Jan. 30, 2003
No. 7/7 Kentucky Wildcats (15-3, 5-0 SEC)
vs.
South Carolina Gamecocks (7-9, 1-5 SEC)
The South Carolina Game
Columbia, S.C.
The Carolina Center (17,600)
February 1, 2003
1:05 p.m. ET
RADIO
UK Radio Network (80+ stations): Tom Leach, Mike Pratt, Dave Baker.
TELEVISION
JP Sports: Paul Kennedy and Larry Conley.
vs. South Carolina
Nickname: Gamecocks
Web site: USCsports.com
Series Record: UK leads 30-5
In Columbia: UK leads 11-3
Last Meeting: Jan. 11, 2003 – UK 62, USC 55
Coaching Comparison
Tubby Smith (High Point ’73)
Overall: 271-108 (.715) (12th)
at UK: 147-46 (.762) (6th)
vs. South Carolina: 16-3
Dave Odom (Guilford ’65)
Overall: 307-197 (.609) (17th)
at USC: 29-23 (.558) (2nd)
vs. Kentucky: 1-5
Did you know that USC’s starting lineup is from inside the state? The last UK starting lineup to consist of five Kentucky natives was in 1961: Bill Lickert (Lex.), Roger Newman (Greenville), Larry Pursiful (Four Mile), Ned Jennings (Headquarters) and Carroll Burchett (Fuget).
Team Comparison
cats carolinaRecord 15-3 7-9SEC Record 5-0 1-5Scoring Offense 77.8 64.2Scoring Defense 67.0 63.9Scoring Margin +10.8 +0.3FG % 48.5 41.0FG % Defense 41.6 43.53FG % 34.6 28.93FG % Defense 35.8 32.4Free Throw % 71.2 66.8Rebound Average 35.8 33.8Opp. Rebound Average 32.5 35.1Rebound Margin +3.3 -1.3TO Average 14.3 14.4Opponent TO 17.4 17.5TO Margin +3.1 +3.1Blocks Average 5.2 2.7Steals Average 7.9 9.1
Probable Starters
Kentucky
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Ppg Rpg Hometown '03 Note44 Chuck Hayes F 6-6 247 So. 8.7 6.1 Modesto, Calif. 32 boards last four games14 Erik Daniels F 6-8 214 Jr. 9.1 5.7 Cincinnati, Ohio 15 assists last four games50 Marquis Estill C 6-9 236 Sr. 11.2 5.6 Richmond, Ky. Career-best ppg and rpg in '0310 Keith Bogans G 6-5 213 Sr. 16.8 3.1 Alexandria, Va. Double digit points in 17 of 18 4 Gerald Fitch G 6-3 188 Jr. 12.3 3.0 Macon, Ga. Back-to-back 16 point games
South Carolina
31 Chuck Eidson F 6-7 205 Sr. 11.0 5.6 Summerville, S.C. School leader assists/steals32 Kerbrell Brown F 6-8 220 Jr. 10.6 3.3 New Orleans, La. Team-high 17 pts vs. UT55 Rolando Howell F-C 6-9 220 Jr. 9.7 6.5 Columbia, S.C. Double-double vs. Auburn50 Tony Kitchings C 6-10 260 Sr. 9.5 6.1 Aiken, S.C. Played in just 8 games 5 Jarod Gerald G 6-1 185 Fr. 0.2 1.1 Mullins, S.C. Hasn't scored in SEC play
Wildcats Continue Road Swing at South Carolina
Kentucky, one of two undefeated teams remaining in league play, makes its first appearance in the Gamecocks’ new Carolina Center when the two teams battle for the second time this season. Just 19 days have passed since the first meeting that saw host UK build a 21-point second-half lead before holding off South Carolina for the 62-55 victory on Jan. 11.
Kentucky’s win over USC began a five-game slide for the Gamecocks, who now stand at 1-5 in conference play. USC’s most recent loss came at the hands of Tennessee in Knoxville on Wednesday, 60-56. Four of their last five losses though, have been by seven points or less and three have been road defeats.
