On Memphis

March 21, 2019

Beale Street is a feast for the eyes. Neon pinks and blues mark entryways to noisy watering holes. House bands led by smoky-voiced singers serenade bar rooms filled with mostly out-of-towners. The names of legendary blues musicians like B.B. King are scrawled across building facades, forming a prominent part of the iconography of Memphis proper.

The main drag of bars and restaurants along historic Beale are situated right around the corner from the FedExForum, where the University of Cincinnati hoped to defend its conference title. Gary Clark, Jacob Evans III, and Kyle Washington notably absent for this year’s conference run, few believed the Bearcats stood much of a chance of repeating.

This being my first trip to Memphis, I found the City surprisingly small. For a Mississippi River city of such historical significance, it’s more deep than dazzling, more personal than impressive.

Like the host city, basketball is a personal game. Even with large crowds in the arena, the spectator experience is intimate. Whenever there’s a small crowd viewing a game, it feels awkwardly intimate to watch, like you’re intruding upon another family’s dinner. Fans (and their shouted opinions) get grafted into the action on the court. With conference foes converging on the FedExForum from afar, the crowds were small in Memphis except when the Tigers played.

I love how basketball feels. In a close basketball game, you can literally feel the temperature of a gym rise when a team gets hot. Amazingly, this is the case at nearly every level of the sport. I’ve sat in bleachers for middle school games where momentum swings and spectators lose their minds, swept away by the energy and passion of their tribal moment.

There’s a rhythmic symmetry to basketball, as well. Cheerleader chants and pep bands are out front, leading the assembly. Sneakers squeak as loud as electric guitars on Beale Street. Balls bounce to the timbre of the kick drum; rims clang like a snare.

At one point during the SMU game, UC big man Nysier Brooks lost his footing and landed awkwardly on the hardwood. In that small crowd, Mick Cronin audibly expressed his frustration, which cut through the arena, “Come on, Nas! Come on?!” Brooks looked at Cronin, who shrugged in a pleading fashion. His coach wasn’t mad; he was disappointed. And we all knew about it.

Cronin’s disappointment dissipated as the Bearcats ultimately overwhelmed SMU in the second round (82-74). Adding to Jarron Cumberland’s 26 points and 8 assists, both Tre Scott and Justin Jenifer scored 17 points. In the third round, “Nas” Brooks led UC to a win against Wichita State (66-63), scoring 13 points and grabbing 9 rebounds.

Traveling down to Memphis, there was little mystery about what it would take to win the tournament. Most knew that to defend 2018’s conference title, the Bearcats would have to defeat a two-loss Houston Cougars team that swept the regular season series, their last victory in Clifton spoiling UC’s home winning streak. Headed into the final pairing on championship Sunday, the stage was set for yet another Bearcats/Cougars battle.

Familiar as old sparring partners, Houston and Cincinnati know each other inside and out. Despite that, Houston still seated a couple of scouts near me during the Wichita State game. After UC’s third round win over the Shockers, Houston’s scouts aired some personal jabs about Jarron Cumberland’s level of effort to each other. I overheard their conversation and somewhat reluctantly shared their comments (you know, in the name of #journalism).

In Sunday’s tournament final, Jarron responded.

Cumberland flat dominated the Cougars. Scoring 33 points and grabbing 8 rebounds, he led the Bearcats to a repeat American Athletic Conference title, the University’s first back-to-back conference championship since the mid-90s. UC also smothered Houston’s customarily-prolific offense. Corey Davis, Jr., the Coogs’ all-world senior leader, was limited to only 12 points.

Beyond the pre-game criticisms of Jarron, UC’s redemption over Houston felt personal, largely because this year’s team is such a tight knit group. It’s evident UC’s players have grown progressively closer as the season has stretched on. Maybe that increased unity is attributable to the low expectations most had for them coming into the season. Maybe it’s attributable to the many close games they managed to eke out. Or maybe it’s a combination of those factors, or something else. Regardless of the catalyst, UC will need to be personally cohesive as they face Iowa in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Personally, I think the City of Memphis grows on you. As Gus’s fried chicken and Central Barbecue settle onto your ribs, the river city’s charm embraces. Upon exiting the FedExForum, sounds from different house bands and bars along Beale Street fight for your attention. After UC bested SMU Friday night, Andy and I made our way toward the noise and some usual suspects.

