Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Wes Miller reacted to the 69-58 season-opening win over the Illinois-Chicago Flames in the postgame press conference!
Despite struggling to shoot outside, the Bearcats created 15 turnovers and dominate the paint en route to eventually pulling away in the second half.
Make sure to stay tuned for recruiting updates and schedule announcements as Cincinnati continues to compete against notable non-conference opponents.
There is still a lot of room for improvement as the Bearcats hope to find a rhythm from the perimeter and protect the rim at a high level going forward.
Wes Miller reacted to the #Bearcats season-opening win over Illinois-Chicago in the postgame press conference!https://t.co/MBV5i8zKNM pic.twitter.com/sHgYyrPWYn
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) November 7, 2023
Cincinnati Basketball: Wes Miller reacts to the Bearcats win in press conference
Cincinnati held a single digit advantage for most of the opening half until a 9-0 run created separation, capped off by several impressive fastbreak finishes.
The Bearcats were led by three double digit scorers as CJ Fredrick, Daniel Skillings Jr and DaVeon Thomas combined for 39 points and 13 rebounds in the win.
Skillings scored 13 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench, and Fredrick added 11 points and two board on 3/6 shooting from beyond the arc.
While the Bearcats are 53rd in KenPom rankings, they must take it one game at a time to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.
DaVeon Thomas shined in his #Bearcats debut with a team-high 15 points, three assists and three steals.https://t.co/uFJlrXhrwb pic.twitter.com/uYu1BkAHej
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) November 7, 2023
Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats transfer DaVeon Thomas shines in season debut
Coming up next for Cincinnati is a matchup against the Detroit Mercy Titans on Friday night. The Titans lost to the Toledo Rockets 94-60 in their opener.
Following the game Bearcats head coach Wes Miller offered his thoughts on the win and the newcomers making their debuts per Cincinnati Athletics.
Thomas led the Bearcats in points during his debut, compiling 15 points and three assists as he was the main focal point of the offense on Monday night.
"“I’m going to be positive on the first night but when it hits midnight, I’m going to be negative because we have a lot to work on. We’re going to be a good shooting team. A lot goes into it and we’re hard on these guys. I’m going to let them enjoy the win because they got the first one under their belt. I’m happy about that. Day Day was amazing and is going to make a lot of plays. He is really good and I think that’s clear.”"