By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Tony Bobbitt celebrates one of his six three-pointers against Oregon. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Tony Bobbitt spent Tuesday night watching highlights of himself on ESPN and fielding phone calls from his friends back home in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Bobbitt, a junior guard who transferred to the University of Cincinnati from the College of Southern Idaho this year, broke out of a season-long shooting slump with 29 points to lead UC to a 77-52 upset of No.5 Oregon in the Jimmy V Classic at Continental Airlines Arena.

It was the game he has been waiting for since he arrived at UC with junior-college All-America credentials.

Watching the highlights of himself on ESPN "was weird," he said. "But it was fun. It was a great win for us. But we're going to build on it. We're not going to settle for this one."

Bobbitt, who entered the game shooting just 27.6 percent from the field and had seen his playing time diminish, decided to heed the advice he received from UC coach Bob Huggins and especially from his father, John.

"He told me to go out, stop worrying about making mistakes and just play," Bobbitt said.

He also concentrated on correcting a flaw in his shot that had him falling back as he released it. He made his first two shots, which seemed to give him confidence, and finished with a 9-for-14 shooting night, including 6-of-11 from 3-point range.

"It opened up a lot of things for me," said UC forward Leonard Stokes. "(Opponents) can't help out as much when he shoots the ball like that. That's what we need."

It's what Bobbitt needed too, a sterling game to match his effusive personality.

"It felt good," Bobbitt said. "If I'm just patient and wait for the game to come to me, I'll be fine. I'm OK now."

E-mail bkoch@enquirer.com