Wes Miller On How Cincinnati Takes The Next Step | Says This Year’s Team Will Be MORE AGGRESSIVE

Summary

Eye On College Basketball | Cincinnati’s Wes Miller on Taking the Next Step

Episode Title: Wes Miller On How Cincinnati Takes The Next Step | Says This Year’s Team Will Be MORE AGGRESSIVE
Date: October 23, 2025
Hosts: CBS Sports’ College Basketball team (Interview primarily conducted by Matt Norlander)
Guest: Wes Miller, Head Coach, Cincinnati Bearcats

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Episode Overview

This episode spotlights Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller as he discusses the next stage for the Bearcats basketball program heading into a crucial season. The interview focuses on how the team will become more aggressive, cope with key roster changes, adjustments in Miller’s approach, and the team’s intentional non-conference scheduling—all in the pursuit of an NCAA Tournament breakthrough.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Crosstown Rivalry & Social Media Banter

• Lighthearted Start:

  • Norlander opens by referencing the Crosstown Shootout and joking about Richard Pitino’s comments.
  • Wes Miller’s take:
    • “I've known Richard a long time… The question is, are we still going to like each other after the crosstown Shootout? That'll be the real question.” (01:34)
    • Miller emphasizes that while rivalries run hot, he personally likes Richard Pitino but remains focused on winning.

• Social Media Approach:

  • Miller avoids social media during the season:
    • “I think I have a rule that I don't open Twitter from the first game until the end of the season.” (01:54)

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2. Team Identity: Pace, Connection, Aggressiveness

• Offseason Foundations:
  • Miller details the three main points emphasized since summer workouts:
    • Pace: On both offense and defense.
    • Connection: Genuine intentionality in how the team interacts.
    • Aggressiveness: “We want to make aggressive mistakes, we're okay with mistakes, but we're going to do them very aggressively.” (02:25)
  • Preseason has been productive despite adversity, including an injury to Jalen Haynes.

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3. Coping with Loss of Jizzle James

• Roster Adjustment:
  • Jizzle James’ departure is discussed in broad terms—Miller respectfully declines to dive into personal reasons but addresses the impact on court.
    • “The details of Jizzle James’ situation are so personal. I'm not going to address them in the media in any way with anybody.” (04:00)
  • Depth at Guard:
    • Returns of Dae Dae Thomas and addition of experienced Kirk Kreisa, Sincere Harris, and newcomer Keyshawn Tillery provide stability.
    • “We have depth. Does it mean that you ever want to be without, you know, an elite player or a guy that you expected to return? Absolutely not. But we have the depth to sustain it.” (04:54)

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4. Taking the Next Step: Program Adjustments

• Self-Examination and Change:
  • Miller continually reviews and adjusts processes, now more intentionally as he matures as a coach.
  • Big 12 Lessons:
    • After multiple years on the bubble, the focus is on “little separators within the details, the controllable details.”
    • “We’ve been on the bubble and right there… There’s some aspects that you’re close to turning it and there’s things you can’t control that affect that. But there’s a lot of stuff you can.” (06:46)
  • Specific changes are strategic, aiming for NCAA Tournament qualification by maximizing details that are within control:
    • “We’ve done some very strategic things to prepare for this year.” (07:33)

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5. Building the Non-Conference Schedule

• Strategy and Balance:
  • Miller explains how scheduling is competitive and it’s not as simple as just picking good opponents.
    • “You have to actually, in the non-con, you have to find agreements and contracts and opportunities. So scheduling is its own matrix in its own way.” (08:25)
  • Key matchups:
    • Dayton (at home, considered a "Power Conference" level opponent by Miller)
    • Xavier (Crosstown Shootout)
    • Neutral site games: Louisville, Georgia, Clemson
  • “We have what I’d call five Power Conference-Type games... And then if you look at the rest of the games, they’re not cakewalks. I mean there’s three teams outside of that mix that were NCAA tournament teams a year ago.” (09:31)
  • Balance: Enough home games to keep the team in Cincinnati but still facing a rigorous test pre-conference.

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On rivalry and mutual respect:

  • “Let's just say I still want to win the crosstown shootout.” — Wes Miller (01:18)

• On aggression as a team identity:

  • “We want to make aggressive mistakes, we’re okay with mistakes, but we’re going to do them very aggressively.” — Wes Miller (02:32)

• On social media avoidance:

  • “I think I have a rule that I don't open Twitter from the first game until the end of the season.” — Wes Miller (01:54)

• On the experience in Big 12:

  • “You need to be tested early in non con so you can prepare for the test that you’re going to have night in, night out in the Big 12.” — Wes Miller (08:43)

• On always seeking marginal gains:

  • “One of the key values that we’ve had, or key goals... is to try to figure out how we can find little separators within the details, the controllable details.” — Wes Miller (06:41)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• [01:01] – Thoughts on rivalry with Xavier and relationship with Richard Pitino
• [01:54] – Miller reveals he abstains from Twitter during the season
• [02:25] – Coach Miller outlines the three key team emphases: pace, connection, aggression
• [03:21] – Reaction and adjustment to Jizzle James' departure
• [06:07] – Miller’s thought process on offseason program tweaks
• [08:24] – Philosophy and specifics behind challenging non-conference schedule

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Tone and Style

• Direct and Honest: Miller is upfront about challenges, candid when declining to discuss personal matters, and clear-eyed regarding his approach.
• Inquisitive and Respectful: Norlander asks thoughtful, pointed questions that reflect the pressures and expectations of Cincinnati’s situation.
• Competitive Yet Reflective: The tone is focused but never brash—Miller’s competitive drive is balanced with a capacity for self-examination.

