CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 08: Jarron Cumberland #34 of the Cincinnati Bearcats dribbles the ball up court ahead of Naji Marshall #13 of the Xavier Musketeers in the first half of the game at Fifth Third Arena on December 8, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
The No. 7 seed Cincinnati Bearcats (28-6; AAC tournament champion) will take on the No. 10 seed Iowa Hawkeyes (22-11; Big Ten at-large) in a South Region Round of 64 matchup at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio as NCAA Tournament action continues on Friday afternoon.
The game is scheduled to start at 12:15 p.m. ET and will be televised on CBS. But if you don’t have cable, you can sign up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services that allow you to watch CBS on your computer, phone or streaming device:
Amazon Prime
If you have Amazon Prime or want to start a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, you can watch all CBS content (both live and on-demand) via the CBS All-Access Amazon Channel, which comes with a seven-day free trial.
Once you’re signed up for both Amazon Prime and the CBS channel, you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Amazon website, or you can watch on your phone (Android and iPhone compatible), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, or other streaming device via the Amazon Video app.
FuboTV
FuboTV
CBS (live in select markets) is one of 85-plus live TV channels included in the main FuboTV bundle, which is largely tailored towards sports. Also included are TNT, TBS and TruTV, allowing you to watch every NCAA tournament game.
You can start a free 7-day trial of FuboTV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast or other supported device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which allows you to watch the game (and other programs) on-demand within three days of its conclusion, even if you don’t record it.
PlayStation Vue
PlayStation Vue
PS Vue–which doesn’t require an actual PlayStation console to sign up or watch–offers four different live-TV channel packages: All four include CBS (live in select markets). Also included are TNT, TBS and TruTV, allowing you to watch every March Madness game.
You can start a free 5-day trial of PS Vue right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the PS Vue website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation (3 or 4), or other supported device via the PS Vue app.
If you can’t watch live, PS Vue comes with cloud DVR.
Hulu With Live TV
Hulu
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 60-plus live TV channels, including CBS (live in select markets). Also included are TNT, TBS and TruTV, meaning you can watch every other NCAA tournament game.
You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu With Live TV comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as the option to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of space and the ability to fast-forward through commercials.
Cincinnati vs Iowa Preview
The Bearcats defeated the No. 11 Houston Cougars 69-57 to win the AAC Tournament this past Sunday in what was regarded as a shocker for most enthusiasts. Cincinnati was strong in-conference (14-4), but struggled against teams out-of-conference (losses to Ohio State, Mississippi State and Xavier), which is what likely hurt its seeding.
Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin knows that process doesn’t matter much this time of year. The Bearcats earned a No. 2 seed in the 2017-28 NCAA Tournament, and ended up falling in the Round of 32 to a hungry Nevada Wolfpack team led by head coach Eric Musselman.
“Seed doesn’t matter. We proved that last year. You can’t control what happens to you. You can control how you react to it.”
Despite Cincinnati only being a No. 7 seed thanks to the Selection Committee, there are some advantages — namely a very winnable matchup against the Hawkeyes in an awkward 7-10 matchup, as well as the perks of playing a game close to campus (107 miles), should the Bearcats and earn a date with No. 2 seed Tennessee in the Round of 32.
“Great for your fans. I was very concerned about getting shipped out west. I say all the time — enjoy this. A lot of money is made off of these kids. It’s important that their families can get to these games,” Cronin told reporters during the week.
The committee was generous to the Big Ten conference this season, earning an astonishing eight berths in total to lead the way. The Hawkeyes enter Friday having lost five of their past six games, and will look to avoid that trend continuing against the Bearcats.
Bearcats leading scorer Jarron Cumberland (18.8 points per game this season) attempts to avenge last season’s loss to Nevada with a deeper run this year. Cumberland and company got a good draw in Columbus, but will have to knock off two balanced, defensive teams (Iowa and possibly Tennessee) in order to do so.
The winner of Cincinnati-Iowa will play the winner of Tennessee-Colgate in a Round of 32 matchup on Sunday.