Tickets
By Bill Koch
Go.BEARCATS.com
CINCINNATI - Johnny Holton didn't play basketball in either high school or college and certainly doesn't consider himself a basketball expert, but the University of Cincinnati wide receiver is confident that top-ranked and unbeaten Kentucky is going down against West Virginia in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night because he trusts his brother.
Jonathan Holton, Johnny's younger brother by one year, is a starting forward for West Virginia and told Johnny this week that the Mountaineers will end UK's perfect season.
"He said they're going to upset them," Johnny said. "I'm going to be there to witness it, too."
And just how does West Virginia, which is coached by former UC coach Bob Huggins, plan to take down the nation's top-ranked team when the Mountaineers and the Wildcats meet in the Midwest Region semifinals in Cleveland?
"He said he saw Cincinnati play physical against them and Cincinnati did a good job," Johnny said. "But West Virginia can play physical, too, and they've got a lot of depth behind them and a lot players that can shoot the ball, so they've got a chance. It should be a good one."
No doubt a lot of UC fans - not to mention fans across the country - would love to see Jonathan's prediction come true. The Bearcats were the latest team to take their shot at the mighty Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament's third round last Saturday in Louisville. They had Kentucky down early, held their own through most of the first half, but eventually succumbed in the second half, 64-51, the 36th win without a loss for the Wildcats this season.
After the game, most of the UC players, as well as the coaches, said they believed that as big and talented as the Wildcats are, they certainly are not unbeatable.
"They're big," said UC guard Troy Caupain. "It's hard to score in the paint. But we didn't make a couple opportunities around the basket and we turned the ball over too much. If we make those shots and we keep the ball under control, it's a game."
"They can be beat," said UC forward Octavius Ellis. "Anybody can be beat."
Johnny Holton said he was impressed by the way the Bearcats attacked the Wildcats.
"They had a pretty good chance," Holton said. "They did real good."
Now it's West Virginia's turn to try to stop Kentucky's march to a national championship. Perhaps the best thing the Mountaineers have going for them is their ability force turnovers. They've forced 668 of them this season, an average of 19.6 per game, and lead the nation in that category. If they have that kind of success against the Wildcats and can get enough transition baskets off those turnovers, they could at least partially negate Kentucky's inside strength on defense, something UC was unable to do, especially in the second half.
West Virginia also has plenty of depth. Six players average 20 or more minutes per game and 10 players average 10 minutes or more, including Jonathon Holton, who has started all 34 games, playing an average of 21.4 minutes, averaging 7.6 points and 5.7 rebounds. But he also has a tendency to get into foul trouble. He has fouled out of six games this season and has been cited for four fouls in nine others.
"He's pretty good," Johnny Holton said, "but he can't be that aggressive and stay in the game. If he stays in the game, he's pretty good. I told him if he doesn't foul out (of the Maryland) game, I've got some money for him and he didn't foul out."
As the oldest brother and the second-oldest overall in a family of 11, Johnny Holton has made it his business to serve as a mentor for his younger brothers and sisters. He kept watch on them when they were kids living in Miami and he still believes that's his role now. He said he talks to Jonathan every day, watches his games on TV when he has a chance, and saw him play in person when the Mountaineers played at Northern Kentucky on December 7.
When he was growing up, Johnny didn't get a chance to play high school football - or basketball - because he had to work to help support his large family. He spent several years bagging groceries at Kroger, then made a name for himself at DuPage College in Glen Ellyn, Ill. His receiving skills were so raw that he had to be taught the proper way to catch a football. But he always had great speed and in two years he caught 40 passes for 837 yards and 15 touchdowns before he signed with UC.
After sitting out one year to gain his eligibility, he caught 29 passes last year at UC for 431 yards and five touchdowns. He and his teammates are in the middle of spring workouts, but after Thursday's practice Holton will head to Cleveland to cheer on his little brother. He hopes that Jonathan knew what he was talking about when he said the Mountaineers will stage the upset.
"He's very excited," Johnny said. "He's ready to play against them. He said they're a good team but he says they ain't physical. If the refs let them play, they'll beat them."
Bill Koch covered UC Athletics for 27 years - 15 at The Cincinnati Post and 12 at The Cincinnati Enquirer - before joining the staff of GoBEARCATS.com in January, 2015 as featured columnist. Follow him on Twitter @bkoch.