For what felt like my tenth meal of the day, I met up with Chad Brendel (Bearcat Journal) and his pops, Justin Williams (The Athletic), and Michael Shults (a UC/CCM alum who landed in Memphis, teaching music at the University). At The Green Beetle, I devoured a catfish po boy and an enormous slice of strawberry cake. My goodness, the cake was a revelation.

📸: Carl Schmid

Making our way farther away from Beale, up Main Street past the Lorraine Motel, Shults guided us to Earnestine & Hazel’s. Built in the late 1800s, E&H is a quirky dive bar that may or may not be haunted. It’s rumored that at least 13 people have died in the bar, though that number still seems low to me. There’s a small, secluded bar on the second floor overlooking Main Street. Nate tends bar upstairs and he has a “Ray Charles used to hang right there” story he’s always eager to share with patrons.

In the neon glow of E&H’s lights, I found myself surrounded by acquaintances who’ve become close personal friends, almost family. Several domestic beers and even more stories later, the night broke up. Headed separate directions for the night, we’d all be reunited the next day to cover a team that has matured into a cohesive unit, a team in which we all feel personally invested.

By Brian Fox

For more real-time coverage of the Bearcats, food takes, and dad jokes, follow along on Twitter – @BearcatsRadio.

The Bearcats Look to Go Back-to-Back Against Houston

March 17, 2019

As the University of Cincinnati ventures into its third straight Championship Game of the American Athletic Conference, I’m not certain there is much I can offer by way of predictions. If this season has taught us anything, it is that some teams are confounding. The only observable through line is success in tight games, as this UC team has found a way to win 11 out of 13 games by fewer than 5 points.

Sure, there’s data suggesting players will score an average number of points each game. Maybe you’ve heard the expression that, most of the time, teams and players will “play to the back of the baseball card.” However, this season hasn’t exactly played out like that.

Against better competition, the Bearcats leading scorer, Jaron Cumberland, either contributes 25 points or more (Ole Miss, UCLA, USF, Temple, Houston 1, Wichita State 1, Memphis 2, SMU 2) … or he scores 12 points or fewer (George Mason, UNLV, NKU, UCF 1, SMU 2, UCF 2, and Wichita State 3). In other words, the AAC Player of the Year is either predominant or pretty good. Likewise, Tre Scott is averaging 9 points a game on the season, yet he has played well above his average of late – scoring about 13 points in each of the last five games (8, 20, 7, 17, and 12). The only player who has played close to his average down the stretch is Cane Broome.

So, where will UC’s offense come from this afternoon? With the Bearcats averaging around 72 points a game, Cumberland will either account for 17% or 35% of the offense. Clearly, this afternoon’s outcome (and who will lead the way, offensively) is a mystery.

Mick Cronin’s squad faces a Houston team that has only lost two games all year and features one of the more prolific scorers/leaders in the nation in Senior Corey Davis, Jr. What’s more, the Cougars outrebounded UC, collectively, by a margin of 20 rebounds over the two previous games. As you may be painfully aware, the Bearcats lost both of those games, including a 16 point drubbing at home.

The AAC Championship Game tips at 3:15 PM on ESPN. Should the University of Cincinnati prevail, it would be the first repeat conference title for the Bearcats since 1995-96.

By Brian Fox

For more real-time coverage of the Bearcats, food takes, and dad jokes, follow along on Twitter: @BearcatsRadio.

The Bearcats Outlast UCF Knights

February 21, 2019

UC rallied behind a ruckus Fifth Third Arena crowd tonight to escape with a victory over a very pesky UCF Knights team. Outscored 37-34 in the second half and down as many as 8 points, the Bearcats rallied behind a steady defense and Justin Jenifer. UC also shot 50% from beyond the arc to secure a 60-55 victory at home.

Ten-foot tall Tacko Fall finished with just 7 points and 4 boards. Keith Williams and Justin Jenifer tied with a team-high 12 points. Tre Scott came up huge with a key 3 down the stretch, as well.