The seventh-ranked Wildcats have had the week off since beating Alabama on the road last Saturday. Kentucky has won nine straight, the nation’s seventh longest win streak, and for the second straight week, finds itself ranked in the nation’s top 10. With a defense that college basketball analyst Dick Vitale labeled second only to “the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” UK has won its last four games by an average of 17.5 ppg, including three wins over ranked opponents. Four of its five SEC opponents have scored 55 points or less while Bama’s 46 points were the fewest at home since 1969. The Cats’ win over Alabama snapped the Tide’s 28-game home win streak.
USC was the last team to play Kentucky within 10 points. Gerald Fitch has set the tone for the Cats in league play, leading the team with 14.8 ppg while shooting 45.8% from three-point range.
As the season reaches February, only six weeks remain before the SEC Tournament in New Orleans, March 13-16.
Series Information
This is the 36th meeting between the two teams with UK holding a 30-5 overall advantage. Kentucky earned the win earlier this season in Lexington, 62-55, and has won 13 of the last 14 games. UK owned a 12-game win streak in the series before USC defeated the Cats in the quarterfinals of last year’s SEC Tournament. The streak had dated back to the 1996-97 season.
The game is the 27th meeting in the series since South Carolina joined the conference in 1992. UK owns a 22-4 mark against the Gamecocks since that time.
UK is 11-3 all-time in Columbia, but this marks UK’s first appearance in the new Carolina Center. The Gamecocks opened play there this fall, though final touches are still being completed. Last season in Frank McGuire Arena, UK grabbed a narrow 51-50 win on a Cliff Hawkins’ contested runner in the lane with 3.4 seconds remaining.
Dave Odom is in his second season at the helm of the Carolina program, but coached against UK twice while at Wake Forest. Overall, he’s 1-5 against the Cats, including a 1-3 record the past two seasons. Previously at Wake, he suffered losses to UK in the 1993 NCAA Southeast Regional semifinals, 103-69, and in the 1996 Midwest Region Finals, 83-63.
Tubby Smith, a former Gamecock assistant coach (1986-89), is 16-3 against South Carolina and has lost only one game to the Gamecocks while at UK, a 70-57 defeat in last year’s SEC Tournament. He’s 13-1 against USC while at UK.
UK assistant coach Scott Rigot also served as a graduate assistant (1986-87) and assistant coach (1987-90) for Carolina. It was there that Smith met Rigot while both served as assistants on George Felton’s staff.
Common Opponents
Kentucky and South Carolina have had two common opponents this season – Auburn and Tennessee. UK defeated the Tigers in Lexington and UT in Knoxville, while the Gamecocks lost both games.
Opponent UK USC Auburn W, 67-51 L, 60-67 Tennessee W, 74-71 L, 56-60
Win Streak
The Wildcats have won nine straight games, their longest win streak of the season and the second longest in the Tubby Smith era. Smith’s 1998 champs won 13 straight en route to the title. UK then won the first four of the 1999 season to extend that streak to 17 games.
Other highlights of the current streak include:
UK has held its last five opponents below 40.0% shooting and has beat its last four opponents by an average of 17.5 ppg.
Four of the Cats’ last five opponents have scored 55 points or less, including Alabama, which totaled its fewest points (46) at home since 1969.
Four different Wildcats have led the team in scoring in the last six games.
During the nine-game stretch, opponents have averaged 20.1 turnovers per game and topped 40% shooting only twice.
During the nine-game stretch, eight Cats have averaged 10 minutes or more per game led by Gerald Fitch’s 27.1 mpg.
National Win Streaks
1. Oklahoma State 152. Louisville 143. Florida 134. Stephen F. Austin 125. Manhattan 116. Arizona 10T7. Kentucky 9T7. Morehead St. 9(Including games through 1/29)
Low Tide
Against Notre Dame, basketball analyst Clark Kellogg described Kentucky’s defense as the “saran-wrap defense.” Against Alabama, that “D” produced tremendous results.
UK held the Tide to just 10 made baskets, the lowest by an opponent since Morehead State made nine FGs in a 96-32 loss to the Cats on Dec. 16, 1995.
Bama’s 46 points was its lowest point total since the 1996 season and the fewest at home since 1969.
UA’s 23.8% FG shooting was the lowest by an opponent this season and the worst by a UK opponent since Georgia Tech shot 24.2% against UK on Dec. 19, 1998.
