BY MIKE DECOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The opportunity to play ''a ton of minutes'' and to continue his association with his junior-college coach led Jermaine Ousley to spurn the Cincinnati Bearcats and sign a letter-of-intent with Conference USA rival Memphis.

Ousley, a 6-foot-8 center from Tyler (Tex.) Junior College, said Monday he expected to end up playing basketball at UC until the possibility was presented that Memphis could hire Tyler coach Fred Rike as an assistant and he and Rike could join the Tigers together.

''It was a big factor,'' Ousley said. ''I've been with Coach Rike for over three years, and he's sort of like a father figure in my life. I ran it by him, to see how he liked it. He left the decision up to me.''

As a result, the Bearcats are expected to intensify their efforts to land 6-4 guard Leon Jones of Battle Creek, Mich., and 6-9 center /forward Ronell Blizzard of Waterbury, Conn. Blizzard is rated as a Top 100 prospect by a number of recruiting services. Both Jones and Blizzard are expected to make campus visits to UC this weekend.

Memphis made a late pitch after former New Orleans coach Tic Price was hired to replace Larry Finch.

With the Tigers losing four senior starters from last season's NIT team, Ousley, who averaged 13 points and 13 rebounds for Tyler, recognized there would be plenty of openings in their lineup.

Postseason

JUCO PAIR COMMITS TO UC April 14, 1997
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