University of Cincinnati Bearcats

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1 Men s Basketball Richard E. Lindner Center 2751 O Varsity Way, Room 860 Cincinnati, OH Phone: (513) Fax: (513) Sports Communications GAME NOTES Schedule/Results DATE OPPONENT TV Time Peggy Cronin Classic - Fifth Third Arena Nov. 9 Belmont FOX19 L, Nov. 10 Western Carolina FOX19 W, Nov. 11 Bowling Green FOX19 L, Nov. 16 Coastal Carolina FOX19 W, Nov. 24 Fairfield FOX19 W, Nov. 26 USC Upstate FOX19 W, Dec. 1 at UAB CSTV L, Dec. 8 at Illinois State FOX19 L, Dec. 12 at No. 17 Xavier ESPN2 L, Dec. 19 No. 2 Memphis ESPN2 L, Dec. 23 at NC State FSN L, Dec. 29 vs. Miami (OH) ^ FOX19 W, Jan. 1 at Louisville * ESPN W, Jan. 5 at St. John s * ESPN Classic L, Jan. 9 SYRACUSE * FOX19 W, Jan. 12 No. 19 VILLANOVA * ESPNU W, Jan. 15 at Notre Dame * ESPNU L, Jan. 19 No. 15 PITTSBURGH * FOX19 W, Jan. 23 CONNECTICUT * ESPN Reg. L, Jan. 27 at Seton Hall * FOX19 L, Jan. 30 at West Virginia * ESPN2 W, Feb. 2 No 17 MARQUETTE * ESPN Reg. L, Feb. 9 at Rutgers * ESPN Classic W (OT), Feb. 13 ST. JOHN S * ESPN2 W, Feb. 20 USF * ESPNU W, Feb. 23 at No. 12 Georgetown * ESPN Reg. L, Feb. 27 at Pittsburgh * ESPN Reg. L, March 2 PROVIDENCE * ESPNU L (OT), March 6 DEPAUL * ESPN360 L, March 9 at No. 13 Connecticut * FOX19 L, March 12 vs. Pittsburgh (1st) ESPN 7 p.m. March 13 BIG EAST Champ. (QF) ESPN TBD March 14 BIG EAST Champ. (SF) ESPN 7 p.m./9 p.m. March 15 BIG EAST Champ. (F) ESPN 9 p.m. ^ - U.S. Bank Arena (Cincinnati, Ohio) * BIG EAST Conference Game. BIG EAST Championship (Madison Square Garden - New York) All times are Eastern. Sports Communications Office Richard E. Lindner Center Suite O Varsity Way Cincinnati, OH Phone: Fax: WEB SITE: Mike Harris..Asst. AD/Sports Communications michael.harris@uc.edu men s basketball (13-17, 8-10 BIG EAST) University of Cincinnati Bearcats 2008 BIG EAST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP Wednesday, March 12 vs. Pittsburgh (22-9, 10-8 BIG EAST) Madison Square Garden New York, NY 7 p.m. Match-up at a Glance Arena (Capacity)... Madison Square Garden (19,763) Tipoff...7 p.m. Television... ESPN Dan Shulman (Play-by-Play); Len Elmore (Analyst) Radio WLW Dan Hoard (Play-by-Play); Chuck Machock (Color) Satellite Radio...XM Channel WLW Cybercast (Audio Only)... Probable Starters Statistics No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown PPG RPG MIN. 1 Marvin Gentry G Sr. Ft. Worth, Texas Deonta Vaughn G So. Indianapolis, Ind * Jamual Warren G Sr. Springfield, Mass * Adam Hrycaniuk C Sr. Mysliborz, Poland John Williamson F Sr. Columbus, Ohio Off the Bench Statistics 10 Marcus Sikes F Sr. Richmond, Va Larry Davis G Fr. Houston, Texas Darnell Wilks F Fr. Nashville, Tenn Branden Miller G Jr. Cincinnati, Ohio Rashad Bishop F Fr. Newark, N.J Alvin Mitchell F Fr. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla Anthony McClain C Fr. Trenton, N.J Kenny Belton F Fr. Salem, Va * - denotes assists per game. STORY LINES: Making it to the BIG EAST Championship for the second time in the school s three years in the league and first under head coach Mick Cronin, the Cincinnati Bearcats (13-17, 8-10 BIG EAST) are looking to put a difficult end to the regular season behind them and start fresh. UC enters the BIG EAST tournament on a five-game losing streak, its longest since dropping five in a row in December. The Bearcats lost their regular-season finale vs. No. 13/14 Connecticut in Storrs on Sunday, 96-51, shooting a season-low.267 from the floor. UConn dominated the game offensively shooting over.500 from both the floor and behind the 3-point line. Sophomore guard Deonta Vaughn and freshman swingman Rashad Bishop led the Bearcats with nine points a piece. The loss was UC s worst since losing to Denison College, 78-29, on Feb. 14, Cincinnati will have to put the game in the past quickly as they prepare to take on the University of Pittsburgh (22-9, 10-8 BIG EAST) in the opening round of the BIG EAST Championship in the No. 7 vs. No. 10 game on Wednesday, March 12 at 7 p.m. The game can be seen nationally on EPSN. The Panthers have won three of their last four, including a win over UC in Pittsburgh on Feb. 27. The win evened the season series at one a piece as UC knocked off Pitt, 62-59, back on January 19. Pittsburgh locked up the No. 7-seed in the tournament after knocking off DePaul on Saturday, 98-79, behind a 22-point, 14-rebound performance by freshman forward DeJuan Blair. This will be the 12th meeting between the two schools and the first in the postseason. UC leads the series with a record of Cincinnati at BIG EAST Championship March 12-15, 2008

2 Men s Basketball Cincinnati-PITT SERIES Cincinnati leads 7-4 This game will be the 12th meeting between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Pitt has won three of the four contests since UC joined the BIG EAST. UC won January s match-up, 62-59, in Fifth Third Arena. The Bearcats own a 7-4 lead in the all-time series which began in 1950 with a win for Cincinnati. Total:... Cincinnati leads 7-4 In Cincinnati:... Cincinnati leads 5-1 In Pittsburgh:...Pittsburgh leads 3-2 Neutral Site:... Current Streak:... Pitt 1 Most UC Points: (89-77), 2/4/76 Most Pitt Points:...89, (89-69), 2/12/06 Combined Points: (87-80, UC), 1/23/78 Biggest UC win: (63-38), 1/7/50 Biggest Pitt win:...20 (89-69), 1/24/07 Date Site Score Result 1/7/50...CG UC 1/13/51... A UC 2/4/76... FH UC 2/2/77... A Pitt 1/23/78... RC...(OT) UC 1/10/79... A...