TicketsMarch 16, 2006
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GAME FACTS
UC vs. Charlotte
Date: Friday, March 17, 2006
Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
Site: Fifth Third Arena (13,176), Cincinnati, Ohio
Records:
Cincinnati : 19-12, 8-8 BIG EAST
Charlotte: 19-12, 11-5 Atlantic 10
TV: WXIX-TV 19 (Jeff Piecoro, Anthony Buford)
Radio: WLW-AM 700 (Dan Hoard, Chuck Machock)
CINCINNATI PROBABLE STARTERS 2005-06 Statistics
F 30 Cedric McGowan 6-6 Jr. Miami, Fla. 8.0 pts, 7.1 reb, 0.9 ast
F 14 Eric Hicks 6-6 Sr. Greensboro, N.C. 14.3 pts, 9.4 reb, 3.3 blk
G 21 James White 6-7 Sr. Washington, D.C. 16.4 pts, 5.0 reb, 2.1 ast
G 13 Jihad Muhammad 5-11 Sr. Plainfield, N.J. 9.7 pts, 3.4 reb, 1.1 ast
G 3 Devan Downey 5-10 Fr. Chester, S.C. 12.1 pts, 2.7 reb, 4.3 ast
CHARLOTTE PROBABLE STARTERS 2005-06 Statistics
F 3 Curtis Withers 6-8 Sr. Charlotte, N.C. 10.7 pts, 7.1 reb, 2.2 blk
F 15 De'Angelo Alexander 6-5 Jr. Midwest City, Okla. 15.4 pts, 6.6 reb, 2.1 ast
C 44 Chris Nance 6-8 Sr. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. 9.7 pts, 6.6 reb, 3.4 blk
G 12 Leemire Goldwire 5-11 So. Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 10.0 pts, 4.4 reb, 1.3 ast
G 20 Michael Baldwin 6-2 Sr. Rural Hall, N.C. 10.4 pts, 4.1 reb, 8.3 ast
SETTING THE SCENE: The University of Cincinnati will open play in the National Invitation Tournament against an old rival when the Bearcats host Charlotte on Friday, Mar. 17 at 8 p.m. in Fifth Third Arena. Cincinnati, 19-12, received a No. 1 seed in the 69th annual NIT. Charlotte, 19-12, defeated Georgia Southern, 77-61, in Tuesday's opening round of action.
STORY LINES:
Friday's game will renew a rivalry that was developed over the previous 10 years when Cincinnati and Charlotte were members of Conference USA. Cincinnati has won 14 of the previous 22 meetings that took place during that time.
Cincinnati and Charlotte split last season's two-game series. UC won, 80-58, on Jan. 19 in Fifth Third Arena. The 49ers edged UC, 91-90, on Feb. 5 in Charlotte.
UC is 9-1 vs. Charlotte in Fifth Third Arena. The Bearcats own a 233-33 record in their 17 seasons in the building.
Charlotte has traditionally fielded offenses that have scored well from 3-point range and the 2005-06 49ers are no exception. Charlotte averages 8.5 treys made per game, 18th-highest in the nation. De'Angelo Alexander averages 3.0 treys per contest, ranking him 32nd nationally, while his .425 percentage ranks 19th.
The Bearcats have been idle since their 74-73 loss to Syracuse on Mar. 8 in the opening round of the BIG EAST Tournament. It is UC's longest period of time between games this season and the longest since the 2003-04 squad went 15 days between contests in early December.
Eric Hicks, with 1,163 career points, enters the contest in 25th place on the UC career scoring list. In 24th place, with 1,196 points, is Rick Roberson (1968-70. Hicks, with 102 blocks, is also pursuing the single season blocks record of 107 set by Kenyon Martin in 1999-00.
James White enters the game with 1,059 career points at UC, placing him in a tie for 37th place with Don Ogletree (1968-70). He needs seven points to reach 36th place and nine to reach 35th.
