John Minchillo/Associated Press
The holiday season has felt a lot like the N.C.A.A. tournament for the Cincinnati men’s basketball team. That’s by design, a maneuver it hopes will pay off in March, when tournament seedings are made.
Its schedule includes Xavier and Tennessee, which have been ranked. It beat Vermont, the favorite to win the America East Conference. It will host Colgate, the team picked by coaches and sports information directors to win the Patriot League, on Saturday. And a week later, in Chicago, the Bearcats will play Iowa, which has already beaten last season’s national runner-up, Texas Tech.