No. 3/3 Kentucky Wildcats (22-3, 13-1 SEC)
vs.
Tennessee Volunteers (12-15, 5-9 SEC)
Wed., March 2, 2005 – 8:00 p.m. ET
Rupp Arena – Lexington, Ky.
TV: JP Sports
News:
After claiming its 43rd Southeastern Conference championship, third-ranked Kentucky begins the final week of regular-season play by facing Tennessee on Senior Night. UK pays tribute to Chuck Hayes and Josh Carrier in pregame ceremonies leading up to the 198th meeting between the Wildcats and Volunteers.
Kentucky, which stands at 13-1 in league play after downing West-leading Alabama, 78-71, Saturday in Tuscaloosa, has won more SEC titles than all the other league teams combined (42). The title was Tubby Smith?s fifth in eight seasons at Kentucky, placing him third on the league?s all-time titles list.
Patrick Sparks had another clutch game for Kentucky in the comeback win over the Tide. The junior tallied a career-best seven three-pointers, including five in the second half, to help rally UK from a 14-point first-half deficit.
Scouting the Volunteers
Tennessee has lost eight of its last 10 games and brings a 12-15 overall record to Rupp Arena Wednesday. The Vols stand at 5-9 in SEC play and haven?t won a league road game since upsetting Florida in overtime on Jan. 19.
Scooter McFadgon continues to lead the team in scoring with 14.1 points, but has missed the last three games with a bruised right leg. Freshman Chris Lofton averages 13.1 points, including a 30-point showing at Arkansas Saturday, while C.J. Watson adds 12.2 ppg. Brandon Crump rounds out the double-figures scorers for UT with 11.7 points.
Buzz Peterson is in his fourth season in Knoxville, holding a 59-57 record. In his 10th season as a head coach, he?s 162-106.
Senior Salute In a time-honored pregame ceremony, Kentucky will honor its seniors, Josh Carrier and Chuck Hayes, on Senior Night.
The ceremony will include video tributes, over 23,000 fans singing ?My Old Kentucky Home? and the presentation of framed jerseys. The ceremony, which the late Al McGuire once called ?the most touching moment in all of sports,? will begin at approximately 7:47 p.m.
The 2005 senior class has accumulated 103 wins over the past four years, while winning two SEC titles, two SEC Tournament titles and four SEC Eastern Division crowns.
The duo has been to the NCAA Sweet 16 twice and helped UK to the Elite Eight in 2003. The past two seasons, UK finished the year ranked No. 1 (2003) and No. 2 (2004) in the AP rankings.
Both four-year letterwinners will earn bachelor?s degrees in May – Carrier in business marketing; Hayes in broadcast journalism.
Series History
Kentucky has played Tennessee more than any other opponent. This marks the 198th meeting between the schools, which first met on the hardwood Feb. 16, 1910 – a 26-5 UK win. It was the first future SEC team the Wildcats ever played. The Cats own a 135-62 advantage in the series. UK has won eight of the last nine over the Vols, including six in a row.
The Wildcats own an 80-15 advantage in Lexington. Tennessee, which won two of its first three games at Rupp Arena, is 26-3 all-time against UK at Rupp. The Vols? last win in Rupp came in 1999.
Tubby Smith is 15-5 all-time against Tennessee, including an 11-4 mark at Kentucky. Buzz Peterson is 1-6 against the Cats. His only win came in 2002 in Knoxville.
Probable Starters
Pos. # Name Ht. Wt. Cl. PPG RPG Notes F 44 Chuck Hayes 6-6 242 Sr. 10.7 8.3 Playing final home game at UK F 24 Kelenna Azubuike 6-5 208 Jr. 14.9 5.0 76 pts in last four games C 33 Randolph Morris 6-10 266 Fr. 8.7 3.8 4 pts, 0 rebs, 8 mins at Alabama G 4 Rajon Rondo 6-1 171 Fr. 8.1 *3.2 14 assts in the last two games G 22 Patrick Sparks 6-0 180 Jr. 11.6 *3.8 26 pts, 7-10 3FGs vs. Alabama TENNESSEE Pos. # Name Ht. Wt. Cl. PPG RPG Notes F 4 Brandon Crump 6-10 250 Sr. 11.7 5.4 Shooting 59.1% from floor F 22 Andre Patterson 6-7 210 Jr. 7.6 6.4 Leads team in blocks (30) G 5 Chris Lofton 6-2 190 Fr. 13.1 3.6 30 pts, 4 rebs vs. Arkansas G 23 Dane Bradshaw 6-4 205 So. 2.8 2.3 Has seven starts on the season G 32 C.J. Watson 6-2 170 Jr. 12.2 *4.9 Fourth in SEC in assists *assists per game
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