Thursday, December 16, 1999
No. 1 UC plays first real 'road game'
Bearcats hostile territory at St. Louis
BY MIKE DeCOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
ST. LOUIS — They have spent roughly 23 hours on airplanes and another 11 on buses, traveled more than 13,000 miles and played in three gyms other than the Shoemaker Center. They have played on national television against one of college basketball's most decorated programs, North Carolina. They haven't lost yet.
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UC at SAINT LOUIS
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• When: 7 tonight
• Where: Kiel Center, St.Louis
• Records: Cincinnati 7-0, 0-0 C-USA; Saint Louis 5-2, 0-0 C-USA
• TV: ESPN
• Radio: WLW-AM (700)
BY THE NUMBERS
• 8: Huggins' rank among active coaches in win percentage. His .733 advances him past Arkansas' Nolan Richardson.
• 49-11: UC's record in four previous Conference USA seasons.
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Is there a challenge remaining that UC freshmen DerMarr Johnson and Kenny Satterfield haven't faced?
Well, yeah. They have yet to play on the road.
They have been away from home on neutral courts, but it's not the same as playing on the road, with a houseful of hostile fans screeching with delight at every missed shot or turnover. They will face that tonight as the No.1-ranked Bearcats (7-0) open their Conference USA season with a 7p.m. game at Saint Louis (5-2).
“We already played in Cleveland, a big arena, and we played in Chicago,” coach Bob Huggins said. “I don't think it's that big a deal. I'd be shocked if Satt and DJ were too concerned about it.”
UC begins a three-game trip with tonight's game — games Saturday at Xavier and Dec.22 at Oklahoma follow — and the last time the schedule called for such a stretch the Bearcats went on a three-game losing streak.
They dropped games last February to DePaul, Marquette and Saint Louis in succession. UC was 13-8 (.619) in road games the past two seasons.
“We know Saint Louis is thinking, "Oh, we beat them last year,' and thinking they can do the same thing again,” Bearcats forward Pete Mickeal said. “This is their chance to be put on the map.
“I think at Saint Louis is a good opener for us. You know it's hard to play at the Kiel Center, but the thing about it, we're on a good streak right now.”
The freshmen who are such a key for the Bearcats have not played enough games at the Shoe for it to feel like a significant homecourt advantage. They've been there for only two exhibitions and games against Youngstown State and Mississippi Valley State. So competing on the road may not feel so foreign.
UC's games against Gonzaga in Cleveland and North Carolina in Chicago presented the young Bearcats with an opportunity to acquaint themselves with the pro-arena atmosphere that exists at the Kiel Center.
This place is not Cameron Indoor Stadium, Allen Fieldhouse or Pauley Pavilion. They all have far more tradition than Kiel, which has been open since the 1994-95 season. But here there are more people.
Kiel has room for 20,000 spectators, and those seats are filled more often than the program's recent history would suggest. The Billikens have been to the NCAA Tournament three times since 1994, and none of those teams made it past the second round. But most years their fans support them as though they're a perennial Final Four contender.
The Bearcats who have been to this gym understand. “It's no joke,” UC point guard Steve Logan said. “This is for real. It's a league game.”
Logan scored only two points in 12 minutes in UC's loss here last season. Huggins declined to use him more despite a miserable seven-turnover effort by Michael Horton, because Huggins thought Logan wasn't taking charge on the floor.
He since has been a much different player. Logan scored a combined 36 points in his final two road games last season. Away from the Shoe this year, he's averaging 14.6 points and 4.4 assists.
“The road's tough,” Logan said. “You've got to be focused on the road. Saint Louis plays as hard as anyone in the league. They're going to be all over us.”
The Billikens are missing re serve freshman forward Chris Braun, who is out with an injury. They feature many of the players who participated in last season's upset of UC, such as forward Matt Baniak and guard Dave Fergerson, but it's the backcourt of senior Justin Love and freshman Marque Perry that fueled impressive wins against Alabama and Missouri.
Love's junior season was spoiled by an injury that cost him most of preseason practice and the first month of games, but he has been excellent from the beginning this year and ranks as one of the nation's top scorers at 20 points a game. Mickeal will be charged with trying to stop him.
The Missouri game was something of a cross-state shootout for the Billikens on Sunday, but coach Lorenzo Romar expects the opportunity to play the No.1 team in the nation will prevent them from dwelling too long on the significance of that victory.
“I think our guys understand the magnitude of this game,” Romar said. “Our guys will be up for the game. Whether we'll play worth anything, I can't tell you that, but we will be up for it.”
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Stuff 104, Baltimore 96
