KENTUCKY WILDCATS (17-11, 11-4 SEC)
vs. Florida Gators (21-9, 8-7 SEC)
Sunday, March 9 ? Noon
Lexington, Ky. – Rupp Arena (23,000)
TV: CBS
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For the ninth-straight year, Kentucky closes out the regular season by facing SEC East rival Florida. The game, televised nationally by CBS, is Senior Day for UK?s Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford.
Kentucky, 82-5 all-time on Senior Day, looks to snap a seven-game losing streak against the Gators. The Gators beat the Cats earlier in Gainesville, 81-70 in overtime. The Wildcats battled back from a 12- point deficit in the second half of that game to tie it on a Bradley three-pointer at the regulation buzzer. The Gators prevailed in the extra frame, outscoring UK 20-9.
The Wildcats won for the 10th time in their last 12 games Wednesday at South Carolina, posting a 71-63 decision over the Gamecocks. Led by Crawford?s career-high 35 points and Bradley?s 20, UK shot a blistering 56 percent from the field while holding Devan Downey, one of the league?s most prolific scorers, to just nine points, 10 below his season average.
After leading for much of the game, Florida fell at home to Tennessee Wednesday night, 89-86.
CAT SCRATCHES
Kentucky is the all-time NCAA leader in wins with 1,965. At 11-4, Kentucky has clinched its 19th-consecutive winning SEC record. UK boasts three of the SEC?s top 10 scorers: Joe Crawford (6th, 17.0), Patrick Patterson (8th, 16.4) and Ramel Bradley (10th, 16.0). Those three account for 68 percent of UK?s total points. Kentucky leads the SEC and ranks 17th nationally at the foul line, shooting 75 percent. UK ranks second in the SEC and 17th nationally in FG percentage defense (.391). Ramel Bradley ranks second in the SEC in free throw shooting (.842). Mark Coury was named first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District. UK has allowed more then 70 points in regulation only once in SEC play. UK has held its last 19 of its last 20 opponents under 50 percent shooting. Six of UK?s top seven scorers have missed at least one game this season due to injury. Those six (Crawford, Patterson, Bradley, Meeks, Harris and Jasper) have missed a combined 37 games. Joe Crawford (1,363 career points) is currently 24th on UK?s all-time scoring list, and Ramel Bradley (1,281) is 30th.
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES MARCH 7
Head Coach Billy Gillispie
Opening Statement?
?We?re excited about playing against Florida. They are a really good team, a team that keeps on improving and a team that is much better from the last time we played. They have a lot of experience with young players and they have a chance to beat everybody they play. It will be a challenge for us.?
On Florida’s improvements ?
?They are familiar with each other, they are skilled, and they are athletic. Their basketball IQ seems to be high and they play well together.?
On Florida’s Nick Calathes ?
?He is a fantastic player and definitely can be an NBA point guard. He has size, athletic ability and an unbelievable basketball IQ. He also delivers the ball, puts players in position to score, and makes easy plays. Guys who play that position believe they have to be fancy, but he doesn?t try anything fancy. He makes easy and small plays, and all those small plays turn into big baskets. If you put a small guy on him and he doesn?t put his hands up, Calathes is going to have seven or eight assists, like he did against us.?
On Kentucky’s losing streak against Florida ?
?If you look at those things, you?re wasting you?re energy. They have a good, well coached team that is highly skilled. History is great, but it won?t mean a lot on Sunday at game time.?
On seniors Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley ?
?They have been great; (they) are really good players and I think they have improved. Crawford and Bradley have had fantastic careers here, and hopefully they continue with their careers. They are unselfish people, they are willing to work, sacrifice, commit, prepare, compete and they have great human qualities. It has been a joy to be around them. Joe Crawford is a little different than people see, but in a positive way. He is one of the most competitive guys I have seen, and I don?t think he exhibits that for a lot of people to see. He understands the pace of the game, knows when to exert energy, knows when to take shortcuts, and he knows about being a smart basketball player. But with Ramel Bradley, what you see is what you get.?
On Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley going to the NBA ?
?They will have a chance in the NBA. I believe when they get into the workouts, they will show that they have what it takes. They will go to compete and will be playing for high stakes. Crawford and Bradley have a competitive desire and will do what it takes when they get the shot.?
On Senior Day at Kentucky ?
?I?ve heard a lot about it and I?ve heard it?s a very special day, as it should be. It should be special all across the nation, but I hear it is extra special here. I can?t wait to be in Rupp Arena on Sunday to experience both senior day and a highly competitive game against Florida. It will be an emotional day not only for the seniors, but for those of us who have shared a lot of time with them. A lot of fans will also be emotional. Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley have had great careers here, and they have finished those on an upbeat. There will be a ton of emotion.?
#3 Ramel Bradley, Senior
On the the current losing streak to Florida ?
?I don?t know the last time we beat them, I might have been a freshman. It?s not good to have a streak like that. There?s always some sort of streak people are talking about, I?m not worried about it, last year was the same thing. The only way we are going to win this game is if we put that behind us and prepare.?
On preparation for Florida ?
?Coach hasn?t gone through the exact game plan, but right now we are just watching film and figuring out how they play and who we are going to need to key in on. We are just going to have to be ready for anything.?
On UF freshman Nick Calathes ?
?He?s a really good freshman. He is a very unselfish player who is really good at handling the ball and making their offense click. We are going to have to do a really good job of guarding him and having our hands up on defense.?
On Senior Day emotions ?
?I?ve thought about it a little bit. I think about it every time someone says, ?It?s your last game at Rupp how do you feel?? I won?t be able to explain those emotions or my feelings on them until I am out there on the court and go through it.?
#21 Perry Stevenson, Sophomore
On Florida ?
?They look better, much better. That?s what good teams do, they improve and get better. They are guarding much better, shooting better and playing with more confidence. They will be better just like any other team that plays a team more than once in the conference. We just have to be prepared.?
On the importance of the game ?
?I guess you just have to play like it is your last game, because it really is your last game in Rupp Arena for this season. We?ll just take that mindset and go at it.?
On the excitement of Senior Day ?
?Oh it?s really exciting. I just want to watch them (Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford) cry, both of them. I?ll even guarantee that both of them cry. I think Ramel will cry first, the Rupp Arena crowd will get through that cocky exterior and Joe will follow. I?ll run and get my camera from under the bench right before the game so that I can embarrass them later, but I?m sure we can (record) it later.?
#32 Joe Crawford, Senior
On Senior Day ?
?It?s my last game in Rupp Arena and I?m going to miss playing there. I?ve had a lot of great experiences and I want to go out of there on a positive note. I?m really proud to be a part of this tradition and I?m going to go out there and give it my all. I?m emotional with it being my last game and I want to take it all in.?
On the importance of beating Florida ?
?This game is really important because every time we win a game, it seems like we have to win one more. We have been taking every game one at a time and it has been working for us. We need to win Sunday, but more importantly, we need to go into the SEC tournament strong.?
On playing Florida ?
?They have a spread out offense, so we need to guard each of them. We need to guard them one-on-one, have strong help and have smart guards. We need to be more aggressive on offense. Last time they were in a zone and the guards didn?t penetrate. That?s one of the things we need to do to beat them on Sunday.?
