LAS VEGAS — Purdue coach Gene Keady has not had a team give him fits like this since 1988-89, which just happens to be the last time the Boilermakers had a losing record (15-16).

        “It's been a roller coaster,” Keady said. “Up and down.”

        Purdue (7-5 after falling Friday 71-64 to Texas A&M) and Cincinnati play tonight in the championship game of the Las Vegas Classic.

        The Boilermakers' season has already had its share of tough losses — to Butler at home and to Dayton in Indianapolis. They have struggled with Radford and been handled by Top 25 teams Arizona and Stanford.

        “The worst part of it is, they're really good kids,” Keady said.“These guys just have bad habits on how to play. They're trying to learn.”

        Keady's answer: Go old-school, harkening back to the way he coached in the early 1980s. Emphasize solid man-to-man halfcourt defense. Don't allow layups. Pass the ball at least five times if there is no fastbreak basket available.

        Junior guard Willie Deane leads Purdue in scoring (16.1 ppg); he totaled 31 in Thursday night's overtime victory over Southwest Missouri State. Senior Maynard Lewis averages 12.6 and senior John Allison 11.2.

        “They're going to play hard,” UC coach Bob Huggins said. “They're going to guard. They're physical. They rebound. (Gene) uses his talent well.”

        OLD FRIENDS?

        UC senior Jamaal Davis started his career at Purdue, but left 12 games into his second year. Davis sat out his first season because he was academically ineligible. One Purdue fan in the stands Thursday night kept yelling “traitor” at Davis, who is from Gary, Ind.

        “Those are just fans,” Davis said. “I am (excited), but it's just another basketball game. I don't have any bad vibes against them.”

        COMMON FOES:

        UC and Purdue have both played Dayton and Xavier. The Bearcats beat XU by 20 and Dayton by 22. The Boilermakers outlasted the Musketeers 70-66 at home and lost to the Flyers 83-72.

Logan hangs 40 on Miss. St. UC notebook: Purdue fights inconsistency

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