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#57 Cincinnati
Bearcats
Big East
2004-05: 25-8, 12-4, 2nd
CUSA
2004-05 postseason:
NCAA
By
Joel Welser
Andy Kennedy is the
interim head coach after the ‘resignation’ of Bob Huggins.
Kennedy has a decade of coaching experience. The recruiting
specialist should provide as good of a transition as possible at
this stage since he’s been on staff at
Cincinnati since 2001.
There is a lot of turnover this year on the floor and sidelines
and the Bearcats will be contending in a much tougher Big East
conference. The mental game will be the most important. Cincy
can’t fold after a few knocks, or it could be devastating.
Who’s Out:
Jason Maxiell is the big loss at Cincinnati. The forward led the
squad with 15.3 points and provided the main defensive force
under the basket with 2.7 blocks per game. Nick Williams started
18 contests averaging 8.9 points and 2.4 boards. The bench loses
just about all of its depth with the departure of Roy Bright,
Jamaal Lucas, John Meeker, Chadd Moore and Asrangue Souleymane.
Bright, Moore and Lucas all earned five starts and will be
missed coming off the bench.
Who’s In:
Devan Downey will be the point
guard of the future at UC. He can score and handle the ball and
despite his small stature at 5-10 and 165 pounds, Downey is a
solid, tough defender. Domonick Tilford will add more depth at
the point. The 5-11 Louisville native earned ‘Mr. Basketball’
accolades in the state of Kentucky as a senior at Jeffersontown
High. Forwards DeAndre Coleman and Cedric McGowan will add some
depth on the wings. McGowan has the experience after playing two
years at Kilgore (TX) College, where he averaged 15.1 points and
5.9 boards. Abdul Herrera can score with his back to
the basket as well as anybody in the recruiting class. The 6-10
center has well developed skills for a young big man and will be
a big time player before his career is over.
Who to Watch:
The senior leadership in the front
line will fall to Eric Hicks. The 6-6, 240 pounder averaged 13.7
points and 9.0 rebounds a year ago and will be shooting for a
double-double this year. He may be undersized for battling under
the basket, but Hicks plays bigger than his 6-6 frame. On the
defensive end, the Greensboro, North Carolina product can
outrebound much taller competition and averaged 2.2 blocks per
game.
Projected
Conference Rank:
Say what you will about the timing
and manner of the coaching change, but this squad would have had
a fair share of knocks in the Big East either way. An 8th
place finish in the conference won’t make anybody happy in
Bearcat land but it will get Coach Kennedy a job somewhere else.
Jihad Muhammad is a decent point guard and will be pressured by
Devan Downey. Armein Kirkland is a solid wing who can hit the
outside shot. Eric Hicks and James White have plenty of starting
experience and are dependable seniors. As long as the newcomers
can step up and at least provide a solid bench, the Bearcats
will be competitive.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
NIT
Projected Starting
Five:
Jihad Muhammad,
Senior, Guard, 10.4 points per game
Armein Kirkland,
Senior, Guard, 10.3 points per game
Eric Hicks, Senior,
Forward, 13.7 points per game
James White, Senior,
Forward, 10.2 points per game
Abdul Herrera,
Freshman, Center, DNP last season
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