By Michael Perry
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Eugene Land is enrolled as a full-time student at the University of Cincinnati and has been cleared academically and physically to work out with the Bearcats.
The Roger Bacon graduate, a 6-foot-7 forward, was previously a member of the basketball program before dropping out of school two years ago. He started playing pick-up games with UC players at Shoemaker Center two months ago.
Fall quarter classes began last week, and Land is going through preseason conditioning and weightlifting with the Bearcats.
"He isn't eligible to compete at this moment in time," UC associate athletic director for academics and compliance Bruce Ivory said. "He has some more issues that he's in the process of completing, and some time in the real near future I think he'll have all that done.
"The bottom line is he's doing all he can do. He has one more hurdle to complete, and once he gets over that, I think everything will work out for him."
Angelo Colosimo, UC's team orthopedic surgeon, has examined Land's knee and cleared him to play. Land, Ohio's Division II high school player of the year in 1998, suffered a potentially career-ending knee injury in the summer of 2000. He left UC during the fall quarter of that year.
"Physically, he's in good shape from a body standpoint," Bearcats trainer Jayd Grossman said. "He's got to get his conditioning back up."
HICKS BETTER: Freshman forward Eric Hicks had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Aug.26 to help an injury unrelated to the gunshot wound he suffered in June.
"He tore his ACL when he was in high school," Grossman said. "He had some swelling. We didn't want to risk him missing any time (during the season)."
Grossman said Hicks is fully recovered from the gunshot wound in his left leg suffered trying to break up a fight at a park in Greensboro, N.C.
"He's doing everything with us," Grossman said. "He's almost full go right now."
STOKES OK: Senior guard Leonard Stokes ruptured a tendon in a finger on his shooting hand in mid-June, but he is fully recovered.
Stokes is UC's top returning scorer (12.7 points per game).
ON HIS OWN: Senior center B.J.Grove isn't working out with the Bearcats in preseason conditioning.
Grove continues to weigh more than UC coach Bob Huggins would like, and Huggins won't allow Grove to work out with the team until he gets his weight down. Until then, Grove is working out on his own.
Practices begin Oct.12.
HUBBARD FINISHED: Jimmy Hubbard's basketball career is over because of a back injury.
Hubbard appeared in just 16 games last season, totaling 26 points and nine rebounds. He sat out more than the final month of the season.
Hubbard earned his undergraduate degree in criminal justice over the summer and is taking graduate school classes at UC in labor and employment relations.
NO DONALD: Donald Little, facing an Oct.15 jury trial on felony assault and kidnapping charges, isn't enrolled in fall quarter classes and will not be on the team. Little, a 6-foot-11 center, received his undergraduate degree in June. He expects to play basketball overseas.
