By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

As far as Louisville coach Rick Pitino is concerned, the road to the Conference USA championship still runs through Cincinnati.

Never mind that the Cardinals have the nation's longest winning streak at 15, that they're undefeated in the league and ranked fifth nationally.

"Cincinnati is the team you obviously have to beat to have any chance at surviving in the conference," Pitino said.

NO PRESSURE, BUT...

The Bearcats have suffered only four three-game losing streaks since Bob Huggins became coach in 1989: • 1998-99: Feb. 6 (DePaul), Feb. 10 (Marquette), Feb. 14 (Saint Louis) • 1994-95: Jan. 28 (Saint Louis), Feb. 3 (Memphis), Feb. 5 (Marquette) • 1994-95: Feb. 19 (Maryland), Feb. 26 (UAB), March 2 (Memphis) • 1989-90: Jan. 27 (Southern Miss), Jan. 31 (Xavier), Feb. 3 (Memphis)

The Cardinals will get their chance tonight when the Bearcats (13-5, 6-2 C-USA) arrive at Freedom Hall to face Louisville (16-1, 6-0).

UC has won every C-USA championship since the league's inception in 1995, so it's only natural for the Cardinals and Pitino to target the Bearcats.

"No one, to this point, has unseated us, so yeah, sure, we're the team to go after," Huggins said. "If we keep going the same way we're going and they keep going the way they're going, then next year we'll be pointing to go after them."

And that's when this rivalry will really heat up. UC and Louisville started playing each other in basketball in the 1920-21 season; the Cardinals lead the series 45-34. But frequently during the series one program has been up while the other was down.

Louisville enters this game with the upper hand in both talent and momentum.

The Bearcats, who are looking to avoid their first three-game losing streak since the 1998-99 season, haven't forfeited their throne yet, but a loss tonight would put them in an almost impossible situation.

"It's an uphill battle," Huggins said.

It seems only fitting that these two teams should contend for the league championship. UC and Louisville are the C-USA programs with the most national championships and the highest national profiles.

But the Cards' profile is considerably higher than UC's these days.

"They're the best team in the country," said UC point guard Taron Barker. "Pitino's got those boys rolling."

But Barker said Louisville might be just what the Bearcats need to get out of their doldrums.

"Right now probably is a good time for us to play them," Barker said, "to see who's going to step up, who wants to take that on their shoulders and get nine or 10 rebounds and help us come to a victory against Louisville."

Barker is one of the few players Huggins has excluded when remarking on his team's lack of intensity, a criticism that landed the Bearcats a one-way trip out of their locker room this week. Field Williams is the other player.

"I don't know if we can get a whole lot more from Barker," Huggins said. "And I don't know how much more you can expect Field Williams to do."

UC's league-leading defense, giving up an average of 58.9 points a game, will be tested by Louisville's league-leading offense (84.6). The Bearcats will have a difficult time matching up with Marvin Stone, the Cardinals' 6-foot-10 center, and point guard Reece Gaines. They also lack Louisville's depth.

If this season is the end of UC's reign over C-USA, it could set the stage for a series of exciting confrontations for the next few years between the league's two premier coaches and its two most storied programs.

But Huggins isn't conceding anything, especially when the conversation turns to next season.

"I don't think anybody's ready to bury us," Huggins said. "I'm certainly not ready to bury us."

E-mail bkoch@enquirer.com

Today's lineups:

CINCINNATI	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Leonard Stokes	Sr.	6-6	16.6
Jason Maxiell	So.	6-7	11.3
Kareem Johnson	Jr.	6-7	2.0
Field Williams	Jr.	6-3	13.2
Taron Barker	Sr.	6-1	6.4

Coach: Bob Huggins (345-105, 14th; 513-177 overall).

LOUISVILLE	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Ellis Myles	Jr.	6-8	7.9
Erik Brown	Sr.	6-5	7.8
Marvin Stone	Sr.	6-10	13.2
Taquan Dean	Fr.	6-3	8.3
Reece Gaines	Sr.	6-6	18.2

Coach: Rick Pitino (35-14, 2nd year; 387-183 overall.)