By Michael Perry
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The University of Cincinnati's preseason has a similar feel to that of 2000, which followed the losses of four starters, including Player of the Year Kenyon Martin.
The 2002-03 Bearcats also return just one starter - senior Leonard Stokes - and lost All-American Steve Logan.
There is limited experience. Stokes, sophomore Jason Maxiell and junior Field Williams have seen the most playing time.
After that, there are plenty of questions. Such as:
Who is the biggest offseason loss? The Bearcats lost starters Logan, Immanuel McElroy, Jamaal Davis and Donald Little. The team will miss the basketball knowledge of Logan, McElroy and Davis.
But the toughest person to replace might be Little. Though he was inconsistent, he was a solid, 6-foot-11 defensive presence. Little made opponents think twice about driving to the basket. He was intimidating. UC has no obvious candidate to fill that role.
Speaking of which, who plays center? It's way up for grabs. There are several candidates and no clear front runner. There's 6-8 Derek Hollman, who redshirted last year after shoulder surgery; 6-7 Kareem Johnson, a newcomer from Chipola College; 6-7 Eugene Land, who last played in 1998-99; and 6-11 senior B.J. Grove, who continues to battle weight issues and might never play another game for UC.
Other question marks? The point guard position. It is senior Taron Barker's job to lose. How he handles defensive pressure, makes decisions, runs the offense and battles through mistakes will be a key. Barker has to earn the confidence of teammates and coaches early.
The Bearcats have some options. Freshman Chadd Moore will see some time. They also can have junior Tony Bobbitt bring the ball upcourt for some possessions.
When offense is needed, the lineup could be Bobbitt, Stokes and Williams.
So, what's the starting lineup for the Nov.23 opener against Tennessee Tech? Let's go with Barker at point guard, Bobbitt at shooting guard, Stokes at small forward, Maxiell at power forward and, well, it's anybody's guess who the center will be.
Which newcomer will make the most impact? Bobbitt, from the College of Southern Idaho, should end up starting at shooting guard. He is a scorer, passes well and plays with enthusiasm. Freshman Eric Hicks was looking at making a Maxiell-like impact, but there is concern about how he will bounce back from arthroscopic knee surgery in August. Hicks has not been playing open-gym games with the Bearcats and could fall behind early if he is unable to participate all-out in practices.
Moore may help, too. He is very quick. But he will need to get stronger and stay in control with the ball.
Who is most improved from last season? Williams has improved his ball-handling and ability to create his own shot. And his 3-point shooting in pickup games at times has been deadly.
Barker, too, looks better, if for no other reason than he is more confident.
What expectations should there be for this team? Even though UC lost four starters, it is ranked in the top 25 in many preseason publications. That's a testament to coach Bob Huggins.
The schedule isn't that powerful. The toughest nonconference games should be Xavier (at Shoemaker Center) and Oregon (in New Jersey). Any game at Dayton is a challenge. Otherwise, UC's biggest tests will come from the usual Conference USA suspects: Marquette, Charlotte, Louisville and Memphis.
E-mail mperry@enquirer.com
Breakfast with Bob Saturday
Shoemaker Center
8:30 a.m.: Doors open.
9:30 a.m.: Introduction of men's basketball players, comments from coach Bob Huggins, drills, brief scrimmage
Admission is free. There also will be free continental breakfast items. UC basketball posters will be given out.
| Player | Pos. | Ht. | Cl. | Hometown (High school/JC) |
| Taron Barker | G | 6-1 | Sr. | Racine, Wis. (Case/Odessa) |
| Tony Bobbitt | G | 6-4 | Jr. | Daytona Beach, Fla. (Mainland/So. Idaho) |
| Rod Flowers | F | 6-8 | Jr. | Huntsville, Ala. (Butler) |
| B.J. Grove | C | 6-11 | Sr. | Cincinnati (George Jr. Republic) |
| Eric Hicks | F | 6-6 | Fr. | Greensboro, N.C. (Dudley) |
| Derek Hollman | F/C | 6-10 | Jr. | Itta Bena, Miss. (Laflore County/Panola) |
| Kareem Johnson | C | 6-7 | Jr. | Eufaula, Ala. (Eufaula/Chipola) |
| Armein Kirkland | G | 6-8 | Fr. | Tyler, Texas (Lee) |
| Eugene Land | F | 6-7 | Sr. | Cincinnati (Roger Bacon) |
| Jamaal Lucas | G | 6-2 | So. | Corpus Christi (Roy Miller) |
| Jason Maxiell | F | 6-7 | So. | Carrollton, Texas (Newman Smith) |
| John Meeker | G | 6-1 | So. | Troy (Troy) |
| Chadd Moore | G | 6-2 | Fr. | Huntsville, Ala. (Oak Hill Academy) |
| Leonard Stokes | G/F | 6-6 | Sr. | Buffalo, N.Y. (Turner Carroll) |
| Field Williams | G | 6-3 | Jr. | Houston (Waltrip) |
