By Bill Koch
Enquirer staff writer

Those who work with University of Cincinnati basketball coach Bob Huggins on a daily basis expect him to return with the same drive and determination he has displayed during his 15 years at UC.

Whether his 76-day suspension for drunken driving has changed him in any fundamental way remains to be seen when he returns to work today.

"I think something like that would change anybody," said UC assistant coach Keith LeGree, "just his outlook on life. It's hard to say what's going on in his mind. It's hard to say until he comes back."

Huggins often talks about how players realize how much the game means to them only when they've had it taken away from them for a while. Now, the same thing applies to Huggins.

"He's had nothing but time on his hands," said assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Andy Kennedy. "As intelligent as he is, I'm sure he put a lot of thought into a lot of things. I don't want to get too deep into this, that maybe this will be a good thing down the road or maybe this will give Huggs the time he needs to reflect personally. I don't know that."

Kennedy, who has worked with Huggins for three years, says he doesn't believe the UC coach needs to make major changes.

"He's one of the most laid-back people that I've ever been around for 21 hours out of the day," Kennedy said. "The perception that people see every day is those three hours in practice or during a game. His personality hasn't changed much to me. He's always been a very laid-back, rational thinker off the floor.

"The Bob Huggins that I've known day to day, there was no need to change. Obviously, what he did was wrong. He knows that, and he feels terrible about that. I think we're all anxious to see what his approach will be like when he's back in charge."

The UC players, Kennedy said, have taken care of their business in Huggins' absence. Now they're eager for his return.

"He sounds real eager to get back here," LeGree said of Huggins. "I think he wants to prove to the country that Bob Huggins is the coach that everybody thought he was. I think he's eager to take this program to another level.

"The guys really do miss him. They can't wait until he gets back. He looks good. He looks like he's been taking care of himself. He seems like a whole different person, just getting himself right mentally and physically."

E-mail bkoch@enquirer.com