Longtime writer says good-bye

If there’s one word that epitomizes my college career it’s “tweener.”

My deceased Dad instilled in me to be an independent thinker, and for the past four years I’ve done it the nontraditional way.

I opened up my undergraduate taking college classes full-time as 16-year-old junior in high school through a program called Post Secondary Enrollment Optioning Program.

 I want to give my first shout out to Chris “Chitown” Cox who opened up his home to me my first two years after my family moved to Chicago.

Then at age 18, I took a Repelling Course that coincided with a FTX trip with University of Cincinnati’s Army ROTC. It was essentially a training ground, where I repelled off a tower, and for a demo helicopter exercise I shot down a cable without a wall.

Bryan Mullins, if we ever are the first ones to get drafted, we’ll now then what we signed up for as 18-year-olds.

I began writing for my student news organization the News Record my second year. A shout out to current editor-in-chief Ariel Cheung for giving me my first byline for the College Living section. She taught me a lot of journalistic fundamentals that I still use.

For two years I was apart of the UC club soccer team. A club full of diversity with students from a slew of programs: Arts and Sciences, Design, Architecture, Arts, and Planning, Engineering & Applied Science, Conservatory of Music and Business and Grad programs.

Both seasons we qualified for the regional tournament — a first for the team — before going on to Nationals the second season and finishing as one of the top 16 teams in the country.

My third year of college I attended a couple mixers with a fraternity. I subsequently was offered a bid to join the college party boys but rejected it. That life was too typical and mainstream for me.

At the close of my third year I landed my coveted sports editor position at the News Record. That spring quarter was the twilight of my undergrad. I got paid what I love to do most —write and edit sports. I had a weekly column that published every Monday.

A round of applause for the best boss I’ve worked for — Gin Ando ladies and gentleman. Gin was always there to assist me with a page design or formatting issue. I take pride in knowing that I worked elbow-to-elbow with one of the best writers of our graduating class.

Sam Weinberg and I were co-editors. He eased me into the office. I still refuse to concede to him that he could post articles online faster than me. Sam, your sarcastic tone in columns never got old like when your Texans beat the Bengals or your perpetual belittling of Cleveland sports.

The sports editor that I replaced Sam Elliott really showed me the ropes for sports journalism. He gave me a plethora of tips and mechanics that I will always use in my writing.

A big thanks to Garrett Sabelhaus, who assigned me my first sports article and took me to my first presser.

I must have set some sort of TNR record for most articles; near 100 for the amount of quarters I was an editor, which was a grand total of one. I turned down the chance to be editor my final year when I was offered an internship with the Philadelphia Union that was equivalent to a fall co-op without pay.

But I never went through with the internship. I suffered an injury my final year that forced me to take my remaining classes online.

I want to give a big thanks to my friend Kristina Cho who visited me routinely in the hospital and collected newspapers when I was out of town.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the gratitude I have for my mom who was my number one reader and printed my clips and put them in sleeves in a folder.

After floating around for four years exploring what I’m passionate about, I found it—writing.

My sports column for the Huffington Post

Cincinnati attempts to knock Off Big Brother Ohio State in the Sweet 16

Enough with the publicity about there being a record four Ohio teams in the Sweet 16, it's time for the 1962 national championship rematch between a pair of rivaling state schools.

Lost in the glorification of the Buckeye state is the startling number of squads from the Midwest in regional semifinals (nine) -- showcasing the nation's hotbed of college basketball.

But that's neither here nor there, Ohio State and Cincinnati two program's with storied traditions, including battles in the 1961 and 1962 national championships -- both UC victories -- will finally meet after stepping onto the hardwood together just once in the past 50 years.

OSU is the notorious big brother to Cincy, but none of that will matter on Thursday night. The Buckeyes have refused to play the smaller school located nearly 200 miles away, down Interstate 71.

The lone time they agreed to play their Ohio brethren, the Cincy program was in shambles back in 2006, following the departure of future Hall of Fame coach Bob Huggins.

That season Ohio State found a way to squeeze UC onto its schedule in the John Wooden Classic showcase in Indianapolis.

"Ohio State loved playing us during the regular season when we had [future NFL player] Conor Barwin guarding [future No. 1 draft pick] Greg Oden," UC head coach Mick Cronin points out.

That was the same year that Thad Matta -- despised former Xavier coach -- recruited three five-star recruits that included Oden, lottery pick Mike Conley Jr. and draft pick Daequan Cook. OSU finished national runner-ups that season.

For this duel, the scales have been tipped, albeit slightly. Mick Cronin, now in his sixth year at the Bearcats' helm, has re-tooled a program in desperate need of a savior.