(OT) UC 12/19/79... RC UC 2/12/06... A Pitt 1/24/07... SC Pitt 1/19/08... SC UC 2/27/08... A Pitt Earlier this year vs. Pittsburgh... Game No. 18 Jan. 19, Pittsburgh 59 Cincinnati 62 Final: The Bearcats held off a late-game charge by Pittsburgh that cut a 13-point lead to two and held on for the win with a blocked 3-pointer by Rashad Bishop. Defining Moment: With the score tied midway through the second half, Cincinnati went on a 13-0 run over the next three minutes. Key Stats: UC shot.465 from the field, its second-highest shooting percentage of the year, and out-rebounded Pitt, Performance Leaders: Deonta Vaughn 14 points, 4 assists, 10-of-14 from free-throw line; Adam Hrycaniuk 12 points, 7 rebounds; Rashad Bishop 11 points, 6 rebounds. PITTSBURGH min fg-a 3fg-a ft-a reb ast to bk st pf pts Sam Young, f DeJuan Blair, f Keith Benjamin, g Ronald Ramon, g Gilbert Brown, g Tyrell Biggs, Brad Wanamaker Gary McGhee Totals John Williamson, f Adam Hrycaniuk, c Deonta Vaughn, g Rashad Bishop, g Jamual Warren, g Marvin Gentry Marcus Sikes Larry Davis Alvin Mitchell Anthony McClain Totals Halftime: Pittsburgh 28, Cincinnati 27. Dead Ball Rebounds: Pittsburgh 3, Cincinnati 2. Technical: Cincinnati - None. Pittsburgh - Team. Officials: Jeff Clark, Pat Driscoll, Jim Haney. Attendance: 10,684. Game No. 27 Feb. 27, 2008 Cincinnati 67 Pittsburgh 73 Petersen Events Center Pittsburgh, PA Final: Pittsburgh pulled away late in a tight-fought game and beat UC, Defining Moment: After Deonta Vaughn tied the game with a trey at 8:15 of the second half, Ronald Ramon of Pitt answered with one of his own and the Panthers never trailed again. Key Stats: Cincinnati committed 17 turnovers in the game leading to 16 points. Performance Leaders: John Williamson 27 points, 9 rebounds; Deonta Vaughn 21 points, 6 3-pointers. Marvin Gentry, g John Williamson, f Adam Hrycaniuk, c Deonta Vaughn, g Jamual Warren, g Marcus Sikes Larry Davis Rashad Bishop Anthony McClain Kenny Belton Team 5 Totals PITTSBURGH min fg-a 3fg-a ft-a reb ast to bk st pf pts Sam Young, f DeJuan Blair, c Benjamin Hill, g Levance Fields, g Ronald Ramon, g Tyrell Biggs Gilbert Brown Brad Wanamaker Gary McGhee Team 3 Totals Halftime: Pittsburgh 29, Cincinnati 29. Dead Ball Rebounds: Cincinnati 2, Pittsburgh 4. Technical: Georgetown: None. Cincinnati - None. Officials: John Cahill, Michael Stephens, Brian O Connell. Attendance: 11,525. Game Day Central Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh Cincinnati, OH Location Pittsburgh, PA 36,518 Enrollment 33,574 Red & Black Colors Blue & Gold BIG EAST Conference BIG EAST Fifth Third Arena (13,176) Arena Petersen Events Center (12,508) Dr. Nancy Zimpher President Mark Nordenberg Mike Thomas Athletics Director Jeff Long Mick Cronin (Cincinnati, 97) Head Coach (Alma Mater) Jamie Dixon (TCU, 87) (5th season) Overall Record (5th season) (2nd season) Record at School same Record (16th BIG EAST) Conference Record 12-4 (t-2nd, BIG EAST) Tale of the Tape Overall Record BIG EAST League Record 10-8 BIG EAST.418 ( ) Field Goal Percentage.460 ( ).333 ( ) Three-Point Field Goal Percentage.343 ( ).669 ( ) Free Throw Percentage.673 ( ).425 ( ) Opponent Field Goal Percentage.426 ( ).329 ( ) Opponent Three-Point Field Goal Percentage.330 ( ) 36.4 Rebound Average Rebound Margin Assist/Turnover Ratio Points per Game Points Allowed per Game 65.3 UC Garden Memories The Bearcats are overall record in Madison Square Garden at the Garden that stood at Eighth Ave. between 49th and 50th and was in use between 1925 and at the current facility located on Seventh Ave. between 31st and 33rd. UC played its first game in Madison Square Garden on February 23, 1950 and defeated No. 10-ranked Long Island University, On Jan. 9, 1958, Oscar Robertson scored 56 of Cincinnati s 118 points against Seton Hall in Madison Square Garden as a as a sophomore, single-handedly outscored the Pirates. Robertson recorded another 50-point game against Iowa as a senior. As a team, the Bearcats won the Holiday Festival Tournament in the Garden in 1959 and 1961 and captured third-place in the 1955 NIT. During one of UC s games at the Garden in 1952, the play of the Bearcats caught the eye of a high school athlete from Brooklyn named Sandy Koufax. Koufax ended up attending UC on a basketball scholarship where he played freshmen basketball and then baseball. He was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers while attending UC in and went on to have a Hall of Fame career as one of baseball s all-time great pitchers. Special thank you to John Perin of WOBO-AM for his research. Cincinnati at BIG EAST Championship March 12-15,

3 Men s Basketball POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Playing in just its third season in the BIG EAST Conference, Cincinnati returns to Madison Square Garden for the second time to play in the BIG EAST Championship. Despite being two years removed from its last visit, no player or coach on this season s UC roster participated in the Bearcats loss to Syracuse in UC head coach Mick Cronin does have postseason experience as he coached in three straight Ohio Valley Conference Tournaments, winning titles in 2004 and 2006 and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. His all-time record is 6-1 in conference tournaments. 