Schutt sports corner.

Q What are the most important aspects in building a successful program?

A The key is to build, not rebuild. Do the best job you can with the people that you have. when you say rebuild, what you automatically do is you write off the people that you have. If you do the best you can with who you have, you never have to worry about rebuilding. The real keys are: work hard, work smart, put good people on your staff and keep them, recruit good players, and have a plan. If you don't work intelligently, all you're going to do is put in a lot of time and not get anything done. You have to have a well thought out plan. But most importantly, you do the best job you can do with what you have.

Q What is one thing about college basketball you would change if you could?

A The most important thing we need to do, and I think the NCAA is already moving in this direction, is to treat the players better. I think the rules about what players are allowed to do and how they're allowed to do it should be more realistic. I don't think they should be treated like professionals, because they are not, but the rule is to treat them like normal students, which they are not, either. They are non-traditional students. Normal students don't travel the way the athletes travel, don't miss the week before finals to compete in the NCAA tournament. I think a more realistic approach would insure they would get the best education and have the best collegiate experience possible.

Q What do you consider the keys to successful recruiting?

A We try to recruit people who are going to fit here, who have the same interests that we have. We want to be very successful and we want to recruit the players who are willing to pay a price to be good. But Cincinnati is not for everybody. Our university is not going to appeal to a certain segment of people, so if we try to go out and recruit those people, we're not going to be successful. So we really try to do a lot of research initially to discover who's really interested, why are they interested, and what kind of player and person are they going to be like once we get them, knowing full well who we are and what it takes to be successful here.

BOB HUGGINS has compiled a 166-83 record in his seven seasons as head basketball coach of the University of Cincinnati. A proven program-builder, he has lead the Bearcats to five straight Conference USA titles, three trips to the Elite Eight and a Final Four appearance in 1992. He is a winner of the Ray Meyer Award, the Hoop Scoop National Coach of the Year Award, and was a finalist for AP Coach of the Year in 1991-92. He has also served on the coaching staff of the US National Basketball Team at the World University Games as well as the Schutt Advisory Board.