TicketsCINCINNATI -- Six days are all that separate the Cincinnati men's basketball team from its season opener, a Monday night showdown in Fifth Third Arena against Chaminade (7 p.m.)
"The sense of urgency, the butterflies, the first day of practice, or going into every practice I feel those and certainly before the first game, before any game. It's like being a kid," head coach Wes Miller said. "That's one of the great parts of coaching, you get that competitive drug by the way it makes you feel, It's really unique and special."
The Bearcats have been running full steam since Sept. 28. It is November after all. Simply put, the human element is that games are often what get people going the most.
"When you have the ability to do two scrimmages behind closed doors against a Division I opponent, it's worth five practices," Miller said. "So, I've been so adamant about using that as much as I possibly can. I wish we could do more of it due to the different styles of play. It's not a real game, so it doesn't bring some of the other stuff that's involved, you can try different combinations, you can try different things that maybe didn't work in practice against yourself, but it may work against someone else.
"You can learn so much from those scrimmages. I really value the ones they let us do. If I was making the college basketball rules, we would be doing six of them in the preseason."
Ody Oguama, a senior in his second year at Cincinnati and known for his effervescent smile, could not help but hold back on the anticipation of playing in front of fans and with consequence.
"I'm just ready to ease into the season," he said. "It's right around the corner. I'm just looking forward to it and playing with the guys and seeing another jersey. We fight against each other every day, and it's always gonna help prepare us in the long run."
Oguama also touched on his emphasis on not only getting to the line more next season, but shooting at a higher percentage. The flip side of his game comes from his higher range of mobility compared to a typical No. 4 or 5, especially as Miller looks to shape his program around full-court pressure and defensive intensity.
"The main difference would be having to guard multiple positions, to not just sit in the paint or around the basket and actually guard a perimeter player at some point," Oguama said. "Coach Roberts also asks the post players every day to go crack the guy down low and search for the ball."
Mika Adams-Woods, another senior but the only one besides Jeremiah Davenport to be in his fourth Clifton season, said the main focus for the team is the 'now,' with the ultimate goal as the tournament. In fact, he started 19 games as a true freshman in 2019-20, a squad that won the regular-season AAC title before its NCAA hopes were dashed by COVID-19.
Last year, his 2.81 assist-turnover ratio was No. 15 nationally.
"I feel like my game is making the right play and finding the right guy," he said. "I'm a team-oriented guy, so I always like to make the right play and see my teammates score. This year, I've worked on my jumper really hard and knew I needed to make a jump for my game and my team here."
And as for Miller's parting thoughts?
"The day I don't have nerves and I'm not excited or can't sleep before the game is the day I stop coaching," he said. "Of course I get as nervous as anybody, and I mean that in a really good way. I care a lot."
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.
"The sense of urgency, the butterflies, the first day of practice, or going into every practice I feel those and certainly before the first game, before any game. It's like being a kid," head coach Wes Miller said. "That's one of the great parts of coaching, you get that competitive drug by the way it makes you feel, It's really unique and special."
The Bearcats have been running full steam since Sept. 28. It is November after all. Simply put, the human element is that games are often what get people going the most.
"When you have the ability to do two scrimmages behind closed doors against a Division I opponent, it's worth five practices," Miller said. "So, I've been so adamant about using that as much as I possibly can. I wish we could do more of it due to the different styles of play. It's not a real game, so it doesn't bring some of the other stuff that's involved, you can try different combinations, you can try different things that maybe didn't work in practice against yourself, but it may work against someone else.
"You can learn so much from those scrimmages. I really value the ones they let us do. If I was making the college basketball rules, we would be doing six of them in the preseason."
"I think we all kinda feel certain that if we continue to do what we're doing everyday and stay with the right approach, this has got a chance to be a pretty good team."@CoachWesMiller, @_shoey3, and @odyoguama speak at our weekly press conference.
— Cincinnati Men's Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) November 1, 2022
📺: https://t.co/WgEhp8VqQh pic.twitter.com/y5UcJsjyJY
Ody Oguama, a senior in his second year at Cincinnati and known for his effervescent smile, could not help but hold back on the anticipation of playing in front of fans and with consequence.
"I'm just ready to ease into the season," he said. "It's right around the corner. I'm just looking forward to it and playing with the guys and seeing another jersey. We fight against each other every day, and it's always gonna help prepare us in the long run."
Oguama also touched on his emphasis on not only getting to the line more next season, but shooting at a higher percentage. The flip side of his game comes from his higher range of mobility compared to a typical No. 4 or 5, especially as Miller looks to shape his program around full-court pressure and defensive intensity.
"The main difference would be having to guard multiple positions, to not just sit in the paint or around the basket and actually guard a perimeter player at some point," Oguama said. "Coach Roberts also asks the post players every day to go crack the guy down low and search for the ball."
Mika Adams-Woods, another senior but the only one besides Jeremiah Davenport to be in his fourth Clifton season, said the main focus for the team is the 'now,' with the ultimate goal as the tournament. In fact, he started 19 games as a true freshman in 2019-20, a squad that won the regular-season AAC title before its NCAA hopes were dashed by COVID-19.
Last year, his 2.81 assist-turnover ratio was No. 15 nationally.
"I feel like my game is making the right play and finding the right guy," he said. "I'm a team-oriented guy, so I always like to make the right play and see my teammates score. This year, I've worked on my jumper really hard and knew I needed to make a jump for my game and my team here."
And as for Miller's parting thoughts?
"The day I don't have nerves and I'm not excited or can't sleep before the game is the day I stop coaching," he said. "Of course I get as nervous as anybody, and I mean that in a really good way. I care a lot."
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.