With the Crosstown Shootout on the horizon, the Cincinnati Bearcats have made another step forward in the AP Top 25, moving to No. 19 in the most recent release of the poll.
The Bearcats reached the outskirts of the top 20 last week and are now inside the walls for the second year in a row. They were ranked No. 17 in the country for a week last season, but failed to maintain a spot in the top 20 and, by the end of December, were out of the rankings entirely. With its new ranking, UC has now been a top 25 team for eight-straight weeks, its longest streak since 2014 when it ended the season ranked for 10 weeks in a row.