TicketsMarch 6, 2006
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
GAME FACTS
UC vs. Syracuse
Date: Wednesday, March 8, 2006
Time: 12:00 noon EST
Site: Madison Square Garden (18,876), New York, N.Y.
Records:
Cincinnati : 19-11, 8-8 BIG EAST
Syracuse: 19-11, 7-9 BIG EAST
TV: ESPN (Sean McDonough, Bill Raftery, Jay Bilas)
Radio: WLW-AM 700 (Dan Hoard, Chuck Machock)
CINCINNATI PROBABLE STARTERS 2005-06 Statistics
F 30 Cedric McGowan 6-6 Jr. Miami, Fla. 8.1 pts, 7.2 reb, 0.9 ast
F 14 Eric Hicks 6-6 Sr. Greensboro, N.C. 14.2 pts, 9.3 reb, 3.4 blk
G 21 James White 6-7 Sr. Washington, D.C. 15.9 pts, 5.0 reb, 2.1 ast
G 13 Jihad Muhammad 5-11 Sr. Plainfield, N.J. 10.7 pts, 2.8 reb, 1.9 ast
G 3 Devan Downey 5-10 Fr. Chester, S.C. 12.3 pts, 2.7 reb, 4.1 ast
SYRACUSE PROBABLE STARTERS 2005-06 Statistics
F 33 Terrence Roberts 6-9 Jr. Jersey City, N.J. 11.2 pts, 8.2 reb, 1.5 blk
F 34 Demetris Nichols 6-8 Jr. Boston, Mass. 15.1 pts, 6.5 reb, 1.7 ast
C 13 Darryl Watkins 6-11 Jr. Paterson, N.J. 6.2 pts, 7.3 reb, 3.1 blk
G 3 Gerry McNamara 6-2 Sr. Scranton, Pa. 16.1 pts, 2.8 reb, 5.7 ast
G 23 Eric Devendorf 6-4 Fr. Bay City, Mich. 11.6 pts, 2.5 reb, 2.4 ast
SETTING THE SCENE: The University of Cincinnati will open play in its first BIG EAST Conference Tournament against a somewhat familiar foe when the Bearcats face Syracuse on Wednesday, March 8 in Madison Square Garden. The 12 noon EST game will be the first game of the 2006 BIG EAST Men's Basketball Championship, presented by Aeropostale. Cincinnati, 19-11, closed regular season play with a 78-75 win over No. 16 West Virginia to finish eighth in the BIG EAST with an 8-8 ledger. Syracuse, also 19-11, finished in ninth place with a 7-9 record following Sunday's 92-82 loss to No. 4 Villanova, SU's third straight defeat.
STORY LINES:
UC and Syracuse had not played each other before this season, UC's first in the BIG EAST, when they faced off twice as "mirror foes" in the league's scheduling format. They split the regular season meetings.
Though both teams have won over 70 percent of their home games this season, neither found the home court to be an advantage when the played each other. Syracuse beat Cincinnati, 77-58, at UC's Fifth Third Arena while the Bearcats retaliated with an 82-65 win over the Orange in the Carrier Dome, the two teams' largest margins of defeat at home in 2006.
Rebounding could be a key to the outcome of Wednesday's game. Syracuse out-rebounded Cincinnati by 24 (51-27), in its win over the Bearcats, while UC ruled the boards by 19 (44-25) in its rematch victory.
Wednesday's game will feature two of the nation's top shot-blocking teams. Syracuse was ranked No. 6 in the NCAA statistics (2/27/06), averaging 6.47 rejections per outing. Orange junior Darryl Watkins was 11th individually (2.9). Cincinnati was ranked 13th nationally in blocked shots (5.77) with senior Eric Hicks fifth individually (3.4).
Eric Hicks, with 1,146 career points, enters the contest in a tie for 26th place on the UC career scoring list, and can move up to No. 25 with six points. Hicks, with 101 blocks, is also pursuing the single season blocks record of 107 set by Kenyon Martin in 1999-00.
