TicketsFeb. 5, 2006
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GAME FACTS
UC vs. Louisville
Date: Monday, Feb. 6, 2006
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Site: Fifth Third Arena (13,176), Cincinnati, Ohio
Records:
Cincinnati : 15-8, 4-5 BIG EAST
Louisville: 15-7, 3-6 BIG EAST
TV: ESPN2 (Sean McDonough, Jay Bilas, Bill Raftery)
Radio: WLW-AM 700 (Dan Hoard, Chuck Machock)
CINCINNATI PROBABLE STARTERS 2005-06 Statistics
F 30 Cedric McGowan 6-6 Jr. Miami, Fla. 8.5 pts, 7.4 reb, 1.0 ast
F 14 Eric Hicks 6-6 Sr. Greensboro, N.C. 14.7 pts, 9.6 reb, 3.6 blk
G 21 James White 6-7 Sr. Washington, D.C. 16.3 pts, 4.8 reb, 2.1 ast
G 13 Jihad Muhammad 5-11 Sr. Plainfield, N.J. 8.6 pts, 2.5 reb, 1.7 ast
G 3 Devan Downey 5-10 Fr. Chester, S.C. 12.4 pts, 2.5 reb, 3.9 ast
LOUISVILLE PROBABLE STARTERS 2005-06 Statistics
F 1 Terrence Williams 6-6 Fr. Seattle, Wash. 8.2 pts, 4.8 reb, 1.9 ast
F 3 Juan Palacios 6-8 So. Medellin, Columbia 10.6 pts, 6.1 reb, 2.2 ast
C 4 David Padgett 6-11 So. Reno, Nev. 12.6 pts, 5.4 reb, 2.1 ast
G 11 Brandon Jenkins 6-3 Jr. Detroit, Mich. 12.0 pts, 3.5 reb, 2.4 ast
G 5 Taquan Dean 6-3 Sr. Red Bank, N.J. 15.7 pts, 5.4 reb, 3.9 ast
SETTING THE SCENE: Cincinnati and Louisville will both be seeking a key BIG EAST Conference victory when they meet on Monday, Feb. 6 at Fifth Third Arena. The celebrated rivalry between the two teams will be aired as part of ESPN's Rivalry Week with their 7 p.m. contest aired on ESPN2's Big Monday production. Cincinnati, 15-8 overall and 4-5 in BIG EAST play, has lost six of its last eight, including a 67-50 decision at Louisville on Jan. 25. The Bearcats lost at No. 11 West Virginia, 66-57, on Saturday. Louisville, 15-7 overall and 3-6 in league play,has dropped five of its last seven games. The Cardinals defeated Notre Dame, 89-86 in overtime, on Saturday.
STORY LINES:
Louisville has four wins over Cincinnati in Fifth Third Arena, sharing with Marquette the most victories over UC on its current home court. The Cardinals are 4-8 vs. UC in Fifth Third, but the Bearcts hold a 22-21 lead in all games played in Cincinnati.
Cincinnati has a 230-32 record (.878) record in its 17 seasons in Fifth Third Arena.
Newcomers to the BIG EAST this season, Cincinnati and Louisville have been rivals in three previous conferences; the Missouri Valley (1964-70), Metro (1975-91) and Conference USA (1995-2005).
Cincinnati and Louisville have played two common opponents. UC is 1-1 vs. those foes, with a win over Rutgers (71-66) and a loss to Connecticut (70-59). Louisville has lost to both Rutgers (65-56) and Connecticut (71-58).
Eric Hicks, the leading shot blocker in the BIG EAST Conference, enters the game with 82 blocks, the fourth-highest single season total by a Bearcat. Hicks needs two more blocks to surpass the third place single season total of 83 set by Kenyon Martin in 1997-98.
Hicks, who scored 15 points and tied a career high with 17 rebounds in the first Cincinnati-Louisville meeting this year, has averaged 8.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in his previous eight games against the Cardinals.
UC-LOUISVILLE: Monday's game will be the 88th meeting between Cincinnati and Louisville. The Cardinals lead the all-time series, 50-37. Cincinnati has won 12 of the last 19 contests but Louisville has won the last three clashes.
LAST MEETING: Juan Palacios scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Louisville to a 67-50 win over Cincinnati on Jan. 25, 2006 in Louisville. The Cardinals took advantage of the Bearcats' cold first half shooting (.267) to build a 14-point lead. UC cut that margin to seven early in the second half but UofL broke the game open with a 16-1 run. Eric Hicks had 15 points and a career-high tying 17 rebounds for UC.
LAST TIME IN CINCINNATI: Louisville overcame a 17-point first half deficit to defeat Cincinnati, 69-66, on Jan. 15, 2005. The Bearcats took advantage of the Cardinals' .273 shooting in the first half and led by 14 at intermission. UofL staged an 11-0 run between the 8:18 and 5:09 marks in the second half to erase an eight-point deficit. Taquan Dean had 25 points with Larry O'Bannon adding 18. Nick Williams led UC with 18 points, hitting six 3-pointers.
