While the Cincinnati Bearcats football team has made its way to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State in the Big 12, the UC basketball team is making its first trip to Gallagher-Iba Arena in over 24 years.

After playing less-than-engaging basketball on Senior Night Wednesday in the home finale vs. Kansas State, UC will now have to reverse course on Oklahoma State’s Senior Day Saturday.

They will go from being booed by the home fans at the end of a 54-49 disappointment to being booed by the road fans as the Cowboys try to go out on a winning note.

“The effort’s unacceptable, the fight’s unacceptable, it’s on the head coach,” UC coach Wes Miller said pounding the press room table Wednesday night. “I’m the leader of the operation. I’ve got to do a better damn job. It’s on my ass. I’d boo our butts too. I’d boo myself too.”

Cincinnati Bearcats background in Stillwater

Eddie Sutton led the 18th-ranked Cowboys to a 69-62 opening season win Nov. 16, 2001 over the Bob Huggins-led Bearcats who got half of their points (31) from Steve Logan. UC would go on to to lose just three more games the rest of the season, winning 31 and taking the Conference USA regular season and tournament titles.

Most of UC’s current players weren’t yet born and have no idea Gallagher-Iba Arena is known as the “Madison Square Garden of the Plains.” Saturday afternoon, they will play on the famous white maple court trying to end the regular season on an up note.

It won’t be easy as Oklahoma State is 11-3 at home with the losses coming against Houston, Arizona and Texas Tech, all ranked in the Top 25. It’s probably too late for Wes Miller to change his sideline persona, but there’s no question he’s agitated over dispassionate play.

“I’ve tried to be very positive,” Miller said. “Sometimes my intensity can be a lot for kids at this era of basketball. I don’t complain about players. I played, I understand what it’s like. It’s on me. I’ve got to do a better job of preparing our team. I didn’t do my job. Everybody should be mad at me. I get it. Leave the kids alone.”

Another crucial game for Cincinnati Bearcats

If it’s March and you’re on or near the proverbial “bubble,, they’re all crucial. Many bracketology people have UC’s bubble as burst. A win at Oklahoma State would put the Bearcats 18-13, even with the record they had last year heading into the Big 12 tournament. Many college hoops analysts like Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports and Fan Duel have them needing to run the table in Kansas City.

Should UC win at Oklahoma State, then two tournament wins would give Wes Miller a third straight 20-win season and eighth overall including his last five seasons at UNC-Greensboro. It would also put them in the Big 12 quarterfinals, which wasn’t enough last year. This year’s one Quad 1 win and a Senior Night Quad 3 loss is not conducive to getting flowery comments and accolades from the NCAA Selection Committee.

“We’ve got to be the team that we’ve been for the last month,” Miller said of erasing Wednesday’s nightmare. “You’ve got to look in the mirror and be a competitor. We’ve got to compete.”

Miller was shocked at the effort vs. Kansas State with so much on the line. Most of the 10,814 at Fifth Third Arena were in agreement. UC last lost a Senior Night three years ago.

“This is their last year,” Dillon Mitchell said. “Some of these guys have been here for years and gave it all. We just didn’t get the job done. It was bad. Effort is something all of us can control. We didn’t give good effort. We’ve got to be better than that. We can’t lose a game because of our effort.”

Mitchell did lead UC with seven rebounds as they pulled down 37 to Kansas State’s 36. Only he (3) and Day Day Thomas (1) finished with a positive plus/minus figure vs. the Wildcats.

3 keys for Cincinnati Bearcats to win at Oklahoma State

1. Again, UC’s chances enhanced by holding opponents below 70

The Bearcats are 15-8 in games where their opponent scores less than 70 points. Oklahoma State has only won once in the 12 times they’ve scored less than 70. Unfortunately, if the Bearcats can’t reach 50, that’s an issue. Their season lows have come in the Big 12 with just 40 points vs. Kansas, 48 at Baylor and 49 vs. Kansas State. The 54 points by the Wildcats Wednesday tied their season-low, but UC was clanking at a 2-for-18 rate from three-point range and was a miserable 5-for-11 from the charity stripe.

2. UC must stop Bryce Thompson

The 6-foot-6 guard averages close to 13 points per game for the Cowboys and has had a high of 25 points against UCF. Thompson is a three-year starter the Bearcats didn’t see last year as he was out with a shoulder injury. Thompson played 39 of 40 minutes in Oklahoma State’s home upset of Iowa State Feb. 25. Wednesday he was held to four points at UCF while in foul trouble with four.

3. UC needs to remember last season’s disappointment vs. Cowboys

UC was knocked off last year by Oklahoma State in a game that featured eight lead changes, 80-76. It was one of eight Big 12 losses by five or less points in 2024. UC last led with three minutes left in the contest. The only player back for the Cowboys from that squad is Jamyron Keller, who had 14 points, missing just two shots and making all five of his free throws.

A key road win may be too late for their resumé, but they can’t let Oklahoma State play spoiler. The Cowboys have a similar predicament next week in Kansas City as only an automatic bid will get them in the tournament.

Tip: 3 p.m. Eastern Saturday (Gallagher-Iba Arena, 13,611)

TV/Radio: ESPN+/700WLW

Series: Oklahoma State leads 4-2 (Cowboys won 80-76 Feb. 21, 2024)

Oklahoma State Cowboys scouting report

Record: 14-16 (6-13 Big 12)

Coach: Steve Lutz (first year, 14-16)

Offense: 72.6 ppg

Defense: 76.5 ppg

Projected starting lineup

(Position, Height, Stats)

Bryce Thompson (G, 6’6″, 12.3 ppg)

Arturo Dean (G, 5’11”, 7.4 ppg)

Abou Ousmane (F, 6’10:, 12.1 ppg)

Jamyron Keller (G, 6’3″, 5.4 ppg)

Robert Jennings II (F, 6’7″, 5.6 ppg)

Cincinnati Bearcats scouting report

Record: 17-13 (7-12 Big 12)

Coach: Wes Miller (fourth season, 80-56, overall 265-191)

Offense: 70.6 ppg

Defense: 64.9 ppg

Projected starting lineup

(Position, Height, Stats)

Josh Reed (F, 6’7″, 4.2 ppg)

Jizzle James (G, 6’3″, 12.7 ppg)

Dillon Mitchell (F, 6’8″, 9.7 ppg)

Day Day Thomas (G, 6’1″, 9.3 ppg)

Aziz Bandaogo (C, 7′, 7.7 ppg)

Players to watch

As mentioned, Oklahoma State’s Bryce Thompson is a starter the Bearcats didn’t see last year due to injury. In addition, 6-foot-8 forward Marchellus Avery and 6-foot-5 guard Brandon Newman are key contributors for the Cowboys that don’t start. Between them they combine for 19 points per game.

Four of UC’s starters from last year should have long memories of last year’s defeat but a difference-maker late in the year has been Jizzle James who didn’t start last year until the final two NIT games. James had 10 points off the bench in last season’s game, but has been on a roll with double-digit scoring games while teamed up with Day Day Thomas in the backcourt. James has reached double figures in 11 straight games while Thomas has joined him in nine of the last 10.

Rankings

KenPom.com: Cincinnati is No. 53, Oklahoma State No. 101

NCAA.NET: Cincinnati is No. 45, Oklahoma State is No. 100