500-POINT MAN: Sophomore guard Deonta Vaughn scored nine points at Connecticut in the season finale to become the 32nd player in Cincinnati history to record 500 points or more in a season. He is the first Bearcats basketball player to do so since James White and Eric Hicks each topped the mark in The top three single seasons in the program s history belong to College Basketball s Player of the Century Oscar Robertson who scored over 900 points in three straight seasons ( ). FAST-PACED RACE: Deonta Vaughn also is 65 points away from becoming just the 45th player in UC basketball history to reach 1,000 points for his career. At his career-pace of 15.6 points per game, Vaughn could reach the milestone this season, depending on the Bearcats postseason fortunes. If Vaughn can reach the 1000-point club in the next three games, he would equal Jim Ard ( ) as the sixth-fastest player to reach the point plateau, doing it in 63 games. As remarkable as it would be, Bearcat great Oscar Robertson scored his first 1,000 points in his first 29 games (first game of second season), averaging over 30 points a night. Following in the list of the 10 fastest players to 1,000 career points in UC history. Rk. Player s G PTS AVG Gms to Oscar Robertson (3) Lloyd Batts (3) Ron Bohnam (3) Danny Fortson (3) Derrek Dickey (3) Herb Jones (2) Jim Ard (3) Jack Twyman (4) Rick Roberson (3) Paul Hogue (3) Jim Holstein (3) Deonta Vaughn (2) 2007-pres BIG EAST Standings Final Regular- BIG EAST All Games Team Record Pct. Home Away Stk. Record Pct. Home Away Neut. Stk. Georgetown W W5 Louisville L L1 Notre Dame W W3 Connecticut W W1 West Virginia W W2 Marquette L L1 Pittsburgh W W1 Villanova W W2 Syracuse W W2 Cincinnati L L5 Seton Hall L L3 Providence L L1 DePaul L L1 St. John s L L2 USF L L2 Rutgers W W1 Associated Press Poll March 10, 2008 No. Team Record Pts. 1. North Carolina (52) , Memphis (13) , UCLA (5) , Tennessee (2) , Kansas , Texas , Duke , Wisconsin , Georgetown , Xavier , Stanford , Butler Louisville Notre Dame Connecticut Drake Purdue Vanderbilt Michigan State Gonzaga Washington State Indiana Davidson Brigham Young Marquette Others Receiving Votes Clemson 64, USC 57, South Alabama 43, Mississippi State 21, Kent State 11, Baylor 7, Pittsburgh 6, Oklahoma 4, Kentucky 3, Cornell 3, West Virginia 3, Western Kentucky 1, Kansas State 1, Saint Mary s 1. ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll March 10, 2008 No. Team Record Pts. 1. North Carolina (23) UCLA (4) Memphis (3) Tennessee Kansas (1) Wisconsin Duke Texas Georgetown Butler Stanford Xavier Louisville Notre Dame Connecticut Purdue Vanderbilt Drake Michigan State Indiana Washington State Gonzaga Brigham Young Marquette Davidson Others Receiving Votes Clemson 33, Mississippi State 26, USC 24, Saint Mary s 17, South Alabama 10, Kentucky 10, Arizona State 6, Kent State 2, Western Kentucky 2, Pittsburgh 1. Cincinnati at BIG EAST Championship March 12-15, 2008

4 Men s Basketball Breaking Down the Record Below are the records and streaks for UC Streak Cronin Overall L Home L Road/Neut L BIG EAST L BIG EAST Home L BIG EAST Road L UC in BIG EAST Statistics Statistics are based on overall and conf. only Team Overall Rank Conf. Rank Scoring Offense Scoring Defense Scoring Margin FT Percentage FG Percentage FG Pct. Defense Pt. Percentage Pt. Percentage Defense Rebound Margin Blocked Shots Assists Steals Turnover Margin t-11 Assists-Turnover Ratio FG Made Individual Overall Scoring 7. Deonta Vaughn Assists 9. Jamual Warren Deonta Vaughn Free Throw Percentage 7. Deonta Vaughn Steals 11. Jamual Warren Point Field Goal Percentage 3. Deonta Vaughn Point Field Goal Made 2. Deonta Vaughn Assist/Turnover Ratio 5. Jamual Warren Offensive Rebounds 11. John Williamson Individual Conference Only Scoring 5. Deonta Vaughn John Williamson Field Goal Percentage 10. John Williamson Assists 10. Jamual Warren Deonta Vaughn Free Throw Percentage 4. Deonta Vaughn Steals t-11. Jamual Warren Point Field Goal Pct. 4. Deonta Vaughn Point Field Goal Made 2. Deonta Vaughn Assists-Turnover Ratio 6. Jamual Warren Cincinnati at BIG EAST Championship March 12-15, 2008 VAUGHN NAMED FIRST-TEAM ALL-BIG EAST: University of Cincinnati sophomore guard Deonta Vaughn was named first-team all-big EAST Conference. Vaughn joins Eric Hicks, who was picked in , as the only first-team selections in UC s three years in the conference. Vaughn played an instrumental part in the Bearcats six-win improvement in BIG EAST play as they have gone from two league wins last year to eight this season. Vaughn ranks among the league s best in scoring (16.7 ppg, 7th BIG EAST), assists (4.07 apg, 11th BIG EAST), free-throw percentage (.805, 7th BIG EAST), 3-point field goals made (2.87 per game, 2nd BIG EAST), 3-point percentage (.393, 3rd BIG EAST) and minutes played (33.03, 12th BIG EAST). A BIG EAST IMPROVEMENT: The Bearcats made a six-win improvement in conference wins over last season, going from two victories in to eight this year. The eight wins equal UC s inaugural BIG EAST season when it went 8-8 in the old 16-game format. The Bearcats six-win improvement is tied for the ninth-largest single-season turnaround in BIG EAST history with six other teams. For the list of the biggest one-season improvements in BIG EAST history, turn to page 18 of the notes. A SECOND THREAT: Senior forward John Williamson was challenged by head coach Mick Cronin in the Cincinnati Enquirer, before the Rutgers game on Feb. 9, to become a second scoring threat and help sophomore Deonta Vaughn shoulder some of the offensive load. In his eight games since, Williamson has met the challenge and exceeded Coach Cronin s goal of 13 to 14 points, averaging 17.3 points. To go along with the scoring, Williamson also has added a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game during the stretch. 