Because Hogue was black, he wasn't recruited by nearby or southern universities. He chose to attend the
University of Cincinnati, largely due to the program's prominence and the chance to play with its star,
Oscar Robertson. A 6 ft 9 in
center, Hogue made his varsity debut with the
Bearcats in 1959–60. As a sophomore, he averaged 12.2 points, shooting .576 from the field, and 11.3 rebounds per game. Hogue was named All-
Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) as the Bearcats won the league title, posted a 28–2 record and, led by Robertson, advanced to the Final Four, where the Bearcats finished in third place. As a junior in 1960–61, Hogue led UC in rebounding with 12.5 per game and he also led the team with a .532 field goal percentage while averaging 16.8 points per game. He again was named All-MVC as the 27–3 Bearcats again captured the league crown. He was named second-team All-American by
Converse. The Bearcats advanced to the championship game of the
1961 NCAA tournament, capturing the national title with a 70–65 overtime win over
Ohio State. As a senior in 1961–62, Hogue was the team captain. He was again All-MVC and led the Bearcats in both scoring and rebounding with 16.8 points and 12.4 rebounds per game as the Bearcats again were MVC champions. He was named first-team All-American by the
Basketball Writers and the
Helms Foundation, second-team All-American by the NEA and Coaches Association, and third-team All-American by the
Associated Press (AP) and
United Press International (UPI). He was named the 1962
Helms Foundation Player of the Year. The Bearcats again advanced to the NCAA championship game, where they again defeated Ohio State, 71–59, to earn their second consecutive national championship. In his three-year career at Cincinnati, Hogue scored 1,391 points, which was third at the time behind Robertson and
Jack Twyman. ==NBA career==