TicketsDec. 9, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format
Game 7: Miami University
Thursday, Dec. 10 u 8:30 p.m. ET u U.S. Bank Arena (17,000) u Cincinnati, Ohio u TV: ESPN2 u Radio: 700 WLW
THE MATCH-UP
After a nine-day break for final exams, the Cincinnati Bearcats (5-1, 0-0 BIG EAST) hit the court on Thursday, Dec. 10 at 8:30 p.m. at U.S. Bank Arena vs. Miami University (2-6, 0-0 MAC). UC moved up to No. 19 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls this week, its highest ranking since Jan. 31, 2005 when they were No. 17 in the ESPN/USA Today poll and No. 18 in the AP. The game vs. Miami will be broadcast on ESPN2 with Bob Wischusen (pxp) and Doug Gottlieb (analyst) handling the call. Dan Hoard (pxp) and Chuck Machock (analyst) will call the game on 700 WLW.
THE SERIES
Thursday's game will be the 145th meeting between Cincinnati and Miami, the most played rivalry for the Bearcats. UC holds a 91-53 lead in the series and has won 10 straight. The area rivals began playing in 1903-04 and played every year from 1909-10 through 1993-94, playing twice a year through 1956-57. Miami won 16 of the first 25 games but UC captured 14 of the next 20 meetings to take a lead in the all-time series which it has never relinquished. From 1932-33 through 1938-39, UC won 13 of 14.
SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS
· Miami is 2-6 overall with wins over Nicholls State, 69-58, and Evansville, 82-58.
· The RedHawks have lost two in a row to Dayton (65-58) on Dec. 2 and Temple (64-42) on Dec. 8 after knocking off Evansville (82-58) for its second win of the year on Nov. 28.
· Miami struggled from the field shooting 35.4 percent and Temple used a 25-0 run midway through the first half to beat the RedHawks, 64-42, at home in Millett Hall on Tuesday night.
· For the season, Miami is shooting 45.1 percent from the floor and 38.6 percent from 3-point range. Its opponents are doing better from the floor knocking down 45.8 percent from the floor, but slightly lower from behind the 3-point line at 37.1 percent.
· MU is being outrebounded on the glass by an average of 32.4 to 31.0.
· The RedHawks are turning the ball over an average of 14.9 times per game, compared to 10.8 times per game by their opponents — a difference of -4.1 turnovers per contest.
· The RedHawks have two players averaging in double figures in points led by senior Kenny Hayes with 12.8. He is followed by junior Nick Winbush (12.6).
· Sophomore Julian Mavunga is the RedHawks top rebounder with 6.4 boards per game. He is followed by Winbush, who posts 4.3 boards per contest.
UC AT U.S. BANK ARENA
· Thursday's game brings Cincinnati back to one of its former home courts.
· The Bearcats played at U.S. Bank Arena, then known as Riverfront Coliseum, from 1976-87.
· UC has compiled a record of 118-50 (.702) in games played in the building, which includes championships of the Conference USA Tournaments played there in 2002 and 2004.
· The Bearcats have won 14 consecutive games at U.S. Bank Arena since the opening round of the 2002 C-USA Tournament.
BACK VS. THE MAC
· Cincinnati and Miami University have been long-time rivals, dating back to the first game in the series in 1903-04.
· From 1947-1953, the rivalry took on special meaning as Miami joined Cincinnati, a charter member, in the Mid-American Conference.
· After the Bearcats captured the first five league titles from 1947-51, Miami won at least a share of the next two before UC's departure from the MAC.
· Overall, the Bearcats own a 188-117 (.616) record vs. teams currently from the MAC.
CINCINNATI BACK IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
· After being ranked for the first time since the 2005-06 season last week, the University of Cincinnati men's basketball team climbed to No. 19 this week in both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Polls.
· The No. 19 ranking is the Bearcats highest since Jan. 31, 2005 when they were No. 17 in the ESPN/USA Today poll and No. 18 in the AP.
· The Nov. 30 polls marked the first time in UC Athletics history that both the football team and the men's basketball program have been ranked nationally at the same time.
