By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

A billboard of Oregon's Luke Ridnour hangs in New York's Times Square, Monday, Dec. 16, 2002. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - They affectionately call them the Lukes in Oregon - Luke Ridnour, the point guard, and Luke Jackson, the high-scoring forward.

But without Luke the point guard, Luke the high-scoring forward (19.8 points per game) wouldn't be nearly as imposing.

"Ridnour is the guy who makes it all go," said University of Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins.

The operative word in Huggins' assessment is "go," because the Ducks rarely slow down. With Ridnour at the controls, their relentless running style has netted a 6-0 record, a No. 5 national ranking and 92.7 points per game, making them the third highest-scoring team in the country.

Tonight at approximately 9:30, in the Jimmy V Classic at Continental Airlines Arena, UC (4-2) will get a shot at slowing the Ducks' offensive express with a defense that has held opponents to 55.2 points per game, 11th best in the country.

But that UC defense hasn't faced an offense as efficient as Oregon's.

"Everything is transition," Huggins said. "I really think their point guard is the best point guard in the country. He makes great decisions, he makes shots, and he gets the ball to the right people at the right time. Everything goes through him."

Ridnour, a 6-foot-2 junior from Blaine, Wash., averages 20.2 points and 7.3 assists per game. But his court presence can't be measured in numbers alone, nor can his effect on coach Ernie Kent's program.

"Luke's strength is that he's such a throwback to the old days," Kent said. "He really understands the game, studies the game and has a passion for the game.

"He works extremely hard. He has changed the behind-the-scenes work ethic of this program during the summer when the guys are on their own and the coaches aren't in the gym."

In five years as the head coach at his alma mater, Kent has taken a mediocre program in the high-profile Pacific-10 Conference and lifted it onto a plateau alongside the likes of Arizona, UCLA and Stanford, culminating with last year's Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Kent did it by examining those programs and other successful programs such as Duke, Kansas and Arkansas, and by adopting a transition offense with few peers.

"We wanted to play something unique and different that people would have to adjust to," Kent said.

There was a time when UC wouldn't hesitate to try to match a team like Oregon fast break for fast break. No longer.

These Bearcats will do their best to slow the Ducks, the highest-ranked opponent UC has faced since the knocking off top-ranked Duke 77-75 in the championship game of the 1998 Great Alaska Shootout.

A UC upset could place the Bearcats back on the national stage, having dropped from the Top 25 after losses to Dayton and Xavier.

"We've struggled so far this season," said UC forward Leonard Stokes, "but if we win this game, we can turn that all around."

Huggins has a history of finding a way to slow an opponent's best player. Anfernee Hardaway, for example, almost always had a tough time against UC when he was at Memphis.

"If we were more athletic, we'd double him (Ridnour) all the time, but we're not," Huggins said, "so I can't.

"Before, that's what we did. We'd just get the ball out of (Hardaway's) hands and make other guys make plays. But this guy (Ridnour) is really good and they have so many people who are going to score."

E-mail bkoch@enquirer.com

No. 5 Oregon vs. UC

Tipoff: Approximately 9:30 p.m. today.

Records: Oregon 6-0, UC 4-2.

Radio: WKRC-AM (550).

TV: ESPN

Series: First meeting

Line: Oregon by 41/2

OREGON

Player	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Robert Johnson	Sr.	6-8	10.2
Luke Jackson	Jr.	6-7	19.8
Brian Helquist	Sr.	6-9	5.4
James Davis	Jr.	5-10	11.2
Luke Ridnour	Jr.	6-2	20.2

Coach: Ernie Kent (100-58, sixth season; 190-138 overall).

UC

Leonard Stokes	Sr.	6-6	14.8
Jason Maxiell	So.	6-7	10.8
Kareem Johnson	Jr.	6-7	2.5
Field Williams	Jr.	6-3	13.3
Taron Barker	Sr.	6-1	7.8

Coach: Bob Huggins (336-102, 14th season; 504-174 overall).