Monday, February 28, 2000

BEARCATS NOTEBOOK

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It's voting season for major awards

UC's Kenyon Martin slams home two points during the first half against Louisville Sunday. (Gary Landers photo) | ZOOM |

        The voting for player of the year awards is beginning in earnest, which means Cincinnati Bearcats center Kenyon Martin's accomplishments are being examined by basketball journalists from around the nation.

        Votes for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, selected by the United States Basketball Writers Association, are due March6.

        Naismith Trophy ballots are due to the Atlanta Tip-Off Club by March 8. Only the voters for the Los Angeles Athletic Club's John R. Wooden Award votes are due March 27.

        With Martin averaging a double-double along with nearly four blocks per game, his candidacy for national player of the year is clearly established.

        What may be more interesting is the voting for the Henry Iba Corinthian Award for the defensive player of the year.

        The NABC also has its own national player of the year award, and Martin has the opportunity to become only the second player to sweep the organization's top two player honors. The first was Tim Duncan in 1997.

Local heroes
        Martin and fellow senior Pete Mickeal were named to the all-district team selected by the NABC.

        Martin was chosen for the first team along with Scoonie Penn and Michael Redd of Ohio State, A.J. Guyton of Indiana and Troy Murphy of Notre Dame.

        Mickeal made the second team, along with Purdue's Brian Cardinal, Dayton's Tony Stanley, Bowling Green's Anthony Stacey and Ohio U.'s Shaun Stonerook.

Au-burned?
        There's always uncertainty when it comes to the NCAA Tournament bracket, even for teams certain to be invited.

        For instance, the Bearcats could be seeded No.1 in the Midwest Region and open the tournament with a first-round game at Cleveland's Gund Arena. If Michigan State were to be the No.2 seed in the Midwest, however, that would mean UC potentially playing a regional final against the Spartans at the Palace of Auburn Hills in suburban Detroit.

        However, selection committee chairman Craig Thompson, commissioner of the Mountain West Conference, said that scenario would be considered when the brackets are constructed.

        In the past 10 tournaments, only three teams — none a top seed — have had to play regional finals in their opponents' home states.

       

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