BY MIKE DECOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
A weekend recruiting visit he described as ''fabulous'' was the final, decisive factor for junior college star Michael Horton, who said Sunday he will join the Cincinnati Bearcats next season.
Horton, a 6-foot, 200-pound point guard from Allegany (Md.) Community College, joined 6-7 small forward Marvin Dixon of Odessa (Tex.) College as UC's first recruits of the current school year.
''I like the atmosphere, the facilities and everything about the basketball,'' Horton said. ''They told me I'd be coming in there, and I'd be running the point. That's what I want.''
A native of Salisbury, N.C., Dixon chose UC over Xavier after eliminating Utah, North Carolina State, Florida and St. John's. He said his interest in the two Cincinnati schools was because ''they were both talking about graduation. The other schools weren't.''
Coach Bob Huggins' Bearcats finished the fall recruiting period without signing anyone but have begun the spring with a flourish.
Horton and Dixon committed during their visits and signed letters-of-intent they will mail back early this week. Each will finish his junior college degree in the spring, then move to Cincinnati to begin informal workouts with future teammates.
The Bearcats still are working to land center Jermaine Ousley of Tyler (Tex.) Junior College, power forward Deon Edward of Westark (Ark.) Community College and Woodward High and center/forward Ronell Blizzard of Sacred Heart High in Waterbury, Conn., among others.
Horton is rated among the top five prospects in junior college by recruiting analyst Rick Ball of Pensacola, Fla., who admired Horton's strength and leadership in guiding Allegany to a second-place finish in last year's national tournament
He averaged 13.5 points and 11.1 assists as a sophomore at Allegany and shot better than 50 percent from the field. A graduate of Williams High in Washington, D.C., he had to adjust from his days as a 30-point-a-game prep scorer to a playmaking position in junior college.
''I'll maybe give the team 10 points, but I care a lot more about assists. That's the kind of point guard I am,'' Horton said. ''My first year at Allegany, I had to change my game, and it was tough at first, but I had to lead.''
Dixon is something of a sleeper. A quick, dynamic athlete, he averaged 12 points and 10 rebounds and led his conference with four blocks per game.
''I think I can fit in real well,'' said Dixon, who suggests he can play either forward position. ''I can run the floor real well, and Coach Huggins said that's the kind of system they'll play: fast, up-tempo.''
UC is counting on Horton to direct that sort of attack. Bearcats coaches view Horton as a potential starter, although he could be challenged if Charles Williams were to return for his senior season.
Williams was held out of UC's final six games of the 1996-97 season after starting most of the year. The athletic department is investigating his eligibility. It is not known whether he will be permitted to return to the Bearcats, and he has mentioned the possibility of leaving the school regardless of the outcome.
Horton said the opportunity to start was a significant reason he chose UC over Connecticut, which returns dependable Ricky Moore at the point.
With Horton's commitment, UC has attracted three of the top 10 junior college prospects over the past two seasons and is involved with a fourth in Ousley. Shooting guard D'Juan Baker and small forward Ruben Patterson were rated in Ball's top five for 1996.
''We're going to get it going,'' Horton said. ''It's going to be a fast, up-tempo team.''
Postseason
BRANNEN: NO FOOTBALL THIS YEAR April 11, 1997
KAMBALA PICKS UNLV OVER UC April 10, 1997
PREP STAR NARROWS LIST TO 3 April 7, 1997
WILLIAMS SAYS HE'S RETURNING April 5, 1997
BRANNEN WALKS ON FOOTBALL SQUAD April 4, 1997
FORTSON: 'I KNOW I CAN PLAY' April 2, 1997
RECRUITING TAKES ON URGENCY April 2, 1997
WOODEN SELECTORS SPURN FORTSON April 2, 1997
FORTSON LEAPS TO NBA April 1, 1997
BEST GUESS: FORTSON'S GONE, AND HUGGINS COULD GO, TOO March 17, 1997
NCAA Tournament stories
MARCH 16, 1997
IOWA STATE 67, UC 66
UC LOSS NOT ALL SURPRISING Daugherty column
BRANNEN BECOMES SCORER
MARCH 15, 1997
IDENTITY CHECK FOR UC
IOWA STATE GETS ASSISTS FROM HOLLOWAY
MARCH 14, 1997
UC 80, BUTLER 69
IOWA STATE IS TALL ORDER
20 MINUTES ENOUGH FOR UC THIS TIME Daugherty column
MARCH 13, 1997
UC'S FORTUNES HINGE ON FORTSON
NCAA LETTER LED TO WILLIAMS INQUIRY
WILLIAMS PUNISHED BEFORE TRIAL Daugherty column
HUGGINS TO OSU? A COMMON QUERY
MARCH 12,1997
GUARD PROBLEMS PLAGUE BEARCATS
HUGGINS QUOTES GILLEN ON OSU JOB
MARCH 11, 1997
FORTSON ALL-AMERICAN
WILLIAMS PREPARES TO START
MARSHALL HAS THE MUSCLE TO CHECK FORTSON
MARCH 10, 1997
UC, XU ON COLLISION COURSE IN SWEET 16
LET FORTSON PLAY, REFS - IT'S HIS TIME Daugherty column
OPPONENT DOESN'T MATTER TO BEARCATS
BUTLER ROSTER HAS LOCAL FLAVOR
