By Michael Perry
The Cincinnati Enquirer

After this season, Conference USA will abandon its two-division format for men's basketball and go to one 14-team division for 2003-04.

Each school will play every other school once and face three teams twice based on geography, rivalries and television for a total of 16 games. Currently, with two seven-team divisions, schools do not play three league teams. For example, UC won't face Houston, South Florida or Southern Mississippi this season.

No determination has been made about the three "mirror" games, but UC coach Bob Huggins has a good idea whom the Bearcats will face two times.

"You don't have to be a genius to figure out TV wants us and Louisville twice," Huggins said. "And Memphis is going to be in that mix. And it depends on what happens at DePaul, because of their market. Marquette's going to be in that mix.

" ... It's the best possible solution that we could come up with, with all the factors that are involved, including the television package that's already in existence."

Huggins is a member of C-USA's Men's Basketball Task Force, a committee of five coaches and seven athletic directors brought together to look at ways to increase the number of league teams in the NCAA Tournament. There were three last March (UC, Charlotte, Marquette) and two in 2001 (UC, Charlotte).

Rick Pitino (Louisville), John Calipari (Memphis), Ray McCallum (Houston) and James Green (Southern Mississippi) are the other coaches on the committee.

The league's board of directors approved the change, which was recommended by the Task Force.

Among other topics, Huggins said, are the needs for teams to play better nonconference schedules and for some schools to make a better commitment to basketball.

E-mail mperry@enquirer.com