· Cincinnati is one of seven programs in the country which has its football and men's basketball programs in the Top 25 in both sports. The list is:
Basketball Football
Team AP Coach AP Coach
Cincinnati 19 19 4 4
Florida 10 11 5 5
Georgia Tech 24 21 9 10
Ohio State 13 15 8 8
Texas 2 2 2 2
West Virginia 6 7 18 17
Wisconsin 20 23 24 22
UC VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
· Cincinnati is 113-168 (.402) all-time vs. opponents ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, including a 22-20 (.524) record in Fifth Third Arena.
· UC is 2-0 vs. teams ranked in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll this season after knocking off No. 24/24 Vanderbilt and No. 21/22 Maryland in the first and second rounds of the 2009 EA Sports Maui Invitational, respectively.
· The wins vs. Vanderbilt and Maryland marked the first time since the 1999-00 season that Cincinnati defeated ranked opponents in consecutive games. That year, UC defeated No. 25 Gonzaga 75-68 on Dec. 4, 1999, before defeating No. 7 North Carolina 77-68 on Dec. 8, 1999.
· UC is 5-16 vs. ranked opponents under Cronin.
UC VS. NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
· Since Mick Cronin took over the program in 2006-07, Cincinnati is 29-16 (.644) vs. non-conference opponents, including a record of 24-6 (.800) in Fifth Third Arena.
· UC has won its last six consecutive and 11 of its last 12 non-conference games at home with the loss coming last season vs. Xavier on Dec. 13, 76-66. During the stretch, the Bearcats have outscored their opponents by an average margin of 22.7 points per game in the 11 wins.
Mick Cronin vs. Non-Conference Opponents
Year Home Away Neutral Total
2006-07 8-2 0-1 1-2 9-5
2007-08 5-3 0-4 — 5-7
2008-89 8-1 1-1 1-1 10-3
2009-10 3-0 — 2-1 5-1
Totals 24-6 1-6 4-4 29-16
DEC. 1 • TEXAS SOUTHERN NOTES
· Cincinnati defeated Texas Southern, 94-57. UC moves to 3-0 all-time vs. Texas Southern.
· The 37-point defeat is Cincinnati's largest of the season and the largest under head coach Mick Cronin.
· UC's 94 points are the most points scored by a Bearcats team since defeating West Virginia 96-83 in overtime on Jan. 20, 2007.
· The win was Cincinnati's first as a ranked team since defeating Iowa 76-64, on March 17, 2005. Cincinnati was ranked No. 23 at that time.
· A school-record seven players scored in double figures for Cincinnati: Rashad Bishop (14), Dion Dixon (13), Steve Toyloy (13), Deonta Vaughn (12), Darnell Wilks (12), Yancy Gates (10), and Jaquon Parker (10).
· Cincinnati shot 57.4 percent from the field (35-of-61) compared to 33.3 percent for Texas Southern (20-of-60). The 57.4-percent shooting is the Bearcats' highest field goal percentage this season and their highest shooting percentage since shooting 62.8 percent against St. John's on Feb. 11, 2009.
· UC's bench outscored Texas Southern's bench 49-6. The 49 points are the most bench points scored by Cincinnati this season.
· Cincinnati improved to 5-0 when outrebounding its opponents. UC outrebounded Texas Southern 47-25.
· After Texas Southern tied the score at nine with 13:24 on the clock in the first half, UC went on a 20-1 run over the next 5:58 to jump in front, 29-10 with 7:26 remaining in the half.
· Despite shooting 1-of-6 from the field in the first half, freshman Lance Stephenson contributed in other ways grabbing six boards and dishing out five assists. Stephenson finished with seven points, a career-high 11 rebounds, and a career-high seven assists for the game.
· Junior Darnell Wilks came off the bench to score a career-high 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, while adding six rebounds.
· Junior Rashad Bishop scored 11 of UC's first 22 points in the first 9:35 of the game. Bishop finished with a team-high 14 points and six boards. It is Bishop's second double-figure scoring effort of the season.
NOV. 24 - GONZAGA GAME NOTES
· Gonzaga improved to 2-1 all-time against the Bearcats with the 61-59 overtime win.
· In overtime, Cincinnati was 1-for-6 from the floor and 2-for-7 from the free throw line and fell to Gonzaga, 61-59.
