Most of Bob Huggins' attention has been preoccupied by the people missing from his bench or his lineup, but he has noticed those missing from the stands, as well.
''How could I not have noticed?'' he asked.
Fans missing
After four home games, attendance for UC basketball games has decreased significantly. Here is the average attendance the past five seasons:
Year Dates Avg.
93-94 20 12,629
94-95 14 13,089
95-96 14 12,179
96-97 15 13,158
97-98 4 8,475
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One year ago, the Cincinnati Bearcats drew 14 capacity crowds in 15 home basketball games. Outside Shoemaker Center on the day they played South Carolina in a Top 25 matchup, it was virtually impossible to find a scalper with tickets to sell.
Now, with the Bearcats standing 3-1 and set to face Wright State (3-2) 6 p.m. today, tickets behind the backboards, and about 1,000 student tickets are still available. UC is averaging 8,475 in attendance after four home games, not once having topped 10,000.
The Bearcats could draw a capacity crowd of 13,176 for each of their final 14 home games and still post their lowest average attendance since the 1991-92 season.
Athletic Director Bob Goin, in the short time he has been in charge, has had to deal with more pressing issues than basketball attendance: internal investigation, Ruben Patterson and football bowl bid.
''Basketball, I thought was one riding on its own as far as attendance,'' Goin said. ''Now, we have to address it.''
There are a number of explanations for the drop in attendance:
- The negative publicity surrounding the investigations of Charles Williams' and Patterson's eligibility.
UC was to file its appeal of Patterson's 14-game suspension Friday or Satruday. A conference call hearing is set for 5 p.m. Wednesday.
- A home schedule that to date has included only one team, Arizona State, from a major conference and three programs that ranked near the bottom of Division I last year.
- The perceived decline in talent, with UC not in the AP Top 25 at the start of the season.
Patterson's suspension appears to have exacerbated that. The Bearcats drew more fans when Patterson played in the final exhibition game (9,018) than for two of the four regular-season games.
- Inconsistent starting times for the first five games.
- A variety of conflicts that developed for students, including being forced to pay for seats to the two Preseason NIT home games - generally they are admitted free - and the Morehead State game being held during Thanksgiving vacation.
Huggins said the Bearcats generally have not drawn as well for their pre-Christmas games. Meagan Davis of the UC ticket office said sellouts are approaching for games against Marquette, Louisville, Saint Louis and Rhode Island after Jan. 1.
''The student fall-off is very interesting,'' Goin said. ''We're going to have to see what's going on there. We have to see if it picks up once conference play starts. It may say something about the caliber of opponents.''
There are 2,700 tickets reserved for students, including the band members. But Davis said for only two of the games have students picked up more than 1,000.
The student policy dictates that UC release those unclaimed tickets to the public 24 hours before game time, but the school let go of those seats for the Morehead State game two days earlier and drew a season-best 9,781.
''The reaction that I've gotten is that last year was an exception more than a rule,'' Goin said. ''But we've got to get back more to the exceptions.''
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