Monday, January 03, 2000

Drill helped UC slow UNLV's Dickel

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UC NOTEBOOK

BY MIKE DeCOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Steve Logan (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        When UC coaches watched UNLV point guard Mark Dickel on tape, they concluded he pushed the basketball in transition as well as anyone in the nation.

        So they devised a drill for pregame practices in which one player was stationed at the midcourt line while 10 men scrimmaged at one end. When a coach yelled out switch, the ball was thrown to the player in the middle and the five playing offense had to chase him down before he completed a layup.

        UNLV coach Bill Bayno thought UC was extremely effective keeping Dickel out of transition.

        “On made baskets, they grabbed him, just literally held him so he couldn't get out and run,” Bayno said. “They dictated the way the game was going to be called, so you really had no choice but to battle.”

        TATE TALK: With UC facing more good inside players of late, power forward Jermaine Tate has drawn several difficult assignments and is developing the sort of defensive reputation already en joyed by teammates Pete Mickeal and Kenyon Martin.

        UNLV center Kaspars Kambala was Tate's first 20-point scorer, but he was only half that productive in this game. Tate tried to limit Kambala's touches by fronting him — figuring that would limit his own fouls — and got baseline support from teammates, notably Martin.

        “As long as we win. As long as my guy doesn't hit the majority of his shots, I'm fine with it,” Tate said of his role.

Pete Mickeal (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        BENCH JOCKEYING: UC coach Bob Huggins did not remove seniors Kenyon Martin and Pete Mickeal until the game reached the final five minutes.

        Both players were limited because of foul trouble earlier in the game, and Huggins said, “Those guys deserve to get their minutes as much as anyone else.

        “And we've got a lot of things we're trying to work on. It's hard to work on them without having one or two of those guys on the floor.”

        NUMBERS GAME: UC's 26 assists were its best total in the past two seasons. Sophomore point guard Steve Logan had eight assists and has 28 assists and four turnovers since the Xavier loss.

       

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