This will be another crack at a Quad 1 win for the Bearcats who hope to leave their conference-opener sluggishness in 2024 in Manhattan as they greet the new year.

CINCINNATI — A 2-0 weekend emphatically ended the Bearcats non-conference basketball slate successfully and has them moving up the AP Poll heading into the holiday. Cincinnati jumped from No. 19 to No. 17 on Monday and sits at No. 18 in the NET rankings (their highest slotting since losing to Villanova).

Wes Miller's Cincinnati Bearcats wrapped up the non-conference schedule Sunday with a win over Grambling State. Here's what we learned.

Shortly after the Kansas State men’s basketball team closed out the nonconference portion of its schedule with a humbling loss against Wichita State, Jerome Tang said it was time for the Wildcats to hit the reset button. “We are 0-0,” the K-State coach said.

Dec 30, 2024; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats guard Dan Skillings Jr. (0) dunks the ball against Kansas State Wildcats guard Coleman Hawkins (33) and guard David N'Guessan (1) during the first half at Bramlage Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images