13 AND COUNTING: With the victory against St. John s, Cincinnati surpassed its win total from last year when it went 11-19, notching its 12th victory of the year. UC earned the baker s dozen vs. USF, pulling out a one-point win, vs. the Bulls. DEFENDING THE THREE: In BIG EAST Conference play, one thing UC improved was its ability to defend against the 3-pointer. In conference games, the Bearcats were fifth in the BIG EAST in 3-point shooting defense, allowing opponents to connect on 32.5 percent (110-of-338) of their attempts. At West Virginia, on Jan. 30, Cincinnati held the Mountaineers to just one 3-point basketball in 22 attempts, the fewest treys in a game by a UC opponent since holding cross-town rival Xavier to 1-of-18 shooting on Jan. 19, Non-Conference Conference Opponent 3-pt Made (per game) 85 (7.1) 110 (6.1) Opponent 3-pt Attempts (per game) 245 (20.4) 338 (18.8) Opponent 3-pt Pct PLAY DEFENSE AND REBOUND: UC basketball has built its success over the last 20 years on two core values defense and rebounding. Head coach Mick Cronin learned it as an assistant at UC and those same values hold true for this year s squad as well. The Bearcats own records of 8-1 when holding opponents to 60 points or less and 10-9 when winning the rebounding margin. Both trends took a hit in the DePaul game as the Bearcats lost to the Blue Demons despite holding them to 60 points and out rebounding them, RECENT TROUBLES: Even though the Bearcats out rebounded four of their last five opponents and owned a (38.4 to 33.6) advantage, UC lost all five games. The culprit has been UC s inability to take care of the basketball and make baskets. In the losses, Cincinnati has committed 75 turnovers (15.0 per game), leading to 94 points and shot.370 (110-of-297) from the floor. DEFENSIVE TROUBLES: After holding West Virginia, Marquette, Rutgers, St. John s, and USF to an average of 55.2 points on.349 shooting (91-of-261), the Bearcats defense has struggled in their last five games, giving up 76.6 points per game. UC allowed the five teams to shoot a combined.483 from the field as they converted easy baskets from UC s 75 turnovers over the stretch. IN THE LAST FIVE GAMES: The Bearcats are 0-5 in BIG EAST play and 0-3 on the road sophomore guard Deonta Vaughn has scored in double figures three times and is second on the team with 13.4 points per game senior forward John Williamson is first with

5 Men s Basketball points per game UC is shooting.370 percent from the field (110-of-297), including.290 percent (27-of-93) from behind the 3-point line Vaughn has knocked down 17-of-43 treys for a 39.5 shooting percentage from behind the line as a team, UC is shooting.655 from the free-throw line, led by Jamual Warren who has hit six straight Vaughn leads the team with 27 assists Williamson leads the team with an average of 7.6 boards a night the Bearcats are out rebounding opponents by a margin of 4.8 (38.4 to 33.6) a night. TAKING OVER AT THE END: Since sophomore guard Deonta Vaughn joined the team last season, he has been given the ball and asked to take on the added pressure of being the go-to player down the stretch. Vaughn has responded to the challenge and this season has averaged 6.7 points during the final 10 minutes of games. What is even more impressive are his shooting percentages in the final 10 minutes as he is converting.496 (61-of- 123) from the field and.441 (30-of-68) from behind the 3-point arc. In Cincinnati s overtime win at Rutgers, Vaughn single-handedly won the game for Cincinnati, scoring 13 of his 19 points in the extra period. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS: Since the start of BIG EAST Conference play, Cincinnati has played eight games decided by five points or less and owns a record of 5-3 in those contests. The Bearcats won their first three, knocking off Louisville (Jan. 1) by one point and Villanova (Jan. 12) and Pittsburgh (Jan. 19) by three, then lost games vs. Connecticut (Jan. 23) and at Seton Hall (Jan. 27) by a combined four points, before pulling out the overtime win at Rutgers. After holding on to a win over USF, UC is now 1-1 in one-point games. Overall, Cincinnati is 7-5 on the season in games decided by five points or less and 8-10 in Mick Cronin s two seasons at UC. LIFE S TOUGHER ON THE ROAD: UC finished the regular season at 3-10 on the road this season after dropping its last three at Pittsburgh, Georgetown, and Connecticut. The three road wins all came in BIG EAST play vs. Louisville, West Virginia, and Rutgers. Sophomore guard Deonta Vaughn scores 4.1 fewer points away from Cincinnati mainly due to his 3- point shooting which drops from.417 (55-of-132) at home to.356 (31-of-87) on the road. Category Home Away Scoring Offense Scoring Defense Field Goal Pct Field Goal Percentage Defense Point FG Pct Point FG Defense Rebounding Margin FINDING CONSISTENCY: One thing that every young team has to develop as they mature is consistency and the Cincinnati Bearcats are no different. When you compare Cincinnati s statistics in wins vs. losses you can see where a lack of consistency has made a difference. In UC s 13 wins, the team is shooting.436 from the field compared to.395 in the losses. The largest difference that is impacting whether UC comes out ahead or not is the team s defense. In wins, the Bearcats are holding their opponents to.373 shooting from the field and 57.2 points per game. Contrasting that to UC s losses, Cincinnati s defense is allowing its opponents to score on.475 of their shots, leading to 75.6 points per game a difference of 18.4 points per game. 30/30 MAN: One of the primary keys to the Bearcats success this season has been the offensive play of sophomore guard Deonta Vaughn. Against Connecticut, Vaughn posted his second 30-point game