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Pastimes : 1998-1999 NCAA Men's College Basketball -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mr. Whist who wrote (367)	2/1/1999 11:56:00 AM
From: The Street	Respond to of 571

Ditto.......

To: Mr. Whist who wrote (367)	2/4/1999 2:25:00 AM
From: Mr. Whist	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 571

A story that might interest the fans of the Blue Devils. Who's No. 1 -- Duke or Cincinnati? Bearcats say even though we beat 'em, Duke's No. 1. Headline: Bearcats players say Duke is best By Jeffrey Shelman, Cincinnati Post staff reporter Pete Mickeal watched Connecticut lose. So did Ryan Fletcher. Melvin Levett would have, except he doesn't have cable. With a UConn team that's ranked No. 1 in both major polls having lost Monday for the first time this season - 59-42 to Syracuse - the University of Cincinnati players know there will be some movement at the top of the poll for the first time in more than 10 weeks. 'We wanted (UConn) to lose,' Mickeal said. 'Now we all have one loss, and we can start from scratch.' If No. 2 Duke (21-1) defeats Maryland and Georgia Tech this week, and the No. 3 Bearcats (20-1) win their two Conference USA games this week - tonight against Tulane at Shoemaker Center and Saturday at DePaul - which should be the nation's top-ranked team? Should it be the Blue Devils, a team filled with McDonald's All-Americans and potential NBA players? Or should it be the Bearcats, the team that handed Duke its only loss of the season? The answer isn't obvious. While not belittling their 77-75 victory over Duke in the championship game of the Great Alaska Shootout in November, the UC players tend to agree with the pollsters that the Bearcats aren't the best team in the country. 'I think Duke is the best team in the country,' said Fletcher, who controlled Duke center Elton Brand better than anyone else has this season. 'They're just so talented. We were fortunate to beat them, but we did deserve to win that game.' Since losing to UC, Duke has played the best basketball in the country. The Blue Devils are first in scoring margin, defeating opponents by an average of 25.4 points per game, and they lead the country with an average of 93.7 points per game. 'I'd put us No. 2,' Levett said. 'They're not going to put us in front of Duke, so we'll settle for No. 2.' The Bearcats have different theories on why their victory over Duke doesn't count for much in the polls. 'It's probably strength of schedule and the strength of their conference,' Levett said. 'And the fact that they're Duke and their name. We're Cincinnati, we're not supposed to be ahead of Duke.' Said Mickeal: 'We were so low when we beat Duke (No. 17 in the Associated Press poll). If we would have been 4 or 5 when we beat Duke, we might have gone ahead of them.' Still, the UC players aren't too worried about their poll standing as long as they continue winning. Actually, No. 2 might be a better spot than No. 1. 'I'd rather be No. 2,' Fletcher said. 'There's less pressure, and then there's always something to go after. Plus, it adds to the excitement of watching Duke and chasing No. 1.' UC coach Bob Huggins isn't too concerned with the poll right now - 'It's all conjecture at this point,' he said - but added that in four weeks, the polls will have greater meaning. 'I think at the end of the year it matters for seeding,' said Huggins, whose team is seeking a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since he became coach in 1989. 'Then I think it's really important.' So coach, where are you going to vote your team in the coaches' poll? 'I don't know, I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens this week,' said Huggins, who said he voted his team either 'third or fourth' this week. And while the Bearcats are willing to concede the No. 1 spot for now, they wouldn't mind seeing Duke stumble. 'Everybody wants to be No. 1, it would be nice,' Mickeal said. 'If it happens, it would be something special to end the season No. 1.'