Thursday, December 14, 2000
Who will be the rising star?
Every year, new standout seems to affect game
By Neil Schmidt
The Cincinnati Enquirer
• 9 p.m. today
• TV: ESPN
• Live TotalCast
• UC: WLW (700)
• XU: WKRC (550)
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Xavier's Alvin Brown didn't have his career high in scoring last year against Cincinnati. Not that anyone remembers.
His nine first-half points off the bench had Dick Vitale telling America, “A star has been born here tonight.” He was one of the keys in Xavier's upset of the Bearcats.
“It was the most exciting game of my career, because it was against the No.1 team in the country,” Brown said. “And it was a nationally televised game, so all my family and friends were watching.”
So the question: Who is this year's Alvin Brown?
“There's always somebody that comes into that game who excels,” XU coach Skip Prosser said. “I remember John Jacobs one year for UC really made some great plays when they beat us (six points, eight rebounds in 1995). James Posey had a coming-out party (14 points, 11 rebounds) when we were fortunate enough to beat them over there (in 1996).
“It seems like there'll always be an X-factor guy, somebody who won't get all the pregame ink that ends up being a difference-maker in the game.”
For XU, that could be Brown. The junior guard averages only 4.1 points in his 9.1 minutes, but he's often a valuable spark. He had 11 points against Eastern Kentucky and six quick points in both the Samford and Louisiana-Monroe games.
For UC, it might be Field Williams, the freshman who had played just five minutes all year before scoring 13 points Monday against Oak land (Mich.). Or walk-on Rodney Crawford, who had five rebounds in his UC debut Monday.
BRACING FOR XU: UC players didn't get overconfident after watching XU lose last week to middling Princeton.
“If they don't play (well) in any more games this year, they'll play (well) against us,” UC sophomore Donald Little said. “They can lose any game; the only thing they want to do is beat us.”
PROSSER RAVES: Prosser sees Kenny Satterfield and Little as UC's key players.
“In Satterfield, I don't think they've had as dominant a point guard since Nick Van Exel,” Prosser said. “He's the straw that stirs the drink. And Little, watching him on tape against Marshall, he was just a monster.”
FORGET LAST YEAR: Kevin Frey was the poster boy from last year's XU Shootout victory. He scored 12 second-half points, including XU's last six, and his celebratory romp down the court after scoring the clinching basket is still being replayed.
To which he says: That was last year.
“I don't think about it very much,” he said. “It was a while ago, and I try not to look back.
“I know I'm being counted on to step up, but that's how every game should be, not just this game. I'm trying to prepare for this like any other game.”
GOOD HANDS: One thing both teams have excelled at is ballhandling. UC has a plus-8.6 average turnover margin; XU has a plus-4.1 average.
“We've got to take care of the ball,” UC junior guard Steve Logan said. “And we've got to get easy baskets. We can't come down every trip and set up in the half-court (offense). We've got to get out and run.”
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Who will be the rising star?
