | Addition Financial Arena (7,899) Orlando, FL | ||||
| January 14, 2026 7:00 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN |
Colorado | W 77–68 | 9–8 (1–3) |
25 – Miller | 11 – Miller | 5 – Thomas | Fifth Third Arena (9,331) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| January 17, 2026 2:00 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN |
No. 2 Iowa State | W 79–70 | 10–8 (2–3) |
19 – Thomas | 12 – Miller | 4 – Miller | Fifth Third Arena (10,551) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| January 21, 2026 9:00 p.m., FS1 |
at No. 1 Arizona | L 51–77 | 10–9 (2–4) |
14 – Miller | 6 – Miller | 2 – Tied | McKale Center (14,380) Tucson, AZ | ||||
| January 24, 2026 10:00 p.m., CBSSN |
at Arizona State | L 68–82 | 10–10 (2–5) |
23 – Miller | 9 – Miller | 6 – Thomas | Desert Financial Arena (6,950) Tempe, AZ | ||||
| January 28, 2026 6:30 p.m., FS1 |
Baylor | W 67–57 | 11–10 (3–5) |
18 – Miller | 17 – Miller | 4 – Tied | Fifth Third Arena (9,982) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| January 31, 2026 12:00 p.m., FOX |
at No. 10 Houston | L 54–76 | 11–11 (3–6) |
15 – Celestine | 8 – Miller | 4 – Tied | Fertitta Center (7,035) Houston, TX | ||||
| February 5, 2026 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
West Virginia rivalry |
L 54–59 | 11–12 (3–7) |
18 – James | 10 – Celestine | 6 – Celestine | Fifth Third Arena (10,215) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| February 8, 2026 2:00 p.m., CBSSN |
UCF | W 92–72 | 12–12 (4–7) |
17 – Miller | 10 – Miller | 5 – Miller | Fifth Third Arena (9,969) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| February 11, 2026 9:00 p.m., CBSSN |
at Kansas State | W 91–62 | 13–12 (5–7) |
24 – James | 11 – Miller | 7 – Thomas | Bramlage Coliseum (7,274) Manhattan, KS | ||||
| February 15, 2026 12:00 p.m., ESPN |
Utah | W 69–65 | 14–12 (6–7) |
16 – Thomas | 10 – Thiam | 4 – Tied | Fifth Third Arena (9,988) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| February 21, 2026 1:00 p.m., CBS |
at No. 8 Kansas | W 84–68 | 15–12 (7–7) |
28 – Thiam | 8 – Tied | 8 – Miller | Allen Fieldhouse (15,300) Lawrence, KS | ||||
| February 24, 2026 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
at No. 16 Texas Tech | L 68–80 | 15–13 (7–8) |
21 – Thiam | 10 – Thiam | 4 – Miller | United Supermarkets Arena (13,858) Lubbock, TX | ||||
| February 28, 2026 2:00 p.m., CBSSN |
Oklahoma State | W 91–68 | 16–13 (8–8) |
26 – Thomas | 15 – Thiam | 8 – Miller | Fifth Third Arena (9,993) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| March 3, 2026 9:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
BYU | W 90–68 | 17–13 (9–8) |
18 – Tied | 12 – Miller | 6 – Tied | Fifth Third Arena (12,012) Cincinnati, OH | ||||
| March 7, 2026 2:00 p.m., TNT/TruTV |
at TCU | L 63–73 | 17–14 (9–9) |
19 – Thomas | 14 – Miller | 5 – Harris | Schollmaier Arena (6,260) Fort Worth, TX | ||||
| Big 12 tournament | |||||||||||
| March 10, 2026 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
(9) | vs. (16) Utah First Round |
W 73−66 | 18–14 |
19 – Celestine | 14 – Miller | 6 – Miller | T-Mobile Center (7,238) Kansas City, MO | |||
| March 11, 2026 3:00 p.m., ESPNU |
(9) | vs. (8) UCF Second Round |
L 65–66 OT | 18–15 |
18 – Thiam | 16 – Thiam | 6 – Thomas | T-Mobile Center (12,477) Kansas City, MO | |||
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. | |||||||||||
Source[14]