Cronin has led UC not only to back-to-back NCAA tourney appearances, but appearances with at least one win.

Senior forward Yancy Gates headlines UC's roster for its mega-state matchup with OSU. Gates -- a local recruit from Withrow High School in Cincinnati -- is the lone five-star recruit of the Cronin era, besides the one-and-done Lance Stephenson.

Cashmere Wright a four-star recruit and second team All-Big East guard Sean Kilpatrick pace the backcourt. These two players spearhead their unorthodox four-guard attack.

ESPN.com college basketball writer Myron Medcalf projects in his six Sweet 16 surprises that the winner of Cincy-Ohio State will be the Bearcats.

The fact that Medcalf, in addition to ESPN pundit Doug Gottlieb -- who claims that UC has a legit chance of knocking off "The" Ohio State University -- is indicative of how much of a nail-bitter fans are in for between these two Ohio programs.

Despite losses, UC among Big Easts-best

The return of Tickel Your Fancy, my first column since my accident over the summer.

No. 3 Sryacuse paid a visit to Cincinnati last night and ended up winning by seven. Here is my piece about the current state of the squad and what it has to do to get to the Big Dance.

Kil-ing them softly

Photo Courtesy of Cincinnati.com

By: Hunter Tickel

En route to its second road win over a top-15 team in the past week, the University of Cincinnati nearly let one go.

Guard Sean Kilpatrick hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds remaining to break the deadlock, as the Bearcats escaped Storrs, Conn. with a 70-67 upset of No. 13/11 Connecticut on Wednesday.

“Once I saw [Kilpatrick] had [the ball], I liked our chances,” said UC head coach Mick Cronin. “If they come up, he can [get to the free throw line]. If they back up, he is a confident shooter. You just roll the dice in that situation. My belief in him took over; I just let him go.”

With less than two minutes remaining, UConn stormed back from an eight-point deficient as guard Shabazz Napier dropped 10 points during that span, including a long-range jumper to tie the game with nine seconds left.

UC (15-4, 5-1) did just enough to come away victorious after missing the front end of two one-and-ones, while shooting 1-of-4 from the free throw line down the stretch.

“It would have been a tragic loss,” Cronin said. “We started missing free throws up eight [points] with our best foul shooters getting fouled. If we walk up there and make the first [two], you’re up 10, and the game is over. I guess we kept it exciting for ESPN.”

UConn guard Jeremy Lamb converted two shots from the charity stripe at the 6:52 mark to complete a 20-7 run and give his team its final lead of the contest.

The Bearcats answered with a 10-0 spurt, capped by a Kilpatrick corner 3-ball to extend their lead to eight.

“We’ve got answers on the offensive end,” Cronin said. “We weathered the storm. In the last 10 minutes of the game, we are a different team defensively. We really lock down. A big part of that was rebounding.”

Senior forward Yancy Gates grabbed a game-high 12 boards to go along with 13 points, for his fifth double-double of the season and 18th as a Bearcat.

Four other teammates joined Gates in double figures, with Kilpartick netting a team-best 16 points including 4-of-9 shooting from distance.

The Huskies dropped their first home game of the season as Cincinnati garnered its seventh consecutive road win in the Big East, dating back to last year.

Napier carried the Huskies while burying a game-high 27 points, in addition to seven assists.

Just past the midway point of the first half, UC held a two-point advantage before notching a 10-0 run for its largest lead of the game.

Cincinnati shot 7-of-14 from 3-point range in the opening period as it took a nine-advantage into
the intermission.

The Bearcats will face former head coach Bob Huggins as they travel to Morgantown, W. Va., Saturday for a 3 p.m. tip-off on ESPNU.

“It gets a lot easier,” Cronin said. “Just as long as we have [Kilpatrick], we’ll be fine.”

Bearcats earn 7th consecutive road win in Big East

Sophomore guard Sean Kilpatrick dropped a career-best 27 points in a win at Georgetown.

Here is my soccer article on UC players making academic all-state teams.

Please read and leave me feedback. Also I'm starting a new blog called Tickel's Rehabilitation, in which I'll be chronicling everything that has happened to me. The link is hunter-tickel.blogspot.com. This is for my blogging class at UC and I need comments on this blog in order to complete the course successfully. So bring me some traffic and contribute in the comments section.

No fight left in Irish

Here is my link to my first article in six months, feedback is appreciated. UC won its Big East opener and 7th straight in dominating fashion.

4 things to take note of from the Bearcats in 2011-12

Listen up, freshman. You rookies will be relied on to continue the storied tradition of University of Cincinnati athletics. If you didn't keep up with UC's sports scene last year — or the past few years — it's time to catch up.

