Bearcats have eye on the prize

I’ve been there twice. Once in 2002 as part of the infamous UC football trip that ended with drinks and bottles being thrown at me as I interviewed Rick Minter. Then last year, my wife and I were fortunate enough to return to Hawaii-partly for our 25th anniversary-and partly because the Bearcats were back to give those Rainbow Warriors the beating they deserved.

Honestly, neither time did I think about basketball. Trust me, that’s how the locals want you…weak. They lull you into a vulnerable state with their sunshine, palm trees, beaches, flowers, hulas and fruity drinks and get you thinking about everything but the task at hand.

My only thought about basketball came when Dan Hoard brought up that the Bearcats would be playing in this year’s Maui Invitational.

“Wow!,” I thought.

“I wonder if I….,” and then reality hit.

About a month later I had lost my job, so any ideas of funding a return trip went right out the Tiki Hut window. Still, UC’s about to embark on a memorable journey. I think Maui’s the best of the islands with its mix of commercialism and natural beauty.

Mick Cronin’s got the guys scheduled to see a lot of that. But, first things first. UC must take care of business at the Lahaina Civic Center (fairly close to the Bubba Gump’s Shrimp House that sits out in the water).

“The mindset of the team is to go out there and try to win it,” said Yancy Gates prior to departure. “Maui is a big name tournament in college basketball. It’s a big step for us to be invited to it.”

UC opens up with Vanderbilt Monday evening (5:30 Cincinnati time on ESPN2). From there, they could play a number of opponents with the participants being Maryland, Chaminade, Arizona, Colorado, Gonzaga and Wisconsin. All are recognizable names, including Chaminade from Hawaii who shocked the world way back when with an upset of Virginia.

“We feel we can compete with anybody,” said Gates. “We just feel that we have to play together-especially on the defensive end. We play Vanderbilt the first game. They’re probably the favorite to win it. So, if we go out there and beat them, we figure we’ve got a good chance.”

With UC having just two home games a warm-up, it’ll be interesting to see how the newer, younger guys adapt to the travel and the natural distraction of being in the Aloha State. Many have maybe been on flights for two to four hours, but probably not many have been on a plane 10-12 hours (depending on the equipment used to fly UC out).

Gates might have the most experience, having once flown nine hours to Italy his senior year in high school. So, the big guy will be counted on not only for his rebounding and post scoring, but for sleeping pointers and luggage issues.

“Yeah, that’s always a concern,” Gates acknowledged about the travel issues. “It’s the first time the younger guys are going to go out that far (and) go through the process of the road games practicing on the road. With this tournament we might have to wake up in the morning and play. We’re going to be playing more games closer (together) it’s more of a concern.”

As things are scheduled now the Bearcats will be arriving early enough to get some of the kinks out of the system early.

“That’s the real difference, it’s Maui!” said Gates. “It’s such a long plane ride. We’ll have practice the next day to get adjusted. Last year, we went to Vegas and that was different for me. Especially playing games back-to-back. It’s a concern, but I’m sure Coach knows how to handle it.”

On the other hand, this is not like a trip to Detroit. You say the word, “Maui” and the players light up. Really, it’s probably tough for any human with circulation to not smile when saying or thinking of “Maui”.

It just “sounds” fun, doesn’t it?

“We can’t let that distract us from what we’re really going there for,” said Rashad Bishop. “It will be nice to have fun out there, but really our main goal is to go out there and win.”

Bishop is the serious one. On the other hand, even though you know Deonta Vaughn will come to play. He also will “play” during his time away from the mainland.

“I think it’ll be a great experience for us in Maui,” Vaughn said. “I think it’s a good thing that we leave early so we get used to the atmosphere down there. The time zone is changing and it’s going to be a great trip for us and a great learning experience, you know, playing against Vanderbilt, Maryland, some of the top programs in the nation.”

While Vaughn was looking forward to the lengthy flight, he was very open-minded about his free time on the island. Apparently though, he is not a flowery shirt type of guy.

“Me? I’m thinking a bikini and nothing else on,” Vaughn said grinning broadly. “I’m going to go shave my chest hairs and things like that. Yeah, Speedo! I’m going to be looking like Sylvester Stallone or ‘Terminator’, what’s his name? Yeah, Schwarzenegger when he was in his Speedo!”

This is where Vaughn is certainly enjoying his senior year, with the media. Wednesday night, rather than wait for a UC official to ask, “Any questions?” Vaughn took over as moderator. On this day, as Rashad Bishop sat taking questions, Vaughn pulled up a chair with the media and began peppering Rashad like a veteran “scribe”.

He also gives veteran answers in addition to the clowning around-like this one on the possibility of Hawaiian jet lag.

“They said two or three days to get used to the time, that’s why we’re leaving early,” he said. “The way I like to sleep, the time zone probably won’t make any difference to me.”

Coach Cronin’s also looking forward to the trip because he has fond memories of his last time in Hawaii. It wasn’t Maui, but the Bearcats came home with a trophy.

“I haven’t been on a trip like this since we were going to win the national championship, before Kenyon (Martin) broke his leg,” said Cronin. “We won the Big Island Classic in Hilo. It’s a good reward for our guys-college basketball’s a long year. It’s a chance to not only get some exposure, but gel as a team, spend some time together away from the court.”

Cronin cautions though, the trip isn’t meant for snorkeling and surfing. It’s simply hoops in a tropical climate.

“We’re not going to be doing a lot of sunbathing,” he laughed. “They’ll be able to go out and look around Friday, practice Saturday and Sunday, and get ready to play Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. We’re not leaving ‘til the red-eye Thursday night. I’m going to make sure the guys will understand they’re going to have some time when the tournament’s over. They’re going to have 24 hours in Maui when the tournament’s over. We just have got to make sure we’re focused.”

That’s the tough part. Focusing young men in a Pacific Paradise. Playing in what amounts to a high school gym. Getting kids to listen to a coach wearing a shirt with a blossom on it.

Or, maybe not.

“Adidas has been great,” Cronin explained. “We’ve got some Adidas Tommy Bahama-style shirts. No flowers, no prints.”

No shoes. No shirt. No problems. Basketball in Maui, just as Dr. Naismith envisioned it.