of the season and the third of his career, scoring 34 points on just 14 shots. Vaughn, the BIG EAST Player of the Week earlier this season (Jan. 7-13), has exploded during conference play, averaging 17.5 points per game. Vaughn s other 30-point game this season came against Coastal Carolina on Nov. 16 as he scored a career-high 36 points and knocked down nine 3-pointers one short of tying the school s single-game record held by Melvin Levitt (vs. Eastern Kentucky, ). Vaughn is the first UC player to post two or more 30-point games in the same season since Leonard Stokes also had a pair in vs. Tulane (Jan. 17, 2003) and Louisville (Feb. 22, 2003). Media Information UC Sports Communications Richard E. Lindner Center, Suite O Varsity Way Cincinnati, OH Phone: Fax: Mike Harris...Assistant AD/MBK Contact (513) michael.harris@uc.edu Lara Thornton... Associate Director (513) lara.thornton@uc.edu Kelby Siler... Associate Director (513) kelby.siler@uc.edu Jeremy Martin... Assistant Director (513) jeremy.martin@uc.edu ISP/Cincinnati Radio Network Cincinnati men s basketball can be heard in 38 states and in a third of Canada, thanks to its 13-year partnership with ClearChannel and its signature station 700 WLW, which is based in Cincinnati. 700 WLW provides in-depth coverage, live play-by-play, and postgame reaction from head coach Mick Cronin. The broadcasts also include a 30-minute pregame show. Dan Hoard: Play-by-Play Chuck Machock: Color Analyst Mo Egger: Engineer The Bearcats on XM Radio Thanks to its partnership with 700 WLW, UC men s basketball broadcasts and the weekly Mick Cronin Show are also available nationwide on XM Satellite Radio, Channel 173. The Mick Cronin Radio Show Starting Nov. 29, head coach Mick Cronin will begin his weekly radio show on 700 WLW. The show airs weekly on Thursday nights from 8-9 p.m. from the Original Montgomery Inn on Montgomery Rd. Coach Cronin is joined weekly by Voice of the Bearcats Dan Hoard color analyst Chuck Machock and 1530 HOMER morning show host Mo Egger. The hour-long call-in show provides in-depth analysis of Bearcats basketball. Bearcat Basketball with Mick Cronin Starting Dec. 2, Cincinnati Basketball with Mick Cronin will begin airing Sunday s at 9:30 a.m. on FOX19/WXIX-TV in Cincinnati. The show is hosted by FOX19 sport anchor Brian Giesenschlag. The show recaps the previous week s game as well as looks ahead to the upcoming week. GoBEARCATS.com For the best Bearcats coverage on the web, log on to to see weekly notes, postgame notes, quotes and recaps as well as weekly web interviews. Cincinnati at BIG EAST Championship March 12-15, 2008

6 Men s Basketball Cincinnati Basketball Tradition National Championships (2) 1961, 1962 Final Four Appearances (6) 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1992 Conference Championships (31) Ohio Collegiate 1908 Buckeye Athletics Association 1926, 1928, 1929, 1930 Mid-American 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951 Missouri Valley Conference 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1966 Metro Conference 1976 (t), 1977 (t), Great Midwest 1992 (r/t), 1993 (r/t), 1994 (t), 1995 (t), Conference USA 1996 (r/t), 1997 (r), 1998 (r/t), 1999 (r), 2000 (r), 2001(r), 2002 (r/t), 2004 (r/t) Note: r - regular season; t - tournament National Player of the Year (5) Oscar Robertson (1958, 1959, 1960) Paul Hogue (1962) Kenyon Martin (2000) All-Americans (35) Jim Ard (1970), Lloyd Batts (1973, 1974), Ron Bonham (1963, 1964), Bobby Brannen (1998), Steve Collier (1976), Pat Cummings (1979), Dick Dallmer (1948, 1949, 1950), Ralph Davis (1960), Connie Dierking (1958), Danny Fortson (1996, 1997), Paul Hogue (1961, 1962), Steve Logan (2001, 2002), Kenyon Martin (1999, 2000), Pete Mickeal (2000), Robert Miller (1978), Ruben Patterson (1998), Oscar Robertson (1958, 1959, 1960), Tom Thacker (1963), Jack Twyman (1955), Nick Van Exel (1993), Bob Wisenhahn (1961), George Wilson (1963), Tony Yates (1962, 1963), Gary Yoder (1977). Conference Player of the Year (7) Metro Conference Gary Yoder (1977), Pat Cummings (1979) Conference USA Danny Fortson (1996, 1997), Kenyon Martin (2000), Steve Logan (2001, 2002) Conference Rookie of the Year (2) Great Midwest Dontonio Wingfield (1994) Conference USA DerMarr Johnson (2000) NCAA All-Time Winningest Men s Basketball Programs No. School (Yrs.)... Record... Pct. 1. Kentucky (104) N. Carolina (97) Kansas (109) Duke (102) Syracuse (106) Temple (111) St. John s (100) Penn (107) UCLA (88) Indiana (107) Notre Dame (102) Utah (99) Oregon St. (106) Illinois (102) Western Ky (88) Washington (105) Princeton (107) Cincinnati (106) Texas (101) Louisville (93) BISHOP TAKES QUEEN (CITY): Freshman forward/guard Rashad Bishop has quickly become one of the Bearcats top all-around newcomers. Appearing in all 30 games and starting 18 this season, Bishop has scored in double digits five times, including an 11-point outburst in the Bearcats upset of Pittsburgh in January. Not only has he provided offensive punch (5.4 ppg), he has also added 3.3 rebounds and is third on the team with 40 assists. Thanks to his gritty play against Villanova and Pittsburgh in January, Bishop endeared himself to the fans of Cincinnati. Not having scored a basket or made a rebound vs. the Wildcats in the first 39 minutes of the game, Bishop made the biggest play of the game with 22 seconds remaining, burying a 3-pointer to put Cincinnati back on top, He followed that up vs. Pittsburgh as he blocked one of two game-tying 3-point attempts by the Panthers in a victory. THE OTHER LARRY DAVIS: Larry Davis, the player, not the