TicketsFeb. 21, 2006
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GAME FACTS
UC vs. Villanova
Date: Thursay, Feb. 23, 2006
Time: 9:00 p.m. EST
Site: Fifth Third Arena (13,176), Cincinnati, Ohio
Records:
Cincinnati : 18-9, 7-6 BIG EAST
Villanova2/2: 21-2, 11-1 BIG EAST
TV: ESPN (Dave O'Brien, Rick Majerus, Stacey Dales-Shuman)
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. 14.0 pts, 9.5 reb, 3.5 blk
G 21 James White 6-7 Sr. Washington, D.C. 16.2 pts, 5.1 reb, 2.1 ast
G 13 Jihad Muhammad 5-11 Sr. Plainfield, N.J. 10.0 pts, 2.7 reb, 1.7 ast
G 3 Devan Downey 5-10 Fr. Chester, S.C. 12.6 pts, 2.6 reb, 4.0 ast
VILLANOVA PROBABLE STARTERS 2005-06 Statistics
F 50 Will Sheridan 6-8 Jr. Bear, Del. 5.0 pts, 5.9 reb, 1.2 blk
G 1 Kyle Lowry 6-1 So. Philadelphia, Pa. 11.6 pts, 4.4 reb, 4.0 ast
G 12 Mike Nardi 6-2 Jr. Linden, N.J. 11.7 pts, 1.8 reb, 2.3 ast
G 2 Randy Foye 6-4 Sr. Newark, N.J. 20.0 pts, 5.1 reb, 3.1 ast
G 14 Allan Ray 6-2 Sr. Bronx, N.Y. 18.9 pts, 4.1 reb, 1.6 ast
SETTING THE SCENE: The University of Cincinnati will play host to BIG EAST Conference leader and No. 2 ranked Villanova on Thursday, Feb. 23 at Fifth Third Arena. The 9 p.m. game will be televised nationally by ESPN. The Bearcats enter the showdown, the first between the two schools in 58 seasons, with back-to-back wins over Syracuse (82-65) and Providence (66-64), upping their records to 18-9 and 7-6 in league play. Villanova, 21-2 and 11-1, has won its last 10 games, most recently downing No. 1 Connecticut (69-64) and No. 17 Georgetown (75-65).
STORY LINES:
Villanova, ranked No. 2 in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls, is the highest ranked team to invade Fifth Third Arena in the building's 17-year history.
Thursday's game will match two of the nation's top teams at taking care of the basketball. Cincinnati is averaging 11.8 turnovers per game, and last week was ranked No. 10 nationally in fewest turnovers. Villanova, averaging 11.5 turnovers, is ranked No. 7 in the latest NCAA stats.
UC is 12-3 in Fifth Third Arena this season and has compiled a mark of 232-32 (.879) in its 17 seasons in the building.
Eric Hicks, with 1,098 career points, enters the contest in a tie for 30th place on the UC career scoring list.
James White needs 12 points to reach the 1,000-point mark as a Bearcat. White enters Thursday's game with 1,130 career points, 988 scored during his three seasons as a Bearcat.
Cincinnati and Villanova have played nine common opponents. Cincinnati has compiled a 6-5 record against these teams while Villanova is 9-1.
COMPUTERS LIKE THE CATS: The Bearcats have been a Top 30 team most of the season in the computer ratings. UC was ranked No. 26 in the RPI and No. 23 in the Sagarin Index following Monday'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 both the RPI and the Sagarin Index in strength of schedule rankings following Monday's games.
NOTES FROM THE PROVIDENCE GAME:
Eric Hicks, with four blocks, upped his season total to 94, eclipsing Jason Maxiell's second-highest single season total of 91 set last season.
James White, with 22 points, topped the 20-point mark for the fourth time this season. White's four 3-pointers tied his career high.
Jihad Muhammad dished out a season-high five assists.
Devan Downey, with four steals, extended his streak of games with at least one steal to 13.
The Bearcats' nine turnovers marked the ninth time this season that UC has posted single digits in turnovers.
Providence, which finished with a .394 field goal percentage, became the 14th UC foe to shoot under .400 vs. the Bearcats.
HONORS FOR THE BEARCATS: Two Bearcats were recognized for their performances in last week's wins in the BIG EAST weekly awards:
Devan Downey earned co-Rookie of the Week honors after averaging 16.0 points, 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals last week. Downey, who shared the honors with Marquette's Dominic James, sank the game-deciding free throws in the closing seconds of Friday's 66-64 win over Providence to earn the award for the third time.
James White, who averaged 20.0 points last week, made the BIG EAST Honor Roll.
HICKS EARNS ALL-DISTRICT HONORS: Eric Hicks has been selected to the All-District 10 first team by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Hicks is now eligible for the NABC All-American teams, which will be selected and announced at the conclusion of the season. Last year as a junior, Hicks was named to the second team All-District team by the NABC.
HICKS MOVING UP BLOCKS LIST: Eric Hicks, with 94 blocks this season, now has the second-highest single season blocks total, exceeding the previous milestone of 91 set by Jason Maxiell in 2004-05. Martin blocked 107 shots in 1999-00 to set the Cincinnati record.
Hicks is in third place at Cincinnati in career blocks with 237, trailing Martin (292) and Maxiell (252). Hicks, who blocked a school record-tying 10 shots in the win over Marquette, has blocked 42 shots in his last 10 games. He has blocked at least one shot in 56 of his last 59 games. Hicks is ranked fifth nationally in blocks in the most recent NCAA statistics.
