KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Cincinnati coach Wes Miller is confident the Bearcats have done enough to warrant a spot in the NCAA Tournament field.
The problem is that decision doesn't rest with him.
Miller, considered to be on the hot seat a few weeks ago, led the Bearcats through an impressive finishing stretch in the rugged Big 12, winning six of their last eight in the regular season and beating Utah in the first round of the conference tournament.
Along the way, Cincinnati (18-15) routed No. 14 Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse and beat likely NCAA tourney teams BYU and UCF.
But an overtime loss to the Knights in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday, where the Bearcats blew an eight-point lead with about 2 1/2 minutes left in regulation, will make for a stressful Selection Sunday. Cincinnati's last shot to win the game ended when Jalen Celestine missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left in the 66-65 defeat.
“I'm not in the room with the selection committee,” Miller said, “but if it's about the best teams at this point, we're one of the best teams in the country. Like, we're an NCAA Tournament team. If it's about overall resume, I'm sure you can make some arguments that we're not. But I think we've won seven of our last 10 Big 12 games. When's the last time somebody won seven out of 10 in the Big 12 and didn't play in the NCAA Tournament? Honestly? Like, we won seven out of 10 in this league.”
The Big 12 has long been considered among the toughest leagues in the country. It has three of the top seven in the AP Top 25.
Miller guided UNC Greensboro to the NCAA Tournament twice over a decade there, but he's yet to get the Bearcats to the dance. Their last appearance came in 2019, the last of nine consecutive tourney trips engineered by his predecessor, Mick Cronin.
Miller has had a winning season each of his five years at Cincinnati. But he has just two NIT trips and an appearance last season in the College Basketball Crown, the postseason event in Las Vegas for which the Big 12 is contractually obligated to provide teams.
“I mean, again, I don’t know what goes on. I certainly feel that we belong,” Miller said. "I know tonight would have helped, but it wasn’t like we got run out of the gym tonight. We have a three- or four-possession lead there late in the game.
“Again, if it’s about the best teams, I do believe we’d be in the field. But again, I don’t pretend to understand what goes on. So certainly we’ll hold out hope. But I realize tonight — tonight was difficult. I think everybody in our locker room understands that.”
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UCF center John Bol, center, tries to block a shot by Cincinnati forward Baba Miller, left, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the second round of the Big 12 Conference tournament Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, James Harden added 28 and the Cleveland Cavaliers held on for a 115-105 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night for a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Evan Mobley had 25 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers, who had at least three players score at least 25 points in a postseason game for the second straight season and fourth time overall.
“They threw the kitchen sink at us, gave us a lot of different looks and (we) kept our poise,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Donovan and James closed it for us, but I thought our defense kind of forced them to go small. This is what the playoffs are about. They came at us hard and we responded.”
Cleveland — which never trailed — has won 12 straight playoff games against Toronto, tying the NBA postseason record for consecutive wins against an opponent. The streak began in the 2016 Eastern Conference finals, when the Cavaliers took the final two games. Cleveland swept Toronto in four games in the second round in 2017 and '18.
The Cavaliers also have 12-game winning streaks against Detroit and Atlanta, while the Los Angeles Lakers had a 12-game run against Seattle from 1980 through '89.
Scottie Barnes led Toronto with a playoff career-high 26 points. RJ Barrett had 22 points and nine rebounds.
The Raptors had 16 fast-break points after being held to a season-low three on Saturday. But Toronto committed a season-high 22 turnovers that led to 22 Cavaliers points.
“The only time the game got away was when we made a lot of turnovers. We played super hard, we adjusted to how the game was going, and did certain things that helped us,” Barnes said.
The series shifts to Toronto for Game 3 on Thursday night.
Harden had four assists to move into seventh place on the playoff career list with 1,139. He also had five steals, the fourth time he’s had at least that many in a playoff game.
A driving layup by Barnes got Toronto within 99-90 midway through the fourth quarter. Mitchell responded with seven straight points to put it away.
The Cavaliers had a 73-57 advantage midway through the third quarter before the Raptors countered with a 16-6 run.
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (2) shoots in front of Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) in the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (4) dunks next to Toronto Raptors guard Ja'kobe Walter, right, in the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Toronto Raptors guard Ja'kobe Walter (14) and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reach for the ball in the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (2) grabs a rebound next to Toronto Raptors guard A.J. Lawson (0) in the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles, right, grabs a rebound next to Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, left, in the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles (12) grabs a rebound next to Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) in the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) shoots over Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead (23) in the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) gestures to the crowd in the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Toronto Raptors in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
