Tales from Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball covers eight coaching eras, from former National Football League standout John "Socko" Wiethe (1946-52) to the driven and intense Bob Huggins, who took over the program in 1989 and led the Bearcats back to national prominence. Cincinnati Enquirer sports editor Michael Perry, a former UC basketball beat reporter, interviewed more than 75 former players, coaches, recruits, and basketball staff members to deliver a comprehensive look inside the Bearcat basketball program.
The book takes readers into locker rooms, practices, and game huddles as it recounts memorable moments and unforgettable games, including the BearcatsÂ’ record-setting seven-overtime victory over Bradley in 1981; UC's controversial 24-11 loss to Kentucky in 1983; and that fateful day, March 9, 2000, when Martin lay crumpled on the basketball court in Memphis, Tennessee.
Fans will also read about Hall of Famer Jack Twyman registering for classes at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh in 1951 before deciding to attend Cincinnati; former coach Ed Badger hitchhiking in the snow to see a recruit in Pennsylvania; and Tony Yates finding a first-team All-Metro Conference player in a former marching band member in Macon, Mississippi. This is a rollicking trip down memory lane, providing insight into the Huggins era and, for those who did not start following the team until the 1990s, a fun history lesson.
