The clock is ticking for Wes Miller and the University of Cincinnati men's basketball team.
The Bearcats, who were picked to finish third in the American Athletic Conference, have less than three weeks until they open their 2022-23 season Nov. 7 against Chaminade.
Even with that opening date looming, Miller said his to-do list remains lengthy. But the second-year Cincinnati coach is leaning on his stable of experienced floor generals to help him lead the Bearcats into their opener and beyond.
"Look at our backcourt right now," Miller said. "You've got Mika, Rob and David. You've got three guards with an unbelievable amount of basketball experience at the college level in high-level games. So, we feel really good about the combination of those three. ... I think we addressed what we needed to address in terms of making sure we were prepared at the point guard position going into this year."
Miller, a point guard on the 2005 national championship-winning University of North Carolina Tar Heels team, expects Mika Adams-Woods, Rob Phinisee and David DeJulius to each be an extension of him on the court.
Adams-Woods, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard who is entering his fourth college campaign, started every game for Miller last season (except for senior night). Adams-Woods finished 15th nationally in assist-turnover ratio (2.81). Miller said he wants the Syracuse, New York, native to show improvement as a shooter and be a better creater for others on the offensive end this season.
While Miller wants to see more from Adams-Woods, he knows exactly what he'll get from DeJulius. The 6-foot, 200-pound fifth-year guard averaged a team-high 14.5 points last season en route to earning third-team All-AAC honors. The conference's coaches selected DeJulius as a preseason second-team All-AAC performer entering the 2022-23 season.
Adams-Woods is expected to be the lead guard off the bench for Cincinnati this season, paving the way for Phinisee to take over the starting point guard position. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound fifth-year Indiana transfer has 69 career college starts. Miller said that experience will be invaluable in the Bearcats' backcourt.
"He's a really, really gifted defensive player," Miller said. "I don't think I'm saying anything that anybody that's covered him doesn't know. He's an elite defensive player and has proven it over a career in college basketball at a high level. He's shown that here. I think there's obviously some adjustment to learning our defensive principles that are different than what he's been asked to do, but he's made that adjustment nicely and I think he'll continue to."
Miller said Phinisee's value won't just be on the defensive end.
"He's really, really steady with the ball," Miller said. "He doesn't turn the ball over. He makes good decisions. I've been really surprised at his ability to get his shoulders downhill by his guy and make a good decision getting to the paint."
Miller said he loves that Phinisee is a selfless offensive player, but he also loves the Lafayette, Indiana, native's history of delivering in the clutch and not being afraid of the moment. While at Indiana, Phinisee scored 20 points in a win over then-No. 4 Purdue and recorded 18 points in another victory against then-No. 4 Iowa. Phinisee knocked down a buzzer-beating, 3-pointer against Butler as a freshman.
"I just like to make winning plays," Phinisee said. "That's the big thing. I feel like ever since I was young, you always dream about those moments. Whether you're just in the park, counting down, 'five, four, three, two, one,' shooting a shot. I feel like I'm really built for those moments. I really showed it when I was at IU, too."
Phinisee's arrival gives DeJulius more opportunities to play off the ball on both ends of the court. It also gives the two players a familiar face in the locker room.
Phinisee and DeJulius played against each other during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons while DeJulius was at the University of Michigan. Phinisee said he reached out to DeJulius to learn more about his transition from the Big Ten to Cincinnati before committing to the Bearcats.
"He's just one guy I can really lean on and ask for advice because I know he's been through it," Phinisee said.
DeJulius, who was born Aug. 9, 1999, is actually older than Phinisee, who was born Oct. 13, 1999. But DeJulius said his new teammate is the "old head" of the team. DeJulius said some of the players even call Phinisee "Papa," since he's become like a grandfather to younger players such as sophomore walk-on guard CJ Anthony.
"He carries himself kind of like (Los Angeles Clippers forward) Kawhi Leonard a little bit," DeJulius said of Phinisee. "He's just one of those guys that's laser-focused. Sometimes I call him a robot. He's just an OG, about the right stuff on and off the court. He brings that leadership from both ends of the court, especially on the defensive end. That's something that we for sure need on this team."