associate head coach, stepped up for the Bearcats vs. Providence posting career highs for points (16), rebounds (4), and minutes played (29). Davis now has five double-digit scoring nights this season, including two in his last seven games. Over that stretch, he is averaging 6.0 points per game after posting seven at UConn. BIG TIME PLAY IN THE BIG EAST: After a record of 5-7 in non-conference play, head coach Mick Cronin needed the leaders on the team to step up and show the way as the Bearcats headed into BIG EAST Conference play. Sophomore guard Deonta Vaughn and senior forward John Williamson have picked up the pace offensively. Vaughn, who averaged 15.5 points per game during the non-conference schedule, has posted 17.5 points per night in the league, while Williamson has improved his scoring average from 9.3 in non-conference play to 13.2 in the BIG EAST. On the defensive side of the ball, senior guard Jamual Warren has given UC a new presence on the glass to join Williamson. Warren is tied for third on the team in rebounds in league play with 5.1 boards a night and he also leads the team in assists (79, 10th BIG EAST), steals (28, t-11th BIG EAST) and assists-to-turnover ratio at 2.03 (6th BIG EAST) in league play. HELP OFF THE BENCH: For Cincinnati, team depth has provided Coach Cronin with a great deal of options as he has fine tuned a rotation of players that goes 10 deep playing 10 minutes or more a night. That depth played a big part in UC s last 14 games as the Bearcats have out scored the opposition s bench , including a 23-2 advantage vs. Syracuse and a vs. Notre Dame. On average, the Bearcats are getting 18.4 points per game from their reserves, led by freshmen Rashad Bishop and Larry Davis, who are averaging 5.3 and 4.1 points per game, respectively. HOLDING ON WITH A FIRM GRIP: In two seasons, one characteristic of a Mick Cronin team has been its ability to hold on to leads late. Until the loss to UConn back on Jan. 23, the Bearcats were undefeated, at 8-0 this season, when leading with five minutes to play. UC is 20-4 in Cronin s time at Cincinnati when leading with five minutes remaining in the game. TAKING THE POINT: After missing UC s first six games of the year with a hand injury, senior forward Jamual Warren, the team s only point guard, quickly worked his way into the starting lineup and worked off the rust in December. By the start of BIG EAST play he entrenched himself into the starting five and has done an exceptional job protecting the ball and distributing it to his teammates. In conference games only, Warren is 10th in the league in assists (4.39 apg) and sixth in assist/turnover ratio (2.03). EUROPEAN DEFENSE INITIATIVE: Senior center Adam Hrycaniuk (pronounced hu-ritza-nyuk), a native of Poland who made an immediate impact on the Bearcats offensively in the non-conference season, has struggled at times in BIG EAST play. After having to sit out last year due to NCAA clearance issues, Hrycaniuk jumped into the line-up for UC at the beginning of the season and became an offensive threat, scoring 10.5 points per game in non-conference action. Since the start of BIG EAST play, the 6-foot-10 post player has struggled finding his touch, scoring just 4.2 points per game on 27-of-89 shooting (.303). Regardless of his offense, Hrycaniuk has not let his shooting interfere with his defense or NOTE: As of the start of the season. Cincinnati at BIG EAST Championship March 12-15,

7 Men s Basketball 7 his rebounding as he is the team s secondleading rebounder overall with 5.4 per game. He pulled down a career-high 11 caroms in the last game vs. DePaul. WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST: Sophomore guard Deonta Vaughn has been clutch for the Bearcats late in games, converting 26-of-32 free throws (.813) in the last three minutes of games determined by 10 points or less. As a team, the Bearcats are shooting.696 (64-of-92) from the line down the stretch of close games. VAUGHN BIG EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sophomore guard Deonta Vaughn was named the BIG EAST Conference s Player of the Week, leading UC to a sweep of Syracuse, 74-66, and No. 19/17 Villanova, the week of Jan Vaughn accounted for 37.7 percent of UC s points, posting 29 against Syracuse and 25 vs. Villanova. Vaughn joins former UC forward Eric Hicks as the only two Bearcats to earn the weekly award. Hicks earned the honor the week of Jan. 9 during the season, Cincinnati s first in the BIG EAST Conference. Vaughn picked up his second BIG EAST Honor Roll selection the week of Feb after posting 13 points on four 3-pointers and a free throw at Georgetown. WILLIAMSON EARNS SECOND BIG EAST HONOR ROLL: For the second week in a row, senior forward John Williamson was named to the BIG EAST Conference s Honor Roll for the Week of Feb This is the fourth time this season a UC basketball player has earned an all-league honor. Williamson led the UC to a victory over St. John s, putting up a season-high 25 points and hauling in 11 rebounds. He shot 11-of-18 (.611) from the field, while adding a pair of blocks. BIG EAST TIMES TWO: For the first time since , the BIG EAST is playing an 18-game league schedule after playing 16 games the last eight years. The new 18-game format has schools playing each league opponent once and three teams twice. Cincinnati faces Connecticut, Pittsburgh, and St. John s in three home-andhome series. Connecticut and Marquette are the two teams UC did not face in BIG EAST play last season. PHYSICALLY FIT: Over the last 15 years, UC basketball has the reputation of being one