2002 SEC Player of the Year Erwin Dudley shot 0-for-7 from the field while teammate Kenny Walker was 0-for-6. It marked the first time in Dudley’s four-year career he was held without a FG.
More Kitty Litter
Other outstanding defensive performances by the Cats this season include:
Holding Indiana’s Tom Coverdale to an ineffective six points, eight below his average.
Limiting Vanderbilt to four second-half FGs while outscoring the ‘Dores 46-16 during the final 20 minutes to dispel the “Memorial Gym magic”.
Limiting the SEC’s No. 2 leading scorer, Auburn’s Marquis Daniels, to 11 points, eight below his average.
Forcing the nation’s No. 8 assists leader, Notre Dame’s Chris Thomas, into nineturnovers.
Allowing only two teams to shoot 50.0% from the field against the Cats this season — Tennessee State and Tennessee. UK won both outings.
Mashburn, Walker Earn All-Star Recognition
Former Wildcats Jamal Mashburn (’93) and Antoine Walker were both named to the 2003 NBA All-Star team. The “Monster Mash,” who plays for the New Orleans Hornets, earned his first NBA All-Star award while averaging 20.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game this season.
Walker has the Boston Celtics in playoff contention once again, averaging 21.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 4.3 apg. He was on the All-Star team in 1998 and 2002. Walker was the Cats’ sixth former letterman to be named an NBA All-Star while Mashburn, a 10-year NBA veteran, becomes the Cats’ seventh NBA All-Star.
It marks the first time since 1951 that two Wildcats have earned All-Star recognition in the same season — Alex Groza and Ralph Beard.
ESPN Reminder
This Sunday, Feb. 2, to honor the Wildcats’ 100 years of basketball, ESPN Classic will replay five Kentucky basketball games back-to-back. Cable or dish subscribers should check with their local cable companies to subscribe to ESPN Classic. The lineup includes:
10 a.m. – UK at LSU – (2-15-94)
UK rallied from 31 points down with 15 minutes to play for the 99-95 victory.
Noon – UK vs. Duke – ’78 NCAA Final
UK captured its fifth NCAA crown behind Jack Givens’ 41 points.
2 p.m. – UK vs. Arkansas – ’95 SEC Tournament
UK was down 19 in the first half, 12 in the second half, and nine in overtime before rallying for the 95-93 win.
4 p.m. – UK vs. Syracuse – ’96 NCAA Final
The Cats captured their first title in 18 years, their sixth overall.
6 p.m. – UK vs. Utah – ’98 NCAA Final
Down 10 points at the half, the “Comeback Cats” rallied for the 78-69 victory, their second in three years.
Inside the Numbers
The Wildcats are 15-3 overall and 5-0 in SEC play including a 6-1 record at home… Marquis Estill has won the opening tip in 17 of the 18 games for UK; He got the tip vs. Alabama but the Cats didn’t come up with it… The Cats are 10-1 since Cliff Hawkins returned to the lineup… The Wildcats’ 48.5% FG shooting is the highest since the 1988 season… UK has topped 50% shooting nine times this season, after achieving the mark only six times all of last season… UK is 9-0 when shooting 50% or better… The Cats have won all 14 games when leading inside the last five minutes… UK has used four starting lineups.
Road Warriors
UK owns a 5-1 record on the road this season with wins at North Carolina, Tulane, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Alabama. The only loss on an opponent’s court this year came to Louisville on Dec. 28.
Kingfitch
On several occasions, Gerald Fitch has become a second-half offensive weapon. Fitch’s 2003 scoring totals 73 (4.1 ppg) points in the first half, but 149 (8.3 ppg) in the second.
Fitch has totaled 16 points or more seven times this season. Against North Carolina, he had a career-high 25 points, including 16 in the second half. At Vanderbilt, he scored 16 of his 18 points after the break. Then against Auburn, he had 15 of his 16 points in the final 20 minutes, after shooting 0-6 in the first half against the Tigers.
