Saturday Night Showdown: Men’s Basketball Welcomes No. 11 Kansas for Epic White-Out!

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati men’s basketball squad returns to the welcoming atmosphere of a packed Fifth Third Arena this Saturday afternoon, hosting No. 11 Kansas at 2 p.m. Supporters are encouraged to don white and ensure safe travel to campus amid this week’s winter conditions. Entrances will be accessible starting at 12 p.m. as part of a new initiative for home games over the weekend.

Additionally, 5,000 bucket hats will be given out upon entry, courtesy of Fifth Third Bank. The arena’s happy hour and a half offers $5 domestic beer and $3 popcorn from 12 – 1:30 p.m. Limited 2025 all-sport calendars are also still available.

THE RUNDOWN

• Cincinnati is aiming for the highest-ranked victory of the Wes Miller era (the previous was No. 12 BYU on the road during last year’s Big 12 opener) and the top win overall since defeating No. 11 Houston in the 2019 AAC Championship game.
• The Bearcats are hoping to bounce back from a Tuesday night loss at Baylor, in which a challenging offensive stretch in the final eight minutes of the first half led to Baylor’s 35-20 halftime advantage, which they maintained.
• Dan Skillings Jr.’s has recorded 18 points in each of the initial three Big 12 contests (the highest for any Bearcat in a three-game span this season), with his average of 18.0 ppg ranking fourth in conference play. Additionally, he has shot 11-for-22 from beyond the arc (50 percent), placing second, compared to his 3-for-15 in the non-conference schedule (20 percent). His five three-pointers made against Baylor on seven attempts marked a personal best.
• Jizzle James last year has been noted for his exceptional work ethic, reportedly the most consistent that Miller had witnessed in a freshman. Although he did not record an assist against Baylor, it is noteworthy to mention his performance in two games last year where he also did not have an assist: initially scoring 16 against No. 10 Iowa State, followed by 12 against No. 14 Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament.
• “He was really working hard this morning, probably putting in more effort than I’d like to see in January when we still have another practice later today,” Miller mentioned during his Thursday press conference. “For everyone who keeps track of our team, if you’re going to face challenges, you face them with him. He gives his all.”
• The Bearcats are ranked second in the Big 12, allowing just 61.0 ppg for the season.
• Simas Lukosius is striving to regain his rhythm, especially since Big 12 opponents have witnessed him make game-winning shots against Texas Tech and Kansas State. However, his shooting percentage from deep dropped to 37.7 percent in November and December last year, followed by 23.9 percent in January and recovering to 42.2 percent across February and March.
• CJ Fredrick saw court time against Baylor, marking his first game since Dec. 22 and his second since Nov. 27. The former Iowa and Kentucky sharpshooter is in his second season with his hometown Bearcats, with injuries limiting him to just 41 minutes in Big 12 action from last season.
• Dillon Mitchell competed against Kansas four times while at Texas, splitting victories over two years. His latest appearance resulted in a 12-point showing on 6-of-10 shooting at Lawrence. Skillings led UC with 16 points at KU in the inaugural matchup and scored 25 in the Bearcats’ 72-52 triumph in the Big 12 Tournament.
• Although UC allowed 50 percent shooting for the initial time on Tuesday, they are still 11th in KenPom defensively.

SERIES HISTORY

• UC maintains a 5-4 advantage in the all-time series. Since 1949, only Kentucky, Duke, UCLA, Notre Dame, Iowa, and Michigan have a favorable record against the Jayhawks (minimum of seven games).
• The solitary meeting since the 1960s, prior to the Big 12 era, was held at the United Center in 1996. Cincinnati, coming off an Elite Eight run, narrowly lost to what many consider one of the greatest teams to never secure a championship.
• During the January 23 showdown last year, on Big Monday in Lawrence, KU emerged victorious with a 74-69 scoreline. The Jayhawks initially surged to a 19-7 lead after a 10-0 sequence, but the Bearcats rallied to a 35-all symmetry by halftime. UC recorded 16 turnovers and posted a 17 percent shooting rate from three-point range.
• The rematch in the Big 12 Tournament told a different story. The Bearcats held a 38-25 halftime lead, allowed Kansas to close within two after a poor shooting start to the second half, yet they maintained their advantage and ultimately claimed an emphatic victory in a de facto home game for the Jayhawks.
• Wes Miller took his UNC Greensboro team to Lawrence early in the 2019-20 campaign, falling 74-62 to the No. 3 Jayhawks.