LAS VEGAS — Within five minutes of many ballgames, Immanuel McElroy can look into the eyes of University of Cincinnati opponents and see the mounting frustration.

        “We're taking them out of whatever they want to do,” the 6-foot-4 senior said. “And we're rebounding and pushing it and scoring. We take a lot of pride in it. It makes us listen even more and go over tape more.”

        The 25th-ranked Bearcats, who play Louisiana-Monroe tonight in the second round of the Las Vegas Classic, are second in the nation in scoring defense (52.8) and field goal percentage defense (.345).

        That has been the constant during their eight-game winning streak. UC's offense isn't always clicking. Its shots aren't always falling. But its defensive effort has been there from start to finish.

        UC led Richmond 15-3, Coppin State 17-4, Duquesne 22-8 and Wright State 16-2.

        Granted, UC is not knocking off powerhouses, but it typically is allowing opponents few quality shots.

        “We go over everything that other teams run,” junior Leonard Stokes said. “We know their stuff so good. We know where they're going to be and what they like to do.”

        This UC team is well ahead of last season's defensively. The 2000-01 Bearcats started their season with only two experienced players (Steve Logan and Kenny Satterfield). It wasn't until the final six weeks of the season that it was playing consistently good defense.

        The starting five this season have experience.

        Coach Bob Huggins said Logan, McElroy and Stokes provide “the best perimeter defense we've had in a long time.” Power forward Jamaal Davis has been at his best in recent weeks, including a solid first-half job on Xavier star David West before West sprained his ankle. Donald Little, at 6-11, provides a long, strong body at the back of the defense and his understanding of when to help, when to go for a blocked shot and when to hold his position is better.

        The first frontline substitute, Jason Maxiell, is helpful defensively because he has long arms and blocks shots. Huggins said guards Taron Barker and Field Williams are getting better.

        What they are all learning: If you don't play defense, you're not going to get in games. Huggins even pulled Logan — the team's leading scorer and playmaker — early in the Xavier game because he didn't like Logan's defensive effort on a play. That sent a message to everybody.

        “We can do more things than we could do a year ago,” Huggins said. “We don't defend things the same, which bothers offenses. We're able to change. ... We play screens differently, for example. We play on-the-ball screens four or five different ways; we couldn't do that a year ago. We play post guys four or five different ways; we couldn't do that a year ago.”

        Cincinnati practices three hours a day. Typically, close to 2 1/2 hours are spent on defense.

        It is becoming the identity of this team, which seems to be embracing its defensive reputation.

        “I love to play defense,” McElroy said. “I know a lot of people can score in Division I basketball, but not that many can play defense.”

        Why else has this team been so good defensively?

        • Huggins called last season's team his weakest physically and mandated his players get stronger in the offseason. By and large, they did.

        • Davis and Little are better on the interior. The transition defense is good. Opponents are getting fewer easy baskets and rebounds.

        • Team chemistry is better. If one player shows a lack of interest in defense, it hurts the team concept and there is less trust among the five players on the court. At times last season, there were players more concerned about their offense.

        Playing good defense is one thing. Playing it hard for the entire 40 minutes of a game is another.

        This week, UC has to do it for 120 minutes — the Bearcats play three games in three days. Cincinnati has had success in these in-season tournaments, winning three in a row: Puerto Rico last year, Hawaii in 1999 and Alaska in 1998.

        “We go to win,” Huggins said. “... We let them have fun, but when it's time to do business, we do business. I just think that our guys' toughness and doing what we do every day really helps us.”

Defense mechanism for UC's success

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