By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Miami Head Coach Charlie Coles as a player. (File photo) | ZOOM |

Charlie Coles never will forget the first time he saw Oscar Robertson play basketball in person.

It was during the Big O's senior year at the University of Cincinnati in 1959-60. Coles was a member of Miami University's freshman team. After the freshman game, he hustled up into the seats behind one of the baskets at Cincinnati Gardens to watch Robertson play.

He didn't even bother to shower, because he wanted to make sure he saw everything Robertson did - beginning with his warmups.

"That was one of the biggest thrills of my life," Coles said.

Now the head coach at Miami, Coles recalls that day in vivid detail. It's one reason why today's 6:05 p.m. game against the UC is so special to him.

When Coles leads his team onto the floor at U.S. Bank Arena, his focus will be on leading his 3-5 RedHawks to a victory over the 5-3 Bearcats, but in the back of his mind those memories from the old days at the Gardens will be stirring.

"The Bearcats are huge," Coles said Friday. "They're still huge."

This will be the first time since 1996-97 that the two backyard rivals have played each other in basketball, UC having halted the series after the 1993-94 season because, UC coach Bob Huggins said, financial concerns precluded the Bearcats from continuing a home-and-home series with Miami.

The 1996-97 game was feasible because it was broadcast nationally by ESPN. Today's game brings a monetary guarantee from U.S. Bank Arena, which was looking for a holiday basketball attraction involving UC and allowed UC to find the opponent.

Coles refuses to take issue with UC's decision not to play Miami on a home-and-home basis every year, even though the series, which began in 1903-04, has spanned an entire century and featured 138 games.

"That was their prerogative," Coles said. "I wasn't going to challenge that."

Instead, he chooses to enjoy the experience of playing UC while he has the chance.

"They seem to be struggling," Coles said. "But I also saw them against Oregon. You know one thing about a Huggins-coached team - it's never an ending. It's always a beginning. If they're not playing well, it's because they're beginning to get good."

Miami has had problems, too, against a non-league schedule that has been rated the nation's most difficult by both the Sagarin Ratings and CollegeRPI.com.

The RedHawks use a version of the Princeton halfcourt offense, predicated on screens, passing, patience and cuts to the basket.

Coles would like to see a little less patience and a little more scoring from his team, which averages only 53.8 points a game.

"I'd really like to say we're doing what the New Jersey Nets are doing," Coles said. "Whenever we say we're doing what Princeton is doing, we're taking too long to score. What we need to do is speed it up and take a shot quicker."

Both teams have trouble scoring and both play good defense, which means it should be a low-scoring game. Miami ranks eighth nationally, allowing 57.0 points a game. UC is sixth, allowing 56.0 points.

For Coles, playing UC always will remind him of the Big O and UC's glory days of the late 1950s and early 1960s. In his mind, Robertson is the greatest ever to play the game.

"He was just so physically gifted," Coles said. "He had great size and great skill. I remember watching him as a sophomore on one of the news programs.

"I thought to myself: 'Oh my God. This guy is playing a different game than everybody else is playing. He's dribbling faster, stopping on a dime and shooting that jump shot.' He brought a new game to town. If you weren't there, it's hard to imagine the kind of impact he had."

A few years later, in the post-Robertson era, Coles found himself playing against UC just after the Bearcats had won two straight national championships and narrowly missed a third.

During his senior year, Miami beat UC by 10. Coles scored 18 points in that game, 16 in the second half. It remains one of the highlights of his career.

"You don't forget a game you had against the Bearcats."

E-mail bkoch@enquirer.com

UC vs. Miami

Tipoff: 6:05 p.m. today, U.S. Bank Arena (16,000).

Records: UC 5-3, Miami 3-5.

Radio: WLW-AM (700).

TV: Ch. 19.

Series: UC leads 85-53.

Line: UC by 13.

UC

Player	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Leonard Stokes	Sr.	6-6	14.9
Jason Maxiell	So.	6-7	12.0
Derek Hollman	Jr.	6-7	0.0
Field Williams	Jr.	6-3	10.4
Taron Barker	Sr.	6-1	7.3

Coach: Bob Huggins (337-103, 14th season; 505-175 overall).

MIAMI

Player	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Tim Schenke	So.	6-6	4.0
Danny Horace	So.	6-5	10.6
Matt Jameson	Sr.	6-1	2.9
Chet Mason	Jr.	6-3	9.9
Juby Johnson	Jr.	6-5	12.3

Coach: Charlie Coles (110-83, seventh season; 202-167 overall).