Charlotte Hires Wes Miller as Men's Basketball Coach Charlotte has officially hired Wes Miller as its new men’s basketball coach, the university announced Monday. According to sources, Miller has agreed to a five-year contract, marking a significant move for the program. The decision comes after Miller was recently dismissed as head coach at Cincinnati, where he led the Bearcats for five seasons. Miller’s coaching career spans 15 years, including stints at Cincinnati and UNC Greensboro. During his tenure at Cincinnati, he guided the team to two NCAA tournament appearances but failed to secure a bid in his final five seasons. Despite winning 20 games in two consecutive seasons (2022-23 and 2023-24), the Bearcats finished each of the past four years on the bubble, with Miller ending the 2024 season with a 9-9 record in Big 12 play. Before joining Cincinnati in 2021, Miller spent 10 seasons at UNC Greensboro, compiling an overall record of 185-135. His final five years at the school were particularly successful, with a 125-43 mark, three Southern Conference regular-season titles, and two NCAA tournament appearances. These achievements solidified his reputation as one of the top mid-major coaches in the country. Athletic director Kevin White praised Miller’s hiring, emphasizing his leadership, basketball acumen, and commitment to building a championship culture at Charlotte. “Throughout this process, what stood out most was his passion, competitive energy, and clear vision for building a championship culture here at Charlotte,” White stated. Miller, who is the son of Kenneth D. Miller—whose name is associated with Wake Forest’s athletic facilities—has deep ties to North Carolina basketball.#cincinnati_bearcats #wes_miller #unc_greensboro #charlotte_university #aaron_fearne
UCF Knights vs Cincinnati Bearcats UCF rallied past Cincinnati 66-65 in overtime on Thursday to advance to the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals. The Knights, seeded eighth, overcame a 12-point deficit in the second half and a critical missed shot by Cincinnati’s Jalen Celestine in the final seconds of extra time to secure the victory. The game, played in Kansas City, Missouri, marked UCF’s first win against top-seeded Arizona this season and set up a matchup against the Wildcats in the next round. Jamichael Stillwell led UCF with 17 points and 15 rebounds, while Riley Kugel added 15 points. The Knights’ best rebounder, Stillwell, was forced to the bench early in the second half after picking up his fourth foul, leaving UCF without its primary interior presence. Despite the challenge, UCF mounted a comeback, with Bol scoring 13 points and Kugel hitting a crucial layup to tie the game at 58 with a minute remaining in regulation. Cincinnati’s final possession ended in a missed 3-pointer by Celestine, who had 11 points for the Bearcats, as the clock expired. Cincinnati, seeded ninth, took control of the game in the fourth quarter after Thomas was fouled on a long-range shot. Thomas converted both free throws to give the Bearcats a 46-37 lead, but UCF’s defense stifled Cincinnati’s offense for the remainder of the game. The Knights’ resilience was evident as they forced three consecutive turnovers from Cincinnati in the final two minutes, setting the stage for the overtime thriller. Moustapha Thiam, Cincinnati’s leading scorer with 18 points and 16 rebounds, struggled to contain UCF’s relentless pressure in the final minutes. Despite Thiam’s efforts, the Bearcats’ inability to convert key possessions proved costly. Cincinnati’s coach, Wes Miller, called a timeout with 0.#cincinnati_bearcats #ucf_knights #jalen_celestine #riley_kugel #moustapha_thiam
Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball Slight Betting Underdogs Ahead of Regular-Season Finale At TCU The Cincinnati Bearcats are slight underdogs in their upcoming regular-season finale against the TCU Horned Frogs, set for Saturday. The game, scheduled for 2 p.m. ET, will be broadcast on TNT and HBO Max. TCU is favored by 2.5 points on the consensus betting line, with the total points projected at 138.5. Cincinnati enters the matchup with a strong 17-13 record overall and a 14-16 mark against the spread. The Bearcats have won six of their past seven games, including a recent victory over BYU that sparked discussions about their NCAA Tournament prospects. However, they remain a slight underdog against TCU, which carries a 20-10 straight-up record and a 17-13 ATS (against the spread) mark. The underdog status could influence the game, as Cincinnati has struggled with the over in 18 of 29 games this season, while TCU has a 8-11 record at home. However, the Bearcats have shown improved offensive efficiency in their last six contests, scoring over 1.2 points per possession in five of those games. This surge has helped them rise from the NCAA Tournament “death zone,” a term used to describe teams with uncertain postseason chances. Coach Wes Miller emphasized that his team’s focus remains on winning each game rather than chasing tournament hype. “We talked about it after the Kansas game, because I knew that would create some of the NCAA Tournament talk,” Miller said. “We agreed as a team that we weren’t going to get caught up in the things that are put out there for clicks and for interest.” He noted that while media attention has shifted to the tournament earlier this season, the team’s priority is simply playing with joy and competing.#ncaa_tournament #cincinnati_bearcats #tcu_horned_frogs #wes_miller #tnt
