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.
Tuesday, January 17
Thursday, January 5
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.
Tuesday, June 14
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.
Monday, May 23
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.
Thursday, May 12
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."
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."
Friday, May 6
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."
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."
Monday, May 2
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.
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.
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