PHILADELPHIA — Wes Miller comes out of the visitor tunnel at the Liacouras Center with three minutes and 14 seconds remaining before the whistleblower against Temple. It’s the first pre-game appearance on the court for the Cincinnati head coach, who spends preparing for each game in the locker room with special assistant CB McGrath, writing down plays, matchups and points keys for the team and answering any last minute questions.
Miller’s eyes are fixed on the ground as he comes out, past the Bearcats bench and into his place at the edge of the coach’s box, pausing to watch Temple navigate the lay-up lines before briefly chat with official Tony Greene.
He clapped steadily and calmly as Cincinnati’s starting lineup was introduced, offering a “Let’s go, John!” Let’s go, Shoey! as each name is announced. As the public announcer’s attention and excitement turns to the home team, the Bearcats players gather on the field. Miller stands aside, sketching on his grease board as he waits for the fanfare to die down, bathed in cherry-tinged darkness.
Tuesday night in Philadelphia was not a memorable moment in Miller’s first season at the helm of Cincinnati. Despite building a 12-point halftime lead on the road and looking set for a vital Quad 2 win, the Bearcats crumbled in the second half, shooting just 17% and scoring just 21 points. on the way to a heartbreaking 61. -58 loss.
I had a front row view of Masonry, sitting on the baseline right next to the Cincinnati bench.
