Vaughn says goodbye

Deonta Vaughn has played his final game in Fifth Third Arena, but that doesn’t mean his days with University of Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin are over and done with.

“Well I’m planning on being with him for another month,” Cronin said. “We’re planning on playing some more games together.”

Cronin, Vaughn and the rest of the Bearcats still have their regular season finale against Georgetown in Washington D.C. Saturday, March 6, then the Big East Tournament in New York City beginning March 9 and the outside chance of postseason play after that.

But Vaughn and teammate Steve Toyloy have played their final home game in Bearcat uniforms after a 77-73 loss to Villanova Tuesday, March 2.

“It’s terrible to end your career at home with a loss,” Vaughn said. “Nobody ever wants to lose on Senior Night, but I’m proud of us as a team that we didn’t give up. We played well throughout the whole game.”

Vaughn ended his career in Fifth Third Arena by scoring in double figures for the 89th time as a Bearcat. The Indianapolis native has already carved his name into UC history books, starting more games throughout the course of his career than any Cincinnati player before him.

Vaughn has scored 1,793 career points to date, and for the past three seasons has led the Bearcats in both points and assists. While his stat lines have shined during his time at UC, Cronin said Vaughn’s immeasurable statistics have been just as important.

“He’s a great player; he gives everything he’s got every night out there. I thought he had great preparation for this game,” Cronin said. “He showed he had great leadership in the locker room too tonight.”

While Vaughn will soon be gone from Cincinnati for good, Cronin says his contributions to the program will remain.

“It’s nice to have somebody compete so the younger guys like Cashmere Wright and Jaquon Parker can see the way Deonta’s competing out there and understand how hard they’re going to have to compete to play in this league,” Cronin said.

Vaughn has spent four years at Cincinnati, having arrived in the Queen City shortly after the hiring of Cronin, now a fourth-year head coach. While Vaughn has played his final game in Fifth Third Arena and his post-collegiate life may take him away from the city, he doesn’t expect Tuesday night to be his final time seeing a game in Cincinnati’s
home arena.

“I’ll just probably come back and come to a game and watch,” Vaughn said. “I’ll probably be like all the rest of the people that come back and come to a game, and come to the locker room and talk to some of the players. I’ll tell them what they can do, just try to give them some good advice for the future.”

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