The Wes Miller Thread

[leeraymond]

You know Rufus, I believe that Miller, in 14 years of being a head coach, still has not figured out how to win games. You cannot teach anything to a team that you do not have yourself.

Miller's biggest problem is he cannot win enough games in conference play. Miller's overall conference losing rate is 56.7% and his BIG XII losing rate is 63%. In other words, there is a 63% chance that UC will lose its next game with a current conference opponent.

I have another question. What is miller going to do differently than he has done for the last 4 years? Miller only has an off season to figure that out.

Miller is in a tough spot. Make the NCAAs or else. Miller is in a bad spot because he does not understand how to win conference games. Let's see if Miller can live up to the challenge.

Miller may also find it difficult to recruit players other than graduate students or players with only one year of eligibility remaining. Any recruit that has two or more years of eligibility remaining may not want to take a chance at a program where the coach may not be there next season. That may be a big problem. Maybe not. Go to the portal and recruit a bunch of graduate students and guys with one year left. It could work with the right players.

[John P]

JBB... Id accept Chris Mack in a heartbeat. He got the shaft at Louisville.

How's that? Didn't Mack get something like a $15M buyout Not to Coach? That doesn't sound like a bad deal to me.

[London 'Cat]

Miller may also find it difficult to recruit players other than graduate students or players with only one year of eligibility remaining. Any recruit that has two or more years of eligibility remaining may not want to take a chance at a program where the coach may not be there next season. That may be a big problem. Maybe not. Go to the portal and recruit a bunch of graduate students and guys with one year left. It could work with the right players.

Miller should be able to recruit based on the fact that he has a contract that extends beyond next season. If he is let go after next season, UC will have to accept that any recruits will potentially not come. Next year will be crucial either way.

[DesertFog]

We are all very critical of Wes and rightfully so... but he is who he is and he has probably reached his top potential. That doesn't make him a bad person. The next level up is where the blame possibly lies. With the AD. He has got be feeling the heat for his job.He hired 2 unproven coaches and gave them ridiculous contracts. And now refuses to discuss or offer any explanations. He is likely scrambling right now and hitting his contacts .Looking for his next job.Lets go up another level. How did the Board and Dr Pinto let this happen? Is there no oversight !? Maybe they were so damn fixated on getting into a major conference that minor details like hiring competent coaches and winning games became less important.

Very reasonable speculations. It has been my esperience (not at UC) that there is very little oversight or accountability at any level in the college environment.

[Lobot]

Wes is toast. He doesn’t have it to lead this program. Going to poke the bear, but Chris Mack might be a coach to consider, I’m just saying, he has delivered at a big time program and is now rebuilding his image, same as Hugs

I think this is probably a non starter. Donors would never buy this move because of the Xavier ties and other issues and I doubt Mack would take the position even if it was offered. Neither of us actually like each other.

[longtimefan]

I think this is probably a non starter. Donors would never buy this move because of the Xavier ties and other issues and I doubt Mack would take the position even if it was offered. Neither of us actually like each other.

Not in a million years.

[leeraymond]

We are all very critical of Wes and rightfully so... but he is who he is and he has probably reached his top potential. That doesn't make him a bad person. The next level up is where the blame possibly lies. With the AD. He has got be feeling the heat for his job.He hired 2 unproven coaches and gave them ridiculous contracts. And now refuses to discuss or offer any explanations. He is likely scrambling right now and hitting his contacts .Looking for his next job.Lets go up another level. How did the Board and Dr Pinto let this happen? Is there no oversight !? Maybe they were so damn fixated on getting into a major conference that minor details like hiring competent coaches and winning games became less important.

The way it works in academia is the AD makes a recommendation as to whom will be a good fit for a coaching opening. He then sends that recommendation up the latter where the AD's choice is either approved or not. What I am saying is, Cunningham does not make hiring decisions without approval from the administrators that control the money purse.

[leo from jersey]

The way it works in academia is the AD makes a recommendation as to whom will be a good fit for a coaching opening. He then sends that recommendation up the latter where the AD's choice is either approved or not. What I am saying is, Cunningham does not make hiring decisions without approval from the administrators that control the money purse.

of course his choice carries weight and often it is rubber stamped.

