The Wes Miller Thread

[sedz]

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

This is where the semantics comes in. 7-13 is indeed 6 games "under .500". We would have to win our next 6 games to get to .500 (now impossible because the season is over). But we finished 3 games "behind" a 10-10 team.

[leeraymond]

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.

Gmann, I think you hit on a very good point here concerning Miller bringing in guys that are self-motivated. I once heard John Calipari say that, "he does not have the time to teach motivation when he is trying to teach the fundamentals of basketball" or something like that. Calipari went on to say that he does not recruit guys that are not self-motivated.

I think that understanding where a player is on the motivation scale is of key importance. Some players are always ready, from the neck up, for the next game. Those will probably be the team's most competitive players. Other players, like Page perhaps, need all types of motivation, hand-holding, and confirmation that they can perform at high levels.

I could also imagine that motivating players over the course of a season takes its toll on a coach. That is why coaches may prefer older more experienced players. Fast story. When I was a sophomore in high school, my baseball team was dominated by seniors. We also had a brand new coach that was a football coach and had never coached basball before. That team went to the City Championship without really having a coach. The players were self-motivated and that made all the difference in the world.

[BorisTheCat]

My question/fear is whether CWM is capable of doing HONEST self-assessment and analysis of EVERYTHING in his control. As I see it, here are some points:
1) Roster construction - Is how he builds a roster compatible with the Big 12 ?
2) Offense approach - Is that approach workable in the Big 12 ?


Seems to me he has constructed a roster full of wing-type players which combined with his offensive approach results in a very perimeter oriented approach with poor shooting 3 pt players.
That's problematic. The run so much offense parallel to the 3-pt line and with no inside scoring threat there is not inside-out game possible. Thus far, I've not seen CWM admit that fundamental
changes are necessary... we are beyond needing only tweaks.

[Gypo O'Leary]

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.

ya...Lukosius and Badaogo were both brought in before the move to the Big 12. In the AAC they would have been fine. So...exactly my point - 2 of the starting 5 are not Big 12 quality. And yet we blew a road game against Kansas St. by a bucket. a home game against them we could have won. a road game against Utah by a bucket. and 1 bucket loss home to WV. So really...we are five buckets from flipping those games and being over .500 in the Big 12 despite starting 2 seniors that are not Big 12 Quality. And I'm back to my point. Mckinley/Griffith/Page/Betsey ...add them to this roster as contributors and you are adding three big men and a wing. So...I see next year as the year Wes needs to produce, and I see the recruits as all guys brought in for the Big 12.

[leeraymond]

This is where the semantics comes in. 7-13 is indeed 6 games "under .500". We would have to win our next 6 games to get to .500 (now impossible because the season is over). But we finished 3 games "behind" a 10-10 team.

No . That does not seem right to me. The BIG XII played a 20-game schedule this year. If a team finished at .500, then it would have finished 10-10. UC finished at 7-13. That is only a 3-game difference from .500. For instance, if UC was 13-7, then it would be 3 games above .500. If UC finished 3 games behind a 10-10 team, then it would have 3 less wins and 3 more losses.

So, I am not following you when you say 6 games under .500.

[Lobot]

I was told there would be no math

[Oldtimer_UC_fan]

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

It simply means they needed to win 3 league games which they lost. As sedz said, it's math.

[sedz]

I was told there would be no math

Gotta use that UC education sometimes.

[Gmann]

Got it guys. I will say with this team winning 3 more games in conference seems like 6.

[SKell82155]

ya...Lukosius and Badaogo were both brought in before the move to the Big 12. In the AAC they would have been fine. So...exactly my point - 2 of the starting 5 are not Big 12 quality. And yet we blew a road game against Kansas St. by a bucket. a home game against them we could have won. a road game against Utah by a bucket. and 1 bucket loss home to WV. So really...we are five buckets from flipping those games and being over .500 in the Big 12 despite starting 2 seniors that are not Big 12 Quality. And I'm back to my point. Mckinley/Griffith/Page/Betsey ...add them to this roster as contributors and you are adding three big men and a wing. So...I see next year as the year Wes needs to produce, and I see the recruits as all guys brought in for the Big 12.

Not sure I agree with this. They knew they were
going into the Big XII before those players were
”recruited”.

[GunSlinger]

7-13 is 6 games under .500 but those 6 games could be made up in 3 games since you’re adding a victory and subtracting a loss in each of those 3 games. Semantics.

[MDW79]

ya...Lukosius and Badaogo were both brought in before the move to the Big 12. In the AAC they would have been fine. So...exactly my point - 2 of the starting 5 are not Big 12 quality. .

No offense but this is complete nonsense. Both were brought in last offseason, in 2023, which was also first offseason heading into the Big 12. We recruited them already knowing we'd be joining the Big 12 (in a matter of weeks I might add). They, along with their families, their coaches, and everyone elsethat surrounds the entire recruiting landscape knew this is as well.

****, Aziz Bandago was ranked as the 17th overall player in the transfer portal. You can go check the rankings and you'll have to scroll down (and down, and down) quite aways past him to see the Power 5 offers dissipate. I guarantee you the vast majoirty of the Big 12 would have gladly taken him as a transfer.

Simas Lukosius started 32 of 32 games in the Big East as a true Sophmore, and he averaged 12 points a game doing it. There is no doubt that he was, at least at the time, a legitimate option to start in any league.

I mean, we call all debate whether these guys were ultimately the right fit, or if they were developed and/or used correctly. But I'm sorry, pretending as if we were somehow disadvanted, or that we hampered by being a member of the AAC for 6 more weeks is simply not true.

All you have to to do look at how much money they making. It is "Big 12" money or is it "AAC money"? The AAC has nothing to do with these players not performing up to standards. We either spent our money on the wrong players, or we didn't do enough once they got here to put them in a position for success. Take your pick.

[sedz]

I agree MDW79 . Our roster is good enough to compete. Simas would be great in any system that uses off ball actions and more of a pack line defense. Aziz is being misused as a focal point on offense. I think there are quite a few coaches who would have led this team to a top half finish in the B12.

[Gmann]

I agree MDW79 . Our roster is good enough to compete. Simas would be great in any system that uses off ball actions and more of a pack line defense. Aziz is being misused as a focal point on offense. I think there are quite a few coaches who would have led this team to a top half finish in the B12.

Couldn't agree more. Most of the shortcomings and dysfunction of this group lies squarely on Miller. He will reshuffle the deck with guys out and in and still under develop and fail to install a system that works. Our only hope is that he recognizes the desperation of this next year and changes his ways.

[leeraymond]

I agree MDW79 . Our roster is good enough to compete. Simas would be great in any system that uses off ball actions and more of a pack line defense. Aziz is being misused as a focal point on offense. I think there are quite a few coaches who would have led this team to a top half finish in the B12.

I am in agreement with that. Also, I think that a second decent big man would have really helped UC this season.