Somehow, Cincinnati has flown under the national radar this season.

For the past decade, the Bearcats have been one of the nation’s top basketball programs. Under the tutelage of head coach Bob Huggins, the Bearcats have advanced to postseason play in each of the past 11 seasons. During this period, 11 Bearcats have been drafted into the NBA, and Cincinnati has finished in the top 10 of the final polls in six of the past 12 years.

Cincinnati has done it all – except receive recognition.

Cincinnati (13-1) was unbeaten until Wednesday night when the Bearcats fell to Louisville, 93-66. This week, they earned the No. 6 ranking in the nation as they were one of three remaining Division I teams without a loss. They also received two first place votes in this week’s AP poll.

‘Cincinnati is definitely a national contender,’ Elon head coach Ernie Nestor said. ‘The key is handling success with disappointment.’

Cincinnati’s depth has been its strength thus far. Nine Bearcats average more than 15 minutes, eight of whom average more than 6.5 points.

The Bearcats are playing the same tough under-the-boards style that brought them success in the late 1990s on the backs of Danny Fortson and Kenyon Martin. This season, junior Jason Maxiell is continuing the tradition at power forward.

‘Jason Maxiell is a top-15 player in the country,’ Nestor said. ‘This kid goes up to the board and then he finds the ball.’

Maxiell was named the Conference USA Sixth Man of the Year as a freshman and has consistently improved. This season, he was named to the John Wooden Preseason All-America team, and he has done everything to fulfill expectations. Currently, Maxiell is averaging 14.6 ppg and 7.7 rebounds per game.

‘Their athleticism and their depth really stick out about them,’ TCU head coach Neil Dougherty said. ‘When we had to go to our bench against them, we started to struggle.’

Maxiell’s supporting cast includes senior Tony Bobbitt, who comes off the bench at guard. Bobbitt leads the team in scoring with 14.5 points a game. Senior guard Field Williams has also been a scoring threat. He is shooting 48 percent from 3-point range while averaging 13.5 points.

‘Bobbitt’s shooting is unbelievable,’ Dougherty said. ‘And I don’t know if Field Williams has ever missed a shot against us.’

Two newcomers bolster the conference-leading lineup. Junior center Robert Whaley, a two-time junior college All-American, has contributed off the bench after an early-season knee injury. Florida transfer James White is now starting at small forward after becoming eligible on Dec. 20.

‘I don’t think there is a team in college basketball with as much talent one to 10,’ Nestor said. ‘They have four or five NBA-level talents.’

The Bearcats have beaten two ranked opponents this season. On Dec. 23, they defeated then-No. 23 Dayton, 82-53. The Flyers have not returned to the Top 25 since. On Jan. 14, they defeated conference opponent Marquette, 85-73. The loss bumped the Golden Eagles from the Top 25, too.

‘The scary thing is we still haven’t put it all together and done our thing,’ Huggins said.

As the Bearcats lead the Conference USA standings, the toughest part of their schedule awaits. They must play at Wake Forest on Feb. 15 and then face Louisville six days later. Their season schedule finishes with a road game against John Calipari’s Memphis Tigers.

‘They can compete with anyone in the country in a 10-man game,’ Nestor said. ‘But [the NCAA tournament] is a five-man game.’

Bulldogs Bulldoze Kentucky

When Dennis Felton took over as Georgia head basketball coach last year, he had only the skeleton of a team that won its first SEC basketball championship in 2001-02. With seven scholarship players remaining after an academic scandal rocked the team, he needed some upperclassmen to acclimate to larger roles.

Georgia, now 9-6, has experienced some lows, but the Bulldogs have also experienced some exciting highs this season.

Last Saturday, the Bulldogs upset a stunned No. 5 Kentucky at Rupp Arena in Lexington, 65-57. The win proved that although the team is weakened, it can still compete with the best teams in the country. The win, coupled with an earlier upset against then-undefeated No. 3 Georgia Tech, has shown that inconsistency is the only thing holding Georgia back.

‘We can compete with anybody if we play with the conviction we have to,’ Felton said. ‘We played with tough resiliency.’

Georgia’s four senior lettermen led the way against the Wildcats. Southeastern Conference Player of the Week, Rashad Wright, scored 20 points and appeared in 39 minutes while forward Damien Wilkens chipped in 11 points and 13 rebounds. The upset brought Kentucky’s 20-game SEC win streak to a halt.

‘They came out and played very aggressive with lots of intensity,’ Kentucky head coach Tubby Smith said. ‘I don’t think that we really responded to their level of aggressiveness. We really were ineffective at attacking the boards.’

Just two and a half weeks earlier, the Bulldogs upset Georgia Tech at home in a double-overtime thriller. Senior forward Jonas Hayes, twin-brother of Jarvis Hayes of the Washington Wizards, led the way against the Yellow Jackets with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Damien Wilkins scored 18 points and had seven rebounds in the game.

‘Our four seniors play a ton of minutes,’ Felton said. ‘We rely on significant contributions from them.’

After scandal rocked the Bulldogs last year – leading to their suspension from the postseason and several transfers – Georgia has had to rely on walk-ons.

Said Felton, ‘It will be a full year before we can compete at full strength.’

Player of the Week

Andre Emmett

SENIOR, TEXAS TECH

Senior guard Andre Emmett has single-handedly brought Bobby Knight basketball back into the Top 25.

In a Jan. 17 win over Baylor, Emmett scored 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Two nights later, he followed it up with 21 points and eight rebounds against No. 21 Oklahoma.

Emmett currently leads the Big 12 with 22.1 points per game, and his No. 18 Texas Tech Red Raiders are 15-2. He is among the 30 senior finalists for the NCAA Division I Player of the Year award in men’s basketball.

Last year, the Red Raiders ended their season in the semifinals of the NIT tournament with a loss to St. John’s. Emmett had 21 points and 12 rebounds in the game.

Published on January 21, 2004 at 12:00 pm