The Bearcats are now officially 28 days away from their season opener vs UIC on November 6th. Last week Wes Miller spoke to the media for the first time ahead of the 2023-2024 season. Miller addressed the team’s offseason, new additions, the Big 12 and much more.
Updates on Jamille Reynolds and Aziz Bandaogo transfer waivers
“We have submitted waivers to the NCAA on Aziz and Jamille’s behalf. We are going to respect that process. I am not going to say anything more about it out of respect to Jamille and Aziz’s privacy,” Wes Miller said. “We’re going through the process, and we respect that process. We will let everyone know more, when we know something as we are supporting them through the process. That is about all I think is appropriate to say at this point.”
On Jamille Reynolds
“I will tell you what guys, I have been really, really impressed with what Jamille Reynolds has done since his first day on campus,” Wes Miller said. “Number one, I think he feels that he is in a healthy environment, and we really value our guys and their health and mental wellbeing. I think he is in a really healthy environment where he feels comfortable, I mean you just look at him, he came in and I was very clear with him from day 1 that I will do my part for you, but you have to do your part, and part of that is coming in with the right mindset to work every day. He comes in, and I don’t want to share to much information, but he has lost 45 pounds in three months. We played against him last season at Temple, and if you really watched him at Temple, there’s flashes over the course of every game he played where he makes two or three plays every night that makes you sit back and go “WOW” jaw dropping, for someone with his size. The biggest challenge is making that more consistent, and I kind of felt like getting him in a different kind of condition would allow for that. I think our hunch was right because the better shape he gets in he is really invested in in doing the right things with the right approach every day. He’s lost a ton of weight, looks great, he’s running the floor as good as anyone on our team. He is maybe on of the best passers that I have ever coached, maybe even the best passer I have every coached in the front court. He has shown the ability to shoot the three balls, which is wild, he can actually really shoot the basketball. His scoring presence on the box, is well documented and certainly a presence defensively. I am trying to get him out there and guard point guards, move his feet. I think he thought I was crazy the first couple weeks he was here in the summer asking him to do that. There are some possessions in practice where I stop and just go “wow” if he can do that consistently, which I believe he is capable of, I think he is going to turn not just the heads of our fans and the people who watch our team, but I think he will turn heads all across college basketball. I have been really pleased with him, he still has a lot of growing to do, but he has taken some massive steps forward in a really short period of time here.”
