TicketsBearcats and Tigers Meet in Finale (Again)
UC hopes to lock up a No. 3 seed; Memphis looking for a bye.
Contact: Brian Teter
3/3/2005
Eric Hicks is coming off a double-double. |
CINCINNATI vs. MEMPHIS
Date: Saturday, March 5, 2005
Time: 4:00 p.m. EST
Site: FedEx Forum (18,400)
Memphis, Tennessee
Records:
Cincinnati (21USA/22AP): 23-6, 11-4 C-USA (3rd)
Memphis: 16-13, 9-6 C-USA (tie-5th)
TV: ESPN (Brent Musburger, Steve Lavin).
Radio: WLW-AM 700 (Dan Hoard, Chuck Machock).
Tickets: Available.
Series: Cincinnati leads, 35-27.
Last Meeting: March 6, 2004 in Cincinnati; Cincinnati 83, Memphis 79.
The Coaches:
? BOB HUGGINS (West Virginia ?77)
At Cincinnati: 16th year, 397-125 (.761)
Overall: 24th year, 565-197 (.741)
Huggins is the nation?s eighth-winningest active coach and is 11th in victories. He is 19-8 vs. Memphis.
? JOHN CALIPARI (Clarion St. ?82)
At Memphis: 5th year, 109-52 (.677)
Overall: 13th year, 302-122 (.712)
Calipari led Memphis to postseason appearances in each of his previous four seasons. He is 1-6 vs. Cincinnati, 1-4 while at Memphis and 0-2 while at UMass.
CINCINNATI PROBABLE STARTERS 2004-05 Statistics
F 33 Armein Kirkland, 6-8 Jr., Tyler, Texas........... 10.8 pts, 4.5 reb, 2.4 ast
F 14 Eric Hicks, 6-6 Jr., Greensboro, N.C............. 13.8 pts, 8.9 reb, 2.3 blk
F 54 Jason Maxiell, 6-7 Sr., Carrollton, Texas....... 15.4 pts, 7.7 reb, 2.7 blk
G 5 Nick Williams, 6-3 Sr., Arlington, Texas.......... 8.6 pts, 2.3 reb, 1.8 ast
G 21 James White, 6-7 Jr., Kensington, Md.......... 10.2 pts, 4.6 reb, 3.2 ast
MEMPHIS PROBABLE STARTERS 2004-05 Statistics
F 10 Rodney Carney, 6-7 Jr., Indianapolis, Ind...... 16.2 pts, 5.4 reb, 1.1 ast
F 11 Duane Erwin, 6-9 Sr., Huntsville, Ala.............. 6.8 pts, 6.2 reb, 1.2 ast
F 55 Arthur Barclay, 6-8 Sr., Camden, N.J.............. 1.4 pts, 3.3 reb, 0.3 blk
G 35 Darius Washington Jr., 6-1 Fr., Memphis, Tenn. 15.4 pts, 3.9 reb, 3.5 ast
G 23 Anthony Rice, 6-4 Sr., Atlanta, Ga................. 9.9 pts, 2.7 reb, 2.1 ast
SETTING THE SCENE: Long-time rivals Cincinnati and Memphis will stage another edition of their season-ending battles when the two teams clash at the FedEx Forum in a 4 p.m. EST game which will be televised nationally by ESPN. While a conference title is not in the balance, as it has been when the two teams have tangled in seven of the previous 12 seasons, a lot is still at stake. The Bearcats (No. 21 ESPN, No. 22 AP), 23-6 overall and third in Conference USA at 11-4, will be trying to solidify their seed for next week?s C-USA Tournament, also to be held in Memphis. UC defeated Tulane, 77-56, on Wednesday to extend its win streak to five games. The Tigers, 16-13 overall and tied for fifth place at 9-6, will be trying to get a first round tourney bye and halt a three-game losing skid. Memphis dropped a 70-61 decision at Saint Louis on Wednesday.
BEARCATS IN THE POLLS: Cincinnati is No. 21 in this week?s ESPN/USA Today poll and No. 22 in the Associated Press poll, the 14th straight week UC has been ranked this season. In the computer ratings, UC is No. 18 in the Sagarin Index (3/3/05) and No. 18 in the RPI (3/3/05).
LAST TIME VS. MEMPHIS: Tony Bobbitt scored 20 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer, to key Cincinnati?s 83-79 win over Memphis on March 6, 2004 at Fifth Third Arena. Bobbitt?s trey with 36 seconds to play gave UC an 81-79 lead. He iced the game with a pair of free throws with 19 seconds remaining. UC made 16 of 18 free throws and committed just six turnovers. Sean Banks tallied 28 points for the Tigers.
LAST TIME IN MEMPHIS: Chris Massie scored 17 of his 23 points in the second half to power Memphis to a 67-48 win over Cincinnati on March 1, 2003. The Tigers went on a 17-2 scoring run with 15 minutes to play to erase a four-point UC lead and take command of the game. The Bearcats shot .246 from the field, their worst since the 1951-52 season.
