One less Bearcat to shove around Saturday

Whaley Leaves UC Basketball Team
From UCBearcats.com
February 23, 2004

CINCINNATI, Ohio--University of Cincinnati junior center Robert Whaley has left the basketball team for personal reasons, head coach Bob Huggins announced today.

"We all wish Rob the best in his future endeavors. I hope that he gets things sorted out and is able to be the best student-athlete he can be," Huggins said.

The 6-10, 260-pound Whaley was averaging 6.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in 20 games this season. Whaley, who started the first three games of the year, underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Dec. 3. Whaley tallied a season-high 17 points in the win at Houston on Feb. 7.

A native of Benton Harbor, Mich., Whaley issued the following statement regarding his departure. "I just need a break right now. I need to get my head cleared and think about some things," he said. "I wish the team the best and hope they have a great season."

The Bearcats, who jumped to No. 12 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll and to No. 15 in the Associated Press rankings, host Saint Louis on Wednesday night in Fifth Third Arena at Shoemaker Center.


Whaley's stats: 20 games, 3 starts, 275 minutes, 13.8 minutes per game, 46-134 field goals, .343 fg pct, 0-1 3-pt field goals, .000 3-pt fg pct, 31-47 free throws, .660 ft pct, 22 offensive rebounds, 31 defensive rebounds, 53 rebounds, 2.7 rebounds per game, 42 fouls, 2 foul outs, 14 assists, 22 turnovers, 8 blocked shots, 6 steals, 123 points, 6.2 points per game

 

Rumblings have it that he may re-join the team. Either way, it's not likely he'll play on Saturday.

After his publicly bitching about the way Huggs does things, and the extra time Huggs spent teaching him (a lot of after-practice sessions working on the post game), I really won't miss Whaley and his cancerous ways. He's 6-10, 260 and been trying to play the 2-gaurd, instead of mixing it up in the middle, where he's needed.

If Huggs is willing to take him back, AND the team is, it's fine (I GUESS). Until he has another hissy-fit, that is.

 

everybody wants to dunk or shoot the 3 these days. no in between with todays players.

 

barry, you're right, we have that problem here and at most schools today.. Ask Roy Williams.

Good commentary below...

Whaley heard, but didn't listen; Huggins failed to reach UC's man in the middle
By Paul Daugherty, The Cincinnati Enquirer

Robert Whaley blew it. He has a nice touch for a big man, a feathery little jump hook that slips from his fingers like a yo-yo from a string. He moves well. He has good skills and, oh, yeah, a 13-month-old son he hopes to support by playing basketball for money.
Attending UC wasn't just an opportunity. It was a lifeline. How could Whaley blow it?

Bob Huggins blew it. He took a chance on a junior college stud and proven trouble-finder. He believed he could right Whaley's ship. He couldn't. Not to this point. Huggins didn't bend to accommodate his weak-willed prodigy. UC needed a low-post scoring presence.

If Whaley had played as advertised, maybe nobody is wondering what's up with the Bearcats. How could Huggins blow it?

Whaley neglected his talent. Huggins needed to lighten up. It's a process repeated almost yearly in Clifton. I remember Terry Nelson quitting, briefly. That was 12 years ago. It's fair to wonder how much longer Huggins will feel like fighting these fights.

Here's a fact: The Bearcats have won 18 times this year. Whaley helped them win exactly once. He had 17 points against Houston, when the rest of the team was sucking exhaust. Even that day, Whaley needed 18 shots to make six baskets.

Here's another fact: The Bearcats couldn't have played any tighter in the last month if you marched them to a cliff and told them to jump-shoot. It's hard to make a layup looking over your shoulder.

Whaley didn't listen. It might be hard to play for Huggins. It isn't hard to understand how he expects you to play for him.

Huggins won't change. Even if times and teams demand it.

He has a track record with big men: Corie Blount, Art Long, Danny Fortson. Kenyon Martin embodied every belief Huggins owns. It's hard to argue with the first player taken in the draft. Listen, learn and work, and you have a well-paying job. Quit, and you're B.J. Grove. Where is B.J. Grove?

Coaching is teaching. Teaching is knowing which buttons to push, when. It's not one-size-fits-all.

And so forth. It's all true about Robert Whaley and Bob Huggins.

Can Huggins reach players the way he did a decade ago? They hear him. How could they not? But do they listen?

Should Huggins adapt to survive? Would he even want to?

It would have been easy for him to play Whaley more. Huggins is paid to win games. If character is developed along the way, OK. It's not mandatory. Huggins hasn't played Whaley, partly because Kareem Johnson, a lesser talent, practices harder and better than Whaley has. There's a lot to admire about the coach, sticking to his guns.

But could Whaley have benefited from kinder and gentler? Could Tony Bobbitt have used it last year, or Eric Hicks?

Do Huggins' teams fade in March because, occasionally, they're mentally fried, physically drained and relieved to be finished? Or does the mental meat grinder make them better than they might have been otherwise? Tough teams survive March better than teams that aren't tough. There is a fine line, though, between tough and browbeaten. The Bearcats walk it a lot.

Robert Whaley walked it Monday, right out the door. He could be back today, next week or next year. He might never be back. It makes you wonder, again: How much of it is the player? How much is the coach?

Episodes like this make Huggins wish he were fishing.