KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Interstat) — A rematch from a close contest just three weeks ago will tip off the Big 12 men’s basketball tournament on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, when the seed Utah Utes face the seed Cincinnati Bearcats at T-Mobile Center. Utah (10-21) enters the postseason on a five-game losing streak, including a 101-75 road loss to Baylor on Saturday. The Utes’ last victory was a 61-56 win at West Virginia on Feb. 18. Their season has been defined by offensive struggles, failing to reach 70 points in eight of their last 10 games. The bright spot has been guard Don McHenry, who is averaging 17.1 points over his last seven games. He scored 20 in the loss to Baylor and had 18 points, five rebounds and three assists in the first meeting with Cincinnati. He will need a similar performance for Utah to advance. Cincinnati (17-14) seeks to solidify its NCAA tournament resume after a 73-63 loss at TCU in its regular-season finale snapped a two-game win streak. The Bearcats have shown a higher ceiling than Utah this season, punctuated by an 84-68 road win at Kansas on Feb. 21. Guard Day Day Thomas, who scored 16 points in the first matchup against Utah, leads Cincinnati. He is coming off a 19-point performance against TCU and averaged 19 points in two games last week. The Bearcats’ defense, which held Utah to 37.7% shooting in the February game, will be key. In that Feb. 15 game at Cincinnati, the Bearcats held on for a 69-65 victory. Utah had a chance to tie in the final seconds but turned the ball over. The Utes will look to avenge that narrow defeat in the win-or-go-home conference tournament setting. The winner will advance to face seed Texas Tech in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Cincinnati swept the regular-season series with the Red Raiders.