A LOOK AHEAD: The winner of Friday's game will meet Minnesota in the second round of the NIT, on Tuesday, Mar. 21. The Golden Gophers defeated Wake Forest, 73-58, on Mar. 15. The higher-seeded team hosts the first four rounds of the tournament. UC, as a No. 1 seed, will host as long as the Bearcats keep winning.
UC AND THE NIT: This is Cincinnati's ninth appearance in the National Invitation Tournament. UC has compiled a 5-8 ledger in previous NIT postseason tourneys. The Bearcats' highest finish was third place in 1955. Cincinnati's last NIT appearance occurred in 1991. UC defeated Ball State, 82-55, in Fifth Third Arena but lost an 89-81 overtime decision at Oklahoma.
MARCH MADNESS: Over the past 14 years, Cincinnati has posted a 59-28 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 119-63 (.654) ledger in games played in the month of March.
COMPUTERS LIKE THE CATS: The Bearcats were a Top 30 team most of the season in the computer ratings. UC was No. 40 in the RPI following the conclusion of the conference tournaments and No. 28 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. 5 in both the RPI and the Sagarin Index in strength of schedule rankings at the conclusion of the conference tournaments.
NOTES FROM THE SYRACUSE GAME:
James White's 32 points was a career high and the most scored by a Bearcat this season, the most since Leonard Stokes scored 39 vs. UCLA in the second round of the 2002 NCAA Tournament.
Eric Hicks, with 17 points and 12 rebounds, recorded his 12 double-double of the season and 25th of his career.
Hicks extended his streak of consecutive games with at least one blocked shot to 14, and has had at least one block in 60 of his last 63 games.
Devan Downey's nine assists gave him 19 over his last two games and a 5.8 average over his last six contests.
Downey's four steals marked the 12th game in which he has had three or more steals.
Jihad Muhammad, with nine points, snapped his string of double-digit scoring games at nine.
MUHAMMAD TAKES OFFENSE: Jihad Muhammad has taken on a larger role in the offense. The 5-11 senior has averaged 16.4 points over his last 10 games, due in part to his marksmanship from the 3-point arc. Muhammad has made 30 of his last 78 trey attempts (.385). 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 102 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 245, 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 60 of his last 63 games. Hicks is ranked eighth nationally in blocked shots in the NCAA stats (Mar. 13).
HICKS DOUBLES UP: Eric Hicks is averaging a double-double (15.0 points, 10.1 rebounds) over his last 21 games. The 6-6 senior has posted 10 double-doubles in his last 19 games. Hicks turned in his 12th double-double of the season and 25th of his career when he posted 17 points and 12 rebounds vs. Syracuse (3/8/08) in the BIG EAST Tournament. 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 CLIMBS SCORING LADDER: Eric Hicks is climbing UC's career scoring chart. The senior is currently tied for 25th place with 1,163 points. In 24th place is Rick Roberson (1967-69) with 1,196 points.
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 has 1,059 points as a Bearcat, tying him with Don Ogletree (1968-70) for 37th place on UC's career scoring list. He needs seven points to reach 36th place and nine to get to 35th place. White, who began his career at Florida, has 1,241 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.
Downey has made game-clinching free throws in the final seconds of Cincinnati's last two victories. He made two free throws (in a one-and-one situation) with 1.3 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 (2.1), has recorded three or more steals in 12 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 16.4-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 scored a career-high 32 points, the most by a Bearcat in four seasons, vs. Syracuse in the BIG EAST Tournament (3/8/06), making a career-high five 3-pointers.
White exploded for 22 points 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:
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 EARN ALL-LEAGUE HONORS: Three Bearcats--Eric Hicks, James White and Devan Downey--received BIG EAST All-Conference honors. Hicks, Cincinnati's 6-6 senior forward, was named to the 11-man All-BIG EAST first team. White, a 6-7 senior, earned honorable mention All-BIG EAST Honors. Downey, UC's 5-10 point guard, was a unanimous selection to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team.
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 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 SNAPPED: Cincinnati's streak of winning a conference championship each time the Bearcats have joined a new league came to an end this season. 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.