CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati men's basketball team will play a home-and-home series with Southeastern Conference member Mississippi State beginning in 2017-18, Bearcats head coach Mick Cronin has announced.
Cincinnati will play host to Mississippi State on Dec. 12, 2017 at Northern Kentucky University's BB&T Arena. The following season, Mississippi State will play host to Cincinnati on Dec. 15, 2018 at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Mississippi.
Mississippi State finished 16-16 overall during the 2016-17 campaign, its second season under head coach Ben Howland. The Bulldogs return their top five scorers from last season. Guard Lamar Peters was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team after averaging 10.7 points and 3.4 assists with a team-best 59 three-pointers.
"Mississippi State is a great series for us," Cronin said. "Coach Howland is a friend and one of the best coaches in the country. He has his team poised for a great run the next few years and we are excited to have them on our schedule."
The Cincinnati-Mississippi State series is tied 2-2 all-time with all four meetings coming at neutral sites. The Bearcats have won the last two meetings, including the most recent matchup, a 75-63 victory in the SEC/BIG EAST Challenge on Dec. 18, 2008 at U.S. Bank Arena.
Cincinnati's 2017-18 squad features the return of its top three scorers from last season's team that posted the second-most wins in school history (30-6), tied the school mark for conference wins (16-2) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh consecutive year.
The Bearcats will play their home games during the 2017-18 campaign at BB&T Arena while Fifth Third Arena undergoes an $87 million renovation before its scheduled reopening for the 2018-19 season.
// SERIES HISTORY: SERIES TIED 2-2
Date - Result
Nov. 30, 1979 - Mississippi State won 87-72 in the Babe McCarthy Tip-Off Tournament in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Mar. 24, 1996 - Mississippi State won 73-63 in the NCAA Tournament Southeast Regional Final in Lexington, Kentucky.
Dec. 21, 2001 - Cincinnati won 90-56 in the Las Vegas Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Dec. 18, 2008 - Cincinnati won 75-63 in the SEC/BIG EAST Challenge at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.
// 2017-18 SEASON TICKET DEPOSITS
Secure your seats now for 2017-18 Cincinnati basketball by placing a $50 season ticket deposit. Call 1-877-CATS-TIX or log online at GoBearcats.com/tickets.
Bearcats Announce Series with Mississippi State
The University of Cincinnati men's basketball team will play a home-and-home series with Southeastern Conference member Mississippi State beginning in 2017-18, Bearcats head coach Mick Cronin has announced.
