Latest news with #WesMiller
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Top 7-Foot Transfer Recruit Makes Commitment Decision on Thursday
The pressure has been on all spring for college basketball programs, with coaches working tirelessly to assemble the best possible rosters ahead of the 2025–26 season. Although the transfer portal has officially closed for new entries, several high-profile players remain available, giving teams one last shot to strengthen their lineups. Advertisement One of the latest big moves comes from ESPN's Jonathan Givony and DraftExpress, who reported that FAU transfer Baba Miller has committed to Cincinnati, according to agents Guillermo Bermejo and Deirunas Visockas. Miller, a 21-year-old from Spain, began his collegiate career at Florida State. After two seasons with the Seminoles (2022–24), he transferred to Florida Atlantic for the 2024–25 season. He's now headed to Cincinnati to play for head coach Wes Miller. Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Wes Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images During his time at Florida State, Miller appeared in 48 games. As a sophomore, he averaged 22.4 minutes and 6.6 points per game. At FAU, he played in 34 games, averaging 30 minutes and 11.3 points. Advertisement His final game with the Owls came in an 86–79 loss to Dayton on March 19, where he posted 16 points and 7 rebounds. He averaged 11.3 points per game with FAU. Before his college career, Miller was part of Real Madrid's youth team that won the 2020–21 Euroleague Basketball Next Generation Tournament. Cincinnati's transfer activity has been busy this offseason. The Bearcats lost Tyler Betsey, Arrinten Page, C.J. Anthony, Dillon Mitchell, Dan Skilling Jr. and Josh Reed to the portal. In addition to Miller, the Bearcats added Jalen Celestine, a 6-foot-6 guard from Baylor, and Moustapha Thiam from UCF. Advertisement Cincinnati is coming off a 19-16 season, including a 7-13 mark in Big 12 play. With Miller and other new additions, Wes Miller's squad is hoping for a bounce-back year. Related: Duke's Cedric Coward Sends Strong Message on Jon Scheyer At NBA Draft Combine Related: Tyrese Proctor Makes Clear Decision on NBA Draft After Leaving Duke
Miami Herald
02-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Big 12 rivals UCF, Cincinnati clash in Crown quarterfinals
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas -- even if you have a previous and future history in Cincinnati and Orlando. That's the reality for Cincinnati and Central Florida as the Big 12 rivals prepare to meet Thursday in a College Basketball Crown quarterfinals in Las Vegas. "We're not coaching based on messaging for the future," Bearcats coach Wes Miller said. "We're trying to win the tournament. We all agreed we're going to come out here and try to win. When you make decisions as a coach, they may not be the right decisions, but we're trying to make the right decision to win." Miller's strategic statement might suggest revisiting the Bearcats' 93-83 conference road victory against the Knights on Feb. 5. Considering the transfer portal's impact on UCF (18-16) and Cincinnati (19-15) since the end of the regular season, however, many elements of that equation have fallen out. Knights guard Keyshawn Hall, the Big 12's leading scorer at 18.8 points per game, has entered the portal, for one. UCF coach Johnny Dawkins used just eight players in Tuesday's 76-75 tournament-opening victory against Oregon State. Moustapha Thiam's late free throw and block sealed the game for UCF. Tyler Hendricks posted a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds and was among four UCF players in double figures. Thiam added 10 points and fell one rebound shy of a double-double. That set up a rematch with Cincinnati, which routed DePaul 83-61 in Tuesday's Crown opener behind 15 points and seven rebounds from Dillon Mitchell. Jizzle James and Day Day Thomas added 13 points each. "I'm definitely looking forward to the game," UCF senior guard Darius Johnson said. "We only played once this season and they got us at home. ... It's going to be a competitive, physical game, a hard-nosed fight to the end." The Bearcats hope their balance and strong shooting translate from the DePaul game. Six Cincinnati players scored in double figures as the team shot 49.3 percent (33 of 67) from the floor, including 42.9 percent (9 of 21) from deep. Thursday's winner will meet the Villanova-Southern California winner in the semifinals on Saturday. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2023 - All Rights Reserved
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cincinnati Bearcats basketball transfer history. How have they done?
