It was a cold December night, 1987. My father Bob and I are walking up to the Cincinnati Gardens. UC is playing Virginia Tech. Bimbo Coles was VT's star and they had a very good team that season. My father and I were two of 1,368 fans in the stands.

It was a cold December night, 1992. My father Bob and I are walking up to The Shoemaker Center. UC is playing Memphis State. Penny Hardaway was Memphis State's star and they had a very good team that season. My father and I were two of 13,176 fans in the stands.

There is one difference between that 1987 and 1992 game. . .BOB HUGGINS! He pumped life into the basketball program, the University and this city.

Dr. Zimpher stated at Tuesday's press conference that UC|21 is underway. The whole University is being asked to raise the bar. The wonderful thing that Zimpher is trying to do with the University, Huggins had already done.

In 1989, Huggins took over a program that was down and out. By 1992 he had the team headed to the Final Four. He had raised the bar so that you can say the term "UC|21".

The board chairman reportedly has a DUI on his record and is apparently being investigated for tax fraud. Let's raise the bar for our Board of Trustees!

Jason Maxiell has turned out to be one of the finest young men and basketball players this University has ever produced. Under some of the new UC|21 guidelines Maxiell wouldn't be allowed to wear a basketball uniform. He is now a proud graduate, good citizen and employee of the NBA.

Eric Hicks came to UC rough around the edges. The President and the Board do not see Hicks as a good representative of the University. But yet this summer he represented our country as a member of the Olympic basketball team.

Every company, business or institution must have a leader with a vision. Dr. Zimpher has a vision. The problem is, it is the wrong one for this university's athletic department. Dr. Zimpher, Bob Goin and the Board of Trustee's have destroyed a family.

It was a cold December night 1999. This time I was walking into the Shoemaker Center by
myself. I was no longer one of 13,176 in the stands. I was one of twelve players on the bench.

Coach Huggins gave me a chance to be a walk-on player. This lead me to write a book on my experience playing for the Bearcats. That experience then lead me to start a non-profit organization working with kids, teaching them the game of life through basketball.

Thank you Coach Huggins for all that you have done for me and the city of Cincinnati.

I never thought there would be a cold day in August. But, today the face of UC basketball has been changed forever.

Alex Meacham
Former Walk-On 1997-2000

Author "Walk Of A Lifetime"

Co President, Shining Star Sports

Graduate of Roger Bacon HS and the University of Cincinnati.