TicketsUC Shoots for 8-0 Start vs. Jackson State
Huggins goes for 550th career coaching win.
Contact: Brian Teter
12/19/2004
CINCINNATI vs. JACKSON STATE
Date: Monday, Dec. 20, 2004
Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
Site: Fifth Third Arena (13,176), Cincinnati, Ohio
Records:
Cincinnati (17USA/25AP): 7-0
Jackson State: 3-7
TV: WXIX-TV 19 (Jeff Piecoro, Anthony Buford).
Radio: WLW-AM 700 (Dan Hoard, Chuck Machock).
Tickets: Available, $25, 513-556-CATS or www.UCBearcats.com.
Series: First Meeting.
The Coaches:
? BOB HUGGINS (West Virginia ?77)
At Cincinnati: 16th year, 381-119 (.762)
Overall: 24th year, 549-191 (.742)
Huggins is the nation?s seventh-winningest active coach and is 13th in victories.
? TEVESTER ANDERSON (Ark.-Pine Bluff ?62)
At JSU: 3rd year, 14-22 (.389)
Overall: 7th year, 116-78 (.598)
Anderson was 103-52 in five seasons at Murray State, directing the Pacers to two Ohio Valley Conference championships and two NCAA Tournament berths.
CINCINNATI PROBABLE STARTERS 2004-05 Statistics
F 33 Armein Kirkland, 6-8 Jr., Tyler, Texas......14.0 pts, 3.6 reb, 2.0 ast
F 14 Eric Hicks, 6-6 Jr., Greensboro, N.C........13.0 pts, 9.2 reb, 3.0 blk
F 54 Jason Maxiell, 6-7 Sr., Carrollton, Texas...15.6 pts, 8.9 reb, 2.9 blk
G 21 James White, 6-7 Jr., Kensington, Md.........8.9 pts, 5.0 reb, 2.6 ast
G 13 Jihad Muhammad, 5-11 Jr., Plainfield, N.J...12.6 pts, 3.3 reb, 2.3 ast
JACKSON STATE PROBABLE STARTERS 2004-05 Statistics
F 42 Ernest Hassell, 6-6 Sr., Elizabeth City, NC..7.4 pts, 5.6 reb, 1.1 blk
F 32 Hilton Tompkins, 6-7 Jr., Canton, Miss.......9.8 pts, 4.7 reb, 1.7 stl
C 44 Kelly Ross, 6-8 Sr., Prentiss, Miss..........8.7 pts, 4.0 reb, 1.5 blk
G 1 Charlie White, 5-11 Fr., Jackson, Miss.......9.8 pts, 2.6 reb, 2.3 ast
G 3 Catraiva Givens, 5-8 Fr., Little Rock, Ark...2.9 pts, 0.8 reb, 1.3 stl
SETTING THE SCENE: The University of Cincinnati will try to up its record to 8-0 when hosting Jackson State on Monday (Dec. 20) at Fifth Third Arena. The 8 p.m. EST contest will be the second in three days for the Bearcats, No. 17 in last week?s ESPN/USA Today poll and No. 25 in the Associated Press rankings. UC defeated Northwestern State, 81-65, on Saturday (Dec. 18). Jackson State is 3-7. After dropping their first six games, which included losses to Maryland and Arizona State, the Tigers have won three of their last four. JSU defeated Tougaloo, 65-52, on Saturday to enter the contest with a two-game win streak.
HUGGINS SHOOTS FOR NO. 550:\ Bob Huggins will be seeking his 550th career victory as a head coach when the Bearcats face Jackson State on Monday. Huggins, who is the nation?s sixth winningest active head coach in terms of percentage (.742), ranks 13th on the victory total list with his 549-191 ledger. Saturday?s victory over Northwestern State marked Huggins? 500th game as the University of Cincinnati?s head basketball coach. He has compiled a 381-119 record (.762) during his 16 seasons at UC.
STORY LINES:
? Cincinnati enters Monday?s game as one of 16 unbeaten Division I teams, and the lone team in Conference USA without a blemish on its record.
? Cincinnati will be shooting for its fifth 8-0 start in the last 10 seasons. UC was 8-0 in 2003-04, 1999-00, 1998-99 and 1995-96.
? Monday?s game will be the second of three games the Bearcats will play over a five-day stretch. UC, which defeated Northwestern State on Saturday, hosts LaSalle on Wednesday.
BEARCATS IN THE POLLS: Cincinnati climbed to No. 17 in last week?s ESPN/USA Today coaches poll and made its 2004-05 debut in the Associated Press poll at No. 25. This week?s polls will be released shortly before the start of Monday?s game.