First lesson: football. Can you smell that? That is the smell of the best time of year, football season, which is right around the corner. Get your face paint ready, fire up those grills and buy tickets early because you don't want to be the one person in the group sweating it on gameday.

Prior to last season's dismal meltdown, the football team was the hottest athletic program on campus, but now the men's basketball team has reclaimed that title.

A new era was ushered in when former assistant to Bob Huggins, Mick Cronin, became the new head coach in 2006.

Cronin faced an uphill battle from day one, especially since the Bearcats were leaving Conference USA for the Big East — arguably the toughest conference in college basketball.

With this quick briefing, here are the four things to take note of in the upcoming year.

Can Cronin cope with the expectations?

Last season, Cronin took UC to the NCAA tournament for the first time in his five seasons at the helm.

This ended a five-year hiatus for a city that had grown accustomed to seeing UC's name called on Selection Sunday.

The Cincinnati alumnus took the Bearcats to the Big Dance after losing his top two scorers — including 2010 NBA second-round draft pick Lance Stephenson. The Big East coaches picked the Cats to finish 12th in the conference, basically giving Cronin a free pass to have an average season.

Cronin didn't get the message. He ignored what experts said about his team and instilled trust in his core group of players. The end result was the team's 11-7 Big East record — its best since joining the league. The Bearcats subsequently advanced to the third round of the NCAAs after dismantling Missouri in the second round.

This year's team has a completely contrasting identity. SI.com has UC ranked as high as No. 8 in its preseason poll.

Several times last season, UC relied on savvy veteran leadership, but, with the departure of six seniors, that could potentially change this season.

Seniors Dion Dixon and Yancy Gates — who typically shy away from vocal roles — will have to be more assertive on the court and in the locker room.

Cronin is sure to have a raised and possibly unfair bar this year, and only the results on the court will tell if he can meet it.

UC takes its first trip to SEC country since 1995

If there is a road trip you want to take to follow your Cincinnati Bearcats this school year, Knoxville should be your destination when the Bearcats football team takes on the Tennessee Volunteers Sept. 10.

According to SI.com, Tennessee is the best college football weekend experience in the nation. Who wouldn't want to be among more than 100,000 disappointed fans in Neyland Stadium if UC steals a win?

The game will be televised on ESPN2, giving the Bearcats a chance to replenish its image on the national scene. This is your first and best chance of the year to become a part of the Cincinnati sports tradition, freshman, so don't be lazy and waste it.

Butch Jones 2.0

Under previous head coach Brian Kelly, the Bearcats won back-to-back Big East Championships, garnered four straight bowl appearances, which included an undefeated 2009 regular season where the Bearcats rose as high as No. 3 in the Associated Press poll.

Since Kelly left, however, the Cats haven't been the same razzle-dazzle, explosive offense. Jones will need to find consistency on both sides of the ball to return to the postseason.

The Bearcats were top in the league in several offense statistical categories, and placed four skill players on all-conference teams. Their defense, however, was the laughing stock of the Big East. The poor defense coupled with the team's untimely turnovers, led to an unthinkable 4-8 2010 regular season.

What sports program will emerge this year?

Since UC joined the Big East in 2005, five programs have earned league hardware: volleyball, men's soccer, football, swimming and track and field.

Last year, the volleyball team won the Big East regular season title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Going into the 2011 season, however, the Bearcats will face adversity with the departure of seniors Annie Fesl and Stephanie Niemer — two players who are now in the program's record books.

The men's soccer team was the biggest surprise last year. The team had a second-place Big East finish after being picked to finish in the cellar in the preseason coaches' poll.

Bearcats junior hurdler Terrance Somerville ran one of his best seasons this past year, advancing to the final heat and being one of the eight finalists in the NCAA 110-meter hurdle Championship.

With Somerville back for another season, the Bearcat hurdler is sure to post even bigger numbers and will look to become the first UC track champion.

Tickel Your Fancy

Here is a piece on one of the best coaches in NBA history.

Here is my latest on the Westbrook fiasco and why his future with the Thunder is in doubt.

20 seconds from glory

Cincy alumnus races for final U.S. roster spot

Hunter Tickel | Sports Editor

One of the most accomplished athletes to ever set foot on the University of Cincinnati campus — swimmer Josh Schneider — may take the biggest step of his career Thursday.

The UC alumnus will compete in a swim-off with Olympic gold-medalist Cullen Jones for the final roster spot on the U.S. team for the 2011 FINA World Championships. The 50-meter freestyle will begin at 6:20 p.m. in downtown Charlotte.

