Predicting the 2025-26 Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball record

November 3rd: Western Carolina (1-0)

The Cincinnati Bearcats start their season on November 3rd, hosting Western Carolina out of the SoCon. The Catamounts went 8-22 last season, finishing 9th in the conference. Comfortable win for the Bearcats.

November 7th: Georgia State (2-0)

Don't need to dive too deep into this game; the Bearcats win easily.

November 11th: Dayton (3-0)

For the third straight season, the Cincinnati Bearcats are taking on a regional rival in the Dayton Flyers. This season, instead of being held at a neutral site, the Bearcats will be hosting the Flyers at Fifth Third Arena. Dayton underwent a lot of changes this season, like the Bearcats, and it should be another competitive game for the third straight year. The Bearcats win this game by eight to ten points.

November 16th: Mount Saint Mary's (4-0)

November 21st: Louisville (4-1)

The Cincinnati Bearcats are playing the Louisville Cardinals for the first time since 2022, when the Bearcats won at the Maui Invitational. Louisville has one of the best Transfer Portal classes in all of college basketball and is expected to be a top 15 team next season. The game is at a neutral site in Cincinnati, Heritage Bank Center, where the Bearcats took on the Flyers the last two years. This game is a toss-up, but I will give it to the Cardinals.

November 24th: NJIT (5-1)

November 26th: Eastern Michigan (6-1)

The Cincinnati Bearcats play the Eastern Michigan Eagles out of the Mid-American Conference. They finished 6th in the MAC last year with a 16-16 record. This should be a comfortable win for the Bearcats.

December 1st: Tarelton State (7-1)

The Bearcats are known to schedule a "bye game," the game before they take on the Xavier Musketeers, and this year they take on Tarelton State. The Texans finished 6th in the WAC last season with a record of 12-20, 7-9 in conference games. Cincinnati will likely be favored by 20 to 25 points. Easy win before the Crosstown Shootout.

December 5th: @ Xavier (8-1)

After beating the Musketeers for the first time since 2018-19, the Bearcats travel 3 miles to Cintas Center this year to try and win two straight. Xavier is fielding a brand new roster after Sean Miller left for Texas, and Richard Pitino comes in from New Mexico. This game is always a coin flip, no matter how good the teams are, but I don't see a way the Bearcats lose. Their roster is a lot better on paper, and Pitino is going to have a wake-up call in a rivalry game he isn't accustomed to.

December 13th: Georgia (9-1)

As part of Holiday Hoopsgiving, the Bearcats travel to Atlanta, Georgia to take on the Bulldogs at a neutral site. After making the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2015, the program lost several players due to the Transfer Portal. Fielding a whole new team, the Bearcats have an advantage. The Bearcats win a close game in Atlanta.

December 17th: Alabama State (10-1)

December 21st: Clemson (11-1)

One of the most anticipated games this season is when the Bearcats travel to Greenville, North Carolina, to take on the Clemson Tigers. Clemson made the NCAA tournament each of the last two seasons, making the Elite Eight in 2023-24 and losing in the first round to McNeese State. They lost some key players from last year's roster, one of them being former Bearcat Viktor Lakhin. The Bearcats have a better roster than the Tigers and are likely to be favored in the matchup. Bearcats win.

December 29th: Lipscomb (12-1)

January 3rd: Houston (12-2)

Big 12 regular season starts on January 3rd for the Bearcats when they host their old American Conference rivals, the Houston Cougars. Wes Miller and Kelvin Sampson have faced off a ton, with Houston dominating them in recent years. Cincinnati starts Big 12 play with a loss.

January 6th: @ West Virginia (13-2)

Sincere Harris and Kerr Kriisa make their return to Morgantown in a matchup that has started to feel like a rivalry in recent years. Cincinnati will likely be favored and should win by double-digits.

January 11th: @ UCF (14-2)

January 14th: Colorado (15-2)

January 17th: Iowa State (16-2)

January 21st: @ Arizona (16-3)

January 24th: @ Arizona State (17-3)

January 28th: Baylor (18-3)

January 31st: @ Houston (19-3)

February 5th: West Virginia (19-4)

February 8th: UCF (20-4)

February 11th: @ Kansas State (20-5)

February 15th: Utah (21-5)

February 21st: @ Kansas (22-5)

February 24th: @ Texas Tech (22-6)

February 28th: Oklahoma State (23-6)

March 3rd: BYU (24-6)

March 7th: @ TCU (24-7)

The Bearcats finish the season at 24-7, likely being a top-five seed for the NCAA tournament. They finish the Big 12 regular season with a record of 13-6, in the top five of the conference. As we get closer to the college basketball regular season, I will go more in-depth on games and as the Big 12 season gets closer, those games will have more of an analysis on why I picked the Bearcats to lose or win.