STORY LINES:
? Saturday?s game will be the seventh time since 1991-92 that Cincinnati and Memphis have faced each other in the final regular season game. The Bearcats have won five of those previous six contests.
? Saturday?s game could be the final regular season meeting between Cincinnati and Memphis for the foreseeable future. For the past 30 years, the two have been rivals in three conferences?the Metro, Great Midwest and Conference USA, and in the late 1960s both were in the Missouri Valley Conference. Next year, Cincinnati moves to the BIG EAST.
? Cincinnati and Memphis are the two winningest programs in the history of Conference USA play. The Bearcats have the top won-loss record in league games over the last 10 seasons (122-33, .787). The Tigers are second (102-53, .658).
? Saturday?s contest will mark the Bearcats? first visit to the FedEx Forum, Memphis? new home arena. The Tigers are 10-5 at home this season and are 5-2 in C-USA games at FedEx Forum.
? Cincinnati?s Bob Huggins, the nation?s eighth-winningest active coach in terms of winning percentage (.741), enters Saturday?s contest with a 665-197 career record. He is tied for 35th place with former UC mentor Gale Catlett for most victories by Division I coaches (active and retired). A victory vs. Memphis would move Huggins into a tie for 34th place with David Whitney, formerly of Texas Southern and Alcorn State.
? Cincinnati and Memphis have played 13 common opponents. Cincinnati is 12-4 vs. those teams while Memphis is 10-6.
CINCINNATI-MEMPHIS SHOWDOWNS: Over the past 13 seasons, Cincinnati and Memphis have met in 11 contests which have determined league titles or tournament advancement.
Mar. 6, 2004 Final regular season game. Cincinnati clinches a tie for the C-USA title with an 83-79 win.
Mar. 3, 2002 Final regular season game. Cincinnati needed a win to clinch the C-USA title outright. Memphis would tie with a win. UC 80, Memphis 75, ot.
Mar. 9, 2001 Semifinals of C-USA Tournament in Louisville. UC 89, Memphis 79.
Feb. 29, 1996 Next-to-last regular season game. Teams were tied for best C-USA record. UC 71, Memphis 66. UC lost to Marquette two days later.
Mar. 10,1995 Semifinals of Great Midwest Conference tourney. UC 77, Memphis 66.
Mar. 2, 1995 Next-to-last regular season game. Memphis clinches Great Midwest title with an 83-73 win.
Mar. 12, 1994 Championship game of Great Midwest Tournament. UC 68, Memphis 47.
Mar. 13, 1993 Championship game of Great Midwest Tournament. UC 77, Memphis 72.
Mar. 7, 1992 Last game of regular season. UC clinches co-championship with a 69-59 win.
Mar. 14, 1992 Championship game of Great Midwest Tournament. UC 75, Memphis 63.
Mar. 29, 1992 Final game of NCAA Midwest Regional. UC 88, Memphis 57.
RECAPPING THE TULANE GAME:
? The victory was UC?s 15th straight in final home games of the season.
? Jihad Muhammad scored a career-high 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, 6-of-9 from 3-point range.
? Jason Maxiell, with 18 points, moved into 11th place on Cincinnati?s career scoring list with 1,506 points, passing Robert Miller (1,498 points, 1975-78).
? Eric Hicks, with 10 points and 10 rebounds, posted his 11th career double-double and eighth of the season.
? John Meeker, a fourth-year senior who originally made the team as a walk-on, made his first career start as the Bearcats started all four seniors.
? UC had assists on 20 of 28 baskets with Jihad Muhammad, James White and Armein Kirkland each dishing out four assists.
? The Bearcats outrebounded the Green Wave by 19 (47-28).
BEARCAT BITES:
? Cincinnati has posted victory margins of 10 or more points in 20 of its 23 wins and has beaten 16 of those foes by at least 16 points. UC is second in C-USA and 11th nationally in average scoring margin.
? After shooting .786 at the foul line the previous four games, UC shot just .519 in Wednesday?s contest vs. Tulane, going 14-of-27.
? UC has averaged 17.4 assists over its last five games. The Bearcats have had an assist on 87 of their 132 field goals during this span, a .659 percentage.
? The Bearcats have held 20 opponents to sub-.400 shooting, nine to 32 percent or less. UC has held five opponents, Detroit (.293), Jackson State (.239), Charlotte (.295), USF (.259) and Xavier (.298) under 30 percent.
? UC has had four or more players reach double figures in scoring in 14 games this season. Five players have reached double digits in two games and six reached the twins mark in two other contests.
? Cincinnati is ranked No. 1 nationally in field goal percentage defense (.369) and No. 2 in blocked shots (7.0).