· UC had a season low six turnovers but shot a season-low .354 (23-of-65) from the field.
· For the first time this season, UC was held below 10 offensive rebounds, grabbing nine against the Bulldogs.
· The Bulldogs finished the game 16-of-23 from the charity stripe compared to 5-of-11 for the Bearcats.
· Cincinnati and Gonzaga finished regulation tied at 55, marking UC's first overtime game of the season. UC has now lost its last two overtime contests.
· Gonzaga hit five straight field goals in the middle of the second half to cut its 10-point deficit to one point, 46-45, with 8:42 on the clock in the second half.
· An 8-2 run over a 1:51 stretch in the second half put Cincinnati in front by 10 points, 38-28, with 13:27 remaining. Junior Larry Davis scored all five of his points during the run.
· Cincinnati held Gonzaga to 19 points on 35.0 percent shooting from the field in the opening 20 minutes. It also marked the first time since the 2005-06 season that Cincinnati has held consecutive opponents under 20 points in the first half. During the 2005-06 season, UC opened the season holding Howard and Tennessee-Martin to 17 first-half points and 15 first-half points, respectively, in the first two games.
· A Deonta Vaughn 3-pointer with 1:30 to play in the first half gave the Bearcats a 23-16 lead, its largest lead of the half, but a Stephen Gray trey with 13 seconds left UC in front 23-19 at the half.
· Cincinnati went on a 9-2 run from the 11:10 to 8:10 of the first half to take a 16-11 lead.
· Freshman Lance Stephenson led all players with 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting.
· Sophomore Yancy Gates scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds and scored in double-figures for the fourth straight game tying his career-best for most consecutive games scoring in double figures.
· Senior Deonta Vaughn put together a great overall performance with eight points, seven rebounds, six assists, and three steals.
· Coming into the game, Gonzaga's Matt Bouldin led the team in scoring, averaging 18.2 ppg. UC held Bouldin to just six points on 1-of-7 shooting.
DEFENSIVE STOPPERS ...
· One of the major reasons for Cincinnati's success in the early part of the season has been its defense, which has held opponents to 37.3 percent shooting (122-of-327) and 60.5 points per game.
· The Bearcats came into the week ranked 27th in field-goal percentage defense and 45th in the nation in scoring defense.
· In the three games during the EA Sports Maui Invitational, UC held each opponents' top scorer coming into the game below their season average:
Opponen t Player Avg.* Pts. vs. UC
Vanderbilt Jeffery Taylor 19.5 11
Maryland Sean Mosley 15.0 9
Landon Milbourne 15.0 7
Gonzaga Matt Bouldin 18.2 6
* - Average points heading into game vs. UC.
... AND REBOUNDING FIENDS
· Besides defense, the other main characteristic of UC basketball over the last 20 years has been rebounding.
· Heading into this week, the Bearcats were ranked No. 2 in the nation in rebounding margin at +12.8 per game.
· Cincinnati is pulling down 44.5 boards per game, while limiting opponents to 31.7 rebounds.
· Four times this season UC has posted 45 or more rebounds in a game (Prairie View A&M - 47, Vanderbilt - 53, Maryland - 47, Texas Southern - 47).
· Sophomore Yancy Gates has shown tremendous improvement on the glass improving his average from 6.1 rebounds per game as a freshman to a team-best 8.3 boards per game this year.
· Gates has posted double-digit rebounds three times this season and UC is undefeated in those games (Prairie View A&M, Vanderbilt, Maryland).
· Dion Dixon and Lance Stephenson have Cincinnati's other two double-figure rebounding performances.
SAND, SUN, AND HOOPS
· After opening up with Prairie View A&M (Nov. 16) and Toledo (Nov. 18), the Bearcats made their first appearance in the EA Sports Maui Invitational hosted by Chaminade University on Nov. 23-25 at the Lahaina Civic Center.
· In the first two rounds, the Bearcats knocked off nationally-ranked opponents No. 24/24 Vanderbilt, 67-58, and No. 21/22 Maryland, 69-57, marking the first time since the 1999-00 season UC has beaten ranked opponents in back-to-back games.