The pair have been set to square off since August 2010 when they recorded identical times of 21.97 seconds at the 2010 Conco Philips National Championships.

Schneider dubbs this race as the biggest meet of the year and possibly his life.

"The emotion is pretty high because if I lose I don't get to go, but if I win, I get to represent my country," Schneider says.

Schneider's shot for a spot on the national team wasn't guaranteed after the National Championships seven months ago.

His time in the 50-meter competition was disqualified after his current coach at SwimMAC — Charlotte David Marsh — entered him into the 100-meter competition in addition to the 50-meter.

Schneider didn't show up to the 100-meter because it took place prior to the 50-meter freestyle. Regulations in swimming state that all times athletes record if they miss their first race do not count toward qualification.

A rule that Schneider says is for age-group swimmers, not those competing on the national stage.

"I had to get it appealed," Schneider says. "We got a lawyer involved calling in to sign off on the agreement that if the time was going to be counted, we would have to go into a swim-off,"

Schneider says it was a honest mistake and a coaching error.

Jones is the only person that stands between Schneider and a spot on the 2011 U.S. national team, and, coincidently, the two are training partners for SwimMAC — something that Schneider says raises the level of competition during practice.

At practice, the two don't talk about the race and understand that if either of them is to make it to the 2012 Olympics in London, they will have to knock the other off in the process.

"When we found out my time counted, we knew we were going to have to swim against each other," Schneider says. "That's just the way it is. Only two people can go and we both know that."

Schneider is a two-time medalist at the FINA World Championships. He won the bronze in 2010 in Dubai for the 50-meter short course, making him the current American record holder with a 20.88 time. Despite this accomplishment, Schneider is still crafting his game and remaining humble.

"I'm learning so much still, so I still have much to improve on if I'm going to be a contender for a medal at the Olympics," Schneider says. "I'm just defining everything. I'm never set in stone with my technique. If someone has a suggestion for how to get faster I always listen."

Schneider posted a repertoire of feats during his time at UC. He was a five-time all-American, seven-time Big East champion, named the conference Swimmer of the Year twice, broke 22 program-records and finished undefeated in the 50-meter his senior season.

"My time at UC gave me a foundation to further my career as a professional swimmer," he says.

Schneider says the most rewarding part of being a national champion is the recognition he provided for a UC program that hadn't had a national winner since 1946.

"I talked to a few recruits before I left and I've heard that a few of them came there because I swam there," Schneider says. "They were looking for a chance to be a breakout swimmer."

Prior to Schneider's graduation in March 2010, he said that he wanted to land endorsements of which he currently has three. He has also continued his preparation for the 2012 Olympics.

"When you get to the World Championships, especially this year, it's the dress rehearsal," Schneider says. "It gives you a honest perspective of where you are in the world rankings."

Kelce preserves tradition

Former Bearcat makes leap to pros

By Hunter Tickel | Sports Editor

It's the final day of the 2011 NFL draft. Exactly 190 players have been picked six rounds in, and yet, not a single Cincinnati Bearcat has been selected.

But that changes when an incoming call containing the first three digits 215 appears on Jason Kelce's phone in his home in Cleveland.

"I was sitting there and saw [on my phone] that the Eagles were coming up with a few picks," Kelce says. "I said, ‘Well, if I'm going to get picked, it's probably going to be right here.' I stared at my phone. I saw the Philadelphia area code pop up."

After speaking with head coach Andy Reid, Kelce joins the Eagles franchise Saturday.

The 6-foot-3-inch, 282-pound NFL draftee's frame was a shell of its current self when Kelce first set foot on the Cincinnati campus.

He weighed in at 215 pounds when he was recruited by current Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio in 2006. After redshirting his first season as a walk-on, Kelce was primed to play linebacker, but that changed with the hiring of current Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly.

"The coaching changes really helped me get where I am at today," Kelce says. "Kelly brought on strength coach Paul Longo. He was really the one that saw that I had the build and mentality of an offensive lineman. I made the switch and, from then on, he was building my body."

Kelce earned a scholarship in 2007 and began his journey to becoming a larger presence on the offensive line in the Big East. Initially, the Cleveland Heights, Ohio, native was not overwhelmed with the prospect of joining a BCS program without a roster spot.

"I was very confident," Kelce says. "I entered the UC program as a walk on, but in my head, I was better than everybody else was. I'm a little bit big-headed — I guess I try to be humble as much as I can."

In his first year of playing time he appeared in nine games as the offense averaged a program-best 36.3 points per game.