Jarron Cumberland was just 3-13 shooting, finishing with 11, but adding 7 rebounds and 6 assists. If you ever watch the UC warmups, you know Cumberland is the last player on the court and he will shoot a corner 3 until he makes it. Normally, this is one attempt – not tonight. The all-star had an off-night, but that will happen. Look for him to bounce back huge on the road in Connecticut on Sunday.

The Bearcats have just five regular season games left before heading to Memphis for the AAC Conference Tournament on March 14th. This includes three road games, and a huge rematch against Houston at home on March 10th. UC sits at 2nd place, just one game behind the Cougars, making that home Houston affair critical for conference tourney seeding.

By Andy Smith

Mick Cronin’s Bearcats School the Shockers

February 17, 2019

In front of yet another sellout crowd at Fifth Third Arena, the University of Cincinnati faced down the Wichita State Shockers for the second time this season. Those attending (or viewing the nationally televised game on ESPN) saw the Bearcats prevail by a final tally of 72-62. In a quote-unquote rebuilding year, UC is now 21-4 in the middle of February. And they climbed to that mark with recently-departed standouts Troy Caupain, Jr. (Orlando Magic) and Jacob Evans III (Golden State Warriors) cheering along at mid-court.

Arriving, the Shockers were one game above .500; they departed Clifton 12-12. An actual rebuilding year in Wichita, Kansas, few expected them to defeat the Bearcats on their home court…even if Wichita State was riding a four-game winning streak. Against the annoying persistence of UC’s defensive pressure, Gregg Marshall was unable to coach the ball into the hoop.

From the floor, Wichita State launched 71 field goal attempts, making only 19.

Nineteen.

The Shockers were 19 of 71 from the field, “good” for a miserly 26.8%. From three, the Shockers were 9 of 35 for 25.7%.

Mick Cronin’s squad was not exactly on fire from the floor, either. UC shot 13 fewer shots, but were slightly more accurate (20/58 for 34.5%). The difference in scoring output amounted to one more made three and seven more free throws. But this game never felt close.

From the 8:41 mark in the first half forward, UC out-hustled, out-defended, out-coached, and ultimately outscored the Shockers. If defense was a course at the University of Cincinnati, this game was a Ph.D-level lecture on (i) coaching preparation and (ii) player execution.

Professor Mick Cronin alternated between an arms-wide match-up zone and man-to-man defense, seamlessly. Marshall’s Shockers were confused, hapless. UC baited Wichita State into lofting way too many shots from the perimeter and turned the low block into a no-trespassing-zone. While the Shockers grabbed more rebounds off deep heaves, the Bearcats – led by Nysier Brooks’s five blocks – locked them down as soon as they had possession.

Unsurprisingly, Jarron Cumberland led all scorers with a characteristically-Cumberland stat line: 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. He is giving defenders fits this year, especially conference opponents. Keith Williams continues to reliably score, adding 15 points. Cane Broome paced Williams, scoring 12 points after hitting two threes.

Considering UC’s second option, Williams typically finds his way into double figures. The lingering question down the stretch, however, is whether the unpredictable-often-cobbled-together-scoring-combinations from Trevon Scott/Justin Jenifer/Cane Broome/Trevor Moore are enough of a “third option” for UC to outlast teams. As stiff competition approaches, I’d expect scouting reports sharpen to prevent Jarron Cumberland from getting to 25+.

This much is clear – offensively, this is Jarron’s team. He’s the first and second option many games. But can UC win the conference tournament if he continues to account for 40% of the scoring? Likewise, make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament? Jarron Cumberland will largely answer those questions and we’ll all learn that together. This March’s run could prove the most exhilarating. It could, alternatively, be devastating if Cumberland hits a cold spell at the wrong time (i.e., the final six minutes against Houston) and no one steps forward.

Defensively, this is still Mick’s team. They might be statistically less efficient than year’s past, yet Coach Cronin has every single player defending smarter and more aggressively than opponents at critical times. The hallmark of this season’s defense might be best described as a timely obsession with loose balls and frenetic harassment. Today, Mick Cronin took Gregg Marshall to school and gridlocked the Shockers with alternating defensive looks. To win big this year, only a total team effort and timing will due.