[leeraymond]

Miller should be able to recruit based on the fact that he has a contract that extends beyond next season. If he is let go after next season, UC will have to accept that any recruits will potentially not come. Next year will be crucial either way.

Yes, that is true. However, although Miller's contract extends beyond next year, that does not mean that Miller will be back after next season. I think that as a coach, there is a need to be very honest with your players a let them know what the situation is. Let the players decide if they want to become part of the program after they are aware of the coach's occupational situation.

Given Miller's occupational situation, I am not sure if he will attract any players with two or more years of eligibility remaining in the portal. You never know, he just may be able to attract exactly what he needs to win games.

[Gypo O'Leary]

Four years in and a different set of excuses every year. Miller will get you in the conversation but always fades down the stretch. I agree next year is the last chance and my bet is that it will be more of the same. I saw Louisville and WVA each hire new coaches and turn over their rosters and both are on target to make the dance this year. With WVA they lost their best player early on for the entire season. We as fans have been conditioned to lower the standard for what is acceptable and that's a shame.

well if you are not in the top 5 in the Big 12...you are just playing .500 ball pretty much. Kansas was 1 game over. West Va. was 10-10 in the league. So Cincinnati is not really far off the mark. They definitely lost a couple of games that they could have (and should have won). And that is my point....they did it with 2 players that in my opinion do not have the talent to play in the Big 12. (Aziz/Lukosius). One guy stands under the basket hoping for a missed shot that he can get a dunk off of, the other is 6'8" and can't jump and is so slow he can't get open. I watched teams put 6'3" guards on him and I never saw him back anyone into the paint and take them. So I'm not accepting any lower standard, I'm pointing out that the talent on paper that they come back with looks good if one or two of these big guys has any talent.

[Gmann]

well if you are not in the top 5 in the Big 12...you are just playing .500 ball pretty much. Kansas was 1 game over. West Va. was 10-10 in the league. So Cincinnati is not really far off the mark. They definitely lost a couple of games that they could have (and should have won). And that is my point....they did it with 2 players that in my opinion do not have the talent to play in the Big 12. (Aziz/Lukosius). One guy stands under the basket hoping for a missed shot that he can get a dunk off of, the other is 6'8" and can't jump and is so slow he can't get open. I watched teams put 6'3" guards on him and I never saw him back anyone into the paint and take them. So I'm not accepting any lower standard, I'm pointing out that the talent on paper that they come back with looks good if one or two of these big guys has any talent.

Half of the teams in the B12 (8 of 16) finished the regular season at .500 or better and all are projected to be in the tourney. I'd be thrilled with that as progress. The Cats finished 7-13, 6 games under .500. That's not even close to the mark and happened because they are so wildly inconsistent under Miller.

Miller has been here 4 years and the talent he has are guys he recruited and most of who were highly rated before coming here. My take is that he doesn't develop what he has and indeed needs more self motivated guys because he can't provide it. In the B12 I feel they really need more size and strength in the post since what he brought in hasn't developed. I also feel his overall scheme, especially on offense, is garbage regardless of who the players are.

I know he has another year and I hope he proves me wrong and finally gets his team to that .500 mark in league and in the tourney. I feel Cats' fans have been very patient with the guy and only improved results matter.

[sedz]

Half of the teams in the B12 (8 of 16) finished the regular season at .500 or better and all are projected to be in the tourney. I'd be thrilled with that as progress. The Cats finished 7-13, 6 games under .500. That's not even close to the mark and happened because they are so wildly inconsistent under Miller.

Yes, 6 games under .500 but only 3 games behind 10-10. Just need to flip 3 losses to wins.

[leo from jersey]

Yes, 6 games under .500 but only 3 games behind 10-10. Just need to flip 3 losses to wins.

I hope that is just tongue in cheek.

[sedz]

I hope that is just tongue in cheek.

It's math (and a bit of semantics).

[leeraymond]

Yes, 6 games under .500 but only 3 games behind 10-10. Just need to flip 3 losses to wins.

So that means that UC is actually 3 games under .500, not 6. Remember 10-10 is .500.