Vs. Ranked Opponents
UK owns a 6-1 record this season against ranked opponents with wins over two top-10 teams. (AP ranking at time of game)
Opponent Date Result Score #20 Gonzaga 11/27 W 80-72 #12 North Carolina 12/7 W 98-81 #21 Michigan St. 12/14 L 67-71 #6 Indiana 12/21 W 70-64 #10 Notre Dame 1/18 W 88-73 #24 Auburn 1/22 W 67-51 #15 Alabama 1/25 W 63-46
The Cats also lost at Louisville, a team unranked at the time that currently has moved into the top 10.
The SEC is loaded, with three other ranked opponents in this week’s polls — Florida, Georgia and Mississippi State.
No team in the league has played as many ranked opponents as UK. Two other SEC teams have played six ranked opponents, Georgia and Vandy. The Bulldogs are 3-3 in those games, while VU is 1-5.
Bogans Cracks Top 10
Keith Bogans’ 13 points against Auburn moved him past Ed Davender into UK’s top-10 on the all-time scoring list. He now has 1,661 points and needs 83 more to reach Alex Groza in ninth place.
Bogans becomes the second Wildcat in two years to crack the school’s top 10 and the fourth since 1993. He also ranks first among active SEC players.
Power Rankings
Jeff Sagarin ranks the Wildcats sixth in his latest power poll. UK’s schedule rates eighth nationally. Two independent polls are listed below (schedule strength in parentheses):
Sagarin CollegeRPI.comKentucky 6th(8th) 9th (27th)South Carolina 97th (7th) 64th (7th)
Bracketology
With quality wins over six ranked opponents and a perfect record in SEC play, the Cats are one of two league teams that ESPN has predicted to be No. 1 seeds in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Fourth-ranked Florida also is predicted to be a top seed.
According to ESPN, the Wildcats have more wins (9) on the road and at neutral sites than any other team in the nation. The Cats are 5-1 on the road, 4-1 at neutral sites this season.
February Fury
Kentucky owns a 582-182-1 (.761) record in February after finishing last month with a perfect 8-0 record, its first perfect January since 1998.
Last season, the Wildcats were 5-3 in February with three SEC road losses.
Better Attempts
The Wildcats are shooting 48.5% from the field this season, the best mark by a UK team since the 1988 season.
The Cats have topped 50.0% shooting in nine games this season, including five of the last nine. Last year, UK topped the mark just six times.
Go Figure
In all games, Kentucky ranks third in the SEC in scoring and FG percentage… On the flip side, the Cats rank 10th in scoring defense, seventh in FG percentage defense and 12th in 3FG defense… In five league games, UK ranks fourth in scoring offense and seventh in FG percentage, yet, it’s improved to first in scoring defense, FG percentage defense and 3FG defense… In all games, three Eastern Division teams lead the SEC in scoring — Georgia, Florida and UK… Five Western Division teams, however, lead the league in scoring defense.
Foul Shooting?
Kentucky has significantly improved its free throw shooting this season, hitting 71.2%, the best since the 1996 championship season.
Each Cat began shooting 100 free throws prior to practice over the holiday break. In eight of the last 10 games, UK has topped 70.0%.
Chuck Hayes has been Kentucky’s most consistent shooter from the charity stripe, hitting 80.3% of his shots this season to rank fourth in the SEC. He’s hit 36 of his last 41 attempts.
In the Cats’ nine-game winning streak, they’ve hit 73.0% of their attempts, opposed to 69% in the first nine games.
In SEC games only, Jules Camara leads the SEC in free-throw shooting, hitting 92.9%.
Swat Team
Marquis Estill and Jules Camara, the Wildcats’ tandem at center, have totaled 61 blocked shots this season. Against Alabama on Jan. 25, Estill and Camara each had two blocks. Estill is fourth and Camara ranks fifth in the SEC in blocked shots.
SEC Domination
UK is a charter member of the SEC and since the league’s inception in 1932-33, the Cats have been the most dominant team, recording a 785-212 mark (78.7%) during regular-season SEC play. No other team has won more than 648 regular-season SEC games (Alabama) and no other team has a better winning percentage. UK has averaged 11.3 wins and 3.1 losses per season during its SEC tenure.
The Wildcats have won 41 SEC titles and 23 SEC Tournament Championships, more titles than the other teams combined.
Kentucky has won eight of the last 11 SEC Tournament titles.
