SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Because of the way his teams practice, University of Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins thinks the Bearcats have an edge when it comes to playing three games in three days.

UC vs. YOUNGSTOWN ST.

• What: Puerto Rico Holiday Classic.   • When: 1:30p.m. today.   • Where: Guerra Sports Complex (2,500), American University of Puerto Rico.   • Records: YSU (5-4), UC (5-2).   • TV: None.   • Radio: WLW-AM (700)   YOUNGSTOWN STATE   Player-Ht-Yr-Avg   Desmond Harrison-6-5-Sr.-10.9   TeJay Anderson-6-6-Fr.-6.2   Stephen Flores-6-7-Jr.-9.3   Craig Haese-6-2-Sr.-9.5   Ryan Patton -5-11-Sr.-7.0   Coach: John Robic (17-20, second season; same overall)  CINCINNATI   Player-Ht-Yr-Avg   Leonard Stokes-6-6-So.-15.4   Jamaal Davis -6-9-Jr.-8.7   Donald Little-6-11-So.-8.7   Steve Logan-6-0-Jr.-12.5   Kenny Satterfield-6-2-So.-19.4   Coach: Bob Huggins (281-88, 12th season; 449-160 overall)   BY THE NUMBERS   • 2-0: UC's series lead over Youngstown State.   • 9: UC's season-high 3-pointers against UNLV.   • .529: UC's season-high 3-point percentage against UNLV.

SCHEDULE

Today (all times EST)   Game 1: Clemson (6-2) vs. Florida Atlantic (2-7), 11 a.m.   Game 2: No. 22 Cincinnati (5-2) vs. Youngstown State (5-4), 1:30 p.m.   Game 3: No. 17 Alabama (7-0) vs. Northern Iowa (2-4), 4 p.m.   Game 4: Washington (4-3) vs. American University of Puerto Rico, 6:30 p.m.   Thursday   Game 5: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 11 a.m.   Game 6: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 1:30 p.m.   Game 7: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 4 p.m.   Game 8: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6:30 p.m.   Friday   Game 9: Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser, 11 a.m.   Game 10: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 1:30 p.m.   Game 11: Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 loser, 4 p.m.   Game 12: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 6:30 p.m.

        That's what No.22 UC faces starting today. It meets Youngstown State in the first round of the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic, and the winner will play the winner of Clemson-Florida Atlantic on Thursday.

        “I think people who go an hour and a half and then have to play three games in three days, they struggle,” Huggins said Tuesday. “But we go so long and so hard every day, we're better prepared to handle that than other people are.”

        The Bearcats won this tournament in the 1996-97 season, defeating Southeast Missouri State, Nebraska and Southwest Missouri State for the title.

        They played three games in four days and won the November 1998 Great Alaska Shootout, beating Southern Utah, Iowa State and Duke. And they won the Big Island Invitational last season in Hawaii, defeating Cleveland State, Santa Clara and Iowa State.

        UC has not lost in one of these three-game tournaments since the Rainbow Classic in December 1994.

        Cincinnati is the only ranked team in its half of the bracket. On the other side is unbeaten and 17th-ranked Alabama, which opens today against Northern Iowa, then probably will face Washington in the semifinals.

        “Everybody knows who's here,” UC junior guard Steve Logan said. “Everybody knows who the great teams are. But you can't forget about Youngstown.”

        Ah yes, the Penguins.

        There is some familiarity between the Bearcats and Youngstown. UC assistant coach Dan Peters recruited several of the Penguins players when he was Youngstown's head coach from 1993-99. And Youngstown's second-year coach, John Robic, played for Huggins at Walsh College.

        Youngstown is 5-4 but has dropped three straight, losing to Kent (76-55), Boston College (93-65) and Detroit (54-53). Youngstown's tallest starter is 6-foot-7, which should give UC an advantage inside.

        “Personally, I want to get out and get going and get the team going,” Logan said. “That sets the tone for the tournament. That lets everybody know that we're coming to play, and that gives us confidence for the next games.”

        The Bearcats, expected to meet Clemson in the semifinals, prepare for this stretch of games by practicing mostly for its upcoming opponent while also getting ready somewhat for future foes. It's the same way they approach a week when they play Thursday and Saturday.

        Huggins used all 11 of his players in Saturday night's victory at UNLV and said he would expect to do the same today.

        “It depends on the game,” he said. “We're going to play more guys just because I think that's what we have to do, but it doesn't have anything to do with three games in three days.”

        The coach doesn't think fatigue will be a factor for the Bearcats.

        Since Thursday night's Crosstown Shootout loss to Xavier, UC has flown across the country to Las Vegas and the Pacific time zone (Friday), then to Puerto Rico and the Atlantic time zone (Sunday-Monday).

        “We had enough time to get off our feet,” Logan said. “It affected us for a while, but I think everybody's back to normal now, ready to go and ready to play.”        

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