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| INSIDE THE NUMBERS |
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2000-01 record: 31-4;
14-2 in C-USA (1st/American)
Postseason: Lost to UCLA 105-101 in second round of NCAA West Region.
RETURNING LEADERS
Points: Stokes 12.7
Rebs: Maxiell 6.8
Assists: Stokes 1.4
FG: Maxiell 55.7%
3pt: Williams 43.1%
FT: Williams 86.7%
01-02 Stats:
Cincinnati | C-USA
KEY LOSSES
Steve Logan | 22.0 ppg
Immanuel McElroy | 9.5 ppg
Donald Little | 7.1 ppg
Jamaal Davis | 7.4 ppg
PROJECTED STARTERS
G | Tony Bobbitt | Junior
G | Taron Barker | Senior
C | Rod Flowers | Junior
F | Jason Maxiell | Soph
F | Leo. Stokes | Senior
Player to Watch
Jason Maxiell
Sophomore Forward
With Logan gone, the focus shifts inside to this maturing stud.
DATE TO REMEMBER
The Queen City Showdown is always speical, but with Xavier likely positioned in the top 10, the Bearcats look to give 'em the boot in the Shoe and gain some national respect.
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CINCINNATI BEARCATS
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The season got off to an inspirational start for the Bearcats simply by virtue of Bob Huggins showing up for the team's first practice. The kingpin of Conference USA and the very embodiment of this tough, enduring program is back from a major heart attack, and by all accounts is ready to go. Now Huggins has the challenge of transmitting Cincy's championship mentality to a group of players unaccustomed to the roles they're now in. Leonard Stokes goes from Steve Logan's sidekick to the veteran leader. Jason Maxiell steps up from off-the-bench energizer to No. 1 option inside. Rod Flowers has gone from four minutes per game to starting center. Field Williams and Taron Barker must prove then can do more than shoot 3-pointers. And the recruiting class must contribute immediately. Cincy had winning streaks of 20, six and five games last year and never lost two in a row. Only one of the Bearcats' four losses was by more than seven points. They never slumped and never lost focus. With so much turnover this year, that consistency will be hard to match, but at least the man who sets the tone is back.
TOUGH ENOUGH..............................
Jason Maxiell is ready to become a star. He has the skills and explosiveness to be the next Kenyon Martin. This being Cincinnati, it is a given that the Bearcats will assault the glass (a plus-six rebounding margin last year) and suffocate shooters (.374 field goal defense, .296 from three-point range). Cincy simply never runs out of players, or drive.
TOUGH ENOUGH?..............................
All Cincy lost in Logan was the school's No. 2 career scorer and assist man, No. 3 three-point shooter, all-time leader in free-throw percentage and the winningest Bearcat ever (111 victories). That doesn't leave a void; it leaves a chasm. It will take at least two if not three players to fill his scoring, passing, defending and crunch-time roles. Also: Maxiell needs to avoid some of the cheap behavior he occasionally exhibited on the court. He's better than that.
BOTTOM LINE..............................
Losing Logan hurt, but losing Huggins might have set the program back substantially. With him back, Cincy remains the intimidating defending champions, should again be in the thick of the league race and should again be an NCAA Tournament team. However, this could be the year when a couple of contenders -- namely Marquette and Louisville -- sneak by. Then again, that's been said before.
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