? The Bearcats? 203 blocks is the second highest season total in school history. The 1999-00 team set the record of 223. Jason Maxiell?s 79 blocks is the third-highest single season total for rejections.
? UC has posted an average rebounding margin of +12.8 during its five-game win streak. Cincinnati is second in C-USA in rebounding margin (+4.9).
? UC has five players averaging double figures in scoring for all games (Maxiell, Hicks, Kirkland, Muhammad, White), and in C-USA games (Maxiell, Hicks, Williams, White, Muhammad).
? The Bearcats have won 25 of 31 jump balls, with Jason Maxiell doing all of the jumping. UC has taken the opening tip in 23 of its 29 contests and won both overtime period jump balls.
? UC has made more free throws (551) than its opponents have attempted (514).
? Seventeen of UC?s 29 opponents appeared in postseason play in 2003-04.
? Four of the Bearcats losses were to ranked teams: No. 1 (Illinois), No. 3 (Wake Forest), No. 9 (Louisville) and No. 18 (Louisville) at the time the Bearcats played them, and including the one-point loss at now No. 18 Charlotte, and the loss to 18-8 DePaul, the combined record of the five teams to beat the Bearcats is 126-21.
TERRIFIC 20?S:
? The Bearcats have clinched their 14th 20-win season in the last 16 campaigns and their 27th 20-win season in school history. Since 1955, UC has advanced to postseason play in every season in which it reached or exceeded the 20-win mark, appearing in 21 NCAA Tournaments and three NITs.
KINGS OF C-USA: Cincinnati is the winningest team in the history of Conference USA, both in league play and overall. The Bearcats have compiled a 121-33 ledger (.786) in C-USA play, winning or sharing the regular season crown in all but one of those years. The Bearcats have posted a 256-68 (.790) overall record during this span. With the inclusion of Cincinnati?s four previous seasons in the Great Midwest Conference, the Bearcats have been regular season champions 10 times in the past 13 seasons. UC has 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.
MOORE LEAVES TEAM: Junior guard Chadd Moore announced that he was leaving the basketball team for health reasons on Feb. 28, effective immediately. Bothered by a back injury the past two seasons, Moore saw action in 24 of the Bearcats? first 28 games, making five starts. He averaged 3.3 points and 2.5 assists, to go along with 21 steals and 10 blocked shots, while averaging 15 minutes per game. He will remain at UC on scholarship and complete his degree next year.
MAX?S MILESTONES: Jason Maxiell continues to rack up milestones:
? Maxiell has averaged 17.2 points over his last six games, shooting .586 from the field.
? He has reached double figures in rebounding in three of his last four contests.
? The 6-7 senior is in 11th place on UC?s career scoring list with 1,506 points and 15th on the all-time C-USA list.
? Max has played in 125 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in Cincinnati history.
? Maxiell?s 240 career blocks ranks second at UC 1to Kenyon Martin and fourth in C-USA.
? He ranks fourth in C-USA in career rebounds with 878.
HICKS A HERO: Eric Hicks has been one of Cincinnati?s most productive players in recent weeks:
? The 6-6 junior has averaged 15.4 points and 9.1 rebounds over the last nine games, shooting .594 from the field.
? Has reached double digits in rebounding in four of his last seven games.
? Has scored in double figures 20 times, including 10 of his last 12 games.
? Hicks ranks third in C-USA and 28th nationally in rejections (2.3).
? He ranks fourth in C-USA and 36th nationally in rebounds (8.9).
? His defensive performance was credited with the effort that limited C-USA scoring leader Quemont Greer to 12 points, 10 under his average, in the Jan. 6 win over DePaul.
? Hicks held USF?s Terrence Leather, C-USA?s No. 3 scorer, scoreless in the Jan. 27 win over the Bulls.
UC?S POINT FORWARD: James White, a forward by trade, is Cincinnati?s assist leader. The 6-6 junior has averaged 4.0 assists over his last eight games to boost his season average to 3.2. White ranks eighth in C-USA in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.69:1).
BLOCK PARTY: Cincinnati leads Conference USA and is ranked second nationally in blocked shots (7.0). Jason Maxiell leads C-USA and is 65th nationally in blocks (2.7), with Eric Hicks (2.3) third in C-USA and 28th nationally. The Bearcats recorded a season-high 13 blocks in their Dec. 27 win over Miami (Ohio) and have had 10 or more blocks in eight games this season. Maxiell has had five or more rejections in six games this year, highlighted by a career-high eight blocks vs. Houston on Jan. 29. As a team, UC has 203 rejections, while opponents have only 57.
DIFFERENT LOOK: UC has started new lineups in seven of its last eight games and has used 12 different lineups this season. Jason Maxiell, Eric Hicks and Nick Williams have been staples in the lineup during the recent changes.
LOOKING AHEAD: UC travels to the Conference USA Tournament, March 9-12 in Memphis. UC has a first round bye and will play on March 10.