Cincinnati basketball’s March Madness bubble pops with devastating collapse vs. UCF

Cincinnati’s 2025-2026 college basketball season likely just ended at the hands of UCF in the most ironic way imaginable. The Bearcats were a fringe March Madness team entering the Big 12 Tournament, making their second-round loss a potential season-ending blow.

Cincinnati did not just lose; it fumbled an eight-point lead with two minutes remaining. They had one final chance to win the game in regulation but inexplicably dribbled the possession out, allowing the game to go into overtime, where the Bearcats suffered a 66-65 defeat.

UCF +3.5 bettors definitely were screaming at Cincy to get a shot off so the game doesn’t go to overtime pic.twitter.com/p7jGS44Ljs

— br_betting (@br_betting) March 11, 2026

While neither team had much offensive success, Cincinnati was in control for most of the game until the final minutes. Yet, in what has been an unfortunate recurring theme all season, it was unable to finish the game strongly enough to secure the victory.

Cincinnati is currently a “first four out” team, according to ESPN college basketball analyst Joe Lunardi. The analyst believed the Bearcats needed to beat UCF to sneak into the 68-team field, potentially ending their rocky season in the Big 12 Tournament.

Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller still believes his team will make the cut, even with the loss, due to its strong end to the regular season. Miller pointed out the Bearcats’ 6-2 finish to the regular season, which included a blowout win over No. 8 Kansas, claiming no other team with that strong a finish in Big 12 play missed the NCAA Tournament.

However, many Cincinnati basketball fans believe the loss was Miller’s final straw. The 43-year-old has yet to bring the Bearcats to March Madness in his five years at the helm, potentially leaving his job status dependent on his Selection Sunday fortune.

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