· The wins propelled UC into the championship game of the Maui Invitational vs. Gonzaga. With UC leading by as many as 10 points midway through the second half, Gonzaga rallied and forced UC into overtime for the first time this season where the Bulldogs came away with a 61-59 victory.
· Sophomore forward Yancy Gates and senior guard Deonta Vaughn were named to the all-tournament team. Gates was the Bearcats top scorer and rebounder in the tournament, averaging 14.7 points and 10 rebounds per game. Vaughn averaged 10.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists.
· The Maui Invitational was Cincinnati's fifth trip to the Hawaiian Islands for an early-season tournament. They played in the 1975-76, 1989-90 and 1994-95 Rainbow Classics hosted by the University of Hawaii and won the 1999-00 Big Island Invitational tournament.
· UC now owns a record of 9-6 in the islands.
GOOD OUT OF THE BLOCKS
· Since head coach Mick Cronin took over the program in 2006-07, his teams have traditionally gotten off to strong starts, posting a record of 18-5 in the month of November.
· The Bearcats have gone 5-1 in November twice under Cronin (2006-07 and 2008-09).
· Senior guard Deonta Vaughn is UC's top active scorer in the month of November averaging 14.8 points in 23 career games.
· With a win vs. Miami, the Bearcats would start the season 6-1 for the second straight season.
VAUGHN IN SEARCH OF HISTORY
· Senior guard Deonta Vaughn has started his first three years at Cincinnati for head coach Mick Cronin where he has twice been named all-BIG EAST Conference (1st team in 2007-08; 3rd team in 2008-09) and led the team in points and assists all three years.
· In UC's game vs. Toledo he became the 12th player in school history to score 1,500 points in his career and the fifth to post 400 or more career assists. Only Oscar Robertson, Steve Logan, and now Deonta Vaughn have scored 1,500 points and dished out 400 assists in their career in Clifton.
Currently Vaughn is climbing several career lists at UC and needs:
• 18 points to tie Jason Maxiell (2001-05) for 11th on the career scoring list with 1,566 points.
• Nine starts to tie Steve Collier for fourth all-time in career starts with 104.
• 198 minutes to tie Jason Maxiell (2001-05) for fifth in career minutes played with 3,563.
• Four 3-pointers to tie Steve Logan (1998-02) for fourth on the career 3-point field goals made list.
• Eight assists to tie Oscar Robertson (1958-60) for third on the career assists list with 425.
• 11 steals to tie Tarrance Gibson (1989-93) for fifth on the career steals list.
LENDING A HELPING HAND
· Last season the Bearcats finished 76th in the nation in assists per game, averaging 14.6 a contest.
· Through six games this season, Cincinnati is ranked 21st in the nation dishing out 17.0 assists per game, led by senior guard Deonta Vaughn (4.8 apg). Vaughn is 82nd in the country in assists per game.
· Vaughn's 2.64 assists-to-turnover ratio is 52nd in the NCAA.
FINAL PIECE OF ROSTER CERTIFIED BY NCAA
· Just prior to the University of Cincinnati's first exhibition game on Nov. 5 vs. Saginaw Valley State, freshman forward Lance Stephenson was certified by the NCAA to begin competing immediately.
· Stephenson, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound forward who was named the 2009 BIG EAST Conference Preseason Rookie of the Year, committed to the Bearcats on June 30 after a highly-decorated prep career at Lincoln High School (Brooklyn, N.Y.), where he averaged 28.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists to earn Class AA New York State Sports Writers Association (NYSSWA) Player of the Year honors his senior year. He graduated high school as the all-time leading scorer in the history of the state of New York with 2,946 points, passing fellow Lincoln High grad Sebastian Telfair, who was the 13th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft and now plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
· Stephenson made his college debut starting the season opener vs. Prairie View A&M. He scored seven points, pulling down four rebounds and dishing out two assists vs. the Panthers.
· He is the Bearcats third-leading scorer and fourth-leading rebounder at 10.7 points and 5.5 boards per game.
A BOOST OFF THE BENCH
· After providing UC with a key cog off the bench the first five games of the season, sophomore Dion Dixon earned his first start of the year and the sixth of his career vs. Texas Southern. It was his first start since Dec. 29, 2008 against Memphis. Dixon finished with a season-high 13 points.
