Preview: Colorado Buffaloes at Cincinnati Bearcats

CINCINNATI (Interstat) — The Colorado Buffaloes look to rebound from a narrow conference loss when they visit the Cincinnati Bearcats in a Big 12 men’s basketball matchup Wednesday night at Fifth Third Arena.

Colorado (12-4) enters with the stronger overall record but is coming off a tough 73-71 home defeat to Texas Tech last Saturday. The Buffaloes had won two straight prior to that, including a 95-89 road victory at Arizona State.

Cincinnati (8-8) seeks consistency after a difficult start to its conference schedule. The Bearcats have lost three consecutive games, each by single digits, including a heartbreaking 73-72 loss at UCF last Sunday.

A key matchup will feature two high-scoring guards. Colorado’s Isaiah Johnson has been a consistent offensive force, averaging 18.3 points over his last six games. He scored 21 points in the loss to Texas Tech. Cincinnati will counter with Moustapha Thiam, who erupted for 24 points against UCF and is averaging 13.8 points per game during the same six-game span.

The Buffaloes have shown a potent offense, scoring 85 points or more in three of their last five contests. Alongside Johnson, contributors like Barrington Hargress (17 points vs. Texas Tech) and Sebastian Rancik provide multiple scoring options.

The Bearcats will need to leverage their home court advantage, where they are 6-2 this season, to slow Colorado’s attack. Support for Thiam will be crucial, with forwards like Baba Miller, who posted 13 points and four assists against UCF, needing to make an impact.

This game marks the first meeting between the programs as Big 12 conference foes. For Cincinnati, it represents an opportunity to secure a resume-building win and halt its skid. For Colorado, it’s a chance to reestablish momentum on the road in a challenging league environment.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST Wednesday. Cincinnati remains at home to face Iowa State on Saturday, while Colorado travels to face West Virginia the same day.