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Jon Rothstein Pegs Bearcats as 'Team on the Rise,' Expects Cincinnati to Make NCAA Tournament

This would be a big step in the right direction.

James Rapien

Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Wes Miller, right, talks with Cincinnati Bearcats guard Jizzle James (2) in the first half of a college basketball game against the Bradley Braves during a second-round game of the National Invitation Tournament,, Saturday, March 23, 2024, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati.
Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Wes Miller, right, talks with Cincinnati Bearcats guard Jizzle James (2) in the first half of a college basketball game against the Bradley Braves during a second-round game of the National Invitation Tournament,, Saturday, March 23, 2024, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. / Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
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CINCINNATI — Are the Bearcats on the rise?

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports believes Wes Miller and the Bearcats will make the NCAA Tournament this season for the first time since 2019.

"The Bearcats return 75.6 percent of their scoring from last year’s team that won 22 games and was firmly in the bubble picture for the majority of the 2023-24 season," Rothstein wrote. "Wes Miller also added reinforcements through the transfer portal in Dillon Mitchell (Texas), Connor Hickman (Bradley), and Arrinten Page (USC). Cincinnati is primed to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019, which was Mick Cronin’s final year with the Bearcats before he left for UCLA."

Making the NCAA Tournament would be huge for a program entering his second season in the Big 12. It also feels like a realistic expectation, given the talent that is on this team.

The Bearcats were one of five teams that made Rothstein's list of teams on the rise. St. John's, Wake Forest, Rutgers and Ole Miss were the other four. Check out his entire article here.

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James Rapien
JAMES RAPIEN

James Rapien is the publisher of Bengals, Reds and Bearcats On SI. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati and has spent a decade covering Cincinnati sports. He's the author of Enter The Jungle, a book about the history of the Cincinnati Bengals. Prior to joining SI, Rapien was a host and producer at 700 WLW and ESPN 1530 in Cincinnati.

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