Cincinnati's basketball program dates to 1901 and produced one of the sport's greatest dynasties in the early 1960s. The 'Bearcats' name was adopted in 1914 when a cheerleader combined 'bear' and 'cats' after a cartoon of a ferocious bear-cat hybrid. Under Ed Jucker, Cincinnati won back-to-back NCAA Championships in 1961 and 1962, and came within an overtime loss to Loyola Chicago of a third straight title in 1963. The program also featured Oscar Robertson, widely considered one of the greatest players in basketball history, who averaged 33.8 points per game during his college career.
Born on Halloween 1914, when cheerleader Norman 'Pat' Lyon punned on star fullback Teddy Baehr's name — 'They may be Wildcats, but we have a Baehr-cat on our side' — during a win over Kentucky; a student newspaper cartoon of a 'Cincinnati Bear Cat' days later cemented the name
Winning back-to-back NCAA Championships in 1961 and 1962 under coach Ed Jucker, then reaching a third straight title game in 1963
Oscar Robertson, 'The Big O,' averaged 33.8 points per game during his three-year varsity career at Cincinnati (1957-1960) and is widely considered one of the five greatest basketball players ever
The Cincinnati Bearcats compete in the Big 12 and hold an all-time record of 1947–1111 (.637 winning percentage) across 124 recorded seasons dating back to 1901-02. The program has won 2 NCAA national championships (1961, 1962) and reached 6 Final Fours.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 18-15 | 9-9 (Big 12) | Wes Miller | |
| 2024-25 | 19-16 | 7-13 (Big 12) | Wes Miller | AP #14 |
| 2023-24 | 22-15 | 7-11 (Big 12) | Wes Miller | |
| 2022-23 | 23-13 | 11-7 (AAC) | Wes Miller | |
| 2021-22 | 18-15 | 7-11 (AAC) | Wes Miller | |
| 2020-21 | 12-11 | 8-6 (AAC) | John Brannen | |
| 2019-20 | 20-10 | 13-5 (AAC) | John Brannen | |
| 2018-19 | 28-7 | 14-4 (AAC) | Mick Cronin | AP #20 |
| 2017-18 | 31-5 | 16-2 (AAC) | Mick Cronin | AP #5 |
| 2016-17 | 30-6 | 16-2 (AAC) | Mick Cronin | AP #11 |
| 2015-16 | 22-11 | 12-6 (AAC) | Mick Cronin | AP #17 |
| 2014-15 | 23-11 | 13-5 (AAC) | Mick Cronin | |
| 2013-14 | 27-7 | 15-3 (AAC) | Mick Cronin | AP #7 |
| 2012-13 | 22-12 | 9-9 (Big East) | Mick Cronin | AP #8 |
| 2011-12 | 26-11 | 12-6 (Big East) | Mick Cronin | AP #20 |
| 2010-11 | 26-9 | 11-7 (Big East) | Mick Cronin | AP #24 |
| 2009-10 | 19-16 | 7-11 (Big East) | Mick Cronin | AP #19 |
| 2008-09 | 18-14 | 8-10 (Big East) | Mick Cronin | |
| 2007-08 | 13-19 | 8-10 (Big East) | Mick Cronin | |
| 2006-07 | 11-19 | 2-14 (Big East) | Mick Cronin | |