· As the Bearcats "sixth man" during the first five games, Dixon averaged 6.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist per contest.
· He posted his first double-double of the year coming off the bench vs. No. 24/24 Vanderbilt in the opening round of the Maui Invitational with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and an assist as Cincinnati knocked off the Commodores, 67-58.
BEARCATS PICKED SEVENTH IN BIG EAST
· For the first time since joining the BIG EAST Conference in 2005-06, the University of Cincinnati was picked to finish in the upper division of the league in the preseason poll being selected to finish seventh by the coaches.
· The Bearcats also earned individual preseason honors as senior guard Deonta Vaughn earned first-team all-BIG EAST plaudits and freshman Lance Stephenson was named the league's Rookie of the Year.
2009-10 BIG EAST Preseason Coach's Poll
Rk. Team Result
1. Villanova (10) 218
2. West Virginia (5) 215
3. Connecticut (1) 185
4. Louisville 179
5. Georgetown 161
6. Syracuse 152
7. Cincinnati 135
8. Notre Dame 132
9. Pittsburgh 119
10. Seton Hall 110
11. St. John's 82
12. Marquette 78
13. Providence 52
14. USF 44
15. Rutgers 43
16. DePaul 15
2009-10 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
2009-10 BIG EAST Preseason Rookie of the Year
Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati, F
2009-10 Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame, F, Sr.
Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati, G, Sr.
Greg Monroe, Georgetown, C, So.
Lazar Hayward, Marquette, F, Sr.
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova, G, Sr.
Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia, F, Sr.
BEARCATS INK TWO IN EARLY SIGNING PERIOD
· The University of Cincinnati men's basketball program has signed Justin Jackson (Jacksonville, Fla./Arlington Country Day) and Kelvin Gaines (Ocala, Fla /Arlington Country Day) to a National Letters of intent for the 2010-2011 season during the early signing period.
· Jackson is ranked No. 92 among the top ESPN 100 recruits and was the first player to sign during the early period with the Bearcats.
· Jackson, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound power forward with strong defensive and rebounding skills, starred last season for Montverde Academy and head coach Kevin Sutton where he posted 15.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.1 blocked shots per game as a junior. He was named to the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches (FABC) and Florida Sports Writer's Association (FSWA) State All-Independent team (for players not participating in district competition).
· This season, Jackson transferred to Jacksonville Arlington Country Day where he will play for head coach Rex Morgan. In preseason action, Jackson has posted 18 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks per contest for the Indians.
· Gaines, a 6-foot-10, 225 pound center, averaged 10.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 6.2 blocks in 2008-09 playing for Jason Niblett at Heat Academy in Martinsville, Va. The Heat finished the season with a record of 50-8 and was ranked as high as No. 12 in the national prep school polls.
· This season, Gaines transferred to Arlington Country Day in Jacksonville, Fla., where he will team with fellow Bearcat signee Justin Jackson. The Indians were ranked No. 31 in country in ESPN's Preseason poll.
KILPATRICK TO REDSHIRT
· In his pregame radio interview prior to the season opener vs. Prairie View A&M, head coach Mick Cronin announced that he is planning to redshirt 6-foot-4, 215 pound, freshman guard Sean Kilpatrick (White Plains, N.Y./Notre Dame Prep).
· Kilpatrick averaged 28.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists over his four-year high school career at White Plains High School and finished as the school's all-time leading scorer.
· Three times he earned all-state, all-section, all-league and all-county honors.
· He played one season of prep ball at Notre Dame Prep for Ryan Hurd.
FIFTH THIRD ADVANTAGE
· The Bearcats are 269-55 (.830) in games at Fifth Third Arena since the building opened in 1989-90.
· Under Mick Cronin, UC is 36-20 at home (.643).
· UC is 3-0 at home this season.
UP NEXT
· After Miami, UC has three days to prepare for the annual Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout vs. Xavier University on Sunday, Dec. 13 at the Cintas Center.
· The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU.
· Cincinnati owns a 47-29 edge in the all-time series, but has lost two of the last three meetings overall and the last three at Xavier.
· Mick Cronin is 1-2 vs. the Musketeers.