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Summary

This episode provides a focused window into Wes Miller’s strategic mindset as Cincinnati aims to make the NCAA Tournament. Listeners come away understanding that the Bearcats will be defined by aggression, adaptability, and strategic planning—supported by depth, experience, and intentional scheduling. Miller’s reflections and insights make clear that while obstacles and fierce competition remain, the pursuit of “little separators” could be the key to Cincinnati’s next step forward.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Cincinnati coach Wes Miller joins us on the ION college basketball podcast. You are my first interview here today in Kansas City. You're in intra. Cincinnati counterpart Richard Patina was my first interview yesterday at the Big East. He says he can't stand you. Do you have a rebuttal?

[C]

That means that his fans, His. His fans at Xavier are gonna like him a lot. It's a. It's a good answer. Yes, for him.

[B]

No doubt about it.

[C]

I have no rebuttal other than I. I actually like Richard. Is that okay to say?

[B]

Yeah. I mean, listen, it's. It's your rivalry. It's whatever.

[C]

Whatever you say, I like Richard. It doesn't mean that I feel like. Let's just say I still want to win the crosstown shootout.

[B]

It would actually be headline news if you said you didn't.

[C]

So there you go.

[B]

You want to go that way? I could go, but no.

[C]

I've known Richard a long time, and the question is, are we still going to like each other after the crosstown Shootout? That'll be the real question.

[B]

You think you can manufacture. Actually, you know, knowing you, knowing Richard, maybe just manufacture some real drama in the lead up. He's very active on Twitter, by the way. I mean, you. I don't know if you have that kind of social media game, but maybe you really just, you know, get the juices going.

[C]

And I don't want to have that kind of social media game. I. I don't even think I've. I think I have a rule that I don't open Twitter from the first game until the end of the season. So, no, it will not happen on.

[B]

I like. I do. I do happen to like that rule. Let's talk about you. Let's talk about your team. What have you seen, particularly, you know, as we've gotten into preseason the past three, four weeks. Take us into your practices, into meeting rooms. What's. What's different about this team from your previous ones? And. Yeah, what's the. What's the scouting report as we head into the start of the season?

[C]

Yeah. Well, from day one this summer, with practice, not just preseason, we've emphasized three things on the floor, and that's our pace on both sides of the ball. We're trying to be connected and, like, not just saying it, but being intentional about that. And then we're trying to be very aggressive. So whether it's pick and roll coverage, whether it's an offensive action, you know, like, we want to make aggressive mistakes, we're okay with mistakes, but we're going to do them very aggressively. And the guys have kind of bought into that. And we've kind of started with the foundation there in the summer. Matt. We built on it through the preseason, and we've been kind of layering things into it with detail as we've gone forward. For the most part, it's been really good, and I say good because we've had some tough days, we've had some adversity, and you got to have that in the preseason because you know it's going to happen during the year. But it's been a productive preseason with the exception of Jalen Haynes's injury.

[B]

Okay, let's just go back just a little bit. I know you talked about this with local media, but lead up to the season, let's just address obviously the biggest event that happened to your program over the offseason. Jizzle James no longer with the program. I know you've explained why that happened, but from a coaching perspective, how do you adjust for, you know, a roster piece that you anticipated would. Would be there this season, a significant piece. He's no longer there. I assume this is unlike any situation you've had in your career. But how have you. How have you adjusted and why do you have belief that this team can still be as good without him as you thought it would have been with him?

[C]

Well, yeah, the. The. The details of Jizzle James situation are so personal. I'm not going to address them in the. The media in any way with anybody. As much as I like you, I understand talk about it, but from a basketball standpoint, we have a ton of depth at guard. The roster was designed that way. Whether it's day Dae Thomas, who's, you know, meant so much to our program the last two years, and to get him back for a third year, we just thought was an unbelievable coup. He's healthy. You know, he was coming off of a broken foot. He had a setback this time last year and missed the beginning of the season. Never really found his stride to the end of the year. He's healthy, he's confident. He's had a great off season. You know, Kirk Kreisa, you know, like, there's a guy that I think has played more college basketball than anybody ever. I mean, I feel like he's been playing since I got into coaching. So. So we, we have two really experienced players there that have played the point guard position a bunch sincere Harris, another backcourt player that can play in both positions that is very experienced within our league. Keyshawn Tillery is a young player that Bearcat fans are going to come to know very quickly. So we have depth. Does it mean that you ever want to be without, you know, an elite player or a guy that you expected to return? Absolutely not. But we have the depth to sustain it. And these guys have grown a lot in their summer work and in their preseason work. So I do like our backcourt.

