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The Wes Miller Experience
A chorus of boos filled 5th/3rd on Saturday as the Bearcats managed 15 second half points on the way to scoring 40 points in 40 minutes and losing to Kansas.
Wes Miller certainly heard the boos. In his postgame, he stated he’s looking forward to thanking those fans for the motivation, after his team turns it around.
I don’t recall a coach/manager around here constantly mentioning criticism and challenging fans with the “you’re either with us or against us” card, like Wes does.
That’s gotta change. Time for him to lower his antenna for the outside noise and criticism. His team is in crisis. His players need him.
Overall, Wes seems like a good enough dude. He’s a good talker. He certainly appears to have recruiting chops. And he gets points for showing respect for UC’s basketball history and the players that helped build it.
But we are four years and 121 games into The Wes Miller Experience. Four years in today’s college basketball is an eternity. What has Miller delivered, beyond three seasons of 15-13-15 losses, and no NCAA tournament appearances? After going 18-18 in American play, he’s 7-15 in Big 12 play.
The Bearcats have gone from a preseason Top 25 team, to the only team in that group without a conference win (great stat by Keegan Nickoson/Bearcat Journal).
Wes can’t shoot it for his players. But Wes and his seemingly endless band of assistants should certainly be capable of providing them a better chance, with a more recognizable and coherent offense. Preferably one with fewer hardwood denting dribbles and shot clock killing passes around the perimeter, and more easier shots.
Wes likes to recite his ‘Get on board now…..because we’re coming” challenge. Does his team look like it’s coming…….. or going? Even UC legend Sean Kilpatrick tweeted "WHAT ARE WE DOING? as Saturday’s debacle was unfolding.
I don’t know what things were like at UNC Greensboro, but this fan base knows basketball. They know what they want UC basketball to look like, and what they will accept. It’s not this.
Maybe Wes isn’t cut out for the job, or the pressure and expectations that come with it. Maybe UC isn’t cut out for the Big 12.
I don’t know. But I do know fans are tired. They don’t want challenges and lectures about their fandom by the coach. They want wins.
Wes better get going.