Though NCAA college basketball players have been posting their availability shortly after their team's untimely demise from postseason tournaments, Monday marked the official opening of the transfer portal for men's college hoops. Not surprisingly, names went into the hopper as rapidly as a free time-share drawing at the county fair. College athletics in 2025 involves the frequent switching of team colors all in the name of the most worshipped color of all: green. As Jerry Seinfeld explained some years ago, "We root for laundry". Who will suit up for Cincinnati Bearcats basketball in College Basketball Crown? That was a question many had when it was announced UC would play in the inaugural College Basketball Crown. The NCAA tournament was missed with the loss to Iowa State in the second round of the Big 12 Championships With just three Quadrant 1 wins and the number of automatic bids involved in the field of 68, UC missed the tournament. Advertisement "Our team will play," Miller said last week. "We gave the guys some time off after the conference tournament. We've spoken to the whole team as a staff. The guys I've interacted personally with are excited to play." That said, it's conceivable a player could enter the portal and still play. There is a monetary incentive to play, should your team advance. Recent history would suggest some arrivals, as well as some departures. The Enquirer will update such information should it become available. This portal window closes April 22. Rating Cincinnati Bearcats basketball top transfer portal additions under Wes Miller Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Wes Miller gestures to players in their game at Fifth Third Arena against the Utah Utes. UC split with the Utes during the season. 1. Landers Nolley II Nolley was UC's most prolific scorer since Jarron Cumberland if you're talking recent history. He averaged 16.8 points and 5.8 rebounds. This came after seasons at Memphis where he was at 13.1 points one year and a freshman campaign at Virginia Tech where he averaged 15.5 points per game. 2. John Newman III The 6-foot-5 wing didn't necessarily post eye-opening numbers but did average 9.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in 2023-24 and provided a great deal of leadership. He missed most of the season just before his final year with an injury but came in initially averaging 6.9 points and 4.2 rebounds. As a sophomore at Clemson, he averaged 9.5 points per game. Cincinnati Bearcats guard Day Day Thomas (1) has been efficient in his two seasons under Wes Miller. 3. Day Day Thomas Thomas came via the junior college route, which will now lead to more eligibility as recent court rulings won't count the JUCO years on his clock. Thomas started all but the last two games of 2023-24 for the Bearcats averaging 10.4 points per game. This season, he came off the bench until February when he provided a spark starting with Jizzle James. Thomas finished at 9.8 points per game and has 108 steals in two seasons. His three-point shooting improved from 28% to 37%. Key Cincinnati Bearcats pickups who helped, but needed more consistency UC forward Dillon Mitchell (23) throws one down for the Bearcats in their Big 12 second-round game with Iowa State. The Cyclones won and UC will next play in the College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas. 4. Dillon Mitchell The 6-foot-8 sky-walking forward came from Texas and stayed status quo with his scoring at 9.6 points per game. His rebounds dropped from 7.5 to 6.7 per game. His field goal and three-point percentages improved, but free throw shooting dropped. Mitchell still provided key blocks and steals and improved in both of those categories this season. 5. Simas Lukošius Lukošius saw his scoring drop from 11.8 points per game to 10.3. He had 22 double-digit games as a junior and 16 as a senior. He began the season on fire from the perimeter but then dipped in Big 12 games. He finished at 34% from deep, down from 38% the previous season. Lukošius averaged 11.6 points per game at Butler playing in the Big East, so his production was about what was expected. He did battle injuries in both seasons. He was hit in a pedestrian accident just before the 2023 Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout, then suffered a shoulder injury at Iowa State this season that left him less than 100%. 6. Aziz Bandaogo The 7-foot center increased his scoring to 7.4 points this season but dropped in rebounding from 7.4 to 6.1. His shooting percentages improved and he still blocked 99 shots in two seasons. However, many will tell you that the best game he ever played came against UC in the 2023 NIT tournament at Utah Valley when he had 15 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks while eliminating the Bearcats in the quarterfinals. He averaged 11.5 points and 10.4 rebounds that season with 106 blocks. Playing in the more physical Big 12, those numbers were hard to match. 7. Jamille Reynolds You could argue UC missed the size of Reynolds (6-foot-11 and 275 pounds) and Viktor Lakhin (transferred to Clemson) when faced with the bulky behemoths of the Big 12 this season. But, Reynolds only averaged 5.4 points and four rebounds after scoring 10.1 points with 5.4 rebounds at Temple the year before. Neither cared to be role players as Reynolds joined Lakhin in the portal, eventually settling at USF in the AAC. He averaged 12.5 points and 7.7 rebounds this year, but the Bulls season is done at 13-19. 8. Ody Oguama The 6-foot-9 Oguama came from Clemson where he averaged 4.2 points and 4.2 rebounds. He became a starter in his first season averaging a reliable 5.5 points and 5.4 rebounds with six double-figure games. In his last season, he became more of a role player and averaged 2.2 points and 2.3 rebounds. 