The University of Cincinnati faces another test this Thursday evening, as UCF rides a three-game winning streak into Fifth Third Arena. The Knights are 19-5, third place in the American Athletic Conference, and considered a “bubble team” to make the NCAA Tournament. Make no mistake, UCF arrives in search of a marquee road victory to bolster their resume. Another nationally televised game on ESPN2, they’ll be playing for their tournament lives. But they’ll have their hands full as the Bearcats just extended their home winning streak to 14 games and continue to find ways to win.

By Brian Fox

For more, be sure to follow the conversation on Twitter – @BearcatsRadio.

Jarron Cumberland’s Junior Year Accolades and Recognitions Are Rolling In

February 13, 2019

The 21-year-old from Wilmington, Ohio, nicknamed “Teddy” by players past, has had quite the junior year for the Bearcats this season. Largely playing a reserve role off the bench, UC fans saw glimpses of what #34 could be the past two seasons, especially against Xavier. Built like an NFL tight end at 6’ 5” and a broad-shouldered 200+ lbs., Cumberland could always score and fly down the court. Prior to this season, concerns about Jarron’s play typically centered around his defensive capacity (or effort) and his propensity to find himself in foul trouble (mainly from steamrolling defenders on his way to the hoop). However, the 2019 season has yielded a different Jarron.

After losing two of the best Bearcats in recent memory to the NBA, many were concerned who account for all of the points UC lost after Jacob Evans and Gary Clark transitioned to play professional basketball. It’s safe to say, Jarron Cumberland has embraced lost points burden right away and continues to shoulder it each outing.

Recognized as the AAC Player of the Week (or receiving an AAC Honor Roll mention) for what feels like every single week of this season, Jarron is playing impeccably well. He leads all AAC scorers averaging 22 points during conference play. He’s led UC in scoring for 10 out of the 11 conference games. He is listed among league leaders in minutes played, three-pointers made, assists, assist-to-turnover ratio, three-point percentage, free throw percentage, and rebounds. On the year (including pre-conference games), Cumberland is averaging 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal per game.

This week, he was named as one of 30 players to the 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy Midseason Team. Last week, Cumberland was named one of the final 10 nominees for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year. In January, Jarron was tabbed to the Lute Olson Player of the Year Midseason Watch List. During most of the recent tight games, he’s also been recognized as the 2019 Bearcats Sports Radio Please Lord Let Jarron Help Us Pull This One Out award. The honors keep coming, it seems…

The Bearcats have relied heavily on #34 in every conference game and he has stepped up to the plate down the stretch. It has been incredibly exciting to watch Cumberland take over games of late. He is living up to the spotlight and exceeding even our highest expectations. The question will soon become what is next for this monster of a collegiate basketball player?

Last fall, Cumberland was projected as an early second round NBA draft pick (#34 by Sports Illustrated and #37 by The Sporting News). While I imagine his draft stock has improved based on how he’s performed this season (and will improve even more if the Bearcats make a deep run in March), it’s difficult to forecast how scouts will handicap his upside. But, can you imagine what #34 could do during his senior campaign after the way he’s played his entire junior year? Let’s hope we see him back in the red and black in 2020.

By Andy Smith

May the Odds Be Ever in Mick Cronin’s (and the Bearcats’) Favor

February 7, 2019

Last Saturday, the University of Cincinnati basketball team won another home game in front of a sold out crowd. 12,256 patrons filed through the doors of Fifth Third Arena, took their seats, and watched the Bearcats defeat another conference opponent. After some late game heroics (and bad shot choices from the Southern Methodist University Mustangs), the final buzzer sounded and fans vacated the arena. Unfortunately for many of spectators (and frequently for me), the significance of yet another strong conference performance went unappreciated, or at least under appreciated.

Sure, SMU did not present as the greatest team arriving in Cincinnati that evening. But don’t short another win (now 19) assuming SMU didn’t have any talented players. They have guys that can score, and top 100 and 200 recruits like others in the AAC. Mick Cronin’s Bearcats, however, did what they‘ve grown accustomed to doing — they won the game down the stretch. Relying on defensive pressure and streaky scoring from role players, Cronin’s guys battled to another win.