the most physically fit teams in the country and developing players for the next level. That comes from the players hard work in the weight room and conditioning. This season, Adam Hrycaniuk, John Williamson and Branden Miller each can bench press over 300 pounds, led by Hrycaniuk at 315 pounds. Even the guards have impressive stats with Deonta Vaughn squatting 500 pounds and Marvin Gentry, who weighs 180 pounds, bench pressing a max of 260 pounds. Freshman forward Darnell Wilks and senior guard Jamual Warren are the team s high flyers with 40- and 36.5-inch vertical jumps, respectively. PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF: Head coach Mick Cronin, in just his second year at Cincinnati, has done the work of a coach in his fourth year on the job, having signed or transferred in 16 players in the last 18-plus months. This season s six-person freshman class is considered by the recruiting services as one of the Top 20 groups in the nation. WILLIAMS TO MISS SEASON WITH RUPTURED ACHILLES: Junior forward Mike Williams, who was preparing for his first season on the court for the University of Cincinnati, will miss the season after rupturing his Achilles tendon in preseason workouts. Williams, a 6-7, 230-pound native of Camden, Ala., sat out last season at UC after transferring from the University of Texas and was expected to start this season for Cincinnati. As a Longhorn, Williams played in 58 games over two years, averaging 2.7 points and 3.4 rebounds. THE INK IS DRY: The University of Cincinnati men s basketball team signed two players to national letters of intent for the season, head coach Mick Cronin announced on the first day of the early signing period. Joining the Bearcats are forward Yancy Gates (Cincinnati, OH/Withrow) and guard Cashmere Wright (Savannah, GA/Urban Christian High School). Gates, a 6-foot-9, 255-pound forward, is one of the nation s top 50 players according to several recruiting sites. As a junior at Withrow High School playing for Walt McBride, Gates averaged 19.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game in He helped the Tigers to a 17-6 record and missed the state semifinals by one game. A second-team Ohio all-state selection, Gates is the first freshman player in Cronin s first three recruiting classes to come from the talent-rich Cincinnati area. Wright, another highly-regarded recruit, who is ranked among many of the recruiting services top 100 players, comes to Cincinnati from the Urban Christian Academy in Savannah, Ga., where he averaged 36.2 points, 10.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game in In his first two games this season, Wright posted 43 and 35 points, respectively, and is a McDonald s All-America candidate. BEARCATS ADD TRANSFER FOR : The Bearcats added 6-7 wing Nick Aldridge, a transfer from Western Carolina University, to the roster as a non-scholarship player following the holiday break. Aldridge joins the program as a sophomore after competing in five games at Western Carolina this season where he averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Aldridge will sit out the remainder of this season and be eligible to play as a junior for the Bearcats after the 2008 fall quarter. Last year, he was the Catamounts leading scorer putting up 18.3 points and pulling down 7.0 rebounds a game. In his college career, Aldridge has notched plus point games including two 30-plus outings. Aldridge, a native of South Webster, which is located two hours from Cincinnati, led his high school to a 27-6 record and the Ohio Division IV state championship as a senior in , putting up 34 points in the championship game. He finished his high school career with 2,011 points, making him one of 37 players in Ohio high school basketball history to score more than 2,000 points. Cincinnati at BIG EAST Championship March 12-15, 2008

8 Men s Basketball Cincinnati head basketball coach Mick Cronin is a hometown guy who grew up in the neighborhoods of Cincinnati and is now coaching the hometown team. He was a part of the success in the past and is now putting his signature on one of college basketball s all-time great programs as the school s 26th head coach. For Cronin, the idea of becoming the head coach at the University of Cincinnati started when he was just a child following his father Harold, a local highly-successful high school coach, around the gyms of Cincinnati. A product of LaSalle High School, Cronin had his coaching career start sooner than expected when a promising playing career ended due to a knee injury in high school. That did not stop his desire to find his place in basketball. He punched his own ticket coaching varsity and junior varsity The Cronin Coaching File high school basketball, spending time as a video coordinator and then as an assistant coach for the likes of Rick Pitino and Bob Huggins. His hard work and dedication made him into one of the nation s top recruiters and one of the most highly sought coaches when he accepted his first head coaching position in 2003 at Murray State. Cronin honed his skills as a head coach for three years at Murray State, compiling a record and earning a pair of berths to the NCAA Tournament. In his debut season as head coach, Cronin directed the Racers to a school-best 28-6 record, the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance. His 28 wins are the sixth-most in NCAA history for a firstyear head coach. Before coming to Cincinnati, Cronin led Murray State to another OVC crown with a 24-6 overall record and 17-3 conference mark in In 10 short years as an assistant and