We’re getting extremely close to basketball season this year, and the full Cincinnati Bearcats basketball schedule is here! The Non-conference schedule is headlined by the annual Crosstown Shootout, a matchup @ Dayton, and the matchups with Georgia and Boston College in the ESPN Events Invitational!
Sansom Sports Media started as NKY Bracketology. Last season that project finished second nationally in the Bracket Project at projecting the NCAA field. All numbers in this piece use Barttorvik as the reference point. As of today, Cincinnati sits 39th in the nation.
Biggest non-conference games:
2 wins here will put UC in a good spot to make the tournament.
Most important game: vs. Georgia in Orlando at the ESPN Events Invitational. The Bulldogs come in as the 31st ranked team per projections, and if that holds, the game will be Q1. The Bulldogs have brought in a mixture of returning and transfer portal talent this season, and Mike White’s squad should be a tournament team. This is a significant test for the Bearcats.
From a psyche standpoint, the Crosstown Shootout is clearly the top game. Xavier has reloaded and should be competitive this season. First year coaches have a tendency to do well in Crosstown recently, and this being at home means UC should be favored in this one. Torvik projects Xavier as the 67th team in the country.
The matchup at Dayton comes in 4th as it is a true road game. There’s a high probability that this lands as a Q1 game. Dayton’s roster is really intriguing this year, and I believe they will push toward the top of the A-10, though SLU is the clear favorite.
Clemson comes in at 3rd in our schedule power rankings, and the tigers are projected nationally. The Tigers are always competitive, and this game being at Heritage Bank adds an extra layer of intrigue. The committee might classify this as neutral site, resulting in it being likely Q1. If it’s classified as a UC home game, it likely goes to Q2. I expect it to be classified as a home matchup and thus a Q2 game. Sansom Sports Media is working to confirm and will update as we go.
Need to go 2-0 in these games:
These aren’t headlining opponents, but they are p5 opportunities.
The matchup vs. Minnesota is at home, project out as the 82nd team in the country. The Gophers aren’t a pushover, but haven’t had much basketball success in the loaded Big Ten. A storyline to watch for them is the status of 5th year guy Cade Tyson. If he’s able to play, it elevates this team to a potential bubble squad.
The matchup vs. Boston College makes for a great story as Hastings comes from BC. Luke Murray has taken over the Eagles and they will look drastically different than they have in previous years. No one really knows what to expect, but I do believe this is a game UC should win in Orlando easily.
Buy Games:
American, Green Bay, Youngstown State, UMass Lowell, Monmouth, Stetson, Marist, Bethune-Cookman. These games are ones that UC cannot lose.
Projecting the record:
Assuming they win all of the buy games, and the two in Minnesota and Boston College, they need to go 2-2 in the other 4. That’s a very achievable goal. The Bearcats will be in a great spot for the NCAA tournament and headed into Big 12 play!
Evaluating game-to-game: I really only see one projected loss, and that’s the Georgia game. Even that game is very winnable. 13-1 is very possible, and there’s an outside shot at 14-0.
Big 12 Slate:
The home games are Arizona, Arizona State, Kansas, TCU, Houston, and UCF.
Their road games are BYU, Utah, Colorado, Iowa State, Baylor, and Oklahoma State.
They get Texas Tech, Kansas State, and West Virginia home and away.
Last year, the Bearcats played 11 Q1 games, 4 Q2 games, and 3 Q3 games in Big 12 play. They had a Q3 and a Q2 game in the Big 12 tournament. Looking at their schedule this year, the schedule will be a bit tougher, and I don’t expect them to have as many Q3 games. All of the road games will most likely be Q1 or Q2. Arizona State is an intriguing team, and one I could see falling into Q3 territory since it’s at home. Here are the full projections from Torvik for the Big 12:
From UC: “Cincinnati opens with a matchup against Texas Tech Jan. 2 at Fifth Third Arena before a trip to BYU Jan. 6 and Utah Jan. 9. The Bearcats follow by alternating home and away contests against TCU Jan. 12, at West Virginia Jan. 16, vs. Kansas Jan. 19 and at Colorado Jan. 23. Cincinnati returns home to Fifth Third Arena to face Arizona State Jan. 30 and Arizona Feb. 2 before traveling to Oklahoma State Feb. 6 and Baylor Feb. 9. A contest against UCF awaits Feb. 13 before a trip to Ames to face Iowa State Feb. 16. The Bearcats welcome Kansas State and West Virginia to Fifth Third Arena Feb. 20 and Feb. 24, respectively, before traveling to Texas Tech Feb. 27. The Bearcats wrap up their home slate against Houston March 2 before concluding the regular season at Kansas State March 6.”
Here’s the Full NC Schedule for the Bearcats:
| Date | Team | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 7 | vs. Ohio State (exh.) | Lindner Family Tennis Center |
| Oct. 17 | Illinois (exh.) | Fifth Third Arena |
| Oct. 27 | Oakland (exh.) | Fifth Third Arena |
| Nov. 2 | American | Fifth Third Arena |
| Nov. 5 | Green Bay | Fifth Third Arena |
| Nov. 9 | Minnesota | Fifth Third Arena |
| Nov. 14 | at Dayton | UD Arena |
| Nov. 18 | Youngstown State | Fifth Third Arena |
| Nov. 22 | UMass Lowell | Fifth Third Arena |
| Nov. 26-27 | ESPN Events Invitational | ESPN Wide World of Sports |
| Dec. 2 | Monmouth | Fifth Third Arena |
| Dec. 5 | Xavier | Fifth Third Arena |
| Dec. 14 | Stetson | Fifth Third Arena |
| Dec. 19 | vs. Clemson | Heritage Bank Center |
| Dec. 22 | Marist | Fifth Third Arena |
| Dec. 29 | Bethune-Cookman | Fifth Third Arena |