| 2005-06 | 21-13 | 8-8 (Big East) | Andy Kennedy | AP #25 |
| 2004-05 | 25-8 | 12-4 (CUSA) | Bob Huggins | AP #18 |
| 2003-04 | 25-7 | 12-4 (CUSA) | Bob Huggins | AP #6 |
| 2002-03 | 17-12 | 9-7 (CUSA) | Bob Huggins | AP #21 |
| 2001-02 | 31-4 | 14-2 (CUSA) | Bob Huggins | AP #4 |
| 2000-01 | 25-10 | 11-5 (CUSA) | Bob Huggins | AP #16 |
| 1999-00 | 29-4 | 16-0 (CUSA) | Bob Huggins | AP #1 |
| 1998-99 | 27-6 | 12-4 (CUSA) | Bob Huggins | AP #3 |
| 1997-98 | 27-6 | 14-2 (CUSA) | Bob Huggins | AP #9 |
| 1996-97 | 26-8 | 12-2 (CUSA) | Bob Huggins | AP #1 |
| 1995-96 | 28-5 | 11-3 (CUSA) | Bob Huggins | AP #3 |
| 1993-94 | 22-10 | 7-5 (GMWC) | Bob Huggins | AP #17 |
| 1992-93 | 27-5 | 8-2 (GMWC) | Bob Huggins | AP #4 |
| 1991-92 | 29-5 | 8-2 (GMWC) | Bob Huggins | AP #12 |
| 1990-91 | 18-12 | 8-6 (Metro) | Bob Huggins | |
| 1989-90 | 20-14 | 9-5 (Metro) | Bob Huggins | |
| 1988-89 | 15-12 | 5-7 (Metro) | Tony Yates | |
| 1987-88 | 11-17 | 3-9 (Metro) | Tony Yates | |
| 1986-87 | 12-16 | 3-9 (Metro) | Tony Yates | |
| 1985-86 | 12-16 | 5-7 (Metro) | Tony Yates | |
| 1984-85 | 17-14 | 8-6 (Metro) | Tony Yates | |
| 1983-84 | 3-25 | 0-14 (Metro) | Tony Yates | |
| 1982-83 | 11-17 | 1-11 (Metro) | Ed Badger | |
| 1981-82 | 15-12 | 4-8 (Metro) | Ed Badger | |
| 1980-81 | 16-13 | 6-6 (Metro) | Ed Badger | |
| 1979-80 | 13-15 | 3-9 (Metro) | Ed Badger | |
| 1978-79 | 13-14 | 4-6 (Metro) | Ed Badger | |
| 1977-78 | 17-10 | 6-6 (Metro) | Gale Catlett | AP #6 |
| 1976-77 | 25-5 | 4-2 (Metro) | Gale Catlett | AP #2 |
| 1975-76 | 25-6 | 2-1 (Metro) | Gale Catlett | AP #6 |
| 1974-75 | 23-6 | Ind | Gale Catlett | AP #12 |
| 1973-74 | 19-8 | Ind | Gale Catlett | AP #20 |
| 1972-73 | 17-9 | Ind | Gale Catlett | |
| 1971-72 | 17-9 | Ind | Tay Baker | |
| 1970-71 | 14-12 | Ind | Tay Baker | |
| 1969-70 | 21-6 | 12-4 (MVC) | Tay Baker | AP #19 |
| 1968-69 | 17-9 | 8-8 (MVC) | Tay Baker | AP #6 |
| 1967-68 | 18-8 | 11-5 (MVC) | Tay Baker | |
| 1966-67 | 17-9 | 6-8 (MVC) | Tay Baker | AP #7 |
| 1965-66 | 21-7 | 10-4 (MVC) | Tay Baker | AP #7 |
| 1964-65 | 14-12 | 5-9 (MVC) | Ed Jucker | |
| 1963-64 | 17-9 | 6-6 (MVC) | Ed Jucker | AP #3 |
| 1962-63 | 26-2 | 11-1 (MVC) | Ed Jucker | AP #1 |
| 1961-62 | 29-2 | 10-2 (MVC) | Ed Jucker | AP #2 |
| 1960-61 | 27-3 | 10-2 (MVC) | Ed Jucker | AP #2 |
| 1959-60 | 28-2 | 13-1 (MVC) | George Smith | AP #1 |
| 1958-59 | 26-4 | 13-1 (MVC) | George Smith | AP #1 |
| 1957-58 | 25-3 | 13-1 (MVC) | George Smith | AP #2 |
| 1956-57 | 15-9 | Ind | George Smith | |
| 1955-56 | 17-7 | Ind | George Smith | AP #14 |
