Sunday, November 14, 1999
COLLEGE BASKETBALL INSIDER
Preseason No. 1s keep falling down
BY MIKE DeCOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Without lifting a finger, the Cincinnati Bearcats can declare themselves No.1.
They haven't played anyone aside from Hungary's B.C. Honved and one another, but the Bearcats positioned themselves to inherit the top ranking in the Associated Press poll by having dinner Thursday night with some of their fans and going home to watch Iowa upset defending NCAA champion Connecticut.
The Huskies opened the season with the top ranking, but the support of the voters was somewhat unconvincing and apparently misplaced, at least for the moment. UConn earned 21 first-place votes in the poll, two more than UC and one more than Michigan State.
What being handed the No.1 ranking will do for the Bearcats is difficult to say, although it certainly didn't do much for the Huskies.
UConn became the seventh consecutive preseason No.1 team to lose before December arrived.
In comparison to last season, Duke opened as the No. 1 team but then was beaten — by UC — in the sixth game of the regular season. UConn took over the top ranking then and held it for the next 10 weeks, then went on to win the NCAA championship.
If the Bearcats could arrange a similar deal this season, they no doubt would take it.
SPRING FEVER: With their perimeter needs solved through the fall recruiting class of small forward Antwan Jones and shooting guards Field Williams and Jerome Harper, the Bearcats will try to complete their recruiting for the 2000-01 team by adding a couple of power players.
It's likely they'll sign two big men in the spring, although it's not entirely out of the question New York's Andre Sweet could commit before the close of the signing period Wednesday.
Sweet, a 6-foot-6, 205-pound post specialist, was a teammate of UC freshman guard Kenny Satterfield at Rice High last season. He lists the UC as a school he is considering along with Miami (Fla.), Notre Dame, South Florida and St. Joseph's.
Most likely, Sweet will sign in the spring. UC remains interested in 6-8 Reggie Evans of Coffeyville (Kan.) C.C., who always has insisted he will sign in the spring.
GETTING THE POINT: With so many of the top point guard prospects already committed to other schools, it appeared Kentucky was out of luck trying to sign a playmaker in the early period.
Just because Cliff Hawkins was spoken for that didn't keep the Wildcats from talking to him.
Hawkins decided just before signing day that New Mexico was too far from his home in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and that he no longer wanted to join the Lobos. He then called Kentucky — Hawkins comes from the same club program as Wildcats freshman guard Keith Bogans — and found they were interested.
Presuming he ends up signing, Hawkins will give UK flexibility some of their other targets would not, because he can play either backcourt position. That means he can serve as a third guard if Saul Smith plays well enough as a junior to merit continuation in the point guard job next season.
YOUNG GUN: It appears Mid-American Conference fans accustomed to first-class talents such as Earl Boykins, Antonio Daniels, Bonzi Wells and Wally Szczerbiak may have a new attraction to follow: Ball State freshman Theron Smith.
A 6-8 forward from Auburndale, Fla., Smith scored 18 points in the first half of his initial exhibition game for the Cardinals and ended with 20 points and eight rebounds.
“He didn't play like a freshman that day, anyway,” said Ball State coach Ray McCallum. “He's working hard in practice and really getting better defensively. That's what excites me. With his size and athletic ability and skill level, we need him to make an impact.”
Smith is a player who can score in a variety of ways, whether it is in the lane or from well behind the three-point line.
“Bonzi was the same way; he could have gone high-major and done well,” McCallum said. “With Theron, he has the same opportunity to come in, play early in his career and develop and have a great career.”
AROUND THE NATION:
Indiana had hoped to add 6-8 forward Kei Madison to its roster this season, but he did not qualify for freshman eligibility and wound up at Iowa Western Community College. His team is off to a 3-0 start, and he's averaging better than 13 points and 10 rebounds.
• Ever wonder why coaches cringe so publicly about playing freshmen? In their college debut, Duke's four McDonald's All-Americans (Casey Sanders, Michael Dunleavy, Jason Williams and Carlos Boozer) shot a combined 7-of-29 from the field.
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