The quietest progress the Bearcats have made in recent games has been the re-emergence of guard D'Juan Baker as an offensive threat. After Baker shot 17-of-53 in an eight-game stretch that began in late January, he improved to .476 and .600 from three-point range in the past four games.
Baker had only four double-figure scoring games from Jan. 29 through the quarterfinals of the C-USA tournament, and three of those came in UC's past three games. He made it into double figures in the first half against UAB on Friday, and finished with 26.
Baker also had made all but one free throw taken since New Year's until he missed his fourth against UAB. He had been 34-of-35 from the line since returning from his three-game suspension during the holidays.
Hand jive
One of the problems of having a player who can use only one hand is not trusting whether he can catch and control the ball.
With reserve center Ryan Fletcher playing with a soft cast on his left hand, the Bearcats frequently ignore opportunities to throw him the ball, even if it disrupts the flow of their offense. That's one reason he did not score in the first two games he played with his injury, and why it took for him being fouled while chasing a rebound to finally get on the board.
March Badness
The Bearcats are 34-14 in the month of March since 1991-92, which includes five conference tournament titles and a 12-6 mark in NCAA Tournament play.
UC has a 15-1 record in conference tournaments since joining the Great Midwest in 1991.
Blowing the whistle
UC coach Bob Huggins has almost a sixth sense about finding the guys in charge of officials when he feels he is being mistreated by referees.
After he was slapped with a technical foul by official Tom O'Neill just 2:21 into the game, Huggins hammered at officials supervisor Dale Kelley and former referee Gerry Donaghy, who evaluates officials for C-USA.
The tech followed a sequence in which the Bearcats were called for three fouls in 28 seconds. The call that most angered Huggins was whistled against forward Bobby Brannen. Official Tom Harrington called Brannen for an offensive foul when UAB's DeWayne Brown put his hand on Brannen's chest and shoved him backward.
After the technical, Huggins moved down to the baseline so he could have a direct line to Donaghy and Kelley. ''He baited me!'' Huggins yelled. ''He baited me!''
Martin rises above C-USAPaul Daugherty column
Hurry to bed, early to rise for Charlotte
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