Frontcourt

The Bearcats have sophomore power forward Jason Maxiell, considered an All-America candidate by some, and a lot of question marks after that.

There is nobody on the roster taller than 6 feet 8.

Junior Rod Flowers (6-8, 235), a third-year veteran; junior Derek Hollman (6-8, 255), who redshirted last season; and rookie Kareem Johnson (6-7, 250) are battling for minutes inside with Maxiell.

Flowers is more finesse and offense. Johnson is more defense and bulk. Hollman has shown some athleticism. Who rebounds better might determine who plays most.

It is not a typical, menacing UC interior. Aside from the 6-7, long-armed Maxiell, there is no shot-blocking presence.

Maxiell has improved his shooting range and been more offense-minded. He will be one of UC's primary scorers and should be among the top rebounders in Conference USA.

You will hear this often: Maxiell has to stay out of foul trouble. UC is counting on him to play about 30 minutes a game.

Backcourt

Senior Taron Barker gets the chance to start at point guard, but he has to be considered a question mark considering he has played only one year of Division I ball and averaged just 11.3 minutes. He has to take care of the basketball, make good decisions on the fast break and hit enough perimeter shots to keep defenses honest. If he doesn't, UC might turn to freshman Armein Kirkland. He missed several weeks of the preseason with a broken jaw but has impressed the coaches with his overall skills and understanding of the game. He could get a shot at the point before freshman Chadd Moore.

Juniors Tony Bobbitt and Field Williams make the shooting guard position one of the most secure for the Bearcats. Bobbitt is a big-time scorer. Williams has the best career 3-point percentage in school history. These two will score points. Bobbitt also can handle the ball well.

Senior Leonard Stokes is the small forward, and he'll be on the floor a lot because of his offense and defense.

Bench

The Bearcats usually go eight or nine deep.

Look for the top reserves to be Williams or Bobbitt - whoever doesn't start - and Flowers or Johnson or Hollman.

Freshman Eric Hicks is battling back from arthroscopic knee surgery in August. As he gets healthier, he will demand more minutes because of his talent.

Eugene Land, who has not played organized ball since 1998-99, could take on Rodney Crawford's old role and play six to seven tough minutes a game. Anything more will be a bonus.

Intangibles

A key to UC's record will be how the Bearcats do in close games. It's not going to be a team good enough to blow out too many quality opponents; however, Huggins' teams rarely are routed. So expect there to be five to 10 down-to-the-wire finishes.

Games to watch

Dec. 7 vs. Xavier: The Musketeers might be out for a little revenge after a 20-point loss in last year's Crosstown Shootout.

Dec. 17 vs. Oregon (Jimmy V Classic): UC's first meeting with the Ducks, who return top scorers Luke Jackson and Luke Ridnour, both juniors.

Feb. 22 vs. Louisville: This is the second game against the Cardinals, this one at The Shoe.

March 1 at Memphis: The third-to-last game of the regular season is certain to help determine who wins the league title.

March 8 at Marquette: The final regular-season game also could help decide C-USA's champ.

- Michael Perry

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