By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Faced with an opponent that likes to attack and press, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats revved up its own transition game Wednesday night and essentially ran UAB off the court.

Compared with watching the stilted halfcourt offense that UC has tried so feebly to run most of the season, watching the Bearcats fly up and down the court, attack the basket and score in transition was like a breath of fresh air.

As UC prepares for its final game of the regular season Saturday at No. 8 Marquette, its performance against UAB again raises a question many UC fans have posed this season: Why don't the Bearcats play that style every game?

"It's a long year," UC coach Bob Huggins said Thursday. "(Taron Barker) is not the best guy pushing the ball up the floor. Chadd (Moore) does a good job, but I don't think we would have won any more games."

Freshman forward Armein Kirkland, who scored a career-high 18 points against UAB, was asked after the game if he thought the transition approach was more suited to his game.

"I personally think so," Kirkland said. "I think the whole team is like that. That's when we play the best, when we attack people and get in the paint, create help and just play and not be hesitant on offense."

Kirkland was the primary beneficiary of the up-tempo approach, but Moore, with five assists and no turnovers, made it work with his ability to push the ball in transition.

But Huggins shows no inclination to institute the fast-break offense full time - yet.

"The next two or three years you'll see a lot of it," Huggins said.

What about this year?

"Right now we have to try to match what other people do," Huggins said.

Whatever happened to the days when UC made other teams adjust to the Bearcats?

That, Huggins said, "generally favors the team with the most players."

Granted, this UC team does not have the talent the 1992 and 1993 pressing, running teams had, but that may be all the more reason to crank up the tempo.

If we know one thing about the current Bearcats, it's that they are unequipped to score in the halfcourt.

Huggins has lamented the lack of an inside presence and a playmaker when the Bearcats need a basket.

Why not, then, try to score before the defense sets up and double-teams forward Jason Maxiell in the low post?

Why not attack the basket instead of passing the ball around the perimeter, hoping Tony Bobbitt or Field Williams can knock down an occasional 3-pointer?

The two players with the most untapped potential on this team are Moore and Kirkland, who function more effectively in a full-court game.

The Bearcats can't line up against Marquette and slug it out in the halfcourt. But they might be able to outrun the Golden Eagles.

It's worth a try.

E-mail bkoch@enquirer.com

Tie and tie again

UC can remove all doubt about receiving a first-round bye in next week's Conference USA Tournament if it wins at Marquette Saturday.

If the Bearcats lose, the possibilities aren't so clear-cut. Marquette, Memphis and Louisville all have clinched first-round byes, leaving four teams vying for the one remaining bye.

Here's a look at the possibilities:

•If UC (9-6) and Louisville (10-5) finish in a tie, the No. 3 seed will be determined by a coin flip, with the other team receiving the No. 4 seed.

•If UC and UAB (8-7) finish in a tie for the No. 4 seed, UC wins because it beat UAB.

•If UC and Charlotte (8-7) finish in a tie for the No. 4 seed, the tie would be broken by a coin flip.

•If UC and Saint Louis (8-7) finish in a tie for the No. 4 seed, Saint Louis wins by virtue of its better divisional record.

•If UC, Charlotte and Saint Louis finish in a tie, Saint Louis wins the No. 4 seed, and UC and Charlotte flip a coin for the No. 5 seed.

•If UC, Charlotte and UAB finish in a tie, a coin flip between UC and Charlotte breaks the tie for the No. 4 seed, the coin flip loser becomes No. 5, and UAB is No. 6.

•If UC, Saint Louis and UAB finish in a tie, Saint Louis wins the tiebreaker for the No. 4 seed and UC wins the tie with UAB for the No. 5 seed.

•If UC, Charlotte, Saint Louis and UAB finish in a tie, Saint Louis wins the tiebreaker for the No. 4 seed.