Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams attends the Cincinnati Bearcats basketball wrap-up dinner

One of the most anticipated seasons in recent memory was celebrated Tuesday night at Fifth Third Arena with a gala dinner hosted by the University of Cincinnati men’s basketball program for donors and season ticket holders. Proceeds went to the Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) collective of the University of California, Cincy Reigns. The event was organized by the Herche Family Foundation.

University of California head coach Wes Miller helped secure the prestigious name for the event, which featured his former coach and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Roy Williams. Williams has 903 career wins over 15 seasons at Kansas and 18 at North Carolina. He led the Jayhawks to two NCAA title game appearances and won three national titles with the Tar Heels in 2005, 2009 and 2017.

His 2005 North Carolina champions included quarterback Warren Weston “Wes” Miller.

Mentor Williams talks to Cincinnati Bearcats donors with Wes Miller

No media was allowed at the private gathering, but the following events were confirmed. Before the actual welcome dinner, Williams and Miller met with members of the University of California Aviation Club at the Mercedes-Benz Courtside Club. The program included players from different groups being asked fun questions and expectations about the Bearcats’ season.

The main event was an appearance by another famous North Carolina Tar Heel, Marty Brennaman, as emcee. Miller noticed the Hall of Fame announcer’s presence just a day after the loss of his close friend from the Big Red Machine, Hit King Pete Rose.

Miller and Brennaman talked about their connections in North Carolina, and the legendary live act said he was honored to be involved in the cause and would help UC whenever he could.

What did Roy Williams say about Cincinnati Bearcats basketball?

According to those in attendance, Williams said he watches every Cincinnati Bearcats game and is very involved.

During his recruiting visit to the Miller home, Williams told the future Bearcats coach that if he wanted to become a coach, North Carolina was the right place because it would show him the way and provide him with a connection for the future.

Williams spent Wednesday at Fifth Third Arena watching Miller’s players practice.

What did Wes Miller say about his experience with Roy Williams?

Miller said it was hard for him to be in North Carolina and hear that he might not play, but he made the choice to leave James Madison and join the Blue Bloods as a backup.

He then pointed to reserve guard C.J. Anthony as a recruited out-of-towner who could have gone to a smaller Division I school to start or even end his career, but Anthony wanted to be a Bearcat.

Tyler McKinley’s injury has been confirmed

Miller told the audience that freshman forward Tyler McKinley of Winton Woods High School recently underwent successful knee surgery, as The Enquirer reported last week. McKinley is expected to miss the season and was not present at the evening’s ceremonies.

Wes Miller, Cincinnati Bearcats finished in the top 25

In his preseason “Rothstein 45,” CBS insider Jon Rothstein ranked the UC Bearcats at No. 21, just behind No. 19 Ohio State and No. 20 Xavier. The Bearcats will host the Buckeyes in a charity exhibition on Oct. 18 at Fifth Third Arena.

In other rankings, ESPN ranks UC 19th, ahead of traditional blue bloods Kentucky and UCLA. In the Big 12 alone, ESPN has Houston at No. 4, Baylor at No. 6, Iowa State at No. 7 and Arizona at No. 9, as well as the Bearcats at No. 19.

Some Cincinnati Bearcats game times and broadcasts have been published

The Bearcats will play a non-conference game at Georgia Tech on Saturday, November 23 at 2:00 p.m. at McCarnish Pavilion in Atlanta. This game falls on the same day that the Cincinnati Bearcats play at Kansas State. No kickoff time has been announced for the Big 12 football game.

On Monday, December 2, UC’s next non-conference match in Philadelphia will be against Villanova, which will take place at 6:30 p.m. on FS1.

This article originally appeared on the Cincinnati Enquirer: Hall of Famer Roy Williams Attends Cincinnati Bearcats Recap Dinner