Monday, December 31, 2001
Year in Sports
Top 10 local stories
The Enquirer's list of its top local events is led, if not shaped, by life in the world outside sports. But from the preps to the pros, there are enough highs and lows of a typical sports season to leave us wondering: What about next year?
1. Games canceled because of terrorist attacks.
Cincinnati pro and college teams joined the rest of the nation in canceling sporting events in the aftermath of Sept. 11. High school games went on, however, as Friday night football games turned into displays of patriotism that would grow exponentially when higher-level sports resumed.
2. Athletes and athletics jarred by riots.
The Reds were out of town when Cincinnati's streets became violent after a white police officer shot and killed an African-American teen, so only minor-league hockey and basketball games were postponed. But the fallout could be far bigger. It certainly didn't help the city's Olympic bid, and there are those who wondered if it will make minority athletes think twice about signing in Cincinnati.
3. A landmark prep football season.
The offseason was rocked when Moeller fired longtime coach Steve Klonne, but the town went on a roll once games started. Cincinnati became the first city to place three teams at once in USA Today's national top 25 rankings and the first city to have teams rated 1-2-3 in the final state poll. And 47,743 showed up at Paul Brown Stadium to watch a playoff doubleheader. St. Xavier reached the state final before losing to Cleveland St. Ignatius.
4. Xavier women reach Elite Eight.
Led by seniors Taru Tuukkanen, Nicole Levandusky and Jennifer Phillips — who all would be drafted by the WNBA — XU made the longest run through the NCAA Tournament in school history, men or women. Xavier reached the Elite Eight by defeating Tennessee, the marquee program in women's basketball, before losing to Purdue.
5. Bengals' revival doesn't last
With running back Corey Dillon signing a long-term deal and some solid free agents added, the Bengals soared to 2-0 start, capped by an upset of Super Bowl champion Baltimore. Losing three of their next five still had them 4-3 for their first winning record through a November since 1990. But they went ahead to the past, losing seven straight to ensure their 11th straight non-winning season.
6. Reds home in on record for ineptitude
Deion Sanders' return (3-for-3, three-run homer) May 1 left Cincinnati 15-10 and tied for first, but he and the team fell quickly. The Reds set a club record for May losses (22), and Sanders was gone before the season was over. New manager Bob Boone's team was ravaged by injuries, including to Ken Griffey Jr., whose hamstring misdiagnosis/underestimation became a soap opera. The pitching- and payroll-poor Reds lost 96 games, including a team-record 54 at home, as Jose Rijo's return and Adam Dunn's emergence were rare highlights.
7. Prosser takes XU to Dance, then takes off
After a 17-3 start led by standout forward/center David West, Xavier struggled. Losses in the regular-season finale and the Atlantic 10 Tournament opener left XU 21-7 and on the NCAA Tournament bubble. The Musketeers got in, ending a string of two straight NITs, but lost to Notre Dame in the first round. Lloyd Price, XU's highest-rated recruit ever, left the team after the season, coach Skip Prosser left later for Wake Forest and Butler's Thad Matta took over as coach.
8. Huggins takes UC back to the Sweet 16.
After four straight seasons of being eliminated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, coach Bob Huggins took one of his least talented teams to the Sweet 16. Huggins had some help when an upset made Kent State UC's second-round opponent, but he was due, considering his far more talented team the previous season had lost Kenyon Martin to a broken leg in the conference tournament.
9. Guidugli picks — and picks up — UC football
After Hal Mumme left Kentucky in a scandal, Highlands High quarterback Gino Guidugli decided to bypass Lexington and stay near home at UC. The most celebrated QB recruit since Greg Cook lived up to the hype, taking over early when Adam Hoover was hurt and leading the Bearcats to their second straight Motor City Bowl bid while earning Conference USA freshman of the year honors.
10. Kentucky Speedway breaks attendance record
Kevin Harvick, who replaced the late Dale Earnhardt in the top-level Winston Cup series, easily won the Busch Outback Steakhouse 300 at Kentucky Speedway in front of 70,338 people. That set the Greater Cincinnati record for sporting event attendance.
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Prep basketball page
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This week's boys basketball schedule
This week's girls basketball schedule
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Ohio girls basketball scores
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Kentucky girls basketball scores
Indiana boys basketball scores
Indiana girls basketball scores
Year in Sports: Top 10 local stories