​The top two colleges in the state of Ohio in terms of enrollment will meet on the hardwood again, only this time it will be outdoors.The Cincinnati Bearcats and Ohio State Buckeyes are the opening exhibition game in the CareSource Invitational at 3 p.m. Oct. 7, which will be played at the Lindner Tennis Center in Mason. Fans in the grandstand will now see nets on both ends, as opposed to the big net in the middle that graces the court each August at the Cincinnati Open.The Xavier Musketeers and Dayton Flyers will follow the Bearcats and Buckeyes at 5:30 p.m. Should weather interfere, the games will move to the University of Dayton Arena.”We’ll probably play 12-13 players,” new UC coach Jerrod Calhoun said. “It’s a chance for us to get a little dry run and see where we’re at. I think (the event) is really, really neat. I hope we sell a lot of tickets and get a lot of Bearcats fans there.”Calhoun predicts an ugly shooting game based on a conversation with Vanderbilt’s coach Mark Byington. The Commodores just beat Virginia at a tennis facility in Charleston, South Carolina, but struggled to see the basket at times because of the sun.Early weather forecasts project sun with temperatures in the lower 80s, so UC’s afternoon tip-off could warrant some sunglasses for the coaches.UC last played Ohio State in an exhibition in October 2024 at Fifth Third Arena, winning 80-62 in what may have been the highlight of a 19-16 season under Wes Miller. A much-hyped preseason eventually ended with a disappearance from the polls by January.In the regular season, the Buckeyes have won five straight, with the latest coming in 2022 in the Maui Invitational. Before 2006, the two teams hadn’t played since 1962, when the Bearcats won the second of their back-to-back national championships against Ohio State.Buy Cincinnati Bearcats basketball tickets3 keys for Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Ohio State BuckeyesTickets are now on sale for the CareSource Invitational, an event designed to normalize mental health conversations and raise funds for nonprofit mental health and suicide prevention organizations. Together, we’re empowering young people to build a strong foundation for mental… pic.twitter.com/OrLYVbZLCL— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) July 31, 20261. Cincinnati Bearcats must avoid injuriesThe afternoon start time is because the portable floor could develop condensation in the evening hours, and nobody wants to see their favorite players slip and fall in an exhibition. 2. Team bonding must continue as it did in BahamasThe Bearcats went 2-0 in the Baha Mar Summer Hoops Classic, but the competition the two Canadian teams presented was nothing like what UC will see from Ohio State. Calhoun has “We Over Me” surrounding Fifth Third Arena, and his teams often feature position-less players making even contributions.Seven players were in double figures in a 47-point win over Victoria on Aug. 4. The next day, in a 41-point drubbing of Calgary, 11 players played doubl