NCAA Basketball: Ranking final 18 unbeaten teams for 2023-24 season

14. Cincinnati

Things have been a little uneven at Cincinnati since Mick Cronin left the program in 2019. The Bearcats had made nine straight trips to the Big Dance but haven’t been back since, wading the waters through John Brannen’s tumultuous tenure and now a transition into the Big 12. These Bearcats did win 23 games last season in the AAC and hope to continue this season’s hot start even when those tough Big 12 contests start a month from now.

Cincinnati’s first five games came at home, all of which ended in double-digit victories. They weren’t all against really weak competition, as the Bearcats really delivered in a 35-point rout over Georgia Tech just over a week ago. Their first trip outside Cincinnati didn’t go as well, as they needed overtime on the road against Howard this past Tuesday.

All things considered, Cincinnati as a program is trending in a great direction under third-year coach Wes Miller, but they probably aren’t ready to contend in the Big 12. Their initial schedule hasn’t been difficult at all and it really won’t be in December, outside of their rivalry game at Xavier on December 9th. If they can upend the Musketeers, the Bearcats will enter Big 12 play unbeaten while only having left their hometown once in thirteen games.