Tubby Smith is in his eighth season in the SEC, his sixth at Kentucky. In SEC regular-season play, he’s 83-34 (70.9%). He’s captured three SEC Championships and four SEC Eastern Division crowns in five seasons in the Bluegrass. He also owns a 13-4 record in seven SEC Tournament appearances, winning three titles.
Vs. SEC West
Kentucky is 2-0 against SEC Western Division teams this season. The Cats are currently riding a four-game win streak against the West, dating back to last season. UK’s last loss against a team from the West came against Alabama last year.
Overall, UK is 51-17 (.750) against SEC Western Division teams since the league split in 1992.
Rupp Arena
Kentucky is in its 27th season at Rupp Arena, where the Wildcats own a 346-40 (89.6%) record.
The Cats have won the national attendance title the past seven seasons. Overall, the Wildcats have won 15 national attendance titles in the building.
Estill Holds Record Mark
Senior Marquis Estill owns the school record for FG percentage. So far this year, he’s 84-of-142 from the field (59.2%), and for his career, he’s shooting 60.7%.
Estill ranks ahead of the school’s previous record holder, Charles Hurt (1980-83), who shot 59.3 percent. Estill will own the school record should he maintain the pace throughout the season. He captured the record once he surpassed the minimum 200 made during the Maui Invitational. The 6-9 center can earn a fourth year of eligibility should he graduate by the start of the fall semester of 2003.
Career FG Percentage (Min. 200 made) 60.7 Marquis Estill (280-461) 2001-03 59.3 Charles Hurt (303-511) 1980-83 59.1 M. Turpin (626-1059) 1981-84 58.1 Rick Robey (533-917) 1975-78 57.1 Kenny Walker (765-1339) 1983-86
Estill is 49 shots shy of the career minimum 500 attempts to qualify for the SEC rankings. If he were to qualify now, he’d rank fourth in league history.
Double-Doubles
Kentucky got its fourth double-double performance of the season after a 17-point, 16-rebound performance, both career bests, by Chuck Hayes against Notre Dame. It was his third career double-double and second of the season after an 11-point, 12-rebound performance in the win over Ohio.
On Dec. 30, Marquis Estill had a 15-point, 11-rebound effort against Tennessee State. It also was Estill’s second career double-double.
Earlier this year, Jules Camara totaled 12 points and 10 rebounds in relief against Virginia, his fifth career double-double.
Cats in the Polls
Kentucky bounced back into the nation’s top 10 after beating No. 10 Notre Dame on Jan. 18. After convincing wins over Auburn and at No. 15 Alabama last week, UK moves up to seventh in both the Associated Press and ESPN Coaches Poll this week.
The Wildcats were ranked 17th in both preseason polls.
National Exposure
The Alabama game marked UK’s 11th appearance on national television this season. UK is 8-3 on either ESPN or CBS. The Cats will appear on national TV 16 times during the 2002-03 regular season, including 10 ESPN appearances and six games on CBS.
Next Opponent
The Cats will play host to a Super Tuesday showdown with Florida, its first top-five opponent this season. UK shocked the Gators by sweeping the regular-season series for the first time since 1997 last season. The ESPN game tips off at 9 p.m.
Three Mania
Kentucky ranks third nationally in consecutive games with a made three-pointer. The Wildcats have hit a three-pointer in 491 consecutive games, which trails UNLV and Vanderbilt.
The Wildcats’ last game without a three-pointer came 14 seasons ago against Seton Hall on Nov. 26, 1988, a “three-point” loss in the Great Alaska Shootout.
SEASON NOTES
100th Season
The Cats are playing their 100th season of basketball this year. The Cats have a number of events planned throughout the season, including fan balloting, which concluded at the end of December, for the program’s greatest players, games and moments. The celebration includes replays of the top 10 games on radio, a 25-year reunion of the 1978 NCAA Champs (Jan. 18) and four special-edition bobble-head dolls that fans can collect. The celebration concludes with an all-letterman reunion on Feb. 23 at the MSU game.
Kentucky celebrates unparalleled tradition, including seven NCAA titles, the most wins in college basketball, the best winning percentage in college hoops, the most consensus All-Americans, the most AP top-10 finishes, the most SEC Championships and tournament crowns and 15 national attendance titles.
