Saturday, January 08, 2000
UC not finished product
Marquette could test Bearcats today
BY MIKE DeCOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
It isn't always going to be this easy. Bob Huggins is convinced the Cincinnati Bearcats won't win every basketball game by lopsided scores, even though it's his job to try.
“Nobody in any league does that,” Huggins said. “The people who go through their leagues and run the table are people that won some close games.
“I hope we don't have very many, but we're going to have some.”
|
MARQUETTE at UC
|
• When: 6 p.m. today
• Where: Shoemaker Center (13,176)
• Records: UC 13-1, 2-0 C-USA; Marquette 8-4, 1-0
• TV: Channel 19
• Radio: WLW-AM (700)
BY THE NUMBERS
6: Number of consecutive seasons in which Marquette beat UC.
• 7: Consecutive games in which UC shot .500 or better.
• 4: Games in which UC opponents shot .400 or better.
|
It could come tonight, when first-year coach Tom Crean brings his red-hot Marquette team to the Shoemaker Center for a 6 p.m. Conference USA game against the No. 3-ranked Bearcats (13-1, 2-0). The Golden Eagles (8-4, 1-0) defeated Xavier and Saint Louis in the past week.
Or, it might not come for a while.
When Duke reached 13-1 a year ago and approached the heart of Atlantic Coast Conference play, it didn't seem likely the Blue Devils would go on to win all their league games but one by double-figure margins. But they did.
Their challenges were to keep interested and try to improve, but Duke didn't run a lot of set plays and did not emphasize the fast break, so there wasn't as much in the way of execution to refine.
The Devils were able to polish their individual offensive skills. They could work to make sure center Elton Brand got the ball when and where he wanted it. They could tune up the screening for shooters William Avery and Trajan Langdon. Otherwise, they were largely killing time as they destroyed their ACC opponents.
UC has beaten its past five opponents by an average of 29.4 points. The Bearcats appear to have kicked their habit of relenting after establishing early leads; nearly half of that recent victory margin has been accumulated in second halves.
There is much, though, for the Bearcats to improve regardless of whether they face regular challenges in C-USA:
• Offensive execution. UC works constantly to push the ball in transition. Point guard Kenny Satterfield is trying to become more efficient and cut down break-related turnovers, and Steve Logan is becoming more insistent about advancing the ball quickly into the frontcourt.
When the Bearcats are unable to get a shot on the break, however, they are working on a technique to prevent defenses from establishing solid positioning. “We don't want to let them feel good about themselves,” assistant coach Rod Baker said.
Once UC gets through its running game and secondary break without generating a quality shot, it has plays designed for specific defenses that don't need to be relayed from the bench to the point guard to the rest of the players. If the Bearcats see a certain defense, man or zone, they immediately run the play that's appropriate.
When UC played Oklahoma, the Sooners often had trouble setting up their zone before the Bearcats launched a shot.
“We have guys who can score,” said assistant Mick Cronin, “and our goal is not to confuse them. The other team is already trying to do that. We're going to make it simple.”
It's a neat idea, but it takes comfort and confidence to make it work. The Bearcats are devoting extensive practice time to becoming more precise.
“I enjoy playing like that,” freshman guard DerMarr Johnson said. “Teams usually worry about scoring against Cincinnati. I guess now they've got to worry about us scoring on them.”
• On-the-ball defense. The 1999 NCAA championship game concluded with Langdon trying to beat Connecticut's Ricky Moore and create a shot that would prevent the Blue Devils from losing their first game in more than three months.
It didn't work, partly because Langdon wasn't a great ballhandler but more so because Moore was so tough guarding the ball.
The Bearcats have had suc cess limiting penetration; North Carolina point guard Ed Cota rarely reached the lane in the Great Eight last month. UC still works daily in practice in drills and 5-on-5 situations at improving the team's ability to dictate offensive possibilities and reaction to penetration.
“We have to get better on the ball,” Huggins said, “because in the end it comes down to somebody trying to break you down off the dribble.”
• Late-game execution. If UC doesn't play close games, it's hard to get practice in dealing with the pressure of trying to protect a lead or erase a deficit under the threat of tournament elimination.
This is where Huggins' conviction comes into play.
“I don't think that's going to be an issue, because from now on we're playing all league games. Nobody in the league is going to roll over and quit. We're going to get plenty of practice at that.”
Bearcats Stories
 UC not finished product
|
Reds to honor champs
Reds move summer games to 7:35 p.m.
Pokey's hope: Stay Red, with Griffey
Guzman signs with Devil Rays
XU's Turner cleared to play - but will he?
In NFL, even coaches want free agency
Miami's Mestas has turnover turnaround
Vandy looking to change luck at Rupp
Lakota West shells Princeton for GMC win
Cincinnati boys basketball roundup
Cincinnati boys basketball scores
Ohio boys basketball scores
Ohio girls basketball scores
N.Ky. boys basketball roundup
N.Ky. girls basketball roundup
No. 1 CovCath rallies for victory
Kentucky boys basketball scores
Kentucky girls basketball scores
Moeller wrestles for national recognition
Hershey 8, Mighty Ducks 2
