Monday, December 06, 1999UC veterans have been here before
Rebounding, 2nd-half lapses similar to '98
BY MIKE DeCOURCY
The Cincinnati EnquirerKenyon Martin has been through this before. The UC Bearcats build a big early lead, then allow their attention to wander long enough to make the game more competitive than it ought to be.
And then the Bearcats get another lecture from coach Bob Huggins about maintaining intensity for the length of a game.
“You know how it goes,” Martin said following No.1-ranked UC's 75-68 win over No.25 Gonzaga in Cleveland Saturday night. “Same thing, a different day.”
The displeasure Huggins expressed with the Bearcats (5-0) after that victory is as much a part of the building process with his teams each season as the sprints they run in practice.
“We've got a long, long, long, long way to go to be what we need to be,” Huggins said after UC allowed a 20-point first half lead to lapse to five points before 12 minutes of the second half passed. “I just don't feel very good about our guys right now.”
It was the same thing a year ago. Most of the problems UC has exhibited — with the biggest game to date coming Wednesday in Chicago against No.2 North Carolina — came up in December 1998:
• The Bearcats have a rebounding edge of only plus-2.6 per game and have been beaten on the boards twice. Last year's squad was plus-1.8 and had been outrebounded twice through five games.
• The current Bearcats were outscored in the second half by Gonzaga and Santa Clara. Last season, UC was outscored by eight in the second half against Duke and edged Oakland by just one.
• Opponents have shot .397, with three of them enjoying second halves of .500 or better. Last year's team allowed a .413 percentage through five games before ending the year at .382, 10th in the nation.
Obviously, it takes time to learn to play Huggins' way.
There are some clear improvements with these Bearcats, however. They are shooting .511 from the field and averaging 84.6 points compared to .477 and 77.8 a year ago. Steve Logan is shooting .636 from 3-point range. He started his freshman year 1-of-13.
Four players average in double figures — Martin (16.8), Logan (16.2), DerMarr Johnson (13.8) and Pete Mickeal (10.8). There were three last year.
There is one concern for this team that did not exist last year. Huggins has noticed some players operating outside the Bearcats' offense.
“We have to start doing what we do,” Huggins said. “We consistently want to prove to the world everything we can't do, rather than what we can do. I don't understand that.”
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