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Posted: Thursday October 31, 2002 5:36 PM Updated: Monday November 04, 2002 12:11 PM Cincinnati Bearcats
The following preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the most thorough preview available of the upcoming season, order the 2002-03 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518. Team Preview | Blue Ribbon Analysis
At most schools that play at a higher level of Division I basketball, the loss of four starters from a team that had been successful the season before might be cause for concern. That’s not necessarily true at Cincinnati. Seven times in his 13 years coaching the Bearcats, Bob Huggins has entered a season with two or fewer returning starters. In all but one of those seasons, the Bearcats won at least 25 games. Given that history, it is best not to judge Cincinnati’s chances in 2002-03 based on the fact that only one starter returns from a team that went 31-4 and won the Conference USA regular-season and tournament titles. Gone from last season are high-scoring All-America guard Steve Logan (22.0 ppg), forwards Jamaal Davis and Immanuel McElroy and center Donald Little, who was finally booted off the team last spring after his third arrest in 11 months. As is usually the case, Huggins has several capable replacements for that lost starting quartet on his roster, and he also put together a recruiting class that was ranked as high as No. 5 in the country. Suffice it to say, Huggins hasn’t been staying awake nights fretting about his program falling into ruin.
That lone returning starter is a good one, 6-foot-6 senior swingman Leonard Stokes (12.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.4 ppg). Stokes, the Bearcats’ second-leading scorer a year ago, started at shooting guard but probably will return to small forward, the position he played in 2000-2001. Stokes has the whole package. He scores with penetration or from the perimeter (25 3-pointers a year ago) and also knows how to find open teammates. He’s a strong rebounder and is capable of putting defensive clamps on the opponent’s highest-scoring perimeter player. "Leonard, in a lot of ways, might be our go-to guy," Huggins said. "There's a good possibility that we will have more guys to go to when we need a crucial basket." One of those players who will be asked to take on more responsibility is 6-7, 235-pound sophomore Jason Maxiell (8.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg). Maxiell had a terrific debut as a freshman, earning C-USA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award and also being chosen to the league’s All-Freshman team. Maxiell takes full advantage of his physical gifts. He’s stout enough to battle in the paint and with his long arms and leaping ability, he plays considerably taller than he’s listed. Last season he blocked 52 shots, second on the team and eighth in C-USA. Far from being just a defensive specialist, Maxiell knows how to score. He shot 55 percent from the field as a rookie, tops on his team and seventh in the league. Maxiell put together some great games. He scored a career-high 18 points twice, against South Florida and DePaul. Maxiell grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds (to go along with 13 points and six blocks) against Coppin State, and threw back a personal-best seven shots against Saint Louis. "We need for Max to really step up this year," Huggins said. "We need him to be a first-team all-conference player. He showed that he could do this as a freshman last year. He contributed at both ends of the court. Usually a freshman is able to contribute at one end or the other, but Max played well at both." Cincinnati is set at the forward spots and could have an excellent front line if 6-11, 280-pound senior center B.J. Grove (3.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg) can return to his 2000-01 form. Grove started 21 games in the middle that season, but sat out the fall semester a year ago and didn’t rejoin the team until mid-December. Grove played in just 15 games and struggled with his weight and conditioning. "We need B.J. Grove to be the B.J. of two years ago and not the B.J. of last year," Huggins said. Cincinnati recruited some reinforcements for the front line in 6-6 freshman Eric Hicks and 6-8, 250-pound junior Kareem Johnson. Hicks played last season for Dudley High School in Greensboro, N.C., and earned first-team all-state honors after averaging 30.7 points, 12.3 rebounds and 6.7 blocks. Hicks is similar to Maxiell in that he combines strength and athletic ability. Like Maxiell, Hicks knows how to score (he shot .627 from the field last season and has a solid face-up game) and defend. Hicks set a state record for blocked shots in a season (210) and a career (453). Hicks, the Bearcats’ highest-rated high school recruit, was ranked No. 40 among the 2001-02 senior class by PrepStars and No. 44 by TheInsidersHoops.com. "Eric can come in and have the same kind of year that Max had for us last year," Huggins said. "He has all of the physical abilities. He could see action at small forward as well as power forward, which would give us a bigger lineup." Johnson was a second-team junior college All-American at Chipola (Fla.) College last season. He averaged 13.2 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks as a sophomore while shooting 68 percent from the field. Before Chipola, Johnson played at Eufaula (Ala.) High School, where he was chosen the state’s Class 5A Player of the Year after averaging 24.6 points and 11.6 rebounds. Two juniors will get every opportunity to earn minutes in the frontcourt. Rod Flowers (1.4 ppg, 1.5 rpg), 6-8 and 235 pounds, played in 21 games last season, but averaged just 3.9 minutes on the floor. He’s a willing rebounder and skilled offensive player who can do damage with a jump hook in the paint. Last season, he shot .522 from the field (12-of-23). Huggins will be glad to finally see what 6-10, 255-pound junior Derek Hollman can do. He was brought in a year ago from Panola (Texas) College, but was sidelined for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. The Mississippi native averaged 12.0 points and 12.2 rebounds in his only season at Panola. Hollman loves to defend and rebound, which will endear him to Huggins, but Cincinnati coaches also believe he can become a consistent low-post scorer. Huggins’ biggest concern is the point guard spot. After being spoiled by Logan, not just any point guard will do. The consensus All-American left Cincinnati as the school’s No. 2 all-time scorer (1,985 points), behind only Oscar Robertson. Logan was also No. 2 in assists, and he holds school records for most victories (111) and games played (135). Taron Barker (2.