TicketsCINCINNATI -- The University of Cincinnati men's basketball team followed the women in the first slot of Thursday's live ESPN+ media coverage of the American Athletic Conference Media Day, and head coach Wes Miller and graduate student wing John Newman III represented the squad.
Miller's first question gave him the ability to touch on the move to purchase suits for each member of the team, evoking a throwback tradition that will pave the way for professional development during and after school.
"When the NCAA allows us to purchase each of our guys a suit, we've been doing that for years when they've joined our program," he said. "I think it's important to teach young people things outside of basketball and how to be comfortable in different environments when they leave our university. It also allows our fans to see them in a different light and not just the uniform. There are a lot more to our players besides what happens in those 94 feet."
Cincinnati returns seven players, including 69.3 percent of its minutes and 75.6 percent of its scoring. Now, the squad welcomes three high-level impact transfers in former team captains Kalu Ezikpe (Old Dominion forward) and Rob Phinisee (Indiana guard) to go with 2021 NIT Most Outstanding Player Landers Nolley II (Memphis). Nolley also brings Maui Invitational experience to the Bearcats, where he made the All-Tournament Team with 19.7 ppg as a freshman at Virginia Tech.
Newman, a second-year Bearcat who was committed to Miller and UNC Greensboro following a solid Clemson career, could not pinpoint who has impressed him the most, but said each of them has brought something to the table.
"Rob is one of the best defenders at the guard position since I've been in college," he said. "Landers can make plays, and I always knew he could shoot it, but his IQ of the game is something I didn't know and surprised me. Kalu is just a beast. He's physically imposing and can play the perimeter a bit."
Miller also added that the familiarity and personnel aspect was vital to the team's preparation from this moment a year ago.
"With eight returning guys, of those there are a lot of returning minutes and experience," Miller said. "The continuity of this year to last is incredibly different. There are a bunch of us in the building already that have worked a year together, and that has made a difference in the spring and summer and helped with the onboarding and assimilation."
Miller and Newman's shared path not only includes their same Greensboro, N.C., hometowns, but also a strong emphasis on defensive and team-first mentalities. Miller's first full recruiting cycle and offseason in Clifton has put him and his staff a step closer in instilling their aspired style.
"We just didn't feel like the way our roster was made up last year, it didn't make sense to do the things we did the previous 6-7 years at UNCG that made us so successful," Miller said. "I think you'll see us implement those things this year. From the practice standpoint we've worked on our full-court defense and built up to that and added the three-quarters court later in the preseason. We hope to do that in the next couple of weeks, and we think that'll be a big part of how we play later on."
Miller's tight-knit approach with each of his players cannot be lost in the conversation without Jeremiah Davenport, one of the team's two fourth-year players (also Mika Adams-Woods), a Moeller High School grad who Cincinnati fans adorn for keeping the logo so close to his heart. Last year, he not only averaged a career-best 13.4 ppg while ranking fourth in the league for three-point percentage (on 83 makes), he also led the squad in rebounding at 5.5 per contest.
"He's really matured this year," Miller said. "His effort in practice every day and games were always exemplary. He's always played hard and with passion, but his commitment outside of those moments has really improved and matured. All of our guys improve with our strength coach Mike Rehfeldt, and I say it all the time that he's the best in college basketball. I may be biased, but I don't think I have to be because he's that good. Jeremiah has improved in the times he's not required to be here. You can tell his focus and approach are different, and it has impacted his game in practice even more so than last year."
And that is where Miller emphasized the power of the team's mix of homegrown talent and transfer additions, particularly with one of those newcomers being a former league rival.
"I don't think those seven returning guys should ever be overshadowed," he said. "Continuity is so important and we want to celebrate guys who stay in the program. They'll have a lot to do with our future success. Landers brings quite a bit from the Maui Invitational as a freshman, and he's played in the NCAA and deep into the NIT with a championship there. He brings us some scoring punch that we wanted to address from last year, especially in the second half of league play. He scores at a high level and can finish plays with his ability to catch and shoot. He's a guy that can really create plays for others, and we'll use him a little differently. He can really take some pressure off guys who had to do a lot of that a year ago."
Miller said in his preseason-opening press conference that "it's only about today for me and for our program," and that his only concern regarding his Year Two expectations are to get better every day.
This past Homecoming football weekend, Cincinnati hosted its 1991-92 and 1992-93 Final Four and Elite Eight teams, respectively. Friday night featured a special ceremony at Fueled Collective, followed by a thunderous on-field ovation during the first-quarter intermission.
For Newman, the motivation spoke for itself.
"Being around those guys, you're already motivated in your own way, but seeing them show their love means the world to us," he said. "It's always been a family feel, but having those guys back, you get a sense of someone who did it. It shows you that you can do it. They made it to the Final Four and Elite Eight, but they want even more for us, and we want to give it to them. We just want to continue building on that and get better."
Miller, the nation's winningest coach in the country under 40, shared his lasting impressions as well.
"I didn't want to date them, but I was a youngster in those days," he said. "That group made playing hard really cool. That's what I remember from watching those (Bob) Huggins' teams in the 90s. We 're playing hard, and we have to make it cool again, because that's what wins."
2022-23 SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2022-23 men's basketball campaign in Fifth Third Arena are on sale, and serve as the only guaranteed way to get admission into the Crosstown Shootout against Xavier on Dec. 10. UC opens its 18-game home slate Monday, Nov. 7 against Chaminade.