Jaron Cumberland led all scorers with 24 points, and he added nine rebounds and five assists. In the post-game press conference, SMU Coach Tim Jankovich remarked he didn’t recall Cumberland being as good a player as he was Saturday. While I’m not certain what scouting report Jankovich read, Jaron has taken an elite leap forward this season. Against the Mustangs, he did what he’s done much of the season, he imposed his will on the opponent. Saturday was unique inasmuch as UC shot the ball with far better accuracy than is customary. Precision shooting less our forte, the Bearcats shot nearly 53% from the field and 47% from three.

This team has confounded me for much of the season. For me, it’s been difficult to fall in love with this squad like I have with teams past. UC graduated some guys who were gems on and off the court. Gary Clark competed like few who’ve ever worn the red and black, and he was an equally incredible person. He wasn’t just a good guy; he was one of the greatest human beings I’ve had the pleasure of covering in college athletics. It’s tough to outshine a player like Gary Clark, the functional equivalent of Mother Teresa in high tops chasing down blocks. Jacob Evans III and Kyle Washington were also tough losses, exciting players and lovely people to boot.

Yet this team now has me in its grip with its youth, wide-eyed hustle, and endearing unpredictability. What’s more, Mick Cronin has dazzled. Coach Cronin’s detractors have described him as a “high floor/low ceiling” coach. In other words, some have posited his teams will always be pretty good (because they defend, rebound, and hustle), but they can never be NCAA Tournament contenders (because they can’t light up the scoreboard). Admittedly, I have expressed similar sentiments myself.

But this year I have been made anew, repentant and washed clean of that belief, if you will. Sanctified!

This season is Cronin’s finest stalking the sidelines of Fifth Third Arena. Beyond Jaron, the scoring solutions are so unpredictable they give many heart palpitations, UC’s defensive metrics have slid, and here they sit at 19-3 with one of those losses coming the first game of the year. Nineteen and three. Even after losing three NBA-caliber players and his longtime assistant Larry Davis, Cronin continues to put players in a position to be successful and the team is succeeding. I’m now a Cronin-convert; I’m a believer.

Mick Cronin is not a “high floor/low ceiling” coach. He is a “really high floor/who knows how high the ceiling” coach. Hear me out…

The biggest knock on Coach Cronin is his teams don’t go deep in the NCAA tournament. But Cronin’s teams do make the tournament every year (eight straight – 2011-2018) and are well-seeded enough to advance despite the AAC’s inherent weaknesses as a basketball conference of late. Essentially, it’s an odds play, and few families know as much about odds as Mick Cronin’s (his father Hep worked at River Downs and his brother Dan is a professional horse racing handicapper). How do you increase your odds of being successful in the NCAA Tournament? Simplistic to say, first you have to make it in the Tournament each season.

In other words, you cannot make a deep run if you’re minimally not in the Tournament regularly. Once you’re in, a number of breaks and circumstances have to conspire to help you avoid defeat. There’s a reason the phrase “survive and advance” is used to describe Tournament success. I’m not saying it’s a game of chance, but plenty of luck is involved. Can anyone say with a straight face the Final Four is consistently comprised of the best four teams in college basketball? Of course not! Just look at the Loyola Rambler’s success last season, South Carolina’s the year before, Wichita State’s in 2013, or VCU and Butler’s in 2010-11. In order to be fortunate, you have to at least be present.

Put another way, you can’t win the lottery if you don’t buy a ticket. And this year’s Bearcats appear well on their way to having their ticket punched to a ninth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. There are only four other programs with longer streaks of consecutive Tournament appearances — Kansas, Duke, Michigan State, and Gonzaga.

So in this “rebuilding year,” the University of Cincinnati is now ranked 25th in the AP Poll and 23rd in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll. Tonight they face Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers on the road. Tune in tonight (7 PM on ESPN2) and try to appreciate this team’s turnover of talent from last season, while also observing how few turnovers they commit. And tune in down the stretch heading into March and let’s just see if a few twists of fate don’t break UC’s way.

By Brian Fox

University of Cincinnati Bearcats Reclaim Rightful Spot in AP Top 25

February 4, 2019

The Cincinnati Bearcats have climbed back into the Associated Press Top 25, receiving more votes than Washington, Mississippi State, and Auburn. At 19-3, the Bearcats are still ranked behind a number of six loss Big Ten teams, but that conference’s strength (or lack thereof) will be revealed again during the NCAA Tournament this March.

