UC players still learning about UC-Ohio State history
03/19/12 at 3:52pm by bkoch

Long-time UC basketball fans have waited 50 years for their team to get another shot at Ohio State in the NCAA tournament will get their wish Thursday when they face the Buckeyes in the East Region semifinals in Boston.

But it’s going to take a while for the players to become well-versed in the history between the two schools.

UC basketball coach Ed Jucker takes a ride atop his player's shoulders after the Bearcats won the NCAA championship for the second year in a row in 1962.

Only two players on the UC roster are from Ohio – forward Yancy Gates and walk-on guard Alex Eppensteiner. To the rest, Ohio State is just another team that they’ve never played.

Asked if he knew the story about how UC beat Ohio State in the national championship games of 1961 and 1962, Sean Kilpatrick pleaded ignorance.

“No,” he said. “I’m still a young guy.”

JaQuon Parker knew a little more than Kilpatrick.

“They told us that they played in two championships or something and we were underdogs and we beat them,” Parker said.

Gates, who grew up in Cincinnati, is a more familiar with what happened back in the day because he attended a luncheon to commemorate the 50th anniversary of UC’s two national title teams in the fall of 2010. He watched video highlights and listened to some of the players from those teams as they were interviewed by Dan Hoard.

“I think the fans will be more hyped for the game than we are,” Gates said, “especially some of those older guys that were on that team. If I know Cincinnati, which I do know Cincinnati people, they’re gonna be riled up just as much as us.”

Ultimately, though, even Gates said it’s more important to him just to be in the Sweet 16 than it is to face the Buckeyes.

“We could have been playing Murray State or anybody,” Gates said.

I have just one suggestion for the Bearcats for Thursday. Instead of wearing those infra-red/orange uniforms that they have worn in the postseason, I think they should wear the throwback uniforms they’ve worn several times this year and last to honor the 1961 and 1962 teams.

http://news.cincinnati.com/ucblog

Koch recommending we wear the throwbacks for the game is the single best reason NOT to do so...

(03-20-2012 08:20 AM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  Koch recommending we wear the throwbacks for the game is the single best reason NOT to do so...

I love the idea, but we have been so good in the new unis.

(03-20-2012 08:20 AM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  Koch recommending we wear the throwbacks for the game is the single best reason NOT to do so...

And the only reason for that is Koch said it?

I am going to give the Commonwealth of Kentucky credit for one thing The powers that be got together and said basically "You two schools will have to cut the BS and play on a yearly basis, basketball and football." Thus pUKe and Ul have yearly games and the world did not come to a stop or fracture.

We don't need tO$U. They don't need us. But the citizens of this state would be better served if the tattoo school of central ohio took an annual asswhuppin'.

I bought the Infra red warmup in Nashville and we won of course, but it will be hard not to wear my "Buckeye State" shirt. What a difficult decision.

koch Wrote:Long-time UC basketball fans have waited 50 years for their team to get another shot at Ohio State in the NCAA tournament will get their wish Thursday when they face the Buckeyes in the East Region semifinals in Boston.

we have? we wouldn't merely settle for meeting in the regular season?

I'm glad our guys are a bit in the dark on the history between the two schools. I like that they seem to just get on with it and play whatever team is put in front of them. No need to hype things or find storylines. OSU are simply the faceless saps that stand between our guys and the next round. The fans can get all hot and bothered over the Suckeyes and Matta's dodge and weave playing us one time and one time only when we were absolute rock bottom. But the players just focus on what they need to do to win and forget about the name on the other team's jersey. This is a pretty cool bunch. I absolutely loved the fact that they celebrated the FSU win at the buzzer, then quickly shook hands and didn't act like they'd reached the end goal. I've seen teams roll around on the court like they won it all just making the sweet 16. If any team had an excuse to do that its a program that was down and out for several years like ours, but these guys don't ever seem to get too high or loo low.