By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The University of Cincinnati Bearcats might have a chance next season to avenge their 92-68 NCAA Tournament loss to Illinois.

The Bearcats, who lost to the Fighting Illini in the second round of this year's Tournament, are scheduled to play in the Las Vegas Holiday Classic Dec. 30-31 along with Illinois.

The Fighting Illini, who complained about alleged trash talking by the UC players before and during their game, lost in the Sweet 16 to Duke. They won the Big Ten regular-season championship last season, finished 26-7 and were ranked No. 11 in the final ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll. They were No. 13 in the final Associated Press poll conducted at the end of the regular season.

With all five starters returning from that team, including guards Dee Brown and Deron Williams - who scored a career-high 31 points against UC - the Illini could be ranked among the nation's top five at the start of next season.

To get another shot at Illinois, the Bearcats probably will have to reach the final of the tournament. Tournament promoter Chris Spencer said the brackets haven't been finalized, but that he probably would put UC and Illinois in opposite brackets.

Final Four participant Oklahoma State also is tentatively scheduled to be part of the Las Vegas field. The Cowboys, who were 31-4 last season, won the Big 12 regular-season and tournament championships and were ranked No. 4 in the final coaches' poll and in the AP poll. They lost to Georgia Tech by two points in the Final Four.

The entire field isn't set yet, but Valparaiso, Northwestern State, Pennsylvania and Longwood (Va.), a provisional member of Division I, are expected to play in the tournament. Each school is guaranteed to play four games, with the first two played at campus sites.

NKU AGREEMENT: UC has agreed to a new five-year deal with Division II Northern Kentucky University to play an exhibition game at Fifth Third Arena.

NKU officials originally thought they were agreeing to a deal to play the Bearcats in a regular-season game, but UC associate head coach Dan Peters, who handles most of the scheduling for the Bearcats, said the new agreement is for exhibition games only.

The Bearcats and Norse have played in an exhibition each of the last three seasons under one-year agreements. The new deal was an attempt to ensure the game will continue to be played as the NCAA revises its rules on exhibitions for Division I schools.

"We wanted to do it ahead of time so we had a pre-existing contract they would honor," Peters said.

The Bearcats haven't played a Division II school in a regular-season game since they played NKU on Nov. 27, 1988, the last season of the Tony Yates coaching era, and have no motivation to do so now. Games against non-Division I opponents do not count in figuring a team's standing in the Ratings Percentage Index, which the NCAA Selection Committee uses as one of its tools in picking the NCAA Tournament field.

Under the new rules, non-collegiate teams are prohibited from playing exhibition games against Division I schools.

A GREAT DAY: The NCAA's decision earlier this week to rescind the "5-8 rule" that limited scholarships was greeted enthusiastically by most coaches. UC recruiting coordinator Andy Kennedy said it was a "great day" for college basketball.

"It gives us back some control and flexibility," Kennedy said.

The 5-8 rule stated schools could award no more than five scholarships in one year and no more than eight over two years.

The new ruling isn't likely to affect UC for next year. Counting the three incoming players, the Bearcats have 12 scholarship players. If Mike Pilgrim reclaims the scholarship he lost last year when he was declared an academic non-qualifier, the Bearcats would be at the maximum of 13.

BOBBITT TO CHICAGO?: It appears former UC guard Tony Bobbitt's performance in the Portsmouth Invitational three weeks ago will earn him a spot in the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Chicago June 8-11.

"We haven't received confirmation yet in writing," said Rich Katz, Bobbitt's agent. "But I'm 99 percent sure he's going."

Bobbitt, a 6-foot-4 guard, was named the MVP at Portsmouth.

E-mail bkoch@enquirer.com