Kelce finished his college stint with 38 starts and was a two-time second team all-Big East selection. He led a unit that earned UC its first 1,000-yard rusher in nearly 10 years.

All of these feats helped pave the way for the highlight of his career.

"You work your whole life for one common goal: to make it to the NFL," Kelce said. "Once you are there, it all starts all over again. You are basically a freshman again. At least now I know the opportunity is there for me to make it."

Kelce already begins his transition from the collegiate level to the pros with skepticism among NFL experts. Kelce has been told that he lacks the physique to have an impact on the next level.

"I find it very hard to believe that I am undersized," Kelce says. "I have heard this from a lot of scouts. There are plenty of centers in the league that are my size or smaller that start in pro bowls."

He's right; five-time all-League center Jeff Saturday stands at 6 foot, 2 inches and 295 pounds — a similar frame to Kelce.

As the lone Bearcat selected this year, Kelce kept the school's five-year run of players drafted intact. Kelce is confident that the current players will carry on the school's success despite a 4-8 record last season.

"This program has completely transformed since I have been on campus," Kelce says. "I think it's a testament to show where the program is at now and that the UC program is here to stay."

Kelce will join former UC stars Brent Celek and Trent Cole in Philly. Celek has already reached out to the rookie, sending him his phone number through Twitter. The trio of former Queen City inhabitants will look to represent the city on the East Coast.

"It sucks that I am leaving Cincinnati, it really does," Kelce says. "I love this city and university. [But with] everything I have heard about Philadelphia — I can't help but be excited."

NFL draft bores once more

Tickel your Fancy

By Hunter Tickel | Sports Editor

The final Saturday in April has passed and, with it, the most over-publicized yearly sporting event.

The 76th NFL Draft was full of pregame hoopla and hype, but only delivered a typical tedious three days of picks.

Waiting 10 minutes between each first round selection is one of the most monotonous things I have ever done — especially in the midst of one of the most entertaining NHL and NBA playoffs in recent memory.

Four NHL first-round series went the distance to a game seven, and, in the NBA arena, No. 8 seed Memphis knocked off No. 1 San Antonio Friday.

How can calling off name after name compare to that?

The draft has become nearly as lacking in newsworthiness as National Signing Day, the first Wednesday of February when high school athletes commit to colleges.

What's next? Middle school signing day for pre-teens?

Unless you were a desperate fan of a hopeless franchise looking for the quarterback of the future — which this year's class didn't have — or you were hoping to see how well your college team was represented, you had no reason to watch.

I figured few University of Cincinnati players would be drafted, so I took the high road. Instead of wasting hours watching this overrated media event, I checked the draft boards Saturday to read up on everything I needed to know in less than 10 minutes.

If you are a Bearcats fan, former center Jason Kelce dropped to the sixth round as an undersized offensive lineman. The Philadelphia Eagles scooped him up with the 191st overall pick.

The Cincinnati Bengals nabbed former Georgia wideout A.J. Green with the No. 4 pick. Green has a lot of talent and potential, and, with Chad Ochocinco's future in limbo, Green is his likely replacement.

In the second round, Cincinnati answered the question on everyone's mind: Who will throw to Green? Former TCU star Andy Dalton was selected and will likely earn a starting role next year by default if Caron Palmer follows through with his retirement.

The top overall pick was Heisman Trophy-winner Cam Newton. He heads to Carolina needing to fine-tune his game, but will likely be thrust into a starting role.

Former Notre Dame star quarterback Jimmy Clausen, Carolina's second-round pick last year, was placed in a similar plight as he posted a 58.4 rating in 10 starts as a first-year starter in the league.

The Panthers have selected three quarterbacks in the past two drafts, including UC alumnus Tony Pike.

This year's draft provided fans with the first relevant football news since Super Bowl XLV, and, with the 2011 season still in jeopardy, it could be the only aspect of professional football happening this year.

When this season's draft began Thursday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell took the podium and awkwardly smiled at the crowd as boos poured down on him from the discontent crowd.

The fans showered him with chants of, "Let them play," and "We want football."

My message to those in attendance: Shut up or don't participate in the draft. If you really want to see games, why are you partaking in an event run by the owners of the NFL while there is a work stoppage? You're just giving them more power.

The current NFL players casually asked players in this year's draft class to skip out on the festivities, but it would be unreasonable to expect these college stars to shy away from their celebrated passage to the pro ranks.

This year's draft had a little more intrigue with so little happening in the offseason, but now it's time for prodigious postseason hockey and basketball.

My first articles for The News Record as a Sports Editor

The Bearcat Bowl provided an early glimpse to the progress the defense has made following a poor season last year.