James White enters the game with 1,027 career points at UC, is No. 42 on the UC career scoring list and could reach No. 41 with three more points.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS THIS YEAR: Gerry McNamara scored 29 points, 22 in the second half, to lift Syracuse to a 77-58 win over UC on Jan. 14 in Cincinnati. The Orange broke the game open with a 10-0 scoring run early in the second half. James White scored 16 points for the Bearcats. In the rematch on Feb. 15 at Syracuse, the Bearcats scored six straight points in the first two minutes of the second half to take the lead for good, then took command with a 15-2 run in an 82-65 victory. Cedric McGowan and Jihad Muhammad each scored 19 points. Eric Devendorf led the Orange with 15.
TOURNEY TESTED: Cincinnati has won four Conference USA Tournament titles in its 10-year association with that league, capturing crowns in 1996, 1998, 2002 and 2004, and won all four Great Midwest Tournament championships (1992-95) during the history of that conference. The Bearcats have a 37-19 mark in all conference postseason tournaments.
NOTES ON THE GARDEN: While this is Cincinnati's first appearance in the BIG EAST Tournament, the Bearcats are no strangers to Madison Square Garden. UC has compiled an 18-13 record in appearances at MSG. UC is 2-5 in five NIT appearances in the Garden, posting a third place finish in the 1955 NIT. Cincinnati has also won a pair of Holiday Festival tourney crowns (1959, 1961). The Bearcats' last appearance occurred on Feb. 23, 1979 when they defeated Seton Hall, 83-77.
MARCH MADNESS: Over the past 14 years, Cincinnati has posted a 59-27 record during the month of March, underscoring the Bearcats' reputation as a team which is primed for postseason. Since the 1957-58 season, when UC first qualified for the NCAA Tournament, Cincinnati has compiled a 119-62 (.657) ledger in games played in the month of March.
COMPUTERS LIKE THE CATS: The Bearcats have been a Top 30 team most of the season in the computer ratings. UC entered postseason play No. 31 in the RPI and No. 26 in the Sagarin Index.
TOUGH SCHEDULE: One reason for Cincinnati's lofty rankings in the Sagarin and RPI is the team's demanding schedule. The Bearcats were rated No. 4 in the RPI and No. 5 in the Sagarin Index in strength of schedule rankings at the conclusion of the regular season.
NOTES FROM THE WVU GAME:
The Bearcats snapped a 14-game losing streak to ranked opponents and won their first in nine chances this year. The last win over a ranked team was an 83-79 victory over No. 20 Memphis on March 6, 2004 in the final home game of that season.
UC shot .537 from the field, its highest field goal percentage in league play this year.
Eric Hicks scored 18 points to move into a tie for 26th place with Jim Holstein on UC's career scoring list with 1,146.
Devan Downey recorded his second career double-double with 16 points and 10 assists.
UC had only seven turnovers, the 11th time this season the Bearcats finished with single digits in turnovers.
Jihad Muhammad, with 17 points, scored in double-figures for the ninth-straight game.
James White scored 15 points to move into 42nd place on UC's career list with 1,027 points. He has 1,209 for his career.
MUHAMMAD TAKES OFFENSE: Jihad Muhammad has taken on a larger role in the offense. The 5-11 senior has averaged 17.2 points over his last nine games, due in part to his marksmanship from the 3-point arc. Muhammad has made 29 of his last 69 trey attempts (.420). He matched his season scoring high with 21 points vs. Seton Hall on Feb. 28, making 7-of-10 shots from the field including 4-of-6 from 3-point range. He had 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.
HICKS MOVING UP BLOCKS LIST: Eric Hicks, with 101 blocks this season, now has the second-highest single season blocks total. Hicks is making a run at the record of 107 set by Kenyon Martin in 1999-00.
Hicks is in third place at Cincinnati in career blocks with 244, trailing Martin (292) and Jason Maxiell (252). Hicks, who blocked a school record-tying 10 shots in the win over Marquette, has blocked at least one shot in 59 of his last 62 games. Hicks is ranked fifth nationally in blocked shots in the NCAA stats (Feb. 27).
HICKS CLIMBS SCORING LADDER: Eric Hicks is climbing UC's career scoring chart. The senior is currently tied for 26th place with Jim Holstein (1950-52) with 1,146 points. In 25th place is Tom Thacker (1961-63) with 1,152 points.
