Earlier this week, I wrote a column suggesting that Cincinnati basketball fans had no reason to panic after their sixth player entered the transfer portal.
Now, as the weekend approaches, I’m beginning to wane in my confidence of that statement.
On Wednesday, the Bearcats learned that former five-star Texas transfer Dillon Mitchell would enter the portal. Now, they’ll lose an eighth player, guard Connor Hickman, who will also enter.
Hickman suffered a foot injury that forced him to sit out a few games in January, and then ultimately missed the second half of the 2024-25 season as a result. He recently applied for an injury waiver with the NCAA but has not received an answer back yet at the time of this story.
Before being ruled out, Hickman averaged 4.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in his lone season with the Bearcats. Prior to that, he was a three-year starter at Bradley and averaged 14.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game in 2023-24.
Now, with eight players exiting the program via the portal, it’s safe to wonder what Cincinnati basketball will look like under Wes Miller in 2025. The Bearcats finished their 2024-25 season with a 19-16 overall record and a 7-13 finish in the Big 12.
