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Stars return just in time
By Paul Dehner Jr., CNATI.com Posted December 23, 2009 1:12 AM ET
In a non-conference season dominated by the arrival and progression of new face Lance Stephenson, a return of old heroes played out as the theme of Tuesday night's 74-57 victory for the University of Cincinnati over Winthrop.
Watching sophomore center Yancy Gates shake the Fifth Third Arena rim with dunks and Deonta Vaughn swish game-clinching 3-pointers paired a rousing ovation with a sigh of relief across the Bearcats fan base.
As Big East play opens in the next game at home against UConn, their return arrived in the nick of time.
"Just getting ready for the Big East," Gates said with a matter-of-fact reality. "I just came out trying to get touches."
Gates spent four minutes on the floor and the other 36 in Mick Cronin's doghouse during a win against Lipscomb. Even though he claimed after the game with a smile that he enjoyed his time spent on the bench watching his teammates Saturday, he still responded like a man who received a message. He finished with a game-high 16 points and 7 rebounds, powering through the lane like the 6-foot-9, 260-pound beast everyone expected him to be night-in and night-out during his sophomore season.
Fourteen of those points came in the first half.
"I was pleased with Yancy's effort,' Cronin said. "I was displeased with our ability to get him the basketball in the second half."
Vaughn spent the past few weeks hearing murmurs about his struggling offense, critiques as to why he made only 3 of his past 23 3-pointers and questions in regards to what is ailing the two-time All-Big East senior.
He answered those questions, three out of four times from 3-point range.
His back-to-back 3-pointers came at a critical juncture when Winthrop cut the lead to nine points late in what was supposed to be a runaway blowout following a 39-23 halftime edge.
While six of his 11 points clearly had an impact, it was a first half where he didn't take a shot that impressed Cronin.
"What I liked in the first half was he didn't shoot the ball at all because he wasn't open," Cronin said. "I don't want to see him forcing shots. He doesn't need to force shots. Nobody needs to force shots."
What the Bearcats did need in their final tune-up before opening two months of Big East play was their veteran leaders to assume their positions at the front of the team.
Stephenson continued to sparkle, with plays like a no-look pass for one of his team-high five assists to set up a dunk by Gates. Contributors like Darnell Wilks provided a highlight reel moment where his elbow rose above the rim for an alley-oop dunk. Even transfer Ibrahima Thomas found flashes of promise, including stepping back for a 3-pointer on his way to his first double-digit scoring night as a Bearcat with 11.
"We executed our offense as good as we had all year (in the first half)," Cronin said.
Those players will no doubt be part of the Bearcats' attempt to ascend to Big East relevance. But they won't win games. That is left up to players that have been through the battles and lived to not only tell about it, but own honors for their performance.
As clear as the picture as the lone two players on the front of the team's media guide, those guys for the Bearcats are Gates and Vaughn. Entering the game they were the two players most under fire, leaving they re-ignited their own.
As most teams are this time of year, even with Vaughn and Gates playing well, the Bearcats were flawed. A second half filled with 11 turnovers and the disintegration of a 20-point lead showed the immaturity the team must overcome during the next two months.
"I think we got to grow up a little bit still," Cronin said. "That is what I talked to the guys about after the game. We got to handle success better and our maturity has got to be better. It's got to be a frustrating thing a lot of times for our fans you see our guys make great plays and look so solid and then it is turnover, turnover, turnover. It's just lacking consistency."
With the component of what he believes can be one of the top defenses in the Big East and the big-game potential of Stephenson, Cronin prepares to attack conference play with higher expectations than in any season in his tenure.
With Vaughn and Gates again placed in the forefront, they're right where they want to be.
Categories: College, Featured Stories, Men's Basketball, News, University of Cincinnati Bearcats
Tags: Darnell Wilks, Deonta Vaughn, Ibrahima Thomas, Lance Stephenson, Mick Cronin, Yancy Gates
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