Blog move

This blog has moved! The new blog can be found at http://news.cincinnati.com/ucblog, so be sure to update your bookmarks.

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UC wins again in Big East tourney

No. 2 seed UC knocked off South Florida Wednesday night, 11-1 in seven innings, scoring 10 runs in the last three innings to support Michael Hill, who allowed one run in seven innings. Having won their first two games, the Bearcats will be off Thursday, then will play in the semifinals at 1 p.m. Friday vs. the winner of Thursday's game between USF and West Virginia. The Bearcats' cause was helped Wednesday when No. 1 seed St. John's lost to Villanova, 12-0, eliminating the Red Storm. UC is now 38-19.

Football tickets sales sets record

UC announced today that it has sold a school-record 9,426 season football tickets, breaking the previous record of 9,155 set in 2002 when fans had to buy football tickets in order to get basketball season tickets. That's no longer the case.

Josh Harrison co-player of the year in Big East

UC second baseman Josh Harrison today was named Big East co-player of the year along with Louisville infielder Chris Dominguez. Harrison, a junior from Princeton High School, is hitting .372, including .495 over his last 33 games. He's among the league's top 10 in average, runs, hits, doubles, total bases, RBI and stolen bases. In addition, pitcher Dan Osterbrock, from Colerain High School, and third baseman Mike Spina were named to the all-Big East second team, with catcher Ryan Baker and outfielder Cameron Satterwhite, from Moeller High School, named to the third team. UC opens Big East tournament play Tuesday at 5 p.m. vs. West Virginia.

Blog changes

Starting later this week, this blog will be published in a new blog tool on our new Cincinnati.Com Web site. The blog focus isn’t changing, but it will have a lot of improvements.

When we move to the new blog, this one won’t go away just yet, but it will have a link to the home of the new blog. Eventually, any bookmarks and links to this blog will take you to the new one.

Once reporters start posting to the new blog, you’ll get a sneak peek at the new Web site before anyone else. A link will be posted here when that happens.

We’ll also be launching a couple of new sports blogs on the new Web site. One will be dedicated to sports in Kentucky – with University of Kentucky athletics and Kentucky Speedway as the focus - and the other will be a general sports blog written by the entire Sports staff that will offer off-beat news that doesn’t fit anywhere else and links from around the Internet to give a glimpse at what the rest of the world is saying about our local sports and athletes. We’ll provide links to those new blogs when they’re started.

One big change: On the new blogs, you’ll need to sign up for an account (it’s free) in order to post comments. Anonymous comments will no longer be permitted.

Retired numbers

Only three UC men's basketball players have had their numbers retired: Oscar Robertson, of course; Jack Twyman and Kenyon Martin. I've always thought a program with the strong tradition of UC's should have more than that. What do you think? Should be there more? If so, who should get that honor? Danny Fortson? Steve Logan? Pat Cummings? Roger McClendon? What about the guys from the national championship teams like Tom Thacker, Paul Hogue, Ron Bonham, George Wilson and Tony Yates?

Crunch time for UC baseball

UC's three-game sweep of West Virginia over the weekend earned the Bearcats the No. 2 seed in the Big East Tournament, which begins Tuesday in Clearwater, Fla. UC finished the regular season with a 36-19 record, breaking the school mark for for victories in a season. The Bearcats were 19-8 in the Big East, one game behind league champ St. John's. They will play their first game in the tournament at 5 p.m. Tuesday against the same No. 7 seed West Virginia team they just swept. If they win, they will face the winner of the USF-Notre Dame game at 8 p.m. Wednesday. If they lose, they'll play at 1 p.m. Wednesday against the loser of ND-USF. The winner of the double-elimination tournament goes to the NCAA Tournament, where UC hasn't been since 1974.

UC Hall of Fame

I was in the UC training room in the bowels of the Lindner Center the other day workin on a story about Mike Williams’ rehab from his Achilles injury. I had toured the facility before it actually opened, but had never seen it in full use. On this day, it was brimming with activity and it was just kind of cool to see athletes taking care of the state-of-the-art facilities, including the hydro-therapy room where Williams was working out. Having covered UC for a long time, it’s easy to get jaded occasionally over the some of the things that have gone wrong, but every time I walk through the Lindner Center I’m impressed. And it’s not just me. Some of the most hard-bitten, cynical scribes that I know, when they see that building, have nothing but praise for it.

I still think there’s one thing missing though: a true UC Hall of Fame. When the building was under construction, I was told that there would be a Hall of Fame. Yes, there is a mural display of UC’s Athletic Hall of Fame in the lobby. And I know there's a wall with plaques of all those who have been voted into UC's Hall. But that’s not the same as having a room where there are actually artifacts and displays commemorating UC’s history, similar to what the Reds have with their Hall of Fame. It would be nice to walk into a room and see Oscar Robertson’s jersey or Sandy Koufax’s glove, a display celebrating the national championship teams of the early 1960s. I don’t know how much of that stuff UC has lying around, but I would think that if the athletic department sent out a request for such memorabilia, they would be flooded with artifacts from their fans and former athletes.

