After securing a bye by way of the primary spherical of the Big 12 Tournament, UCF will play their first recreation of the occasion on Wednesday in opposition to the Cincinnati Bearcats – a staff thought of UCF’s largest within the Big 12 Conference.
Despite their favorable spot within the event area, UCF ended the common season on a three-game dropping streak and wanted assist from TCU to safe the No. 8 seed. After splitting the common season collection with the Bearcats, UCF’s rubber matchup can have a lot larger stakes.
Here’s what Knights followers must know as UCF battles a really acquainted foe in an try and get postseason play began on the appropriate foot.
MORE: Win and In? What to Know as UCF Faces Cincinnati With NCAA Tournament Hopes on the Line
UCF Knights (20-10, 9-9 Big 12 Conference) vs. Cincinnati Bearcats (17-14, 9-9 Big 12 Conference)
Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Location: T-Mobile Center (Kansas City, Missouri)
TV: ESPNU (PxP: Dan Shulman, Analyst: Jay Bilas, Sideline: Kris Budden)
Radio: FM 96.9 / AM 740 The Game (PxP: Marc Daniels)
Live Stats: HERE
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As with UCF’s earlier two matchups, the Knights might want to have solutions for the questions that star ahead Baba Miller and former Knights heart Moustapha Thiam. Both posted double-doubles in Cincinnati’s tournament-opening, 73-66 win in opposition to Utah on Tuesday.
“This league, like we don’t have a bad team,” Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller stated Tuesday night time. “So Utah tonight, who finished last place in our league, they’re really good. And I don’t think there’s a league in America that can say the bottom of their league is that good. Like obviously the top of our league is incredible, but it’s all the way throughout. So, every single game in the Big 12 is challenging. Every single one. Every single win in the Big 12 is a big time win. There’s not a such thing as a bad loss in the Big 12. So, for the next game, it’s the same thing.”
Of UCF particularly, Miller had this to say:
“I think they’re deep, right? They’re old. They’re tough. They’re very dynamic offensively. They have ton of guys that can shoot it over the top. They can play through the post. Their guard play’s good. I mean, but that’s like any Big 12 game. I mean, great players, depth, they’re a two-way team. They defend, they play offense. I mean, we’re gonna have to be good on the board. So yeah, like every game in this league, it’s going to present challenges.”
If UCF wins their first recreation, they might face No. 1 Arizona on Thursday, March 12 at 3 p.m. ET in a quarterfinal matchup. If they do not, they’re going to must hope that the 5 Quad 1 wins they obtained all through the season are sufficient to ensure them a spot within the NCAA Tournament. The area is introduced this Sunday, March 14.
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