A RIVALRY OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE:
In 52 of the previous 87 Cincinnati-Louisville games, at least one of the teams was nationally ranked, and in 13 contests, including four of the last six, both schools were ranked.
UC and UofL clashed in the consolation game of the 1959 Final Four, held at Louisville's Freedom Hall, with the Oscar Robertson-led Bearcats taking third place with a 98-85 win.
SAAC WINTER CLOTHING DRIVE: The University of Cincinnati's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will conduct a winter clothing drive in conjunction with Monday's UC-Louisville game. Members of SAAC will be accepting new and/or gently used winter clothing items throughout Fifth Third Arena, beginning at 5:45 p.m. and extending through tip-off at 7 p.m. The student-athletes will also be accepting cash donations. Proceeds will benefit The Drop Inn Center of Cincinnati and St. George's Food Pantry, located on Dennis and Calhoun Streets near campus.
COMPUTERS LIKE THE CATS: The Bearcats have been a Top 30 team most of the season in the computer ratings. UC was ranked No. 29 in the Sagarin Index and No. 33 in the RPI following Saturday's games.
TOUGH SCHEDULE: One reason for Cincinnati's lofty rankings in the Sagrin and RPI is the team's demanding schedule. The Bearcats were rated No. 7 in the RPI's strength of schedule rankings following Saturday's games. The slate does not get any easier as three of the remaining seven regular season opponents are ranked in last week's Top 25.
NOTES FROM THE WEST VIRGINIA GAME:
Eric Hicks' 22 points and 11 rebounds marked his eight double-double over his last 11 games, the 10th of the season and the 23rd of his career. He vaulted into a tie for 37th place on UC's career scoring chart with 1,058 points.
Cedric McGowan's 11 rebounds marked his second straight double-digit rebounding game and his fifth of the season.
Jihad Muhammad recorded a career-high four steals.
Cincinnati's 18 turnovers topped their total of the previous two games combined (12) and was only the second time in the past seven games that the Bearcats were in double figures in turnovers.
James White topped the 1,100 point mark in career scoring, finishing the game with 1,107. The transfer from Florida has 925 points in his three seasons as a Bearcat.
West Virginia was whistled for only five personal fouls, the second-fewest by a UC opponent. Kentucky committed only four fouls in the 24-11 slowdown game in 1983-84. The Bearcats made all four of their free throw attempts, but didn't get to the foul line until the 6:17 mark of the second half.
The Bearcats changed the starting lineup for the third straight game, with freshman Devan Downey returning to the starting unit. UC has used five different lineups this season, and has changed the lineup in each of the last three games.
UC's loss at No. 11 West Virginia was the Bearcats' 12th straight against a Top 25 team.
HICKS DOUBLES UP: Eric Hicks is averaging a double-double (16.1 points, 10.8 rebounds) over his last 13 games. The 6-6 senior has posted eight double-doubles in his last 11 games. Hicks turned in his 10th double-double of the season and 23rd of his career when he posted 22 points and 10 rebounds vs. No. 11 West Virginia on Saturday, and had 13 points and 11 rebounds vs. USF on Feb. 31. Hicks averaged 21.0 points, 13.5 rebounds and 5.5 blocks in a pair of victories to earn BIG EAST co-Player of the Week honors on Jan. 9. Hicks notched a triple double with 22 points, 12 rebounds and a school record-tying 10 blocked shots in a victory over Marquette (1/7/06). Hicks' rebounding and shot-blocking prowess make him a candidate for BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year honors.
HICKS MOVING UP BLOCKS LIST: Eric Hicks, with 82 blocks this season, has already eclipsed his last season's total of 72 and now has the fourth-highest single season blocks total. He needs one more rejection to reach the third-highest season total of 83 set by Kenyon Martin in 1997-98. Hicks is in third place at Cincinnati in career blocks with 225, trailing Kenyon Martin (292) and Jason Maxiell (254). Hicks, who blocked a school record-tying 10 shots in the Jan. 7 win over Marquette, has blocked 40 shots in his last nine games. He has blocked at least one shot in 52 of his last 55 games. Hicks is ranked fifth nationally in blocks in the most recent NCAA statistics.
HICKS BEGINS SCORING ASCENT: Eric Hicks, who recently became the 43rd player in University of Cincinnati history to top the 1,000-point mark in career scoring, is climbing UC's career scoring chart. The senior is currently tied with Mike Jones (1975-78) with 1,058 points. He can move into 56th place with one more point and is 11 points out of 54th place.
WHITE CELEBRATES HOMECOMING: James White, a native of the Washington, D.C. area, celebrated his return home by scoring 22 points in the Bearcats' loss on Jan. 28. The 6-7 senior meshed 8-of-9 free throws and had four dunks. White, who has scored in double figures in all but two games this season, leads UC in scoring with his 16.5-point average. He has also been tops in scoring consistency, tallying 17, 18 or 19 points in 11 of his 21. The production is a significant boost for White, who averaged 10.2 points last season and entered the campaign with an 8.1 career scoring average. White played just 16 minutes vs. USF after spraining his right ankle, and was limited to just six points.