Heading into the season, many viewed this as rebuilding year with the prominent departures of universally beloved Gary Clark, Jacob Evans, and Kyle Washington. The returning players, it appears, did not buy into that belief, and Head Coach Mick Cronin continues to succeed as his years in charge of the program grow more numerous.

Locally, no other Cincinnati-area program was ranked in the Top 25. Quite the opposite, the Xavier University Musketeers are 12-13, a game below .500, and trending downward. The Musketeers will have to battle just to make it to the NIT this March.

By Brian Fox

Cortez Broughton To Play in the East-West Shrine Game This Saturday

January 18, 2019

On January 19th (tomorrow), DT Cortez Broughton will play in the East-West Shrine Game at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. One of the motors that propelled the Bearcats to a stellar 11-2 finish, Broughton’s senior campaign was inspiring on and off the field.

On the field, he finished the year with 51 tackles (17.5 of those for a loss) and 6.5 sacks. In the season opener, Broughton controlled the line of scrimmage against UCLA, tallying 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in Rose Bowl Stadium.

Off the field, Cortez was universally recognized by UC’s staff and teammates as an exemplary leader. After the Bearcats obliterated Navy (42-0), Broughton made his way to the post-game press conference to address assembled members of the media. During his opportunity to speak, he read a from a list he compiled of scout team players who deserved to be recognized by the press for their efforts during a great week of practice.

I, for one, will be tuning in and cheering mightily for Cortez tomorrow. The game kicks off at 3 PM and will air on the NFL Network. For more, you can visit shrinegame.com.

By Brian Fox

Bearcats Down USF After Losing Coach Cronin

January 15, 2019

Standing at 15-3, the Cats are now 4-1 in the American, having only lost to a red-hot ECU team on the road. Losing to the Pirates is never really “ok” by Cincinnati basketball standards, but to UC’s credit, it was the first AAC road game.

The 2019 Bearcats, a relatively young and inexperienced team by last season’s standard, bounced back from that ECU loss with back-to-back overtime wins over Tulsa and UConn. And tonight, the Cats earned another hard-fought W over a very talented USF team.

Following a grueling few days of practice after escaping Connecticut, the Cats looked comfortable early. With a double-digit halftime lead, UC looked poised to blow out the Bulls. Jarron Cumberland netted 19 points in the first half and Eliel Nsoseme added 4 blocks to provide much-needed energy on the defensive end.

Two minutes into the second half, a frustrated Mick Cronin was ejected for arguing with the refs after a less-than-accurate call was made. Understandably, this took some steam out of the team for much of the beginning minutes of the second-half.

Defense leading the way, the Bearcats managed to outlast USF’s late barrage, winning 82-74. Cumberland had a career night. After notching his 1,000th career point, Jarron finished with 34 points on 9-20 shooting and 14-16 from the free throw line.

UC now travels to warm and sunny Wichita State on Saturday at 2 pm to play the 7-8 (0-3) Shockers.

By Andy Smith

Justin Jenifer — The Country’s Leader in Assist to Turnover Margin

January 10, 2019

#3 Justin Jenifer stands at just 5’ 10” and 175 pounds. A quiet individual, often overlooked coming out of high school and during his early years on campus.

Now a senior and a newfound father, Justin has come to life.  With a tattoo of a lion on his arm, Jenifer has become the lion and leader of this year’s UC basketball team so desperately needs. You can watch him on the bench coaching the freshman, including future star Logan Johnson. He speaks through his defense and willingness to take a charge to electrify the team.

Coach Cronin always praises Jenifer during post-game press conferences and mentions his willingness to work and learn on and off the court. A squad without Gary Clark, Kyle Washington, and Jacob Evans.  A team with four freshman and many others lacking significant playing time and starting experience.  Justin is exactly the glue this team needs to stay together this year at home and on the road.

This year, Justin is averaging 8 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game, while splitting time with Cane Broome and Logan Johnson.  He recently had a career game against Tulane, with 18 points. And, as most of you know by now, Jenifer is leading the country in assist to turnover margin at 10.17.  To put this in perspective, the second-best player is at 6.36.  He has just 6 turnovers all year.  Absolutely ridiculous, especially for a player mainly known for his defense.  It’s safe to say Justin is finding his shot at just the right time.

By Andy Smith