By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Comments made by Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins in Monday's Enquirer struck a nerve with Xavier athletic administrators on the eve of tonight's Crosstown Shootout at Cintas Center.

2004 CROSSTOWN SHOOTOUT

SPORTS • Tonight, one trend has to end • XU disputes Huggins' claims • Bobbitt is Mr. Impact • Crosstown Matchups: A position-by-position look • Coaches' oaths • Storylines to keep your eyes on • Xavier's Chalmers: We still have bragging rights NEWS • Crosstown staples: cookies, chili, rivalry EDITORIAL PAGE • Shootout more than 'just one game'

Xavier athletic director Mike Bobinski said Huggins' comments regarding student-section behavior at Xavier during the Dec. 14, 2001, Shootout were overstated, inaccurate and possibly part of an agenda to end the home-and-home format of the series.

In Monday's Enquirer, Huggins said the verbal abuse that his team received two years ago in Cintas Center was unprecedented and that if it were any team other than Xavier, UC would never go back.

Xavier officials apologized for the behavior when it happened and took steps to prevent future incidents, but they disagree with Huggins over the extent of the fans' actions. Huggins said in Monday's Enquirer that the vulgar chants from Xavier students began during the national anthem.

"I'm not minimizing the inappropriateness of what our kids did," said Bobinski, who emphasized the chants only occurred during the second half.

"But nothing happened during the national anthem . . . I don't know where all that's come from."

Huggins would not comment when asked Monday about Xavier's reaction.

Tom Eiser, Xavier's assistant athletic director for media relations, addressed a contingent of print and television media Monday and said, "For (Huggins) to lie about our fans like that is nothing short of a disgrace."

Bobinski suggested that Huggins' comments might be part of an effort to move the game permanently to a neutral location, such as U.S. Bank Arena.

"I kind of get that feeling," Bobinski said. "It's kind of Bob's way of doing things. There's always six layers of what's going on there, and I think that might be going on here a little bit."

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E-mail ddow@enquirer.com