| | By Jay Bilas
Special to ESPN.com
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Friday, Oct. 13
Bob Huggins did everything right and put his program in a great position to win an NCAA title last season. Cincinnati entered the Conference USA Tournament fresh, focused and fully prepared to win. Then, the unthinkable happened, and the entire college basketball world cringed. Kenyon Martin went down with a leg injury, and it was all over.
Mentally, despite Huggins' best efforts, the team could not recover in that short a
time period. The best team in the nation was done because the best player
in the nation got hurt. What a shame because Cincinnati deserved better.
No team had worked any harder, or performed any better, and that ending was
a hollow one for all.
Now, Cincinnati faces the staggering loss of the leadership and production of Martin, Pete Mickeal, Jermaine Tate, DerMarr Johnson and Ryan Fletcher. Yet, the Bearcats will win or share Conference USA
honors this season. They have talent and an outstanding coach.
The only issue is injury.
Already, Eugene Land is out for the season with reconstructive knee surgery, and newcomer Antwan Jones will be out for several weeks, missing key preseason preparation time. Cincinnati will have a few bumps in the road, but the Bearcats will be good -- just as they always have been under Huggins.
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Frontcourt
The offseason injuries to Eugene Land and Antwan Jones will thin out the frontline, but there are still significant talents who will emerge.
Jones was to be the heir to Pete Mickeal. He remains a multi-skilled talent who has the potential to be a big-time player. A perimeter scorer who has the complete package, he was going to be counted on to provide consistent
scoring. Then Jones injured his foot -- an injury that could linger longer than this season.
Former Purdue recruit Jamaal Davis is a superior athlete who can score inside, rebound and has the chops to be a very good defender under head coach Bob Huggins. Davis will have to learn to work harder and play every possession, but he can play.
Donald Little, a 6-foot-10 post player who struggled last season, has gotten stronger. Little can run the court and really alter or block shots. He has improved, but he will need to assert himself more offensively and take advantage of his big body and nice shooting touch.
Sophomore B.J Grove has the chance to be a really good player. Grove is a wide 6-10, and Huggins gets on him about exactly how wide. But Grove runs pretty well. He can muscle people inside and has good hands. If Grove catches it next to the basket, he tries to dunk everything and can really power it up. Grove continues to work on playing hard all the time, which is a requirement under Huggins.
Freshman Rod Flowers is a very capable athlete who is relentless on the glass.
Backcourt
Steve Logan should start again at the point, although Kenny Satterfield will see plenty of time at that position.
Logan averaged 9.8 points, while shooing 42 percent from behind the arc and 85 percent from the line. He does not turn the ball over, but defense has been a challenge for him. Huggins really wants to push the ball, and that is not a
strength of Logan's.
|  | | Steve Logan is one of the few Bearcats fans will recognize this season. |
Logan remains more of a natural point guard than Satterfield. Logan passes and handles too well to take the ball out of his hands. Logan improved his quickness last season and was much more focused on leading the Bearcats.
Satterfield is on the verge of being an absolute star. He averaged 9.2 points and led the team with 5.4 assists a game. He is a relentless competitor and winner, who is fine playing in both transition and the halfcourt. His explosive first step gets the Bearcats going from end to end.
Satterfield is one of the best players off the dribble in the nation and really finds openings and shots for
himself and others. This will be Satterfield's team, and he must find a way
to lead it while keeping others involved and motivated.
Leonard Stokes, a 6-5 former Mr. Basketball in New York (over Satterfield) has
worked hard over the summer to improve his game. He played very well on an All-Star
team that traveled to France. While there, Stokes handled the ball and shot on the move, but he still needs to be more consistent and decisive.
Junior college transfer Immanuel McElroy is an incredible worker who fights for everything he gets and can
be a great defender and guard rebounder.
A player to watch on this team is freshman Field Williams, a 6-2 guard who can really shoot the ball.
He is not a complete player and will need some time to develop into a consistent college performer (i.e. defending the way Huggins wants him to), but Williams was a very good get.
Bottom Line
There is talent but not a lot of experience. Huggins will want Satterfield to take over and be a complete
player and leader. If this group defends hard as a team, rebounds the ball and listens intently to Huggins, Cincinnati has a chance to be good. Huggins did as good a coaching job as anyone in the nation last season and
solidified his position as an upper echelon coach in the college game. | |
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