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UVU crowd, on-court performance earns praise from Cincinnati

By Jared Lloyd - | Mar 23, 2023

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

UVU fans celebrate a made 3-pointer during the NIT quarterfinal game against Cincinnati at the UCCU Center in Orem on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.

The first two things Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller talked about when he went into the post-game press conference after Wednesday night’s 74-68 loss to Utah Valley in the NIT quarterfinals at the UCCU Center in Orem was how good the Wolverines are and how impressive the atmosphere the 5,289 fans in attendance created.

He also had a message for basketball fans in Utah Valley and, as he pointed out, since he doesn’t coach the Wolverines he can be pretty blunt.

“What I would say — and I probably could say because I’m not the coach here and I don’t care if people don’t like it — is that it should be like that every night with the job (UVU head coach Mark Madsen) has done and the way this team’s played this year,” Miller said. “This was special tonight. It was loud. They were into it. They supported their team. I watched a lot of film coming into this game and it isn’t like that every night.

“This team’s won at BYU, at Oregon, at New Mexico, at Colorado. They should’ve had it like that on Senior Night. I turned it on and I couldn’t believe it. But it was pretty special tonight and I would say, people, appreciate what you have. Come out and keep supporting it like that. It’ll get really special here.”

Miller said he has a personal understanding of the challenges but said it makes a big difference for the home team.

“I coached in a mid-major league, and I know it’s not normal to get that every night,” Miller said. “But that was a difficult environment to play in.”

Bearcat senior guard David DeJulius had similar sentiments from the perspective of being a visiting player.

“Like Coach said, it was a great environment and that was a great team,” DeJulius said.

Miller had high praise for the talent and discipline he saw from the UVU squad that ended Cincinnati’s season.

“They’re a really good basketball team,” Miller said. “We played against Houston, who was the No. 1 team in the country. We played them three times and a host of other really good basketball teams, some of which are still playing in the NCAA tournament. This (UVU) is a really good basketball team with really good players and is really well coached. So tip your cap to those guys.”

DeJulius was asked how he thought the Wolverine players he went up against compared to some of the best guys he had faced all year and he also didn’t hesitate to laud their performance.

“They are as good as any guards I’ve played all year — and I’ve played against some very good guards,” DeJulius said. “Hats off to them.”

UVU head coach Mark Madsen and senior guard Trey Woodbury didn’t hear those comments for themselves but said they appreciated the class those compliments showed.

“That’s big time,” Woodbury said. “That’s attributed to all the guys on this team, No. 1 through No. 10. Everybody can make plays. Everybody plays hard plays for each other.

“It’s not shocking to us because we knew we were this good. But some unfortunate things happened and we didn’t make the NCAA tournament, but we’re just making the best of it. We think that we’re one of the best teams in the country and we’re going to come and bring that every night. But as far as the compliment goes, we appreciate that.”

Madsen said that he appreciated having the other team notice what UVU is doing.

“With the commitment of our players and assistant coaches, they’ve done an unbelievable job,” Madsen said. “It’s a great compliment because it is an acknowledgement that the hard work put in by everyone in this program is appreciated by our opponent. And it’s gratifying to hear that.”

UVU is one of very few college basketball teams left in the country that is still playing and the Wolverines are hoping to get two more games.

“I’m just grateful to be with these guys and grateful to have such a great coaching staff,” Woodbury said. “It’s a staff that has believed in me since I’ve been here. We’re just on a high right now. We’re just playing our best basketball and having fun.”

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