Its first bobble-head promotion was held at the home opener when 500 lucky students received a Kyle Macy bobble-head. The second bobble-head was Adolph Rupp, which debuted against Michigan State. A third made its way out of the bag before the Indiana game — Tubby Smith. The last of the series, Cawood Ledford, was unveiled for the Notre Dame game, Jan. 18.
Hayes Fever
Chuck Hayes has been a consistent threat for the Wildcats over the past two seasons, but on Jan. 18 against Notre Dame, Hayes had his best game at Kentucky.
The Modesto, Calif., native recorded 17 points, 16 rebounds, three blocks and five assists, all career bests.
Hayes collected three blocks within the first six minutes of the game and dominated the glass, pulling down 13 defensive rebounds in the win.
Hayden Dies
Basil Hayden, the Wildcats’ first All-American in 1921, passed away on Jan. 9, in Paris, Ky. He was 103.
Hayden lettered for the Wildcats from 1919-22, leading the Cats to the 1921 Southern Intercollegiate Tournament Championship. The four-game event, played in Atlanta, was the first basketball tournament held in the South, and many believe, the first played in the nation. The Cats beat Tulane, Mercer, Mississippi A& M and Georgia to capture the trophy and finish the season with a 13-1 record.
Hayden injured his knee in the high jump prior to his senior season and while he played, was less effective. He later returned as coach of the Wildcats, but after leading UK to a 3-13 record, decided coaching was not in his blood.
Tale of Two Halves
Kentucky battled back from a 14-point first-half deficit against Vanderbilt on Jan. 14 to win the game, 74-52.
Down 36-28 at the half, UK used a 25-3 run to start the second half, virtually shutting the Commodores down in the final period. The Cats outscored VU 46-16 in the half. Prior to the game, UK was outscoring its opponents by 7.0 ppg in the first half, but just 1.9 ppg in the second stanza.
The Wildcats tallied 12 second-half steals, converting to 17 points off turnovers in the final period. UK limited Vandy to just one offensive rebound in the second half and the ‘Dores had more turnovers (13) than FGs (4) in the second half.
SEC Openers
With the win over Tennessee on Jan. 8, Kentucky is 54-16 all-time in SEC openers and has won 15 of its last 16 league debuts. Its only loss during the stretch came last year at Mississippi State, a 74-69 decision in overtime.
Bogans Off the Bench
In his 113 career games at UK, Keith Bogans has played a reserve role just 13 times, but he’s played the role well. The senior averages 10.8 ppg off the bench and has scored in double digits eight times.
Bogans’ most recent outing as a reserve came against Tennessee where he led the team with 20 points and nine rebounds. He’s started 13 of 14 games this year and 100 games in his career.
GOOD-bye 2002!
Kentucky ended the 2002 calender year with a bang, earning a 115-87 win over Tennessee State on Dec. 30. The victory included many season highs, including: points (115), three-pointers (11), rebounds (52), rebounding margin (+31), steals (12) and margin of victory (+32).
The Wildcats were 21-11 overall in 2002.
December Embers
The Wildcats completed a rugged December schedule, which included three road games and games against three ranked opponents, with a 5-2 record.
All-time, UK holds a 431-103 mark (.807) in the month of December. Last season, the Cats went 5-1 in the year’s final month with their only loss coming at the hands of then-No. 1 Duke in the Jimmy V Classic.
New Year’s Cats
UK finished January with an unblemished 8-0 mark to start 2003. Last year, the Cats were 6-3 in January with all three losses coming at the hands of ranked SEC teams.
Throughout the 100-season history of the basketball program, Kentucky has enjoyed success in the month of January. UK owns a 518-176 overall record in the year’s first month for a .746 winning percentage.
The Cats’ last undefeated January was 1998.
The Hawk Returns
Point guard Cliff Hawkins returned to the court against IU on Dec. 21 after missing the Cats’ first seven games. The junior was ineligible for the fall semester after academic troubles.
Hawkins showed he hadn’t missed a beat when he entered the game mid-way through the first half. The Dumfries, Va., native totaled four points, five rebounds and five assists in 26 minutes.
