By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Tony Bobbitt isn't used to scrounging for minutes or points. For as long as he can remember, he's been his team's best player, able to make jump shots and score almost at will.

But as the Cincinnati Bearcats head into the crux of their 2002-03 schedule, Bobbitt's playing time remains limited, his shooting inconsistent.

About the only thing that hasn't deserted him is his upbeat attitude.

"I've been telling myself, 'It's still going to come, it's still going to come,'" Bobbitt said Monday. "But when? I'm still waiting."

Actually, Bobbitt's jump shot showed up once this season. In UC's victory over Oregon on Dec. 17, the Bearcats' 6-foot-4 junior guard dazzled a national television audience with 29 points on 9-of-14 shooting, 6-of-11 from 3-point range.

It appeared the junior college All-American had hit his stride. UC fans drooled over the possibilities. This, after all, was one of the most talked-about Bearcats recruits.

Even UC coach Bob Huggins wondered if Bobbitt's performance would bring a new dimension to the offense.

"You always hope," Huggins said. "But I've been doing this a long time. Every day is a new day."

In Bobbitt's case, the Oregon game was a one-time glimmer. Since then, he has made just 14-of-40 field-goal attempts (35 percent) and 5-of-25 3-pointers (20 percent).

Take away the Oregon game and Bobbitt is shooting 32.9 percent this season, 23.5 percent from long range. He averages 6.7 points per game.

To make matters worse, a badly sprained ankle kept him out of the Jan. 11 game at TCU.

"It's been a new experience," Bobbitt said. "I know I can go out there and do what I can do, but you've got to play within the game."

Bobbitt was a 39.4 percent 3-point shooter last year at the College of Southern Idaho. He averaged 28.3 points as a senior at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Fla.

And it's not like Bobbitt has forgotten how to shoot. He's deadly in practice. He just can't seem to carry that over to the games.

"Some days, he's unreal," said Dan Peters, UC's associate head coach.

Huggins said he has seen Bobbitt's kind before. In fact, he has a name for players who shoot well in practice but can't translate that success into games - "3 o'clock All-Americans."

Bobbitt's biggest problem, Huggins said, is shot preparation.

"He's not very consistent in his delivery," Huggins said. "He may be fading away or going sideways. It's footwork. It's being in a stance and being ready to catch it and shoot it."

But Bobbitt's lack of defensive prowess has more to do with restricting his playing time to 12.7 minutes per game.

Considered a solid defender when he arrived at UC after ranking second in the nation in steals last year at Southern Idaho, Bobbitt finds playing defense in Division I more challenging.

"It's been difficult for me," he said. "But I've come to realize I've got to keep my man in front of me and not try to gamble too much. On this level, the players are smarter and the game is faster."