Fresh off a statement week in Kansas City, the Cincinnati men's basketball team is set to return to Fifth Third Arena when it hosts Monmouth at 2 p.m. Saturday.

THE RUNDOWN
Cincinnati (5-1) is off to its best start since the 2018-19 season, in which it won nine-straight games after a season-opening loss. The Bearcats were stellar in their biggest test yet this past week at the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, dismantling No. 14 Illinois, 71-51, and nearly knocking off No. 12 Arkansas, 73-67, in a game it led with two minutes to play. The  former was the team's largest over a ranked opponent since Georgetown on March 5, 2011 (69-47).  UC trailed 23-8 but outscored the Illini 63-28 over the final 32 minutes.

David DeJulius earned All-Tournament honors after scoring 24 points (two from a career-high) in the title game. Mike Saunders Jr. came into his own as well, earning career-highs of 20 points and five assists in those consecutive nights off the bench. He was also 9-for-10 from the foul line in the Illinois game. He is 4-for-8 from deep after going 5-for-23 as a freshman last year, averaging 10.0 ppg compared to 3.5.

UC won its first four games, all at home, winning the turnover battle by an average of 5.0 per game. The Bearcats rank 33rd (and first in AAC) in three-point defense at 25.8 percent. They have held opponents to 17.2 percent the last four games. Mika Adams-Woods also remains in 19th and atop the league lead with a 4.25 assist/turnover ratio. The Bearcats' narrow defeat to Arkansas also marked their first time trailing in the second half and losing the rebounding battle on the season.

ABOUT MONMOUTH
It is the first meeting all-time between the schools. Graduate-transfer forward Walker Miller is the younger brother of Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller. There are 10 sibling vs. sibling games in Division I this season among eight overall matchups (the other two are conference home-and-homes). It is the only game featuring coach vs. player.

Head coach King Rice enters his 11th season at Monmouth, and like Miller, is a former captain at North Carolina. The four-year letterwinner under Dean Smith (1988-91) finished third on the school's all-time assists list and is a three-time MAAC Coach of the Year, in addition to John McLendon National Coach of the Year honors in 2016.

The Hawks have won four in a row since a season-opening loss at Charlotte.