The final spring football practice and looking ahead to the Sept. 1 season-opener against Austin Peay.

I'm picking the Celtics to claim their 18th title after losing in game seven of the Finals last year.

Woods wired for 2011

Offseason training readies senior wideout

By Hunter Tickel | News Record

D.J. Woods jolted onto the Cincinnati football scene in stride Sept. 25, 2010, hauling in a career-best 171 yards in front of 58,253 fans at Paul Brown Stadium.

But the infamous second still fresh in Woods' mind was when he was swiped from behind at Oklahoma's nine-yard line and lost the ball after a career-long 69-yard catch. Woods ended the game with two giveaways.

"Those mistakes are going to live with me forever," The Strongsville, Ohio, native says. "I'm probably my biggest critic. I thought I had a great game, but, at the same time, I fumbled twice, and that's the only thing I remember from the game."

At the beginning of last season, Woods was prone to dropping the ball, losing five fumbles in the opening four games. But despite his early season troubles, Woods closed the season with better hands, and lost just one fumble in the final eight games.

"It all comes back to consistency," says UC head coach Butch Jones. "[Woods] is as talented of a player as we have. He's extremely intelligent [and] he plays fast. Now it's just about consistency on a day-to-day basis."

In response to Jones' request, the senior wideout has put in the time off the field to correct his ball security during the spring offseason.

"The first thing [Woods] needed to do was get bigger and stronger in the weight room," Jones said. "He has embraced that challenge. He's done a great job. I think he has had a very productive offseason."

Woods approaches his senior campaign as the top-returning receiver, having hauled in a team-best 898 yards and eight touchdowns during his junior season — accolades earning him second team all-Big East honors.

"Every year is a learning experience," Woods says. "I'm trying to get my technique down, know what I'm doing on the ball and off the ball. I feel like right now everything is coming together."

As a three-time letter winner, Woods has honed his execution in running routes is considerably from last season.

"I know how to read defenses. I know how to read defensive backs. I know what to do in certain situations," Woods says.

With the graduation of top receiver Armon Binns last season, Woods figures he'll see more of the ball but trusts in the assembly of Cincinnati's wideout core.

"Every receiver wants to get touches, but we have great receivers," Woods said. "We have a whole bunch of people who need the ball in their hands."

The Bearcats will return to Paul Brown Stadium — the site of where Woods' talents were made apparent — Saturday, Oct. 15, against Louisville and Saturday, Nov. 12, against West Virginia, and Woods is keen on playing in the spotlight of a pro setting and capacity crowd once again.

"It's a lot different because you're really playing at the next stage," Woods says. "You kind of feel like how the Cincinnati Bengals do. It's a great place to play."

Madness ends on ugly note

Tickel your Fancy
By Hunter Tickel | Senior Reporter

When Shelvin Mack missed his first two layups and had his 3-pointer swatted, I knew Butler was in for an ominous night.

The lack of execution and shot-making from Connecticut and Butler made for one of the most unbearable championship games in the history of college basketball.

The Bulldogs shot worse than 19 percent in a game that was an indecent climax to the five-month season and elimination of 343 other teams.

Only Harvard in 1946 had a worse performance from the floor in a tournament contest. Butler became the first team to hit just three 2-point baskets in a postseason game.

Even CBS analyst Charles Barkley, who had been ill-informed for the entirety of the Big Dance, was spot on when he compared Butler's six first-half buckets to being as ugly as the girls he dated in high school.

Butler's malaise spread quickly to UConn, which managed 19 opening-half points and actually trailed at the break. The 41 combined first-half points had the look of a scene cut from "Hoosiers" and Milan High School's championship in the '50s.

Kemba Walker, the Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament, missed his first five shots before finishing 5 for 19 overall. The South Bronx native showed on the biggest stage that he is a dubious shooter.

Are the Huskies really the best team the nation has to offer? A squad that went .500 in the Big East only has one future NBA player and four underclassmen starters?

Monday night was evidence of one of the most talent-starved college seasons in recent memory. Only two players from the tournament finale — Walker, a lottery to mid-round pick, and Matt Howard, a late second rounder — will be drafted.

Mack would be wise to stay in school for another year after leaving much to be desired with his shot selection and ability to run an offense.

In a watered-down year for college hoops, the two teams left standing set a record for highest combined seed total (11) in a title game. The pair had 18 losses between them, another record high.

The tournament experienced its first Final Four without a No. 1 or No. 2 seed, which portrayed the mediocrity and lack of quality players in power conference programs.

There was not one single dominant team. Ohio State was the closest to it and they folded in the Sweet 16.

