Wes Miller Highlights Value of Exhibition Games Entering 2025-26 Season

Cincinnati is less than a week away from tipping off the campaign.

Oct 22, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller speaks to media during Big 12 media day at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Sophia Scheller-Imagn Images | Sophia Scheller-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — Wes Miller loves the exhibition games his team now gets to schedule thanks to relaxed NCAA rules, but he's not putting too much stock into the results of these "practices."

Cincinnati head men's basketball coach saw his team beat Michigan 100-98 in the opening scrimmage, then lose 89-61 this past Friday at Arkansas. Both provided great teaching opportunities.

"That's all you guys have to go on. I'll say this. I've pleaded with anybody who will listen to me. Could we do four or five of those in the preseason?" Miller said at his preseason press conference. "Like, how much better would college basketball be as a product on the court the first day? Because those are practices for our team.

"And I would say 99% of coaches approach those the way that we do, we get more out of one exhibition than we do seven straight practices, like they're so valuable. And so I wish we got to do four or five of them. And I think we would be better off as college basketball when the first week started, the basketball would be better."

Cincinnati's offense thrived against Michigan, then fell back to earth, but Miller noted he didn't have the players try to execute any of their main practice sets against Arkansas.

Getting that exposure to hostile environments is where the most value comes from these new games. It's no coincidence UC played both on the road, entering a non-conference slate with just one true road game (at Xavier).

"It sounds like coach speak, but it's not. I've learned a lot in my two years in the Big 12. I designed our preseason to try to set us up for success in the Big 12," Miller said.

Cincinnati got to see two projected great teams expose their flaws before the games really matter. Everyone matters from here on out, starting Monday night against Western Carolina.

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