Bearcats Basketball Battling SEC Team in Exhibition Matchup Next Month

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bearcats are taking on John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks in a preseason scrimmage next month. Arkansas released its full non-conference schedule this week and has the exhibition with UC scheduled for Oct. 24 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

It should mirror the exhibition that UC held last year at home against Ohio State. UC head coach Wes Miller did not offer comment on any exhibitions during his press conference this week, but he is excited to get rolling with his new team.

Day Day Thomas is the only part of the 2024-25 rotation returning for this season.

"What we do have is Day Day," Miller said about the player leadership hierarchy in college basketball getting washed away by the transfer portal. "And I think that's rare that he's in year three. He's a fifth-year college player. He'll be a three-year Big 12 player. He understands what it means to play at Cincinnati. He understands playing in the Big 12, and he has the right values and character internally.

"And so the team respects him, the coaching staff respects him. And so we do have that. So there'll be years in college basketball that you won't have that anymore. And we may not have it in the old school sense, but we have it with Day Day, and I think that's been pretty good from a coaching standpoint. I'm proud of that."

The Bearcats' official first game is scheduled for Nov. 3 at Fifth Third Arena.

The non-conference schedule is finalized. Overall, the Hogs’ regular-season opponents include:
- All 8 2025 NCAA Elite 8 teams
-18 teams from last year’s NCAA Tourney
- 9 conference champions from last year
- 22 teams that won at least 20 games last year #WPS pic.twitter.com/PcDVSjZJda
— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) September 17, 2025

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