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Apparently, it's broken
Posted: Wednesday March 01, 2000 07:34 PM
By Brian Bennett, Special to CNNSI.com Cincinnati may be 14-0 in Conference USA and No. 3 in the nation, but coach Bob Huggins is calling for some changes in his team's approach. Huggins is fed up with the Bearcats' propensity to allow opponents back into games in the second half instead of going for the kill. The latest example of that occurred Sunday during a 68-59 home win over Louisville. Cincinnati dominated the game early on in taking a 33-16 halftime lead. But in the second half, Louisville shot 65 percent and found little resistance on drives to the basket, outscoring UC 43-35 in the final 20 minutes. "I guess we thought [Louisville] was going to roll over and quit playing," an exasperated Huggins said after the game. "To do what we did in the second half, that's atrocious." On Monday, the coach promised to increase the intensity during practice. "We're going to start making everything as competitive as we possibly can and give them as much of a sense of urgency as we can during practice," he said. Huggins is known for running his players through brutal three-hour practice sessions. But he said he has backed off those grind-it-out sessions this season to keep his players fresh and to prevent injuries. That's about to change. "We're going to turn it up now," he said.
Memphis revivalThe Memphis Tigers had every reason to phone in the end of the season. Their postseason chances are next to nothing and their coach is a lame duck.The Tigers had lost five straight games to fall to 9-15 on the season, with former UMass coach John Calipari waiting in the wings to replace interim coach Johnny Jones. Yet, Memphis has suddenly won three in a row, and by wining their last two games, could finish as high as second in the National Division. "I've really enjoyed just seeing the smiles and the joy on these guys' faces," Jones said. "For them to bounce back like this has been a real treat." Jones has virtually no chance a keeping his job -- Calipari visited the campus on Saturday and has all but agreed to take the job. But nobody wants to play the Tigers right now, or on their home floor during the C-USA Tournament, as they are rallying around the likable Jones. "It's obvious they really like him and they're really playing hard for him," said Tulane coach Perry Clark said. "They have a lot of talent, and right now they're playing up to their potential."
Scheduling nightmareLouisville coach Denny Crum has complained this season about the conference scheduling, which often forces a team to play Thursday night and then again Saturday afternoon. Marquette experienced just how bad that can be last weekend.The Golden Eagles stormed back from an 18-point deficit to take a 1-point win at South Florida in the Thursday 9 p.m. game. They stayed in Tampa overnight planning to catch a 7:30 a.m. flight the next day. But fog shut down the Milwaukee airport, forcing them to fly to Chicago and bus home, where they arrived around 6 p.m. Coach Tom Crean ran his team through a light practice that night in preparation for a 1 p.m. game Saturday against Memphis. Obviously fatigued, the Golden Eagles scored only 49 points and lost the game. "It's tough, because South Florida was such an emotional victory that you hope you can play on those fumes, and I thought we did for a while," Crean said.
Drexler staying putClyde Drexler and his Houston Cougars have suffered through a dreadful season. They are 8-19 overall and 2-12 in the conference heading into Wednesday night's game against Southern Miss. They will be the 12th seed in the C-USA tournament no matter what happens the rest of the way.But Drexler says his bunch has shown a lot of character in staying positive throughout the long season, and he expects them to play hard in the final two regular season games. "Certainly the next two games are pivotal for us, because we need a win," he said. "Our mindset is very positive. These guys are winners in every aspect of the word. They never quit."
Worth notingThe conference might as well rename its player of the week honor the Kenyon Martin Award. The Cincinnati center earned the distinction for the fifth time this season, scoring a career-high 33 with 14 rebounds against Southern Miss and getting 24 points and 12 rebounds against Louisville. Only two other players in the nation have won their conference award at least five times this season: Notre Dame's Troy Murphy and Hofstra's Craig "Speedy" Claxton. ... South Florida's super sub Altron Jackson leads the nation in scoring by a sixth man, with better than 18 points a game. But he has started the past three games in place of Chonsey Asbury, who sprained an ankle. ... With a win over Houston on Saturday, Louisville will clinch the No. 2 seed in the C-USA tournament. The Cardinals have won seven of their last eight games after starting 3-5 in conference play.Brian Bennett covers Conference USA for the Louisville Courier-Journal. Check back every Wednesday for his latest CNNSI.com Insider.
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