MAUI JIM MAUI INVITATIONAL

November 21, 2022

Wes Miller

Landers Nolley

Cincinnati Bearcats

Postgame Press Conference

Arizona - 101, Cincinnati - 93

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with an opening statement from coach and then take questions.

WES MILLER: Certainly disappointed in the outcome and disappointed we couldn't get back. I thought we made, I thought we had good effort tonight. We didn't play well last week. I thought we responded and played more connected today and played with more togetherness.

I thought there was some times the game could have gotten away and we kind of fought back into it. So I was really proud of that. I really do think we're going to be a good team. We're still trying to figure each other out and figure out the right combinations and the right play calling and trying to figure out who we are defensively.

But I thought there were some really good moments against a team that's already a REALLY good team. They're coming off a Sweet 16, have a lot of guys back. They're playing really, really good basketball. Certainly everybody that watches it knows the transition game. I don't know that I can think of a time in college basketball I've seen a team running that fast and putting that much pressure with pitch-aheads over the top.

They score 60 in a half. That's, certainly you're not proud of that. Somebody that takes a lot of pride in defense is not going to be proud of that. So we got a lot of things to clean up.

But big picture, we play again tomorrow at noon. There's no time to fret right now. We got a tough group of kids. We're going to be a good basketball team and we're going to respond tomorrow at noon and get ready for a good Ohio State team.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Questions for Landers?

Q. You had a good game tonight. You've been here before. What are you going to try and do to help your teammates kind of understand what this transition is from day one to day two?

LANDERS NOLLEY: It's a big turnaround, for sure. Just got to go home -- or to the hotel, get some quality rest, and try again tomorrow.

Q. Obviously this one is just over and now you have a very quick turnaround. Do you know anything about Ohio State? Do you have any thoughts on what it means that two Ohio high teams are going to play each other five time zones away from home?

LANDERS NOLLEY: I know it's a big in-state rivalry. I know a couple of pieces that they have. They're from my area back home. So I look forward to the matchup. I look forward to the competition and hopefully we just have a different result.

Q. Who are some of those pieces that you're familiar with?

LANDERS NOLLEY: Eugene Brown and their point guard, Brice.

Q. You were talking little bit casually before we started this official press conference. What's it like for you to play here twice?

LANDERS NOLLEY: It's an honor. To be able to have this opportunity to play this quality of competition, I mean, it's just truly an honor. I'm happy to be here.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you. We'll let you go and take questions for coach.

Q. You talked a little bit about the transition. Can you talk a little bit about what the breakdown was in terms of the, I know you were pressing and they were getting behind your press a little bit. What did you want to see happen with those rotations? What was going on there?

WES MILLER: I thought in the first half the press was really effective. I thought we got it set well. When we were in it we were kind of pulling it on and off throughout the game. But in the first half it was really effective.

There was the one play that got behind us and Vik tried to come over and take a charge. I thought he did a nice job of putting his chest on the ball. But it's how we play. So that's just part of who we are and what we do. But I thought it was really important from a game plan perspective to not just -- they do such a job going side to side and ball screening and playing their high-low game, I felt like if you were in the ringer, you know, possession-in possession-out with the size differential, that was going to be difficult for us, so I was hoping the press would have a positive effect on not just having to guard their stuff.

I didn't think we would turn 'em over a ton, but I thought we could get it set, not let the ball get behind us. I thought there was times that was effective. In the second half, at times, it wasn't. The way that we play our 1-2-2 it takes five guys moving on the flight of the pass. It takes five guys in the right spots. There's a lot of breakdowns there in the second half that weren't there in the first half, especially on the back line.

Q. I realize this game just ended and now you have a quick turnaround, but the opportunity to play Ohio State. You guys are five time zones away from home. What is that opportunity like and what do you think about that matchup?

WES MILLER: Yeah, hadn't had a chance to process it all yet. We're just coming off this game. But this field is off the charts. I think five teams are ranked in the top 25 right now in this field. I mean there's not going to be game you play over these three days that's not a big-time game. You knew that coming into it. Even though you're just going to take it, we were going to take it one at a time.

So you could pick anybody within the seven teams we could play and it's going to be a big-time game and a big-time opportunity. Just so happens it's a team that's two hours away from us in our home state.

So there probably is a little bit of extra interest there from a fan perspective, but all these games are big-time games and big-time opportunities.