The highlight of his return came late in the game when he timed an alley-oop pass to Jules Camara for a dunk.
Fitch Named SEC and TSN’s POW
Gerald Fitch recorded back-to-back career highs – 18 points against High Point, 25 against No. 12 North Carolina – in early December to lead the Wildcats to consecutive wins, earning SEC Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career. He also was recognized nationally as The Sporting News’ Player of the Week.
Fitch shot 68.2% from the field for the week and 75.0% from three-point range against the two teams. Against High Point, he totaled a career-high six assists as well. Against UNC, he scored 16 of his 25 in the decisive second half as UK rallied from a 43-40 halftime deficit. Fitch, normally a two-guard, was playing at point guard in the absence of 2002 starter Cliff Hawkins. He averaged 21.5 ppg and 4.0 apg for the week.
Triple Trouble
Three Wildcats topped the 20-point mark in UK’s win over UNC on Dec. 7, making it the first time in 13 seasons that three players scored 20 points in the same game. Gerald Fitch led the team with a career-high 25 points, while Keith Bogans and Marquis Estill each added 20. All of Estill’s points came in the decisive second half.
The last group to accomplish the feat included current UK assistant coach Reggie Hanson. With Tubby Smith on the sidelines as an assistant coach, Hanson combined his 20 points with 21 by Deron Feldhaus and a 40-point burst from Derrick Miller for a 100-73 win over Vanderbilt on Feb. 7, 1990.
Long-Range Love
UK was 10-of-16 from treyville against UNC, connecting on 62.5% of its shots, which would be a school record had the Cats made the minimum 20 threes needed.
It was the highest three-point percentage since UK hit 63.6% of its shots against Wake Forest during its 1996 march to the national title. UK was 7-of-11 from outside in that game.
Daniels’ Solid Return
Junior Erik Daniels, who was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating NCAA rules governing summer league play, had a stellar return against North Carolina on Dec. 7. Daniels shot a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, including 1-of-1 from three-point land, for nine points, while grabbing five rebounds and two assists in 19 minutes.
His productive start was reminiscent of his freshman season when the Cincinnati native missed the opener after having his knee scoped in the preseason. He returned against UCLA and over the course of the next three games was a perfect 9-for-9 from the field.
Home Openers
With the win over High Point, Kentucky is now 85-15 all-time in home openers. Nine of those losses occurred before Adolph Rupp began coaching in 1930. The Cats are 66-6 since 1930, losing the home opener in 1955 to Temple, 1962 to Va. Tech, 1972 to Iowa, 1988 to Northwestern State, 2000 to Penn State and last season to Western Kentucky.
UK now stands at 24-3 in home openers at Rupp Arena.
Maui Invitational Results
Kentucky finished in third place at the 19th annual Maui Invitational. Kentucky beat Arizona State in the first round before getting upset by Virginia in the semifinals. The Wildcats then beat No. 20 Gonzaga in the consolation game. It was the third appearance for UK in the Maui Invitational. The Cats are now 7-2 all-time in the tournament, earning a championship in 1993 and a third-place finish in 1997 in their two previous appearances.
Keith Bogans averaged 16.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game to earn All-Tournament team honors. UK rival Indiana beat Virginia to claim the 2002 title.
Well more than 500 Kentucky fans made the trip to the Maui Invitational to cheer on the Wildcats. UK chartered an L1011, and along with an official traveling party of 55 team and school personnel, an additional 300 fans were aboard the plane. Also, another 150 fans purchased the trip through Commonwealth Travel in Lexington and flew commercially. Others made the trip via additional travel agencies or on their own to help give the Wildcats the largest cheering section among the eight participating teams.
PRESEASON NOTES
e-RUPP-tion Zone
Once again this season, Rupp Arena debuts new upgrades, including all blue seats in the lower level, a new concourse, a standing-room only “eRUPP-tion Zone” for the student body and a media press box, all totaling $5.1 million. The new purple concourse is two levels, replacing the old one-level boxed concession stand. It features greater concession stand access and more restrooms. The “eRUPPtion Zone” moved 400 season ticket holders to other seats in lower arena and moves the band and nearly 700 students into the end zone nearest UK’s bench. It also gives students access to floor-level seating, er, standing. A UK junior from Lincolnton, N.C., Andy Acker, named the area in a contest among the student body. His entry was picked from nearly 200 submissions.
