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Bearcat Bites
– The 2025-26 campaign marks the 125th season of competition for Cincinnati men’s basketball, and the Bearcats will celebrate 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 throughout its history, dating back to the 1901–02 season.
-Cincinnati, allowing just 64.2 points per game defensively, ranks third nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. The Bearcats’ 91.7 rating trails Houston’s 89.4 and Michigan’s 90.7. Cincinnati ranked third in non-steal turnover percentage (12.7%), 10th in 2-point percentage (40.9%), 15th in effective field-goal percentage (42.4%) and 19th in block percentage (16.7%).
-Cincinnati has found itself playing at an aggressive pace and forcing its opponents to play more intentionally on the opposite end. The Bearcats rank 19th nationally with an average offensive possession length of 14.7 seconds and their opponents are averaging 17.1 seconds per possession on the other end, good for 202nd fastest nationally.
– The Bearcats lead the Big 12 in opponent field goal percentage (35.9%), rank third in blocks (5.5) and defensive rebounds per game (29.30), fourth in opponent 3-point percentage (29.6%) and fifth in scoring defense (64.2 ppg).
– With only one starter and a pair of letterwinners returning from the Bearcats’ 2024-25 squad, Cincinnati has retained just 13.3% of its scoring, 7l.6% of its rebounding and 17.5% of its assists from a season ago.
– Despite missing the NJIT game due to injury, senior forward Baba Miller sees himself as the best nationally and in the Big 12. Miller is ranked 15th nationally and tied for the Big 12 lead in double-doubles with three. He ranked second in the conference and ninth nationally with 8.0 defensive rebounds per game, fourth in the conference with 10.0 total rebounds per game and 30th nationally in assists and fifth in the conference with 2.0 blocks per game.
-Cincinnati’s only previous meeting with the Eagles was on December 19, 1996, at Cincinnati, winning 102–79. Danny Fortson led five Bearcats in double figures with 33 points and 11 boards, while Ruben Patterson added 17 points and seven rebounds. Earl Boykins led Eastern Michigan with 23 points and four assists.
– Led by fifth-year head coach Stan Heath, Eastern Michigan is 3–3 on the season with wins over Georgia State, Detroit Mercy and Oakland, as well as a loss at Pittsburgh, IU against Indy and a win over No. 6 Louisville. Redshirt freshman forward Mohammed Habhab leads Eastern Michigan with 15 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, while senior guard Carlos Hart is averaging 14.2 points per contest and senior forward Addison Patterson is leading with 12.7 points.
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