TicketsUC Faces Upstart Longwood at Las Vegas Classic
Bearcats one game away from showdown with No. 1 Illinois.
Contact: Brian Teter
12/28/2004
Chadd Moore is averaging 4.2 assists. |
CINCINNATI vs. LONGWOOD
Las Vegas Holiday Classic
GAME FACTS
Date: Thursday, Dec. 30, 2004
Time: 9:30 p.m. EST
Site: Valley Athletic Complex (2,500), Las Vegas, Nevada
Records:
Cincinnati (17USA/22AP): 10-0
Longwood: 1-14
TV: Fox Sports Net Ohio (Jeff Piecoro, Mark Adams).
Radio: WLW-AM 700 (Dan Hoard, Chuck Machock).
Tickets: Available at the site.
Series: First meeting.
The Coaches:
? BOB HUGGINS (West Virginia ?77)
At Cincinnati: 16th year, 384-119 (.763)
Overall: 24th year, 552-191 (.743)
Huggins is the nation?s seventh-winningest active coach and is 13th in victories.
? MIKE GILLIAN (North Adams St. ?86)
At Longwood: 2nd year, 6-36 (.143)
Overall: 2nd year, 6-36 (.143)
Gillian has Ohio connections, having served a year as an assistant at Bowling Green. He later helped George Mason to two Colonial Athletic Association Tournament wins and three postseason appearances.
CINCINNATI PROBABLE STARTERS 2004-05 Statistics
F 33 Armein Kirkland, 6-8 Jr., Tyler, Texas.....14.5 pts, 3.4 reb, 2.1 ast
F 45 Roy Bright, 6-6 Fr., Durham, N.C............6.1 pts, 4.6 reb, 0.8 ast
F 54 Jason Maxiell, 6-7 Sr., Carrollton, Texas..14.0 pts, 8.2 reb, 3.5 blk
G 21 James White, 6-7 Jr., Kensington, Md. .....10.4 pts, 4.6 reb, 2.9 ast
G 1 Chadd Moore, 6-2 Jr., Huntsville, Ala. .....3.3 pts, 2.3 reb, 4.2 ast
LONGWOOD PROBABLE STARTERS 2004-05 Statistics
F 50 Lamar Barrett, 6-6 Fr., Providence, R.I. ..11.1 pts, 4.5 reb, 2.0 ast
F 45 Maurice Sumter, 6-5 So., Alexandria, Va. ..10.7 pts, 6.1 reb, 2.1 ast
C 42 Chad Kosmo, 6-11 Jr., Lincolnville, Me......6.7 pts, 5.5 reb, 1.4 blk
G 20 Michael Jefferson, 6-3 So., Chesterfield, Va..14.8 pts, 3.7 reb, 2.5 ast
G 32 Husein Pistoljevic, 6-1 So., Richland, Va...6.1 pts, 1.7 reb, 0.9 ast
SETTING THE SCENE: The University of Cincinnati faces Division I newcomer Longwood University in Thursday?s third round of the Las Vegas Holiday Classic. The Bearcats, No. 17 in this week?s ESPN/USA Today poll and No. 22 in the Associated Press rankings, enter the 9:30 p.m. EST contest with a perfect 10-0 record. UC has defeated its last three foes by an average margin of 32.3 points, the most recent a 77-53 win over Miami (Ohio) on Monday (Dec. 27). Longwood, which is in its second year of the reclassification process to become a full-fledged Division I team, is 1-14. The Lancers dropped a 105-79 decision to No. 1 Illinois on Monday in a Las Vegas Holiday Classic game.
LAS VEGAS HOLIDAY CLASSIC: The Las Vegas Holiday Classic is an exempt basketball event featuring six teams?Cincinnati, Illinois, Longwood, Northern Iowa, Northwestern State (La.) and Valparaiso. The teams play a round-robin schedule during which each faces four of the other five schools. The Bearcats will not face Valparaiso, whom they defeated in their season opener. The first two games are played on campus sites. UC beat Northern Iowa on Nov. 24 in double overtime, 76-70, and downed Northwestern State, 81-65, on Dec. 18. The teams join up in Las Vegas this Thursday and Friday. After facing Longwood on Thursday, UC will take on No. 1 Illinois in a rematch of last year?s NCAA Tournament second round game on Friday at 8 p.m. EST. Both of Cincinnati?s games will be televised in Ohio by Fox Sports Net Ohio.
STORY LINES:
? Longwood enters Thursday?s game with a team field goal percentage of .389, .297 from 3-point range. The Lancers are averaging of 65.6 points per game. Cincinnati is No. 3 nationally in field goal percentage defense, allowing foes to shoot just .352, and only .320 from 3-point range.