Miller's first question gave him the ability to touch on the move to purchase suits for each member of the team, evoking a throwback tradition that will pave the way for professional development during and after school.
"When the NCAA allows us to purchase each of our guys a suit, we've been doing that for years when they've joined our program," he said. "I think it's important to teach young people things outside of basketball and how to be comfortable in different environments when they leave our university. It also allows our fans to see them in a different light and not just the uniform. There are a lot more to our players besides what happens in those 94 feet."
Cincinnati returns seven players, including 69.3 percent of its minutes and 75.6 percent of its scoring. Now, the squad welcomes three high-level impact transfers in former team captains Kalu Ezikpe (Old Dominion forward) and Rob Phinisee (Indiana guard) to go with 2021 NIT Most Outstanding Player Landers Nolley II (Memphis). Nolley also brings Maui Invitational experience to the Bearcats, where he made the All-Tournament Team with 19.7 ppg as a freshman at Virginia Tech.
Newman, a second-year Bearcat who was committed to Miller and UNC Greensboro following a solid Clemson career, could not pinpoint who has impressed him the most, but said each of them has brought something to the table.
"Rob is one of the best defenders at the guard position since I've been in college," he said. "Landers can make plays, and I always knew he could shoot it, but his IQ of the game is something I didn't know and surprised me. Kalu is just a beast. He's physically imposing and can play the perimeter a bit."
Miller also added that the familiarity and personnel aspect was vital to the team's preparation from this moment a year ago.
"With eight returning guys, of those there are a lot of returning minutes and experience," Miller said. "The continuity of this year to last is incredibly different. There are a bunch of us in the building already that have worked a year together, and that has made a difference in the spring and summer and helped with the onboarding and assimilation."
Miller and Newman's shared path not only includes their same Greensboro, N.C., hometowns, but also a strong emphasis on defensive and team-first mentalities. Miller's first full recruiting cycle and offseason in Clifton has put him and his staff a step closer in instilling their aspired style.
"We just didn't feel like the way our roster was made up last year, it didn't make sense to do the things we did the previous 6-7 years at UNCG that made us so successful," Miller said. "I think you'll see us implement those things this year. From the practice standpoint we've worked on our full-court defense and built up to that and added the three-quarters court later in the preseason. We hope to do that in the next couple of weeks, and we think that'll be a big part of how we play later on."
Miller's tight-knit approach with each of his players cannot be lost in the conversation without Jeremiah Davenport, one of the team's two fourth-year players (also Mika Adams-Woods), a Moeller High School grad who Cincinnati fans adorn for keeping the logo so close to his heart. Last year, he not only averaged a career-best 13.4 ppg while ranking fourth in the league for three-point percentage (on 83 makes), he also led the squad in rebounding at 5.5 per contest.
"He's really matured this year," Miller said. "His effort in practice every day and games were always exemplary. He's always played hard and with passion, but his commitment outside of those moments has really improved and matured. All of our guys improve with our strength coach Mike Rehfeldt, and I say it all the time that he's the best in college basketball. I may be biased, but I don't think I have to be because he's that good. Jeremiah has improved in the times he's not required to be here. You can tell his focus and approach are different, and it has impacted his game in practice even more so than last year."
And that is where Miller emphasized the power of the team's mix of homegrown talent and transfer additions, particularly with one of those newcomers being a former league rival.
"I don't think those seven returning guys should ever be overshadowed," he said. "Continuity is so important and we want to celebrate guys who stay in the program. They'll have a lot to do with our future success. Landers brings quite a bit from the Maui Invitational as a freshman, and he's played in the NCAA and deep into the NIT with a championship there. He brings us some scoring punch that we wanted to address from last year, especially in the second half of league play. He scores at a high level and can finish plays with his ability to catch and shoot. He's a guy that can really create plays for others, and we'll use him a little differently. He can really take some pressure off guys who had to do a lot of that a year ago."
Miller said in his preseason-opening press conference that "it's only about today for me and for our program," and that his only concern regarding his Year Two expectations are to get better every day.
This past Homecoming football weekend, Cincinnati hosted its 1991-92 and 1992-93 Final Four and Elite Eight teams, respectively. Friday night featured a special ceremony at Fueled Collective, followed by a thunderous on-field ovation during the first-quarter intermission.
For Newman, the motivation spoke for itself.
"Being around those guys, you're already motivated in your own way, but seeing them show their love means the world to us," he said. "It's always been a family feel, but having those guys back, you get a sense of someone who did it. It shows you that you can do it. They made it to the Final Four and Elite Eight, but they want even more for us, and we want to give it to them. We just want to continue building on that and get better."
Miller, the nation's winningest coach in the country under 40, shared his lasting impressions as well.
"I didn't want to date them, but I was a youngster in those days," he said. "That group made playing hard really cool. That's what I remember from watching those (Bob) Huggins' teams in the 90s. We 're playing hard, and we have to make it cool again, because that's what wins."
2022-23 SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2022-23 men's basketball campaign in Fifth Third Arena are on sale, and serve as the only guaranteed way to get admission into the Crosstown Shootout against Xavier on Dec. 10. UC opens its 18-game home slate Monday, Nov. 7 against Chaminade.