Watch: Everything Day Day Thomas, Kerr Kriisa, and Mousthapa Thiam said at Big 12 Basketball media Days

Cincinnati basketball’s trip to Big 12 Media Day on Wednesday offered more than just preseason talk—it gave a glimpse into the personality and chemistry shaping the Bearcats’ locker room.

 

Veteran guard Kerr Kriisa, senior leader Day Day Thomas, and emerging big man Moustapha Thiam sat side by side, trading jokes, reflections, and insights about their journeys and what lies ahead for a team hungry to prove itself. The trio spoke with an easy mix of humor and honesty—Kriisa calling college basketball “the best thing in the world,” Thomas reflecting on his growth from a shy JUCO recruit into a team leader, and Thiam recounting his remarkable rise from outdoor courts in Senegal to the Big 12 stage.

 

Together, they painted a picture of a group grounded in gratitude, fueled by competition, and united by the culture Wes Miller continues to build in Cincinnati.

 

 

Everything said by each player:

Kerr Kriisa stole much of the spotlight with his humor, humility, and love for the college game. When asked about Coach Miller jokingly offering him a seventh year, he laughed but didn’t rule it out:

 

“Yeah, for sure… you guys are all laughing, but like it’s a legitimate chance… college basketball is the best thing in the world… you can’t compare college basketball to EuroLeague or the NBA because the community and everything about it is so special.”

 

Kriisa reflected on choosing Cincinnati, citing the school’s tradition and passion:

 

“You always want to be in a school where people care about basketball… I don’t think there’s a better example than Cincinnati. Super rich history… people care.”

 

The veteran guard spoke about learning from his long, winding college path — Arizona, West Virginia, Kentucky, and now Cincinnati:

 

“Every coach that you play under teaches you different lessons… people look at it like, ‘ah he team-hopper,’ but I look at it different. I had a chance to do that and my story is different than everybody else’s story.”

 

On his sixth year of eligibility, Kriisa’s enthusiasm was clear:

 

“I think it’s freaking awesome. I feel like it’s my freshman year. The excitement is the same… I’m in better shape than I was then. I feel like I just got here.”

 

And when asked about Xavier and breaking the losing streak at Cintas Center in this year’s Crosstown Shootout:

 

“There are records to break, right?… We’re not thinking about that right now. One day at a time.”

 

Day Day Thomas:

Thomas discussed how far he’s come since first meeting Coach Miller as a shy JUCO recruit at Kilgore College:

 

“It’s been great just getting adjusted to everything that Coach Miller [does] on and off the court… just them pushing me to be the best version of me and me being a leader for the team.”

 

He shared appreciation for how much easier life is now compared to his JUCO grind:

 

“I take advantage of everything at Cincinnati… at JUCO you don’t really have trainers… even like teammates like Kerr and Mustafa, everybody just there for themselves. Here I treat it as a whole team.”

 

On what it’s like to finally attend Media Day after missing last year:

 

“I’m all for it. I didn’t expect it to be nothing like this coming in… just being comfortable, just being me and doing what I do.”

 

Asked about competing against Kriisa years earlier in the Big 12 Tournament, Day Day smiled remembering their clash:

 

“He shot a three out of the corner, and I tried to flick his hand up but he grabbed my hand and started talking trash…"

 

Kriisa chimed in.

 

"We had a moment. We held hands. I made a shot in his face… and here we are.”

 

On mentoring young players like Shon Abaev and Keyshuan Tillery:

 

“I love it… they work crazy hard. I just tell them, go out there and do what you do, play with confidence. If you mess up, play the next play.”

 

And when pressed to name the biggest trash-talker between Kriisa and Sincere Harris:

 

“I don’t know, that’s a tough question… Kerr takes a lot of charges, smacks the ground… Sincere does the same thing. That’s tough.”

 

Moustapha Thiam

 

Thiam has a unique background and was able to share it with media and give a glimpse at where he came from.

 

“I started playing basketball when I was 14 going to 15… once I started, I was working hard, trying to get better. I knew already that I’m going to get somewhere.”

 

On growing up playing outdoors in Senegal:

 

“Back in my home, we don’t really play real games. We just work out, go up and down the court… my uncle watched me one day and said, ‘I think you’re going to be really good.’ So I took it serious.”

Kerr jumped in to highlight Thiam’s inspiring story:

 

“He played on the rocks outside… we saw the video. He rode a bike to the court. You fall down and your knees are bleeding… and now he’s in the Big 12 on a very good team in a leadership role. It’s very special.”

 

Thiam explained his daily routine when training at an academy run by current UC big man coach Mamadou N'Diaye.

 

“I go to class in the morning, take a nap, then a 45-minute van ride to practice. Work out with the young category, then with the big category from 3 to 6, then go home. That van was too small for me.”

 

On his physical transformation in Cincinnati’s weight program:

 

“Monster factory, man… Coach Rehfelt, he’s a great guy, great strength coach. He cares so much about us. We’ve been working hard in the Monster Factory.”

 

Kerr backed him up:

 

“I lost 9% body fat in three months. He’s elite… he keeps us accountable with meals, workouts—everything combined.”

 

Overall:

 

The trio’s tone matched Coach Wes Miller’s emphasis on culture and toughness. Kriisa described what they’re learning heading into another Big 12 season:

 

“The bad days are going to come… every game and every day is not going to be flowers and sunny. It’s about how you respond after those rainy days—that’s when the team has to come together.”

 

And Day Day summed up the bond between teammates perfectly:

 

“We’ve got to push each other. Help us get better. If one of us smacks the floor in Fifth Third, we’re all with him—we got your back.”

 

Cincinnati’s media-day trio showed why the Bearcats’ locker room might be as strong as it has ever been under Miller: