SportsLine.com/Lindy's Basketball
2000 Season Preview
Nov. 6, 2000

The discouraging ending to Cincinnati's season was much like lifting a phonograph needle off a spinning record.

The highly favored Bearcats entered the postseason ranked No. 1 before Kenyon Martin, the national player of the year, broke his leg in the first-round of the Conference USA Tournament. Without Martin, Cincinnati lost that first-round game to Saint Louis before losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to Tulsa. It was the fourth consecutive time that Cincinnati has been bounced in the second round.

Martin's injury cost the Bearcats a possible trip to the Final Four, and perhaps the national championship. Yet even without a title, Cincinnati nearly lost its coach. In late July, Bob Huggins was offered a 4-year, $8 million deal to coach the Los Angeles Clippers but turned it down.

Also, freshman point guard Kenny Satterfield entered his name for the NBA draft only to withdraw before the league-mandated deadline. But even with Huggins and Satterfield returning, the Bearcats' losses are somewhat debilitating. Martin, freshman DerMarr Johnson and senior Pete Mickeal departed to become NBA draft picks and senior role players Jermaine Tate and Ryan Fletcher graduated.

This was the summer when Cincinnati lost both its dominance and its experience.

Predicted finish

American Division 1. DePaul 2. Cincinnati 3. UNC-Charlotte 4. Marquette 5. Saint Louis 6. Louisville National Division 1. Memphis 2. South Florida 3. Southern Miss 4. UAB 5. Houston 6. Tulane

"We've got no seniors," said Huggins "We've got no experience."

But this is Cincinnati, where the word "rebuilding" is blasphemous and the Bearcats' staff will try to tourniquet the gushing expectations once again. Winning always matters at Cincinnati. By January no one will be crying, "Where's Kenyon?"

In fact, by the time C-USA play rolls around, the coaching staff believes they will be better than last season at every spot except center. The Bearcats will replace three departed seniors with a trio of first-team junior college All-Americans. The JC newcomers are Antwan Jones -- a rangy 6-8, 205-pound James Posey knockoff who should emerge as one of the league's premier players once he returns from a foot injury; Immanuel McElroy, a 6-4 leaper; and the well-rounded Jamaal Davis, a 6-8, 230-pound banger.

"We tried to fill our needs, and feel we did so," Huggins said. "Antwan Jones was the best junior college player out there. He shoots the ball well, he has a lot of range, and he's very athletic."

Freshman shooting guard Field Williams drew raves in the local summer league with his pure shooting, as did power forward Rod Flowers who is solid all-around and provides depth. The rookies will be mentored by Satterfield, the team's leading returning scorer and rebounder, who could be the best point guard in the conference.

Junior Steve Logan will back-up Satterfield and could start alongside him on a team that will be more perimeter oriented. Somehow, Huggins must find minutes for ever-improving sophomore swingman Leonard Stokes, whom Huggins calls the program's most versatile player.

But the frontcourt has as many questions as it does suppositional talent.

Donald Little, a 6-10 sophomore, will start at center, but he's raw offensively.

Sophomore B.J. Grove, a 6-11 center, came on toward the end of last season and is developing into a low-post threat. He will be counted on to contribute even more now that it appears Eugene Land is done for the season.

A sophomore, Land redshirted last season and averaged 3.2 points and 1.7 rebounds in 27 games during 1998-99. At 6-7, he's a guy who can score in the low post and was expected to step into a major role this season before injuring his knee and undergoing reconstructive surgery.

Despite the questions, this is a team that potentially has enough swagger to hold sway over C-USA once again, although DePaul might have something to say about that. By 2001-02, even if Satterfield elects to turn pro, Cincinnati should enter the season No. 1 with enough depth to stoke two programs.

Honors candidates

Kenny Satterfield. Arguably one of the nation's best point guards.

Keep an eye on

Sophomore center Donald Little has some big shoes to fill and he knows it. He's bigger, stronger and is an outstanding shot-blocker. He may never be a big-time scorer, but the same thing was said about Kenyon Martin four years ago.

Key players

(*Returning starter; 1999-2000 avg.)

• PF Jamaal Davis 6-8, 230, Jr. - Physical player and inside scorer
• SF Antwan Jones 6-8, 205, Jr. - Difficult to contain offensively; likely out for another month
• SG Steve Logan 6-0, 200, Jr. - Solid combo guard (9.8 ppg, 3.5 apg)
• PG Kenny Satterfield 6-2, 185, So. - C-USA's premier point guard (9.2 ppg, 5.4 apg)
• C Donald Little 6-10, 225, So. - Good shot-blocker (3.2 ppg., 20 blocks)
• SG Leonard Stokes 6-6, 205, So. - Most versatile Bearcat (2.2 ppg)
• PF Rod Flowers 6-8, 222, Fr. - Fundamentally sound
• G Immanuel McElroy 6-4, 195, Jr. - JC All-American
• SG Field Williams 6-3, 190, Fr. - Pure shooter impressing already

Key losses

• Kenyon Martin, C, 6-10, 230 (18.9 ppg, 9.7 rpg.)
• DerMarr Johnson, SG-SF, 6-9, 200 (12.6, .371 3-pointers)
• Pete Mickeal, SF, 6-6, 230 (13.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg)
• Ryan Fletcher, PF-C, 6-9, 245 (7.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
• Jermaine Tate, PF, 6-9, 235 (4.6 ppg; 4.6 rpg)

Lindy's College Basketball Annual is available at newsstands, or can be ordered at www.lindyssports.com, or by calling 1-205-871-1182.

Schedule