9. Arrinten Page Page came from USC where he averaged 3.1 points and 2.1 rebounds. In his first season at UC, the 6-foot-11, 240-pounder averaged 3.5 points and 2.3 rebounds and had two double-double games. Cincinnati Bearcats transfers whose tenures were incomplete Cincinnati Bearcats guard Connor Hickman (8) played in 13 games and started seven for UC this season before being injured. 10. Connor Hickman The 6-foot-3 guard gets an incomplete grade as he was injured with a boot cast on his foot after Jan. 7. He averaged 4.3 points and 2.5 rebounds after coming from Bradley where he was a 14.5 points per game scorer. His injury first came in December and Hickman is pursuing a medical redshirt. He started seven of his 13 games after Dan Skillings Jr. was injured in the season-opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Hickman had 14 points at Georgia Tech. 11. C.J. Fredrick Fredrick is also an incomplete as his two seasons were riddled with injuries. He averaged 1.3 points this season while missing 14 games. Previously he averaged 6.1 points and was a 43% marksman from the arc in 2023-24 when he started 10 of the 15 games he played. Fredrick also averaged 6.1 points at Kentucky and 10.2 and 7.5, respectively in his first two seasons at Iowa. 12. Abdul Ado Ado started 130 games at Mississippi State and averaged in the range of six points and seven rebounds. As a grad player at UC he averaged 2.4 points and 4.5 rebounds. 13. Kalu Ezikpe Ezikpe brought the 6-foot-8, 235-pound frame that UC struggles with, but averaged just 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in his one season. Before coming, he averaged 11.7 points and 7.1 rebounds at Old Dominion. Again, there's a clear difference in jumping to a Power Four league. 14. Hayden Koval Koval was a tall target at 7-foot-1 but checked in at 3.1 points and three rebounds per game after averaging 7.1 points at UNC-Greensboro and 12.2 at Central Arkansas. 15. Rob Phinisee The guard goes into the incomplete category as he played just 12 games before being injured. He spent the 2018-2022 seasons at Indiana. 16. A.J. McGinnis After a season averaging 6.1 points at UNC-Greensboro, McGinnis was at 2.3 points and 0.5 rebounds in his one season. 17. Jarrett Hensley Hensley also came from UNC-Greensboro. At UC his freshman numbers were 1.5 points/1.3 rebounds which went to 2.0 points and 0.9 rebounds the following season. Jizzle James (2) topped the Cincinnati Bearcats in scoring this season at 12.8 points per game. 2024-25 Cincinnati Bearcats non-transfer ratings Jizzle James – Stock up. James upped his scoring from 8.5 to 12.8 points per game. His shooting was roughly the same and he added 29 steals, up nine from last year. Advertisement Dan Skillings Jr. – Stock down. After leading UC in scoring at 12.9 points per game and averaging 6.4 rebounds, he dropped out of the starting lineup and averaged 9.3 points and only 3.8 rebounds. He did improve his shooting but went from 25 double-digit games to 11. His stock goes as he chooses as there's no debating his potential. Josh Reed – Stock up. Though he averaged just 4.5 points and 2.5 rebounds, he started seven games and was a 43% shooter from the field and 85% from the line. All six of his double-digit scoring efforts came from Feb. 8 to now. Tyler Betsey, Rayvon Griffith, Halvine Dzellat – All incomplete as they are role players looking for their window to shine. Betsey can line up 3-pointers but will need to shoot better than 33%. Griffith is a great team guy waiting for his moment and the 6-foot-10 Dzellat is raw with much to learn. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How has Cincinnati Bearcats basketball fared with transfer portal?
USA Today
11-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Cincinnati vs. Oklahoma State: College Basketball Betting Odds, Prediction, Pick
Cincinnati vs. Oklahoma State: College Basketball Betting Odds, Prediction, Pick With the regular season now complete, it's time for conference tournament week in the power leagues. The first conference in action will be the Big 12, which begins its tournament in Kansas City with a Tuesday afternoon matinee between No. 12-seeded Oklahoma State and No. 13-seeded Cincinnati. Once a team on the bubble, the Bearcats have dropped their last three games, including an 11-point loss to the Cowboys their last time out. Now, Cincy needs a win in the rematch and more this week if it's going to have any shot at an at-large bid. That journey starts against an Oklahoma State team that struggled for most of the season but has notched a couple big wins down the stretch. Here are the betting odds for the first game of the Big 12 tournament between Cincinnati and Oklahoma State on Tuesday afternoon Cincinnati vs. Oklahoma State game odds: All college basketball odds via BetMGM Spread: Cincinnati -6 (-110), Oklahoma State +6 (-110) Money Line: Cincinnati -260, Oklahoma State +210 Over-Under: Over 138.5 (-110), Under 138.5 (-110) Cincinnati vs. Oklahoma State prediction, pick: Given the way the Bearcats have ended the season, it's hard to have much confidence at all in picking them to win this game, especially against a team it lost to by double digits its last time out. But this is do or die for coach Wes Miller's team, which may need to win the entire tournament to make it to March Madness but certainly has no chance with a loss. I'll take Cincy with its back against the wall, but I don't feel good about predicting a cover here. Prediction: Cincinnati 72, Oklahoma State 68 Cincinnati vs. Oklahoma State, start time, streaming: Start time: 12:30 p.m. Eastern time, 9:30 a.m. Pacific time Live Stream: ESPN+ Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.