[B]

Okay, broadly speaking, what do you have intentions on doing as a program runner, program builder? It's obviously a very big year for you. You know how intense that fan base is, and I know you're just dying to break into the NCAA tournament. So, roster pieces aside, are there any things that, that you've thought about that you went and sought counsel from. From people in basketball or outside of basketball that. Okay, I know we've gotten close. We've had some injuries. There's been other things that have impacted it. But that you're going to tweak your approach a little bit this year because, you know, it's such a crucial year for you.

[C]

I think every year, I'd like to think every year in my career, but I certainly get more intense with this process as I mature. You're trying to get to a point, and it's harder now, Matt, to get to a point in the off season where you can really think with clarity and plan. And some of that is decompressing what you've been through and learning from it and growing from it. And I've always tried to do that. Now the season ends now and you don't get a two week process anymore because you're right into transfer portal and recruiting. But this year I was able to find some time, once we built the roster, to think about what we've learned in our first two years in the Big 12 to try to figure out what some of the key adjustments could be or some processes that we could change. And the idea is to win a couple details in a different way than we have because you talk about it. I mean, for three straight years here at Cincinnati, we've been on the bubble and we've been right there. So there's. There's some aspects that you're close to turning it and there's things you can't control that affect that. But there's a lot of stuff you can. And so one of the, the key values that we've had or key goals we've had, I should say, in our. Everything we're doing as a staff, as a team is to try to figure out how we can find little separators within the details, the controllable details. There's a lot of examples of that. But the long answer, the short answer is yeah, absolutely, we've made adjustments. We try to do that every year. We've tried to think about the best way to Prepare for Big 12 play and every facet of our program. And then there's a, there's a lot of detail. It's a more long winded answer to get into each segment of our program. But yeah, we've done some, some very strategic things to prepare for this year.

[B]

I want to just address the non conference schedule, just refresh our, you know, our audience that's dealing, that's, you know, dialing in here as we're getting ready for the start of the season. Who are some of your most notable opponents and then what was the philosophy and methodology? Because the coach in your position trying to break through in such a critical year, make the tournament, you got to schedule intentionally. I know you're in a really tough league, but you can't put yourself in a situation, say you do plenty in the Big 12, but it might not be enough. And you don't want to have regrets over what you didn't schedule or didn't do in the noncon. So what are some of the standouts and how did you arrive at those games?

[C]

Yeah, it was very strategic and scheduling is very competitive, as you know. So this, this isn't. I think sometimes people just assume, well, go play hard. Well, you have to actually in the non con, you have to find agreements and contracts and opportunities. So scheduling is its own matrix in its own way. Right. It's very difficult. It was very strategic. Again, taking what we've learned about what the Big 12 is like that this monster, this beautiful competitive monster that you have in January and February. You need to be tested early in non con so you can prepare for the test that you're going to have night in, night out in the Big 12. So there needs to be that. You want to have a, the type of a non conference slate that gives you the best opportunity to be selected on selection Sunday. You also want to have Opportunities to work through your team and build your team. We have so many new faces. Our team's going to be a process here over the next couple months to get ready for Big 12 play and we're still learning each other. That's going to be a process, Matt. So all that stuff is a factor. I'm really proud of what we were able to come up with as a staff. I mean we have, man, we have What I'd call 5 Power Conference Type games and I'm going to include Dayton as a power conference team. I think they've earned that even though they play in a non power league. But you know, we play Dayton at home. As you mentioned, we play Xavier in the Crosstown Shootout. We played neutral games against Louisville, Georgia and Clemson. So we have five power type games. And then if you look at the rest of the games, they're not cakewalks. I mean there's three teams outside of that mix that were NCAA tournament teams a year ago. So I think we've challenged ourselves in our non conference. We're at home enough that we're going to be able to be in Cincinnati some and we're not just traveling all over the place. So I think we found that balance that will prepare us for league, give us the best opportunity to build a resume for the NCAA tournament and hopefully allow us to work through and build our team.

[B]

Alright. That's Wes Miller on the ION College Basketball podcast. We appreciate you joining. You know it's a big busy day here at Big 12 media day. We, you know, you know that you and I could go longer on, on much, much more non basketball related topics. But I appreciate you joining. Good debut by the way. That's good stuff. I think this earned a starting role for, for your first interview with you, you and me, face to face. Wes.

[C]

Thanks man. I'm going to be clear. I appreciate that.

[B]

Okay. I know what's coming, but there's, there's.

[C]

Things that I want to win way more than an interview. But I'll. I'll take anyone I can get.

[B]

Thank you, Wes. Appreciate you.

[C]

The secret's out.

[B]

May I speak freely?

[C]

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