DOWNEY PLAYS BIG FOR THE BEARCATS: Devan Downey is attracting attention for Freshman All-American honors, primarily because he is not playing like one. The Bearcats' 5-10 point guard leads the team in assists (3.9) and steals (2.2) and is third in scoring (12.4). Downey ranks 44th nationally in steals and has recorded three or more steals in 10 different games. He has had the following noteworthy performances:
On Dec. 10, Downey keyed UC's 92-83 win over Vanderbilt by scoring 18 points, 16 in the second half, and recording four steals and a pair of assists, earning BIG EAST Conference Rookie of the Week honors.
On Dec. 14 vs. Ohio, Downey scored a career-high 24 points, shooting 10-of-16 from the field, and had five assists and four steals.
On Dec. 30 vs. North Carolina A&T, he passed for a career-high 11 assists and scored 13 points for his first career double-double.
On Jan. 19 vs. Xavier, he scored 22 points and drilled a clutch 3-pointer in the final 30 seconds which helped send the game into overtime. He also had five rebounds, five assists and three steals.
On Jan. 22, Downey keyed the win over Rutgers with 21 points, four assists and four steals.
On Jan. 31, Downey came off the bench to score 12 points, grab six rebounds, nad hand out three assists in win over USF.
Downey averaged 14.7 points, 5.1 assists and 2.1 steals during UC's 10-game winning streak.
TURNOVER TURNAROUND: Cincinnati, ranked seventh nationally in fewest turnovers per game (11.3), has been in single digits in turnovers in five of the last seven games. In its two double-digit miscue contests, UC committed a season-high 25 turnovers vs. Louisville on Jan. 25 and had 18 turnovers in Saturday's game at West Virginia. The 25-turnover game was sandwiched by games of five and four turnovers, the two lowest-erred games of the season. The 18-TO contest followed two games in which the Bearcats made a combined 12 turnovers.
OTHER BEARCAT BITS:
Cincinnati set a school and BIG EAST Conference record with 18 blocked shots in the Jan. 7 win at Marquette, topping the old mark of 15 set by the 1999-00 team vs. Iowa State. Eric Hicks tied a UC record with 10 blocks and James White had a career-best four rejections vs. Marquette.
Cincinnati has held nine opponents under the .400 mark in field goal percentage, including two under 33 percent. UC has posted sub-.400 defensive field goal percentages in six of the last eight seasons.
The Bearcats have scored 80 or more points in eight games this season, topping the 100-point mark twice. UC tallied 105 points vs. Tennessee Tech on Dec. 17, then matched that with 105 points vs. North Carolina A&T on Dec. 30.
UC shot a season-high .563 vs. Tennessee Tech on Dec. 17 and a .552 effort vs. North Carolina A&T on Dec. 30.
Cincinnati has had at least five double-figure scorers seven times during the course of the season. Six Bearcats reached double figures in scoring in the Dec. 30 win over North Carolina A&T.
UC recorded a season-high 25 assists vs. North Carolina A&T on Dec. 30.
The Bearcats set season highs for rebounds (53) and rebounding margin (+18) in the Jan. 4 win vs. DePaul, while committing just six turnovers.
BEARCATS TAKE LEAGUE HONORS:
Eric Hicks was named BIG EAST co-Player of the Week on Jan. 9 after averaging 21.0 points, 13.5 rebounds and 5.5 blocks in wins over DePaul and Marquette. Hicks previously earned BIG EAST Honor Roll recognition on Dec. 5 and Jan. 2.
Devan Downey earned the BIG EAST Conference Rookie of the Week in back-to-back weeks (Dec. 10, Dec. 17).
James White was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on Dec. 19 and Dec. 26.
MORE TROUBLE FOR BENCH: The depth-challenged Bearcats received another blow when Scott Benken suffered an elbow injury in practice requiring surgery that will sideline him for the remainder of the season. Benken, a non-scholarship player at Wake Forest in 2002-03 and 2003-04 prior to transferring to UC to pursue his pharmacy degree, joined the Bearcats as a walk-on on Jan. 17. Two members of the Bearcats' football program, Connor Barwin and Angelo Craig, joined the team as walk-ons on Jan. 11. Barwin, a tight end in football, has been the most productive in games to date. The 6-4 true freshman has averaged 8.6 minutes over the last five games and had four points and four rebounds vs. Rutgers (1/22/06).
LOOKING AHEAD: Cincinnati is back on the road this week with a Sunday, Feb. 12 visit to No. 9 Pittsburgh. The game will be televised by WXIX-TV 19. UC has a Feb. 15 date at Syracuse (ESPN2) before returning to Fifth Third Arena to host Providence on Friday, Feb. 17.