HICKS DOUBLES UP: Eric Hicks is averaging a double-double (14.6 points, 10.4 rebounds) over his last 17 games. The 6-6 senior has posted nine double-doubles in his last 15 games. Hicks turned in his 11th double-double of the season and 24th of his career when he posted 14 points and 12 rebounds in the Feb. 6 win over Louisville. 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 CLIMBS SCORING LADDER: Eric Hicks is climbing UC's career scoring chart. The senior is currently tied with Dick Dallmer for 30th place with 1,098 points. In a tie for 28th place are Bill Lammert (1952-55) and Melvin Levett (1996-99) with 1,119 points.
MUHAMMAD TAKES OFFENSE: Since moving into the starting lineup seven games ago, Jihad Muhammad has taken on a larger role in the UC offense. The 5-11 senior has averaged 17.5 points over his last six games, due in part to his marksmanship from the 3-point arc. Muahmmad has made 22 of his last 52 trey attempts. He tallied a season-high 21 points, on 9-of-16 shooting from the field, in the Feb. 12 game vs. Pittsburgh, and followed that with a 19-point performance in the Feb. 15 win at Syracuse. Muhammad ignited UC's offense in the Feb. 6 win over Louisville by sinking consecutive 3s early in the game, and tied a season best with five in that game.
McGOWAN CLEANS THE GLASS: The Bearcats have outrebounded four of their last six opponents, and Cedric McGowan has played a key role in this success on the boards. The 6-6 junior has averaged 9.1 rebounds over the last seven games. He had back-to-back double-digit rebounding performances of 14 vs. USF on Jan. 31 and 11 vs. West Virginia on Feb. 4. McGowan, who is averaging 7.4 rebounds per game, is ranked in the top 10 of the BIG EAST rebounding rankings.
DOWNEY PLAYS BIG FOR THE BEARCATS: Devan Downey added to what has been an outstanding freshman season with another key performance in the Bearcats' 66-64 win over Providence last Friday. Downey was responsible for the game-winning margin when he sank a pair of free throws with 3.4 seconds remaining, and finished with 16 points, three assists and four steals. The Bearcats' 5-10 point guard leads the team in assists (4.0) and steals (2.1) and is third in scoring (12.6). Downey has recorded three or more steals in 11 different games, and has a streak of 13 games with at least on steal. 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, and hand out three assists in win over USF.
On Feb. 6, Downey scored 15 points in the win over Louisville and played a key role in the victory, hitting a trey with 2:47 to play that gave UC a four-point lead and then cutting through the lane for a layup with 20 seconds remaining that clinched the 74-68 win.
On Feb. 15, Downey had 16 points and seven assists in the win at Syracuse.
Downey averaged 14.7 points, 5.1 assists and 2.1 steals during UC's 10-game winning streak.
WHITE TURNS IT ON: James White played key roles in Cincinnati's two victories last week. The 6-7 senior averaged 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and shot .577 from the field in the two games. White tallied 18 points, five rebounds, and finished with four assists and a pair of steals in last Wednesday's 82-65 win at Syracuse. He exploded for 22 points, matching a career high with four 3-pointers, and grabbed seven rebounds in Friday's victory over Providence. His trey with 2:57 to play gave UC ia 64-62 lead. White tallied 18 points, five rebounds, and four assists in the win at Syracuse on Wednesday. White has scored in double figures in all but three games this season, and leads UC in scoring with his 16.2 average. 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, who has 1,170 career points, has tallied 988 in three years at UC.
OTHER BEARCAT BITS:
The Bearcats have outrebounded four of their last six opponents, but it has been a case of feast or famine. UC had owned a +13.5 rebound margin in the four games it has won the battle of the boards, but had a -14.0 margin in the two games it was outrebounded.
UC has committed single digit turnovers nine times this season.
Cincinnati set a school and BIG EAST Conference record with 18 blocked shots in the Jan. 7 win at Marquette, topping the old UC 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 14 opponents under the .400 mark in field goal percentage. 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 nine 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 had 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 a season high for rebounds (53) in the Jan. 4 win vs. DePaul.
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) and again on Feb. 20.
James White was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on Dec. 19, Dec. 26 and Feb. 20.
A SHORT 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, 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.
STREAK BUSTERS: Cincinnati has been a streak-buster this season. On Dec. 10, UC stopped Vanderbilt's unbeaten start at five games with a 92-83 win over the Commodores, and also snapped Vandy's 28-game home non-conference win streak.
UC halted Ohio's 4-0 start with an 86-58 win on Dec. 14.
On Dec. 17, UC ended Tennessee Tech's six-game win streak with a 105-62 victory.
UC's win at Marquette on Jan. 7 snapped MU's home winning streak at seven and overall win streak at five.
STREAK IN JEOPARDY: Cincinnati's streak of winning a conference championship each time the Bearcats have joined a new league is in jeopardy. UC captured the Buckeye Athletic Association title in 1925-26, the Mid-American Conference championship in 1946-47, the Missouri Valley Conference crown in 1957-58, the Metro Conference Tournament championship in 1975-76, the regular season and tournament titles in the Great Midwest Conference in 1991-92, and the regular season and tourney championships of Conference USA in 1995-96.
LOOKING AHEAD: Cincinnati enters the final week of regular season play with a Tuesday, Feb. 28 visit to Seton Hall for an 8 p.m. EST game that will be televised by WXIX-TV 19. The Bearcats return to Fifth Third Arena for their regular season finale vs. No. 14 West Virginia on Saturday, March 4. The 12 noon game, which will be preceded by Senior Day festivities, will be televised by ESPN.