The Big East may have been deep, placing a record 11 teams in March Madness, but, besides Walker, it has zero players capable of playing at the next level.

The league rose to the occasion when many power conferences were in shambles. Take Southern California, which lost in the First Four, out of the equation and the PAC 10 matched the Colonial Athletic Association with three berths.

The Bulldogs garner elite status for posting back-to-back national title game appearances. The past two years, they have more NCAA tournament wins than any other program with 10, but have failed to deliver the fatal blow.

Monday, the Bulldogs appeared unaccustomed to the national spotlight as UConn flexed its muscles with 10 blocked shots and made it look like boys against men.

Coaches can't win championships, and the Bulldogs appeared to have had no business competing for the hardware.

In a fitting display of the thin line between the haves and have-nots, Pittsburgh guard Gilbert Brown missed his second free throw with 1.4 seconds remaining that would have squashed Butler's run in the second round.

The college game needs a restructuring if it's to keep up with the ranks of the pros.

One-and-done players are depleting top-level programs and veteran minnows raiding the Final Four are becoming less infrequent with the decline in quality college basketball.

Bearcats sweep Hoyas

UC snaps its losing streak

Bearcats Set Sail With Pirates

Women's basketball preview vs. Seton Hall

UC Basketball: Back in buisness?

Tickel yer Fancy
By Hunter Tickel | Senior Reporter

Following Cincinnati's dominating, 20-point blowout of rival Xavier, the question I found myself begging the answer for was: is Bearcats basketball back?

Throughout the course of the past three seasons, UC has been in a college basketball abyss, failing to even reach the conversation for garnering an NCAA tournament berth since the departure of former head coach Bob Huggins.

Meanwhile, less than five miles from the UC campus, a blue empire was born — Xavier, Cincinnati's most-despised rival. The Musketeers have reached three consecutive Sweet 16's at the tournament and qualified for the big dance five consecutive years.

Times have been hard for the UC fan base to say the least; Thursday's win eased some of the pain.

The victory shed light on one distinctive advantage Cincinnati had throughout the Shootout: depth. This was typically an Achilles' heel for the Bearcats in recent seasons while head coach Mick Cronin was rebuilding the program.

"Like coach [Cronin] says, ‘We've got a lot of players on the bench that could be somewhere else and start,' " said senior forward Darnell Wilks. "With the talent we have coming off the bench, it's hard for other teams to compete with."

Xavier's Tu Holloway entered the rivalry game pacing Xavier with 21.3 points per game and drawing comparisons to one of college basketball's leading scorers.

"Holloway is playing as good as anybody in America not named Kemba Walker," Cronin said.

But after 2-of-13 shooting and a five-point effort against UC, he might be regarded as one of the biggest choke artists in college basketball.

Cincinnati wore him down with size, physicality and depth on defense. Guards Dion Dixon, Larry Davis and Sean Kilpatrick all have at least three inches on Holloway and took turns putting a hand in his face.

Sunday's 72-61 loss at No. 7 Villanova might elicit a blunt "no" to my opening question, but that's illogical to me.

The Bearcats fell behind by 21 points in the second half against the Wildcats while facing the fiercest full-court pressure they have seen to this point in the season. They also had to deal with poor officiating.

Despite all the adversity for the then-undefeated Bearcats, they managed to fight and claw their way back into the game, trimming the deficit to seven points before falling short.

"Nobody was giving up on each other," Wilks said. "We still have fight. There was a time in my freshman year when that lead could have kept building and building."

The current squad has an X factor that Cronin's teams have lacked up to this point in his five-year tenure: heart.

No Cincinnati team since the Huggins era has played with as much grit and dedication as this season's group.

The main factor for this is the veteran leadership the Bearcats have this season. With rebuilding the program like he has had to, Cronin has yet to have that before this year.

Six seniors and two juniors provide the glue for Cincinnati. Two of those seniors, Wilks and Davis, have humbly and willingly welcomed coming off the bench to provide a spark.

"Me and Larry, being seniors, we know our roles," Wilks said. "We accepted that. Personally, it really doesn't matter to me as long as I can come in and contribute mostly defensively and rebounding."

These Bearcats are the most unselfish team I've seen in years. They all know their duties and are content regardless of how much playing time they receive. They fully grasp just how scarce minutes are on this talented team.

Only the rigors of the upcoming daunting Big East schedule will determine if Cincinnati garners elite status in the nation's best and deepest conference.