In praise of local rivalries

I understand the pecking order in college basketball and the need for UC to make as much money as it can off its home basketball games. And yes, it’s rare for a Big East team to play a road game at a MAC school like Miami. I get all that.

But I still believe there’s value in local rivalries. I still want UC to play Miami on a regular basis. Maybe I’m just an old-school traditionalist, or maybe I’m just old, but I don’t think I’m alone in this. I believe that college basketball fans in this area want to see UC play more local teams than just Xavier. Am I right? Do local fans care about these games? Or is it just me?

I’m not saying that UC has to play Miami every year, but there should be some way for that game to happen occasionally. Maybe UC offers a little more money on its guarantee and Miami settles for a little less and they face each other every two or three years.

And it’s not just the Miami game. There’s so much quality college basketball around here, so many opportunities for games that fans would love to see but that never happen. Ohio State and Kentucky won’t play UC, which will play Miami only at home and now won’t play Dayton at all.

It’s a shame.

Mickens on Playboy All-American team

UC cornerback Mike Mickens has been named to the 52nd annual Playboy magazine pre-season All-American team. Mickens, a unanimous first-team all-Big East selection last year, is one of three Big East players on the team, joining West Virginia quarterback Pat White and South Florida defensive end George Selvie. The All-American team will be in the magazine's September issue, which hits newsstands around Aug. 15.

UC baseball honors

Junior right-hander Michael Hill has been named Big East pitcher of the week after pitching a 3- hitter vs. Seton Hall on Sunday in UC's 7-1 victory. Hill struck out 10 in that game. Josh Harrison, who hit .538 with 5 runs, 6 RBI and three stolen bases for the week, was named to the Big East weekly honor roll.

At 32-19, the Bearcats need three more wins to tie the school record of 35 wins in a season, set in 2000. UC plays Wright State on Tuesday at Marge Schott Stadium and finishes the regular season this weekend with three games vs. West Virginia at home. The Big East Tournament is scheduled for May 20-24 in Clearwater, Fla.

UC is in third place in the Big East with a 16-8 record behind Notre Dame (16-7) and St. John's (18-6).

UC won't play Miami this year

Last week, after the news broke that UC and Miami would no longer play at U.S. Bank Arena, Miami officials seemed open to the idea of playing the game at UC, at least for this year. But that's not going to happen.

The RedHawks informed UC on Friday that they will not play the game at Fifth Third Arena. Jermaine Henderson, Miami's associate head coach, said today that Miami was interested in playing the game at Fifth Third, but not under the financial terms that UC was offering.

"We're just trying to do what's best for our program," Henderson said. "What they wanted to do is treat it as we just go there (with no return game to Miami). In that event, it has to be treated like a buy game. We went last year to Illinois for 80 grand. We went to Louisville for 70 grand. Those are buy game prices."

Henderson declined to say what UC was offering, but it was obviously less than $70,000 or $80,000. Miami received $35,000-$40,000 for the game at U.S. Bank Arena compared with $200,000 for UC.

"We don’t have any aniomosity (toward UC)," Henderson said. "They've got to do what they've got to do. (UC coach Mick Cronin) is a a good friend. The last thing we want is a war of words."

La Salle's McElroy re-opens recruiting

La Salle High School forward Danny McElroy, who committed to UC as a sophomore, has re-opened his recruiting, according to La Salle coach Dan Fleming, and will not attend UC after all.
Fleming told our high school writer, Tom Groeschen, the decision was mutual.

McElroy, who will be a senior next season, averaged 14.2 points and 7.0 rebounds last season at La Salle. He would have been a member of UC's recruiting class of 2009.

Under NCAA rules, UC coach Mick Cronin is not allowed to comment on a recruit until he signs a national letter-of-intent.

Maze chooses Tennessee

Junior college combo guard Bobby Maze, who visited UC last weekend and was scheduled to visit Kentucky this weekend, has signed a letter-of-intent with Tennessee, the Associated Press reported today.

"They called me 'the solution' here," Maze told The Knoxville News-Sentinel. "So you do the equation. What better place could I be?"

No news is good news

I'm down in Chattanooga working on a story about a Reds' Class AA prospect. A little while ago, I picked up the USA Today outside my hotel room and saw the listing of schools that face penalties because of poor performance under the NCAA's Academic Progress Rates. There are 53 schools on the list of men's basketball programs that are struggling. Kansas State is on that list. So are UAB, Purdue and Tennessee. But UC is not. I understand that's not the kind of news that fans get excited about. It's not a 20-win season or an NCAA Tournament berth. But it shows that the substantial damage that had been done to the UC program has been repaired. Perhaps better days are in the not-too-distant future.

