TicketsNov. 15, 2008
Game Notes | 2007-08 Season Statistics | | Listen
GAME 1: SOuth Dakota AT CINCINNATI
Sunday, Nov. 16 u 6 p.m. EST u Fifth Third Arena (13,176) u Cincinnati, Ohio
"EXHIBITING" A NEW LOOK
· The Cincinnati Bearcats ended the exhibition portion of its schedule with a 2-0 record after knocking off Carleton University, 64-54, on Nov. 1 and Northern Kentucky, 73-61, on Nov. 11.
· Junior guard Deonta Vaughn (19.0 ppg), senior forward Mike Williams (14.5 ppg), and freshman forward Yancy Gates (10.0 ppg) each averaged over 10 points per game, led by Vaughn's 19.0 points per contest.
· In total six players averaged more than five points a game.
· Freshman guard Dion Dixon (5.0 rpg) pulled down a game-high eight rebounds against Carleton and joined Williams (6.0 rpg) as the only players on the team to average five or more boards per game.
· Vaughn, who will spend more time handling the ball at the point guard position this season, dished out 11 assists in the preseason.
· As a team, UC shot .465 from the floor during the exhibition season compared to .412 last year.
ABOUT SOUTH DAKOTA
· This season marks the University of South Dakota's first as it transitions to Division I. The Coyotes (pronounced KI-YOTES) are a member of the Great West Conference.
· USD is mentored by head coach Dave Boots. Boots has recorded a 538-226 record in 28 years as a head coach, including a mark of 423-163 in 21 years at South Dakota.
· The Coyotes return four of their top five scorers to their starting lineup, including leading scorer senior forward Dylan Grimsley (14.8 ppg). Junior forward Tyler Cain, the team's third leading scorer (9.3 ppg) was USD's top rebounder averaging 8.1 rpg.
· South Dakota ranked among the top 40 Division II programs last season scoring offense (81.3 ppg), scoring defense (65.4 ppg), field-goal percentage defense (.385), and rebounding margin (+4.2).
108TH CAMPAIGN
· The 2008-09 season will be Cincinnati's 108th year of basketball competition. The school has compiled a 1,544-906 record for a .630 percentage since its first season in 1901-02.
RETURN TO POSTSEASON
· Cincinnati played in the postseason for the first time in two years as it took on Bradley University of the Missouri Valley Conference in the inaugural, 16-team College Basketball Invitational (CBI).
· UC's last postseason appearance before the CBI came during the 2005-06 season when the Bearcats played in the National Invitational Tournament, advancing to the quarterfinals.
· It was the Bearcats 34th postseason tournament appearance. UC has made 24 appearances in the NCAA Tournament and nine in the NIT.
FAST-PACED RACE
· Deonta Vaughn is 12 points away from becoming just the 45th player in UC basketball history to reach 1,000 points for his career.
· If Vaughn reaches the 1000-point club in the season opener, he would equal Jim Ard (1968-70) as the sixth-fastest player to reach the 1000-point plateau, doing it in 63 games.
· As remarkable as it would be, Bearcat great Oscar Robertson scored his first 1,000 points in his first 29 games (first game of second season), averaging over 30 points a night.
· Following is a list of the 10 fastest players to 1,000 career points in UC history.
Rk. Player Seasons Gms to 1000
1. Oscar Robertson (3) 1958-60 29
2. Lloyd Batts (3) 1972-74 52
3. Ron Bohnam (3) 1962-64 58
4. Danny Fortson (3) 1995-97 59
Derrek Dickey (3) 1971-73 59
5. Herb Jones (2) 1991-92 61
6. Jim Ard (3) 1968-70 63
7. Jack Twyman (4) 1952-55 66
8. Rick Roberson (3) 1967-69 66
9. Paul Hogue (3) 1960-62 68
Jim Holstein (3) 1950-52 68
-- Deonta Vaughn (2) 2007-pres. 62
500-POINT MAN
· Junior guard Deonta Vaughn finished last season with 554 points and was the 32nd player in Cincinnati history to record 500 points or more in a season.
· He was the first Bearcats basketball player to do so since James White and Eric Hicks each topped the mark in 2005-06.
· The top three single seasons in the program's history belong to College Basketball's Player of the Century, Oscar Robertson, who scored over 900 points in three straight seasons (1957-60).
A "BIG" EAST IMPROVEMENT
· Last season, the Bearcats made a six-win improvement in conference wins, going from two victories in 2006-07 to eight in 2007-08.
· The eight wins equal UC's inaugural BIG EAST season when it went 8-8 in the old 16-game format.
· The Bearcats' six-win improvement is tied for the ninth-largest single-season turnaround in BIG EAST history with six other teams.
PLAY DEFENSE AND REBOUND
· UC basketball has built its success over the last 20 years on two core values ... defense and rebounding. Head coach Mick Cronin learned it as an assistant at UC and those same values hold true.
· The Bearcats posted a records of 8-1 when holding opponents to 60 points or less last season and 10-10 when winning the rebounding margin.
BISHOP ... TAKES QUEEN (CITY)
· Sophomore forward/guard Rashad Bishop quickly became one of the Bearcats' top all-around newcomers in 2007-08.
· Appearing in all 32 games and starting 20 this season, Bishop scored in double digits six times, including an 11-point outburst in the Bearcats' upset of nationally ranked Pittsburgh.
· Not only did he provided offensive punch (5.4 ppg), he also added 3.4 rebounds and was third on the team with 43 assists.
· Thanks to his gritty play against Villanova and Pittsburgh last January, Bishop endeared himself to the fans of Cincinnati.
· Not having scored a basket or made a rebound vs. the Wildcats in the first 39 minutes of the game, Bishop made the biggest play of the game with 22 seconds remaining, burying a 3-pointer to put Cincinnati back on top, 68-66.
· He followed that up vs. Pittsburgh as he blocked one of two game-tying 3-point attempts by the Panthers in a 62-59 victory.
· He added 11 points and five rebounds in his first BIG EAST Championship, playing 39 minutes.
UC and FSN Ohio Television Agreement
· The 2008-09 season will mark the first of a multi-year agreement that will make Fox Sports Ohio (FS Ohio) the exclusive regional cable home of the UC football and men's and women's basketball.
· UC programming in 2008-09 will include a minimum of 12 men's basketball games; two women's basketball games; preseason and postseason specials for football and basketball; season-long football and basketball coaches' shows; plus an extensive schedule of BIG EAST football and basketball games.