Bearcats Clip Redhawks

Dixon Leads UC to Win over Miami

Rough start

Cats crushed in conference opener

By Hunter Tickel | Senior Reporter

If Tuesday's Big East opener for the Cincinnati women's basketball is an indication of what awaits them in conference play, the Bearcats are in for a long season.

Projected to finish 15th in the Big East this season, the Bearcats were bested in every facet of the game by the Cardinals: fundamentals, style, athleticism and cohesion as they lost 78-40 at Fifth Third Arena.

"We wasted people's times today, said head coach Jamelle Elliott. "We wasted the [referee's] time, we wasted the fans' time and we wasted Louisville's time. We didn't show up today. We might as well have stayed in the locker room with the performance we put on today."

UC committed a season-high 31 turnovers and shot worse than 32 percent from the floor.

A reoccurring theme throughout the night was Cincinnati settling for jump shots or giving the ball away, while the Cardinals took high-percentage shots and scored 38 points in the paint to the Bearcats 12.

"We need a post player," said freshman guard Kayla Cook. "When we get in the Big East, we are going to be facing 6-4, 6-5 and our tallest player is barely pushing 6-1. They don't have any experience in the Big East either, so I think we are slacking in the post."

Point guard Shareese Ulis is the only returning player that garnered significant playing time from last year's squad that finished 4-12 in the league. UC is inexperienced, returning just 27 percent of minutes played and 28 percent of scoring from last season.

"I just told them when I walked into the locker room, ‘Welcome to the Big East,' " Elliott said. "That's what they signed up for. They came to Cincinnati to play against these teams. I've got to hope that they are ready to do that."

The Bearcats appeared rusty after having ten days off as they prepared for their exams last week.

"[I told them] you guys have five minutes to get that out of your system and then we have to be ready to play," Elliott said. "Five minutes turned into 40 minutes. It's just one of those games where nothing went our way."

Ulis entered the night averaging a team-leading 15.7 points per game. She drew double teams on the perimeter from the outset and never found a comfortable flow against UL. The senior finished with 14 points and just two assists.

"I feel like I have to get these guys involved in order for us to be a great team," Ulis said. "If I can't get them to be with me, we don't have a chance at winning. Tonight I didn't play as good as I normally do and it carried over to everyone else."

Ulis scored the team's first basket after nearly eight minutes had surpassed as they struggled in their half-court sets.

By the midpoint of the first half, the contest was all but finished with UC falling behind 21-2. The Bearcats got on the score sheet for a second time with 8:06 remaining in the opening half.

The Bearcats totaled a season-low 40 points and allowed the Cardinals to shot better than 58 percent as they scored 18 points in transition.

After its Big East opener, the Bearcats step out of conference play again at 2 p.m. Saturday against Wright State at Fifth Third Arena.

Huskies Halt Cincy

By Hunter Tickel | Senior Reporter

Following consecutive BCS appearances the past two seasons, the Cincinnati Bearcats became bowl ineligible Saturday after a 38-17 loss to Connecticut at a sold-out Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut.

"[Missing a bowl is] very disappointing, it's one of our program goals," said head coach Butch Jones. "We have to keep building. There are a lot of kids that hurt. We all hurt."

The loss dropped the Bearcats to 4-7, clinching a losing season and ensuring an end to Cincinnati's streak of four-straight bowl appearances.

Turnovers — after plaguing UC all season — were fatale again as the Bearcats committed five against UConn, including four interceptions of Zach Collaros.

Collaros had an opportunity to pull the Cats to within four points before halftime inside Connecticut's 10-yard line, but his pass took a costly bounce after being tipped by UConn's Kendall Reyes. The interception gave the Huskies possession inside the Cincinnati red zone.

UConn running back John Todman put his team ahead18 points with a one-yard touchdown run just seconds before halftime.

The Bearcats orchestrated an 88-yard drive — capped with a three-yard touchdown scamper by Collaros — to pull within a one possession with less than nine minutes to play.

But five snaps later, Todman ceased the Bearcats' comeback with the second of his game-high three touchdowns.

With nine receptions for 107 yards against the Huskies, Cincinnati wide receiver Armon Binns surpassed 1,000 yards for the season. The wide out became the ninth receiver in school history to reach the milestone.

"He has had a great senior season," Jones said. "He's played like a senior should play. He's provided great leadership. He's created a model for our younger players at the receiver position for years to come."

The Bearcats will take the field for the final time in 2010 on Senior Day at noon Saturday against Pittsburgh at Nippert Stadium.

"It's [about] going off as winners, sending our seniors off as winners," Jones said. "[Having] momentum going off into the winter and into our strength and conditioning program. For our younger kids, they have to continue to learn about critical plays and get back to work tomorrow."