Defensive rebounding a concern for Wes Miller

Outside of the lopsided loss at crosstown rival Xavier and a stumble at home against Monmouth, the University of Cincinnati men's basketball team has looked rather impressive in first-year head coach Wes Miller's debut season.

But despite the team's growth both on and off the court, there's one nagging problem with this group that Miller and his staff can't seem to solve.

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"I'm really frustrated with our defensive rebounding," Miller said. "I mean, I have thought about defensive rebounding and the way we're coaching it and the way we're drilling it and the way we're showing film and the way we're emphasizing it. I've thought about it in ways I never thought I would have to think about it before. It is an Achilles' heel of our team at the moment. We have the talent and the ability to correct it and we have the willingness within our locker room. We have great, great guys, and they want to do it right. We've got to get it corrected."

A team that is dominant on the defensive glass is a team that is able to get out in transition or just simply have more offensive possessions than the opponent.

Miller said this Cincinnati team doesn't have a pair of "NBA defensive rebounders" so it will need to address the issue collectively. Miller said that means the guards will have to take on more of the rebounding responsibility.

"We're working at it every day," he said.

The Bearcats (8-3) have two more games to figure it out before they open American Athletic Conference play Dec. 28 at No. 14 Houston. The first of the two home games is Saturday afternoon against HBCU Texas Southern.