Cincinnati basketball head coach Wes Miller made a passionate public case for his team’s NCAA Tournament inclusion following the Bearcats’ heartbreaking Big 12 Tournament defeat on Wednesday night. The Bearcats fell 66–65 in overtime to UCF in Kansas City, a loss that likely ended the team's postseason hopes after they surrendered an eight-point lead in the final two minutes of regulation to the Knights.
The defeat dropped Cincinnati to 18–14 on the season and placed the program squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble. The Bearcats entered the conference tournament needing a strong showing to strengthen their at-large resume. Instead, the collapse vs. UCF overshadowed what had been a strong late-season push in the rugged Big 12.
Cincinnati surged late in the season after struggling earlier in the year. The Bearcats were just 11–12 in early February before turning things around with key Big 12 wins over Utah, BYU, Kansas State, and a marquee road upset of Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse. That late-season run included seven victories in Cincinnati’s final 10 conference games, a stretch Miller believes should carry significant weight when the NCAA Tournament selection committee evaluates the Bearcats’ candidacy on Selection Sunday.
The Field of 68 took to its official X, formerly Twitter, and posted a clip of the Bearcats head coach speaking during the postgame press conference at the Big 12 Tournament shortly after the loss, where Miller directly addressed the Bearcats’ case to play postseason basketball.
“If it’s about the best teams at this point, we’re one of the best teams in the country. If it’s about overall resume, I’m sure you could make some arguments that we’re not. But we’ve won 7 of our last 10 Big 12 games. When’s the last time somebody won 7 out of 10 in the Big 12 and didn’t play in the NCAA tournament?”
Wes Miller on Cincinnati’s case:
“If it’s about the best teams at this point, we’re one of the best teams in the country. If it’s about overall resume, I’m sure you could make some arguments that we’re not. But we’ve won 7 of our last 10 Big 12 games. When’s the last time… pic.twitter.com/sRhjnGfQ9u
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 11, 2026
Miller’s comments reflect the debate surrounding the Bearcats entering Selection Sunday between recent performance and the team’s full body of work. The team finished the year strong, but their overall record and early struggles will weigh heavily with the selection committee. Cincinnati’s late momentum strengthened its case for a bid, yet the UCF loss may decide the Bearcats’ fate.