No UC-Miami at U.S. Bank Arena this year

The days of UC and Miami playing each other in basketball at U.S. Bank Arena appear to be over.

Jermaine Henderson, Miami’s associate head coach, confirmed today that U.S. Bank Arena officials have alerted the RedHawks that “they’re going to drop the game.”

“They’ve informed our people the game will not happen,” Henderson said.

UC coach Mick Cronin said the Bearcats have offered Miami the chance to continue the series, which began in 1904, but only if the RedHawks agree to play at Fifth Third Arena on the UC campus.

Bob Arkeilpane, UC’s deputy director of athletics, said the school has offered to pay Miami the same financial guarantee to play at Fifth Third Arena that the RedHawks received to play at U.S. Bank Arena. That guarantee is believed to be in the $35,000 to $40,000 range. UC was paid a $200,000 guarantee.

If Miami agrees, it’s conceivable that the game could still be played this season.

“We’re actually holding a spot to do that,” Arkeilpane said.

The RedHawks want to keep the game on their schedule, said Miami AD Brad Bates, but he said ultimately that's up to coach Charlie Coles.

Cronin said it’s unlikely that the Bearcats will ever play Miami again in Oxford.

“I would doubt it,” he said. “I don’t see where it would ever be in the best interest of ours to play that game in Oxford. I don’t see Ohio State going to Oxford.

“For us to play a non-league road game it needs to be against a nationally-ranked or that type of opponents that’s beneficial to us from a recruiting standpoint, from an RPI standpoint. You have to remember we’re not in Conference USA anymore. It’s not the old days. We already have 18 (league) games that are extremely tough so the rest of our schedule has to be tailored to be in the best interest of our program.”

Henderson said Miami would be open to playing UC at Fifth Third, but lamented the fact that the Bearcats will not consider playing in Oxford.

“Win, lose or draw, we’ve never seen the negative to the game,” Henderson said. “It’s the unwritten rule that Big East teams just don’t come to the (Mid-American Conference) gyms. But UC and Miami are bigger than the Big East or the Mid-American Conference.”

Henderson emphasized that Miami officials have a lot of respect and admiration for the UC program and understand that this is a business decision.

“We enjoyed going down there,” he said. “We’ve never won (vs. UC) at U.S. Bank Arena, but when you’re on a neutral site it gives you the feeling of being neutral. When you’re in Bearcat country, now it’s always a home-court advantage.”

The two teams have played at U.S. Bank Arena for the past six seasons, with UC winning every game. UC leads the series with the RedHawks, 91-53. The last Miami win occurred on Dec. 1, 1990, at Miami’s Millett Hall. The last meeting between the two schools at Miami was on Feb. 1, 1993.

According to Ray Harris, the CEO of the Nederlander Group, which owns and operates U.S. Bank Arena, the UC-Miami game was discontinued because of declining ticket sales.

“We were hoping early-on when we started the concept that we could build the Miami game into something close to what was happening with UC and Xavier in the Crosstown Shootout,” Harris said, “that we could get that rivalry going back and forth and that would boost attendance levels. That never seemed to take off in that vein.”

Harris said U.S. Bank Arena is pursuing the possibility of having UC play other games at its venue and that he would also be interested in having Miami’s nationally-ranked hockey program play in the facility.

Basketball update

Bobby Maze, the 6-3 combo guard from Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College who visited UC over the weekend, is expected to make his decision in about a week. Maze is also scheduled to visit Tennessee and Kentucky….Forward Mike Williams, who missed all of last season after rupturing his Achilles tendon during the pre-season, participated in open gym Saturday and reported no problems. It was the first time Williams was cleared to play full-court.

Good luck to Kelby Siler

Yesterday was the last day at UC for Kelby Siler, the sports information contact for football. Kelby, a former quarterback at the Mount who had one of his best games against archrival Thomas More, is one of those people who work behind the scenes in the UC athletic department, but whom most fans don’t know about. He’s been a great help to me in covering the football team during the past few years, providing me with stats, notes and background information on players and coaches. And he's done a great job in helping me set up interviews. He’ll be missed.

Mauk's impact

The editor of one of the college football preview magazines that I do the UC preview for told me the other day that his magazine had UC picked to finish fifth in the Big East, but that they were prepared to move the Bearcats up higher if Ben Mauk were able to return. Now that it appears that Mauk won’t be UC’s quarterback next season, I presume they’ll still be fifth, which seems a little low to me, even without Mauk. What do you think? Where do you think UC would finish with Mauk running the show and without him running the show?

Cronin not finished recruiting

Bobby Maze, a first-team All-American selection this past season at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, has scheduled a visit to UC, perhaps as soon as this weekend. Maze, a 6-3 combo guard, averaged 20.7 points and 6.8 assists during the one season he played at Hutchinson. He spent his freshman season at Oklahoma, where he started at point guard in five of the Sooners' last six games before transferring to Hutchinson. He averaged 5.6 points and 2.1 assists at Oklahoma.