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.4 apg), a 6-1 senior, probably will be given the first chance to win the job. "Taron Barker should have the edge early because of experience," Huggins said. "[But] Chadd Moore could have an impact depending on how quickly he picks things up. Jamaal Lucas could step up." Barker played in 31 games last season after transferring from Odessa (Texas) College. He’s nowhere close to the scorer that Logan was, but has quick hands and knows how to distribute and take care of the basketball. At 200 pounds, he’s also a load physically, which, combined with his quickness, makes him a solid defender. Moore comes to Cincinnati with excellent credentials, having led Oak Hill (Va.) Academy to a 32-1 record last season while averaging 8.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists. Moore, rated the No. 58 high school player in last year’s class by PrepStars, is an instinctive passer and has good court awareness and vision. Moore handles the ball well and in a pinch can score; he shot 53 percent from the field last season at Oak Hill. Moore, from Huntsville, Ala., is one of three natives of that state (along with Johnson and Flowers) on the Bearcats’ roster. In 2000-01, he earned first-team Class 5A all-state honors after averaging 21 points and six assists for Lee High School. Lucas (0.2 ppg, 0.5 rpg) is a 6-2 sophomore who walked on a year ago and played in 13 games. His passing and ball-handling skills make him a true lead guard, so chances are he could see a little more work this season. With Stokes moving to small forward, that paves the way for incoming junior college transfer Tony Bobbitt to take over at shooting guard. Bobbitt, a 6-4 junior, comes from the College of Southern Idaho, where he averaged 17.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists last season. He shot 39 percent from 3-point range (110-of-279) and averaged 3.4 3s per game. Stokes also shot 81 percent from the free-throw line. Bobbitt can do more than score. He rebounds well from the guard spot, and he loves to hunker down on defense. Last season, he was second among the nation’s junior college players in steals (3.9 per game). In a pinch, Bobbitt can even slide over and play the point. "Tony can make a real impact for us offensively," Huggins said. "I think he can be one of our best shooters. He could also be one of our better ball-handlers." Field Williams (6.5 ppg, 1.2 rpg), a 6-3 junior, will press Bobbitt for playing time. Last season, Williams played in 33 games and averaged 15 minutes on the floor. He used the time efficiently, racking up several double-figure scoring games. Williams scored a career-high 19 points against Coppin State as he launched 14 3-pointers, making five. He set a Cincinnati record by making all five of his 3s en route to an 18-point night against Louisville. Williams also scored 18 points against East Carolina and 14 against South Florida, giving him 50 points in a four-game span. Huggins would love that sort of production for an entire season. Williams shot an excellent 43 percent (59-of-137) from beyond the arc last season and can also cash in from the free-throw line. He’s a career 85 percent shooter. Jimmy Hubbard (1.6 ppg, 0.6 rpg), a 6-6 senior, didn’t see much action a year ago because of the team’s depth at the wing positions and a nagging back injury that sidelined him the final 10 games. Hubbard can shoot, however (33 percent from 3-point range), so he might find some time in certain situations. The Bearcats’ final newcomer is 6-7 freshman Armein Kirkland, who played for Lee High School in Tyler, Texas. He averaged 20.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.8 assists as a senior. Kirkland will be able to play big guard or small forward -- he’s a strong perimeter shooter (39 percent from behind the arc a year ago). At 190 pounds, he’s painfully thin, so Kirkland will have to hit the weight room in order to maximize his potential. In Huggins’ program, logging weight room time won’t be a problem. Cincinnati lost four starters, including All-America guard Logan. But long-time observers of Bearcat basketball realize that Huggins is often at his best when he enters a season having to rely on a new lineup, one which often includes more than one recruit. This season, more than ever, the Bearcats’ signees will have to make an impact. Bobbitt likely will win the starting two-guard job, and Hicks has a chance to play a lot at either forward spot. Johnson’s rebounding skills and toughness will earn some playing time, and Moore will get his minutes at the point. "We're going to have to have our newcomers come in and make a significant contribution," Huggins said. "We need to have our veteran guys, like Leonard Stokes and Jason Maxiell, elevate the level of their play." Without Logan around, Stokes and Maxiell will have to do more than increase their 2001-02 contributions. Leadership will have to come from somewhere. And the Bearcats will need a reliable scorer, preferably at guard, who can do some of the same things Logan contributed. "Our biggest concern is our losses in the backcourt," Huggins said. "Steve Logan gave us great scoring and leadership there. His biggest attribute was that, if we were ahead late in the game, he was going to make every shot when he was fouled and the other team couldn't take the ball from him." Overall, Huggins sees a team that, though it will be without the departed four 2001-02 starters, can be better in several areas. "I think we will be able to rebound a little better," Huggins said. "Our new players will have to come along quickly for us to be as good defensively as we were last year. I think we'll be able to shoot it better. We'll have more guys on the floor who can shoot it than we had last year."
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