head coach, Cronin has built a reputation for his ability to evaluate and recruit top talent. In his stint at UC as an assistant coach from , Cronin made an immediate impact by recruiting several top players, including Steve Logan, a two-time Conference USA Player of the Year and possibly one of the five greatest players in the program s history. Those players helped build a recruiting base that included two Top 5 and a Top 10-rated class over his final three seasons. School (Conf.) Position Record/Conf. Postseason (Record) Cincinnati (C-USA) Video Coordinator Cincinnati (C-USA) Assistant Coach 27-6/14-2 NCAA West Regional (1-1) Cincinnati (C-USA) Assistant Coach 27-6/12-4 NCAA East Regional (1-1) Cincinnati (C-USA) Assistant Coach 29-4/16-0 NCAA South Regional (1-1) Cincinnati (C-USA) Assistant Coach 25-10/11-5 NCAA West Regional (2-1) Louisville (C-USA) Assoc. Head Coach 19-13/8-8 NIT (1-1) Louisville (C-USA) Assoc. Head Coach 25-7/11-5 NCAA East Reg. (1-1) Murray State (OVC) Head Coach 28-6/14-2 NCAA Atlanta Reg. (0-1) Murray State (OVC) Head Coach 17-11/ Murray State (OVC) Head Coach 24-7/17-3 NCAA Washington Reg. (0-1) Totals 3 years 69-24/ / Cincinnati (BIG EAST) Head Coach 11-19/ Cincinnati (BIG EAST) Head Coach 13-17/8-10 Totals 2 years 24-36/ /.294 Overall Record as Head Coach 5 years 93-60/ /.605 Head Coach Mick Cronin Following the season, Cronin was offered the opportunity to coach and gain new experiences with another of college basketball s greats, Rick Pitino, as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Louisville. In his very first year, he helped attract a Top 10 recruiting class, including Francisco Garcia, who went on to earn C-USA Freshman of the Year in 2003 and eventually was drafted by Sacramento. Quickly becoming one of the most recognized and respected assistant coaches in the country, Cronin was beginning to draw attention from several national sports publications where he was heralded as one of the nation s top assistant coaches. While completing his undergraduate degree at UC, Cronin served as assistant varsity coach and head junior varsity coach at Woodward High School where he compiled a 57-3 record as junior varsity mentor and helped the varsity claim three city championships. Cronin made the jump from high school to college coaching while completing his degree in history at UC, serving as the Bearcats video coordinator during the season. Cronin vs Opponents School W-L Last Meeting Belmont Bowling Green Coastal Carolina Connecticut DePaul Fairfield Georgetown Illinois State Louisville Marquette Memphis Miami (OH) North Carolina State Notre Dame Pittsburgh Providence College Rutgers Seton Hall South Carolina Upstate St. John s Syracuse UAB USF Villanova West Virginia Western Carolina Xavier Cincinnati at BIG EAST Championship March 12-15,

9 Men s Basketball University of Cincinnati Men s Basketball Numerical Roster No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. Hometown (HS/Last School) 1 Marvin Gentry * G Sr./Sr. Ft. Worth, Texas (Poly/McLennan CC) 5 Deonta Vaughn * G So./So. Indianapolis, Ind. (Arlington/Harmony Community) 10 Marcus Sikes * F Sr./Sr. Richmond, Va. (Notre Dame Acad./Mt. San Jacinto JC) 11 Larry Davis G Fr./Fr. Houston, Texas (Alief-Hastings) 15 Darnell Wilks F Fr./Fr. Nashville, Tenn. (Pioneer Christian Academy) 20 Branden Miller ** G Jr./Jr. Cincinnati, Ohio (Indian Hill) 21 Mike Williams F Sr./Jr. Camden, Ala. (Wilcox Central/University of Texas) 22 Rashad Bishop F Fr./Fr. Newark, N.J. (Kennedy) 23 Alvin Mitchell F Fr./Fr. Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Cardinal Gibbons) 30 Anthony McClain C Fr./Fr. Trenton, N.J. (National Christian Acad.) 32 Kenny Belton F Fr./Fr. Salem, Va. (Dudley - N.C.) 33 Jamual Warren* G Sr./Sr. Springfield, Mass. (Notre Dame Prep/Globe Institute) 34 Adam Hrycaniuk C Sr./Sr. Mysliborz, Poland (Trinity Valley CC) 45 John Williamson * F Sr./Sr. Columbus, Ohio (Marion Franklin/Cincinnati State) Alphabetical Roster No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl./Elig. Hometown (HS/Last School) 32 Kenny Belton F Fr./Fr. Salem, Va. (Dudley N.C.) 22 Rashad Bishop F Fr./Fr. Newark, N.J. (Kennedy) 11 Larry Davis G Fr./Fr. Houston, Texas (Alief-Hastings) 1 Marvin Gentry * G Sr./Sr. Ft. Worth, Texas (Poly/McLennan CC) 34 Adam Hrycaniuk C Sr./Sr. Mysliborz, Poland (Trinity Valley CC) 30 Anthony McClain C Fr./Fr. Trenton, N.J. (National Christian Acad.) 20 Branden Miller ** G Jr./Jr. Cincinnati, Ohio (Indian Hill) 23 Alvin Mitchell F Fr./Fr. Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Cardinal Gibbons) 10 Marcus Sikes * F Sr./Sr. Richmond, Va. (Notre Dame Acad./Mt. San Jacinto JC) 5 Deonta Vaughn * G So./So. Indianapolis, Ind. (Arlington/Harmony Community) 33 Jamual Warren* G Sr./Sr. Springfield, Mass. (Notre Dame Prep/Globe Institute) 15 Darnell Wilks F Fr./Fr. Nashville, Tenn. (Pioneer Christian Academy) 21 Mike Williams F Sr./Jr. Camden, Ala. (Wilcox Central/University of Texas) 45 John Williamson * F Sr./Sr. Columbus, Ohio (Marion Franklin/Cincinnati State) * - Letters earned at Cincinnati. Head Coach: Mick Cronin (2nd season at UC; 5th Overall) Associate Head Coach: Larry Davis Assistant Coaches: Chris Goggin, Tony Stubblefield Director of Student-Athlete Development: Andre Tate Director of Basketball Operations: Chris Shumate Athletics Trainer: David Fluker Strength and Conditioning Coach: Dave Andrews Pronunciation Guide Adam Hrycaniuk...hu-RITZ-a-nyuk Deonta Vaughn...dee-ON-tay VONN Jamual Warren... ja-mall Mick Cronin...CROW-nin Cincinnati at BIG EAST Championship March 12-15, 2008