LEFTOVERS FROM THE NORTHWESTERN STATE WIN:
? UC set season highs with 31 free throws and 43 free throw attempts.
? Five Bearcats scored in double figures, the third time this season that UC had five or more double-digit scorers. Jason Maxiell led the way with a season-high 21 points.
? Nick Williams, who scored a season-high 12 points, and Eric Hicks, with 11 points, helped UC generate a season-high 25 points in bench scoring.
? UC tied a season high with 10 blocks, led by Jason Maxiell?s five rejections. UC is averaging 7.7 blocks per game and has blocked 54 shots to its opponents? nine blocks.
? Northwestern State outrebounded Cincinnati, 45-39, marking the third straight game UC has lost the battle of the boards. The Bearcats have been outrebounded by an average margin of 9.3 during this span.
RECAPPING CINCINNATI?S 7-0 START:
? The Bearcats have beaten six of their first seven opponents by 10 or more points, and five of those foes by at least 16 points.
? The Bearcats have held five of their seven opponents to sub-.400 shooting, three to 32 percent or less. UC held Detroit to .293 shooting, a season-low for a UC foe (12/11/04).
? UC?s defense has helped force its opponents into 17.6 turnovers per game. Cincinnati has an average turnover margin of +5.0.
? UC?s first five opponents appeared in postseason play in 2003-04.
SHARING THE LOAD: A key to Cincinnati?s success this season has been the team?s balanced scoring attack. UC has had four players reach double figures in one game, five in two others and six in still another. Seven different players have scored in double figures a total of 28 times.
SECOND HALF CATS: Cincinnati has literally been saving its best for last this season. The Bearcats have a +3.3 point scoring margin (35.6 to 32.3) in the first halves of games this season, and has trailed in two of those first four contests and been tied in another. UC has taken charge, both offensively and defensively, in the second half. Cincinnati has averaged 38.4 points while holding its opposition to 27.9, for an average margin of +10.5.
HOT AT STRIPE: Cincinnati is shooting a sizzling .751 from the charity stripe this season. UC has shot .769 from the foul line (90 of 117) over its last four games, including a season-high .905 (19 of 21) vs. Dayton on Dec. 4. The Bearcats are getting plenty of chances. UC has made more free throws (157) than their opponents have attempted (119).
WAY TO START: Cincinnati has won all nine jump balls the Bearcats have encountered this season. UC has captured the opening tip in all seven games, plus the tipoffs of both overtime periods of its Nov. 24 victory over Northern Iowa. Jason Maxiell has been the jumper in each of the nine tipoffs.
DEFENSE TRADITION CONTINUES: Defense has been the staple of Cincinnati?s success during Bob Huggins? coaching reign, and the 2004-05 Bearcats appear poised to continue that tradition. UC has held five of its first seven foes to sub-.400 shooting from the floor. The Bearcats have a team field goal percentage defense of .362. Last season, UC held its opposition to .394 shooting, ranking 11th nationally.
MAX RESPONDS: Jason Maxiell seems to play at his best with the game is on the line. In Saturday?s win over Northwestern State, after the Tigers had whittled Cincinnati?s lead to one point midway through the second half, the 6-7 senior scored all nine points in a 9-2 run which enabled the Bearcats to regain control of the game. Maxiell finished with 21 points, tying his season high. His other 21-point performance occurred in the Nov. 24 win over Northern Iowa, during which he also pulled down a career high-tying 15 rebounds. Maxiell sealed the victory with 1:03 remaining in the second overtime by stealing the ball and going in for a dunk which gave UC an insurmountable seven-point lead.
Maxiell, who is on the watch lists for both the Wooden and Naismith national player of the year awards, recorded his 16th career double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds in the Dec. 9 win over Vanderbilt to take over the team lead in scoring (15.6). Over his last three games, he has averaged 18.0 points, while shooting .667 (18 of 27) from the field.
MAXIELL ON WOODEN, NAISMITH LISTS: Jason Maxiell has been named to the watch lists of both the John Wooden Award and the Naismith Award, both honoring college basketball?s player of the year. Maxiell was named to the John Wooden Award Preseason All-American team for the third year in a row. His selection marks the fifth time in the last six seasons that a Cincinnati player has been represented. Kenyon Martin was selected prior to the 1999-00 season and won the John R. Wooden Award that year. Steve Logan was on the 2001-02 list and finished as one of the top five finalists. This is the first time Maxiell has earned early consideration for the Naismith Award, which Martin won in 2000.