? Jason Maxiell and Eric Hicks are approaching blocks milestones. Maxiell, with 196 career blocks, needs four to reach the 200-block mark. Hicks needs five more blocks to reach the century mark in career rejections.
? Maxiell, with 1,200 career points, needs 19 more points to move into 22nd place on UC?s career scoring list, currently held by LaZelle Durden (1993-95).
? Cincinnati enters Thursday?s game as one of 13 unbeaten Division I teams, and the lone team in Conference USA without a blemish on its record.
? The Bearcats will be shooting for their fourth 11-0 start in the last 10 seasons. UC was 11-0 in 2003-04, 1998-99 and 1995-96.
COMMON OPPONENTS Cincinnati and Longwood have played one common opponent, Northern Iowa. The Bearcats rallied from an 18-point deficit in the final 10 minutes to defeat the Panthers, 76-70, in double overtime on Nov. 24. Longwood lost to Northern Iowa, 84-63, on Dec. 23.
EXPERIMENTAL RULES: As an exempt basketball event, the Las Vegas Holiday Classic will feature this year?s experimental rules.
? The width of the free throw lane is expanded by three feet, making it similar in width to the lane in the NBA.
? The 3-point line is extended from 19 feet, 9 inches to 20 feet, 6 inches.
? A ?no-charge? zone is created, similar to that used in the NBA. An arc is taped onto the court two feet from the center of the basket. If an offensive player makes contact with a defensive player who has one foot inside this arc, no offensive charging foul will be called.
BEARCATS IN THE POLLS: Cincinnati fell one spot, to No. 17 in this week?s ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. UC remained No. 22 for the second straight week in the Associated Press poll. In the computer ratings, Cincinnati is No. 9 in the Sagarin Index (12/28/04) and No. 33 in the RPI (12/28/04).
RECAPPING THE MIAMI WIN:
? Cincinnati held Miami, which entered the game with a .481 team field goal percentage, to .320 shooting from the field, a season-low for the RedHawks. Miami, which was ranked seventh nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (.441), was limited to .300 shooting from behind the arc.
? Eric Hicks recorded career highs with 21 points and 17 rebounds. His 17 rebounds were the most by a Bearcat since Kenyon Martin hauled in 17 vs. Houston on Feb. 17, 2000.
? Cincinnati posted a 46-32 advantage in rebounding. The Bearcats have outrebounded their last two opponents by an average margin of 16.5.
RECAPPING CINCINNATI?S 10-0 START:
? The Bearcats have beaten nine of their first 10 opponents by 10 or more points, and eight of those foes by at least 16 points.
? The Bearcats have held seven of their 10 opponents to sub-.400 shooting, five to 32 percent or less. UC held two opponents, Detroit (.293) and Jackson State (.239) under 30 percent.
? UC?s defense has helped force its opponents into 17.8 turnovers per game. Cincinnati has an average turnover margin of +5.2.
? UC?s first five opponents appeared in postseason play in 2003-04.
BLOCKS PARTY: Cincinnati entered the week ranked third nationally in blocked shots, with Jason Maxiell ninth and Eric Hicks 20th in the individual rankings. UC?s ranking should rise with the next release of the national statistics. The Bearcats recorded a season-high 13 blocks in their Dec. 27 win over Miami (Ohio). Maxiell was responsible for six rejections. UC has averaged 9.3 blocked shots oved its last four games, and Maxiell has averaged 5.0 blocks during that span.
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 two games, five in two others and six in two others. Eight different players have scored in double figures a total of 41 times.
HOT AT STRIPE: Cincinnati is shooting .742 from the charity stripe this season. UC shot a season-high .905 (19 of 21) vs. Dayton on Dec. 4. The Bearcats are getting plenty of chances. UC has made 64 more free throws (219) than their opponents have attempted (155).
WAY TO START: Cincinnati has won 10 of 12 jump balls the Bearcats have encountered this season. UC has captured the opening tip in eight of 10 games, and captured the tipoffs of both overtime periods of its Nov. 24 victory over Northern Iowa. Jason Maxiell has been the jumper in each of the 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. Over the last five games, UC foes have managed to shoot just .327 (104 of 318) from the field as the Bearcats have lowered their team field goal percentage defense to .352.
HICKS IS HOT: Eric Hicks, who lost his place in the starting lineup four games ago due to injury, has become even more productive in a sixth-man role. The 6-6 junior has averaged 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds coming off the bench, 18.0 points and 10.0 rebounds over his last three games.
? Hicks posted career highs of 21 points and 17 rebounds, the latter the most by a Bearcat in five seasons, in Cincinnati?s 77-53 win over Miami (Ohio) on Dec. 27.
