Cincinnati Bearcats Wake Up Late, Crosstown Shootout at Xavier NEXT | College Basketball Highlights

Chatterbox Bearcats postgame show for UC vs Tarleton State on December 1, 2025.

The Cincinnati Bearcats enter the 2025–26 season at an important crossroads for the program. Now in their third year as members of the Big 12, the Bearcats are still searching for the stability, identity, and consistency required to compete in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball. After several seasons of ups and downs, this year represents both a challenge and an opportunity for a program that expects to be nationally relevant.

Last season — a 19–16 campaign with a 7–13 Big 12 record — exposed many of the issues that have held Cincinnati back. The Bearcats defended well enough to compete in most games, but scoring droughts and offensive inconsistency made it difficult to finish those games. Key stretches in conference play were lost because the offense failed to execute at the level needed to keep pace with Big 12 competition. Cincinnati has long been known for toughness and defense, but in the modern college game, a limited offense creates too small of a margin for error.

The 2025–26 roster represents a significant reset. Wes Miller and his staff leaned heavily into the transfer portal, bringing in a half-dozen scholarship transfers along with other additions that give the roster more size and athleticism on the wing. The Bearcats desperately needed more versatility and scoring punch, and the new group offers a mix of experience and upside that previous rosters lacked. The challenge now is molding those pieces into a cohesive unit.

Returning veterans will still play key roles, particularly in the backcourt, but the identity of this team will be shaped by how quickly the newcomers settle in. That’s typically the biggest question for portal-built teams: can they gel fast enough to survive the early season and position themselves for conference play? For Cincinnati, that task is even tougher because the schedule offers little room to breathe.

The non-conference slate is ambitious. UC intentionally loaded up on strong opponents to build a résumé and to prepare for the Big 12 grind. For a team with so many new faces, the early portion of the season has featured expected growing pains. The Bearcats have shown both encouraging flashes — strong defensive stretches, improved scoring balance, and better transition play — and concerning signs, including scoring droughts and occasional turnovers that kill momentum. An early upset loss at home underscored the volatility of a group still learning to play together.

There have also been moments where the potential of the roster is clear. When Cincinnati turns defense into offense, when the guards play downhill, and when ball movement opens up better looks, the offense looks far more dynamic than in recent seasons. With multiple players capable of creating shots and several long, athletic defenders on the wing, the Bearcats have the personnel to be disruptive and challenging to score against. The question is whether they can sustain that level for full games and then full weeks — something that has separated the Big 12’s elite from the middle of the pack.

As Big 12 play approaches, the biggest storylines revolve around consistency, chemistry, and offensive identity. Can this group establish a reliable go-to scorer? Can they avoid the prolonged droughts that have haunted the program? Will the transfers settle into clear roles? Can Wes Miller find a rotation that balances offense and defense while maximizing the strengths of his newcomers?

The program is also navigating heightened expectations. Entering the 125th season of Cincinnati basketball, fans want progress. They want to see the Bearcats return to the NCAA Tournament. They want UC competing near the top of the conference instead of hovering around .500. Supporters understand the difficulty of the Big 12, but they also believe that Cincinnati’s tradition and resources position it to be more than a rebuilding team every year.

Ultimately, the 2025–26 season feels like a bridge year — but one that can still lead to meaningful steps forward. If the new roster pieces come together, the Bearcats have enough talent to surprise teams, pull off quality wins, and put themselves in the postseason conversation. If not, it could be another season where inconsistency keeps them from reaching their potential.

For now, the Bearcats remain a work in progress. There is real upside, but also real uncertainty. Their ceiling will depend on how fast the roster gels and whether the offense can evolve beyond the limitations that have defined the last couple of seasons. What is clear is that the program is eager to take the next step, and this season will reveal just how close — or how far — Cincinnati is from returning to national relevance.