HICKS DOUBLES UP: Eric Hicks is averaging a double-double (14.9 points, 10.0 rebounds) over his last 20 games. The 6-6 senior has posted nine double-doubles in his last 18 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 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 second team All-District team by the NABC.
WHITE JOINS UC 1,000 POINT CLUB: James White became the 44th UC player to top the 1,000-point mark in career scoring. The 6-7 senior finished the regular season with 1,027 points as a Bearcat, putting him No. 42 on UC's career scoring list. He needs three points to reach No. 41. White, who began his career at Florida, has 1,209 points for his college career.
DOWNEY PLAYS BIG FOR THE BEARCATS: It might be said that as Devan Downey goes, so go the Bearcats. Downey has played key roles in several Bearcat victories this season, and on the year, has averaged 14.7 points and 4.8 assists in Cincinnati's wins. When put in critical situations, Downey has performed unlike the freshman he is.
He has made game-clinching free throws in the final seconds of Cincinnati's last two victories. Downey made two free throws (in a one-and-one situation) with 1.7 seconds to play in the Mar. 4 win over No. 16 West Virginia. He scored the game-winning points, breaking a tie with a pair of foul shots with 3.4 seconds remaining in the 66-64 win over Providence on Feb. 17.
Downey finished with 17 points and 10 assists in the win over West Virginia, his second double-double.
On Feb. 15, Downey had 16 points and seven assists in the win at Syracuse.
On Feb. 6, Downey scored 15 points in the win over Louisville, 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 Jan. 22, Downey keyed the win over Rutgers with 21 points, four assists and four steals.
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 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 Dec. 10, Downey keyed UC's 92-83 win over Vanderbilt by scoring 18 points, 16 in the second half, 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.
Downey averaged 14.7 points, 5.1 assists and 2.1 steals during UC's 10-game winning streak earlier this season.
The Bearcats' 5-10 point guard leads the team in assists (4.1) and steals (2.0) and is third in scoring (12.3).
DOWNEY GRAND LARCENY: Devan Downey, who leads the Bearcats in steals (2.0) has recorded three or more steals in 11 different games and has made at least one steal in all but five games this season. He once had a streak of 14 games with at least one steal.
WHITE TURNS IT ON: James White has consistently been a leader to UC's success in 2005-06. The 6-7 senior, who leads the team in scoring with his 15.9-point average, has been a consistent point producer. White has scored in double figures in all but four contests. The production is a significant boost for White, who averaged 10.0 points last season and entered the year with an 8.1 career scoring average. He has had the following game-setting performances:
White exploded for 22 points, matching a career high with four 3-pointers, and grabbed seven rebounds in the victory over Providence on Feb. 17. His trey with 2:57 to play gave UC a 64-62 lead.
He tallied 18 points, five rebounds, and finished with four assists and a pair of steals in the Feb. 15 win at Syracuse.
On Dec. 23, White rallied UC from a five-point deficit in the final two and a half minutes for a 75-72 win over LSU. He hit back-to-back 3-pointers at the 2:27 and 1:51 marks and sank a pair of clinching free throws with 17 seconds to play.
White tallied 17 points, on 7-of-9 shooting, and had three steals in the win over Vanderbilt on Dec. 10, that snapped Vandy's 28-game non-conference home win streak.
OTHER BEARCAT BITS:
After shooting less than 40 percent in their three previous games, the Bearcats exploded for a .537 percentage in their regular season finale win over No. 16 West Virginia.
UC has committed single digit turnovers 11 times this season, most recently vs. No. 16 West Virginia (Mar. 4) and No. 2 Villanova (Feb. 23).
Four times this season, Cincinnati has avenged an earlier defeat to an opponent. The Bearcats lost to Dayton, Louisville, Syracuse, and West Virginia the first time they played these teams, then rebounded to beat each of these teams the next time they played.
Cincinnati set a school 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.
UC's 173 blocks this season is the third-highest single season total in school history.
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' 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 has earned BIG EAST Conference Rookie of the Week honors three times this season. He won the award 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.
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.