TicketsCINCINNATI – The Cincinnati men’s basketball team will look to make it five wins in a row when it takes on No. 16 Texas Tech Tuesday night in Lubbock. The game will be televised on ESPN2 and broadcast on 700 WLW and the TuneIn app.
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 67.0 points per game defensively, ranks 10th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom. Cincinnati also ranks 15th in the country in non-steal turnover percentage (9.4%), 30th in opponent offensive rebound percentage (26.7%) and eighth in opponent 2-point distance (7.1).
- Cincinnati has found itself forcing its opponents to play more deliberately on the offensive end. The Bearcats’ opponents are taking 17.9 seconds per possession, good for 276th nationally.
- The Bearcats rank third in the Big 12 in 3-point attempts per game (26.3), fourth in the conference in scoring defense (67.0) and assists per game (16.4) and fifth in defensive rebounds per game (26.11), field goal percentage defense (41.2), 3-point percentage defense (31.6) and turnovers forced per game (13.04).
- Despite missing two games with an injury, senior forward Baba Miller sees himself among the best nationally and in the Big 12. Miller is tied for 25th nationally and second in the Big 12 in double-doubles with 11, while sitting first in the conference and fourth nationally with 7.80 defensive rebounds per contest and 11th in the country and second in the conference with 10.2 total rebounds per game. He ranks 10th in the nation in defensive rebounding percentage at 27.8%.
- Averaging 13.9 points, 10.2 boards and 3.4 assists per game, Baba Miller is one of three players in college basketball this season averaging at least 13-10-3. Duke’s Cameron Boozer (22.6, 10.0, 4.0) and Butler’s Michael Ajayi (16.0, 11.1, 3.2) are the others. No other Bearcat dating back to 1996-97 has put together that stat line for a full season.
- The Bearcats have won two of the three previous meetings between the two schools, including the only other matchup in Lubbock, a 75-72 victory Feb. 3, 2024. In the last contest Jan. 21, 2025, the Red Raiders came away with an 81-71 victory at Fifth Third Arena. The Red Raiders knocked down 12 threes and scored 32 points off the bench to overcome the Bearcats shooting 52% from the field and pouring in 40 points in the paint. Jizzle James shined for the Bearcats, recording 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting.
- Led by third-year head coach Grant McCasland, Texas Tech is 20-7 on the year and 10-4 in Big 12 play. Reigning Big 12 Player of the Year JT Toppin leads the Red Raiders with 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game but suffered a season-ending injury against Arizona State last week. Freshman guard Christian Anderson, a preseason All-Big 12 pick, averages 19.1 points, 3.6 boards and a Big 12-best 7.7 assists per contest. Senior guard Donovan Atwell pours in 13.0 points per game on 45.7% from deep and redshirt junior forward LeJuan Watts chips in with 12.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.