| 1954-55 | 21-8 | Ind | George Smith | AP #12 |
| 1953-54 | 11-10 | Ind | George Smith | |
| 1952-53 | 11-13 | 9-3 (MAC) | George Smith | |
| 1951-52 | 11-16 | 5-5 (MAC) | John Wiethe | |
| 1950-51 | 18-4 | 7-1 (MAC) | John Wiethe | AP #11 |
| 1949-50 | 20-6 | 10-0 (MAC) | John Wiethe | AP #12 |
| 1948-49 | 23-5 | 9-1 (MAC) | John Wiethe | AP #13 |
| 1947-48 | 17-7 | 7-2 (MAC) | John Wiethe | |
| 1946-47 | 17-9 | 6-2 (MAC) | John Wiethe | |
| 1945-46 | 8-13 | Ind | Ray Farnham | |
| 1944-45 | 8-9 | Ind | Ray Farnham | |
| 1943-44 | 6-5 | Ind | Bob Ruess | |
| 1942-43 | 9-10 | Ind | Bob Ruess | |
| 1941-42 | 10-10 | Ind | Clark Ballard | |
| 1940-41 | 6-12 | Ind | Clark Ballard | |
| 1939-40 | 8-9 | Ind | Clark Ballard | |
| 1938-39 | 12-5 | Ind | Rip Van Winkle | |
| 1937-38 | 6-11 | Ind | Rip Van Winkle | |
| 1936-37 | 9-10 | Ind | Tay Brown | |
| 1935-36 | 10-7 | Ind | Tay Brown | |
| 1934-35 | 16-3 | Ind | Tay Brown | |
| 1933-34 | 12-7 | Ind | Tay Brown | |
| 1932-33 | 9-9 | Ind | John Halliday | |
| 1931-32 | 4-11 | Ind | Frank Rice | |
| 1930-31 | 2-15 | Ind | Frank Rice | |
| 1929-30 | 14-4 | Ind | Frank Rice | |
| 1928-29 | 13-4 | Ind | Frank Rice | |
| 1927-28 | 14-4 | Ind | Boyd Chambers | |
| 1926-27 | 13-5 | Ind | Boyd Chambers | |
| 1925-26 | 17-2 | Ind | Boyd Chambers | |
| 1924-25 | 5-14 | Ind | Boyd Chambers | |
| 1923-24 | 11-8 | Ind | Boyd Chambers | |
| 1922-23 | 13-9 | Ind | Boyd Chambers | |
| 1921-22 | 15-8 | Ind | Boyd Chambers | |
| 1920-21 | 10-11 | Ind | Boyd Chambers | |
| 1919-20 | 5-9 | Ind | Boyd Chambers | |
| 1918-19 | 3-11 | Ind | Boyd Chambers | |
| 1917-18 | 2-6 | Ind | Whitelaw Morrison | |
| 1916-17 | 3-8 | Ind | Ion Cortright | |
| 1915-16 | 1-9 | Ind | George Little | |
| 1914-15 | 3-8 | Ind | George Little | |
| 1913-14 | 2-8 | Ind | Russ Easton | |
| 1912-13 | 4-7 | Ind | Russ Easton | |
| 1911-12 | 2-9 | Ind | Russ Easton | |
| 1910-11 | 3-6 | Ind | Russ Easton | |
| 1909-10 | 3-2 | Ind | C.A. Schroetter | |
| 1908-09 | 6-4 | Ind | Amos Foster | |
| 1907-08 | 9-0 | Ind | Amos Foster | |
| 1906-07 | 7-2 | Ind | Amos Foster | |
| 1905-06 | 2-1 | Ind | Amos Foster | |
| 1904-05 | 6-3 | Ind | Amos Foster | |
| 1903-04 | 8-6 | Ind | Anthony Chez | |
| 1902-03 | 4-4 | Ind | Anthony Chez | |
| 1901-02 | 5-4 | Ind | Henry Pratt |
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| Rank | Team | Conference | All-Time Wins |
|---|
Top 100 by all-time D1 wins. Verified against the NCAA record book — and tiered so you can argue properly.
| # | COACH | RECORD | WIN % | SCHOOL(S) | YEARS | BEST SEASON / LEGACY |
|---|