Maxiell averaged 13.6 points and 6.9 rebounds last season, and during his three-season career as a Bearcat has averaged 11.0 points and 6.8 rebounds. He is No. 25 on the UC career scoring list with 1,148 points and second in career blocked shots with 176.
MAXIELL EARNS C-USA HONORS: Jason Maxiell was named to the Conference USA preseason all-league team for the third straight year. Maxiell joined Louisville?s Francisco Garcia, who was named Preseason Player of the Year, Memphis forward Sean Banks, Marquette guard Travis Diener and Charlotte forward Curtis Withers on the all-league team. Cincinnati, which has won eight of the previous nine C-USA regular season championships, was picked to finish third behind Louisville and Memphis.
CAPTAIN KIRKLAND: Armein Kirkland has been Cincinnati?s scoring leader in four of the last five games. The 6-8 junior, who had a career-high 23 points in the win over Dayton (12/4/04), has averaged 18.4 points during this span. He has shot .526 (30 of 57) from the field and .500 (9 of 18) from 3-point range during this span.
MUHAMMAD TAKING CHARGE: Jihad Muhammad has wasted little time making an impact at Cincinnati. The junior college transfer, who has taken over the point guard duties, is the Bearcats? fourth-leading scorer, averaging 12.6 points. He has also quickly become the team?s top long-distance scoring threat, with 16 treys in 47 attempts from behind the arc.
Muhammad tallied 23 points in the Nov. 24 win over Northern Iowa, keying UC?s late comeback by scoring 12 points in the final 6:46 of regulation. He turned in a four-point play, connecting on a 3-pointer and then adding a free throw, to tie the game at 56 with 1:23 to play and send it into overtime. He was 5-of-6 at the foul line in the second overtime to help clinch the victory.
HICKS STARTING FAST: Eric Hicks continues to show the fine offensive play that he exhibited in exhibition season. Hicks, who missed UC?s most recent game vs. Detroit with a knee injury, has season averages of 13.0 points and 9.2 rebounds, leading the team in the latter category, and also leads UC in blocked shots (3.0).
? The 6-6 junior forward came off the bench to record his sixth career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday?s win over Northwestern State.
? Hicks scored a career-high 18 points, making 6-of-8 field goals, and gathered nine rebounds, two blocks and two steals in the Bearcats? season opening win over Valparaiso.
? He followed that by scoring 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds , his fourth career double-double, in the Nov. 24 win over Northern Iowa.
? Hicks had 11 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks vs. Purdue on Nov. 27.
? A career .515 foul shooter entering the season, Hicks has shot .737 at the charity stripe for the season.
MOORE ASSISTS THE OFFENSE: Cincinnati?s assist leader is a non-starter?Chadd Moore. The junior, who dished out six assists in the Nov. 27 win over Purdue, is averaging 3.0 assists. Not only does Moore not start (extenuating circumstances put him in the starting lineup for the season opener), he has averaged only 16.6 minutes of playing time.
VETERAN TEAM: The Bearcats opened the season with a combined total of 160 games of starting experience. By comparison, last year?s team brought 108 games of starting experience into the 2003-04 campaign, while the 2002-03 team began with 59 career starts.
SEVENTH-WINNINGEST PROGRAM: Cincinnati has been college basketball?s seventh-winningest program over the past five years. The Bearcats have compiled a 127-37 record for an .774 percentage during this period.
? UC?s 127 wins are the eighth-most among Division I teams over this period.
? Cincinnati has won 25 or more games eight of the last nine seasons.
? UC?s 13 straight NCAA Tournament appearances is the third-longest active streak in Division I.
? Cincinnati has been a top-four seed nine times during this streak and seven times in the last nine seasons.
TICKET UPDATE: Single game tickets for all University of Cincinnati home games except the Jan. 15 Louisville, Jan. 22 Wake Forest, and Feb. 10 Xavier contests are on sale at the UC Athletic Ticket Office at One Edwards Center. The UofL, Wake and XU games are already sold out. Groups of 15 or more qualify for discounted prices of $15 adult and $12 youth for every game in December except Miami (U.S. Bank Arena), plus the Conference USA games vs. Houston and Southern Miss.
Tickets may be ordered by phone using American Express, VISA, MasterCard or Discover, by calling 513-556-CATS during office hours. They may also be purchased on-line via the university's athletic web site: UCBearcats.com.
LOOKING AHEAD: The Bearcats complete their three-games-in-five-days slate by hosting LaSalle on Wednesday (Dec. 22). Tipoff is 7 p.m. After the Christmas holiday, UC will host Miami University on Dec. 27 at U.S. Bank Arena. Gametime is 8 p.m. EST.