Wes Miller: Cincinnati is an NCAA Tournament team despite a Big 12 OT loss to UCF
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Cincinnati coach Wes Miller is confident the Bearcats have done enough to warrant a spot in the NCAA Tournament field.
The problem is that decision doesn’t rest with him.
Miller, considered to be on the hot seat a few weeks ago, led the Bearcats through an impressive finishing stretch in the rugged Big 12, winning six of their last eight in the regular season and beating Utah in the first round of the conference tournament.
Along the way, Cincinnati (18-15) routed No. 14 Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse and beat likely NCAA tourney teams BYU and UCF.
But an overtime loss to the Knights in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday, where the Bearcats blew an eight-point lead with about 2 1/2 minutes left in regulation, will make for a stressful Selection Sunday. Cincinnati’s last shot to win the game ended when Jalen Celestine missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left in the 66-65 defeat.
“I’m not in the room with the selection committee,” Miller said, “but if it’s about the best teams at this point, we’re one of the best teams in the country. Like, we’re an NCAA Tournament team. If it’s about overall resume, I’m sure you can make some arguments that we’re not. But I think we’ve won seven of our last 10 Big 12 games. When’s the last time somebody won seven out of 10 in the Big 12 and didn’t play in the NCAA Tournament? Honestly? Like, we won seven out of 10 in this league.”
The Big 12 has long been considered among the toughest leagues in the country. It has three of the top seven in the AP Top 25.
Miller guided UNC Greensboro to the NCAA Tournament twice over a decade there, but he’s yet to get the Bearcats to the dance. Their last appearance came in 2019, the last of nine consecutive tourney trips engineered by his predecessor, Mick Cronin.
Miller has had a winning season each of his five years at Cincinnati. But he has just two NIT trips and an appearance last season in the College Basketball Crown, the postseason event in Las Vegas for which the Big 12 is contractually obligated to provide teams.
“I mean, again, I don’t know what goes on. I certainly feel that we belong,” Miller said. “I know tonight would have helped, but it wasn’t like we got run out of the gym tonight. We have a three- or four-possession lead there late in the game.
“Again, if it’s about the best teams, I do believe we’d be in the field. But again, I don’t pretend to understand what goes on. So certainly we’ll hold out hope. But I realize tonight — tonight was difficult. I think everybody in our locker room understands that.”
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