? He had 18 points, matching his previous career high, in the Dec. 20 win over Jackson State, going 7-of-10 from the field.
? Hicks has taken over the team scoring (14.7) and rebounding (9.4) lead.
? A career .515 free throw shooter entering the season, Hicks has made marked improvement in this facet of his game. He is shooting .716 at the foul stripe, and was 11-of-14 in the Miami game.
ABSENCE DOESN?T CHILL KIRKLAND: Armein Kirkland was playing the best basketball of his college career when an ankle injury sidelined him for two games. The 6-8 junior had been the team?s scoring leader in four of the previous five contests, which included a career-high 23 points in the win over Dayton (12/4/04).
Kirkland returned to action during the Dec. 27 win over Miami (Ohio), and returned to his offensive form. He scored 18 points, sinking 4-of-5 treys. Kirkland has averaged 18.8 points over his last five games, shooting .534 (31-of-58) from the field and .591 (13-of-22) from 3-point range.
MAXIELL LEADS THE DEFENSE: Jason Maxiell has played a major role in Cincinnati?s field goal percentage defense. Maxiell blocked a career-high tying seven shots in the Dec. 20 win over Jackson State. He added six more rejections to his totals in the Dec. 27 Miami (Ohio) win. The 6-7 senior has averaged 5.0 blocks over his last four games, raising his season blocks average to 3.5. Max has recorded 196 career blocks, second only to Kenyon Martin?s 292. Maxiell is now No. 5 on the all-time C-USA blocks list.
MAX RESPONDS: Jason Maxiell seems to play at his best with the game is on the line. In the Dec. 18 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.
A BRIGHT PERFORMANCE: Roy Bright is apparently becoming comfortable with his status as a starter. The 6-6 freshman, who replaced then-injured Eric Hicks at forward for the Dec. 11 Detroit game, has started the last five contests. He has averaged 11.3 points and 9.7 rebounds over his last three outings, which have included a pair of double-doubles. Bright recorded career-highs of 17 points and 11 rebounds in the Dec. 20 win over Jackson State. Two nights later, he upped his rebounding high to 14 while scoring 11 points vs. LaSalle.
MOORE ASSISTS THE OFFENSE: Cincinnati?s assist leader is a non-starter?Chadd Moore. The junior has recorded career assists highs in two of his last three games, dishing out nine assists in the Dec. 20 win over Jackson State and garnering 10 assists to go with 10 points?his first career double-double?in the Dec. 22 win over LaSalle. Moore has averaged 7.0 assists over his last three games to up his season average to 4.2. On the defensive end, he has made seven steals over his last three games to move into a tie for the team lead in that category. Not only does Moore not start (extenuating circumstances put him in the starting lineup for two games), he has averaged only 18.6 minutes of playing time.
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 11.4 points. He has also quickly become the team?s top long-distance scoring threat, with 24 treys in 64 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.
HUGGINS NOTCHES PAIR OF MILESTONES: Bob Huggins reached a pair of coaching milestones recently. The Dec. 18 win over Northwestern State marked Huggins? 500th game as head coach at Cincinnati. On Dec. 20, he garnered his 550th career coaching victory. Huggins is the nation?s seventh winningest active head coach in terms of percentage (.743), and ranks 13th on the victory total list with his 551-191 ledger. He has compiled a 384-119 record (.763) during his 16 seasons at UC.
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 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.
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.
CONFERENCE RULERS: The Bearcats have been regular season champions nine times in the past 10 seasons, eight in Conference USA and once in the Great Midwest Conference. The Bearcats have won either a regular season or tournament title in 12 of the past 13 seasons, and six times during that span, UC has claimed both during the same season.
TV TIME: UC will again be one of the most televised programs in the nation this season. All but one of the Bearcats? games this year (Dec. 18 vs. Northwestern State) will be televised, and 18 of those games will be carried nationally or regionally by ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, CBS, Fox Sports Net and ESPN Plus, not including the postseason.
HISTORIC COMEBACK: The Bearcats staged their greatest comeback ever in the 16-year history of Fifth Third Arena on Nov. 24. Trailing by 18 points (50-32) with 10:03 remaining in the second half, UC went on a 24-6 run at the end of regulation, then prevailed in double overtime, 76-70. On Feb. 28, 1998, the Bearcats trailed Saint Louis by 18 in the first half, before rallying for a 61-58 win.
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 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 wrap up participation in the Las Vegas Holiday Classic against No. 1 Illinois on Friday, Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. EST (please note time change for the Illinois game). Cincinnati will return home to prepare for its Conference USA opener against DePaul on Jan. 6. The 7 p.m. EST contest will be televised by ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD.