TicketsCINCINNATI – The Cincinnati men’s basketball team concludes its three-game homestand when it hosts Tarleton State 7 p.m. Monday at Fifth Third Arena. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast on 700 WLW and the TuneIn app.
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Bearcat Bits
- The 2025-26 campaign marks the 125th season of competition for Cincinnati men’s basketball, and the Bearcats will commemorate the milestone with a year-long celebration honoring the program’s rich history, iconic players and cultural legacy. Cincinnati men’s basketball, which was named a top-10 program in college basketball history by the Associated Press, boasts 44 All-Americans, 41 conference titles, six Final Four appearances and back-to-back national championships across its history, which dates back to the 1901-02 season.
- Cincinnati, allowing just 64.1 points per game defensively, ranks sixth nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom. Cincinnati also leads the country in non-steal turnover percentage (12.6%), ranks ninth in block percentage (17.6%), 13th in 2-point percentage defense (42.1%) and 15th in turnover percentage (23.2%).
- Cincinnati has found itself playing with pace offensively and forcing its opponents to play more deliberately on the opposite end. The Bearcats sit 20th nationally in average offensive possession length at 14.8 seconds and their opponents are taking 17.6 seconds per possession on the other end, good for 256th-fastest nationally.
- The Bearcats lead the Big 12 in opponent field goal percentage (36.7%), rank third in blocks (5.5) and fourth in scoring defense (64.1 ppg).
- With just one starter and a pair of letterwinners returning from the Bearcats’ 2024-25 squad, Cincinnati retains only 13.3% of its scoring, 7l.6% of its rebounding and 17.5% of its assists from a season ago.
- Despite missing the NJIT and Eastern Michigan games with an injury, senior forward Baba Miller sees himself among the best nationally and in the Big 12. Miller is tied for 23rd nationally and second in the Big 12 in double-doubles with three and sits ninth in the conference with 2.0 blocks per game.
- The meeting Monday night will be the first all-time meeting between the Bearcats and the Texans.
- Led by sixth-year head coach Billy Gillispie, Tarleton State is 5-3 on the season, winning three in a row after a 94-81 loss at Baylor Nov. 14. Junior guard Dior Johnson has come off the bench in seven contests to lead the Texans with 23.6 points per game, shooting 56.2% from the field and 64.7% from deep. Senior guard/forward Freddy Hicks adds 11.9 points and 4.4 boards per contest.