Returning Production
UK lost just one starter off its 2002 Sweet 16 team (Tayshaun Prince), but returned just 67.1% of its scoring from a year ago. Here’s the complete breakdown:
Points 67.1%
Rebounds – 76.6%
Assists – 81.7%
Blocks – 67.3%
Steals – 77.4%
SEC Preseason Poll
The Wildcats were picked to finish third in the SEC Eastern Division in a preseason poll of media members. UK, which has not finished lower than second since the league split into divisions in 1992, also was predicted to finish fourth in the race for the SEC regular-season crown.
Keith Bogans was the only Wildcat picked as either first- or second-team preseason All-SEC poll. The first team included Erwin Dudley (Alabama), Mario Austin (Miss. State), Jarvis Hayes (Georgia), Maurice Williams (Alabama), and Brett Nelson (Florida). The second team included Bogans, Ronald Dupree (LSU), Matt Bonner (Florida), Ezra Williams (Georgia) and Derrick Zimmerman (Miss. State).
BIG BLUE MANIA
Great Games Replayed
Host Communications and the UK Radio Network are re-broadcasting the top-10 UK games as voted on by the fans this past fall.
Last week, the Kentucky-Duke game from 1992 was replayed. Most recognize that East Region final as the “greatest college basketball game ever played.” Most notably for Big Blue fans, it was Cawood Ledford’s last call as Voice of the Wildcats. The game aired on the UK Radio Network, which includes WLAP in Lexington, WHAS in Louisville and WCKY in Cincinnati. The game ranks seventh in the fans’ poll.
Previous games already aired include, No. 10 — UK -Louisville 1983, the original “Dream Game”; No. 9 — UK-LSU in ’90, when the outmanned Wildcats shot down Shaquille O’Neal and Chris Jackson; and No. 8 — UK-Kansas in ’78, when Dwight Anderson and Kyle Macy led the Cats to a 67-66 win after trailing by six with 30 seconds to play.
There will be no game this Sunday due to the Super Bowl. No. 6 on the list, which has not been disclosed yet, will air Feb. 2.
Cheerleaders’ String Snapped
The Kentucky cheerleaders had their string of eight consecutive national championships ended on Jan. 11 when UK finished second to Central Florida at the UCA Championships in Orlando.
Kentucky has won the title 12 times, but not since 1994 has a team other than the Wildcats captured the crown until Central Florida.
The UK pom squad finished ninth nationally and Scratch, one of two UK mascots, placed 11th in the mascot competition.
Looking Good!
Collegeinsider.com’s Angela Lento annually tracks the nation’s best dressed head and assistant coaches. In the latest Fashion Power Index, UK coach Tubby Smith ranks second among head coaches, while UK assistant coach Reggie Hanson is the top ranked assistant. Kentucky was named the best dressed staff of 2002 and looks to be making a run at a repeat performance in 2003.
Lento’s Runway to the Fashionable Four is in its sixth year.
Keightley’s Been a Part of Half of UK’s Games
Incredible.
Bill Keightley is in his 42nd season as equipment manager of the UK basketball team. The beloved “Mr. Wildcat” began assisting in the equipment room during the 1961-62 season and since then, UK has played 1,281 games, owning a 980-301 (.765) record.
The Wildcats, who are celebrating their 100th season of basketball, have played 2,403 games, meaning Keightley has played a role in 53.3% of the games.
The Lawrenceburg, Ky., native, who has a jersey retired in the rafters of Rupp Arena, has worked under five different head coaches at UK — Rupp, Hall, Sutton, Pitino and Smith. The current cats have a modern nickname for the 75-year-old Keightley — “Smooth.”
Wiggins In 50th Season
Big Blue fan Bob Wiggins continued his amazing streak of following the basketball Cats. He’s starting his 50th season watching Kentucky play in person and through his own record-keeping, has attended 1,239 UK games.
Wiggins, who is retired and lives in Falmouth, Ky., saw 615 consecutive games — home and away — from 1977 until he suffered a heart attack just before the 1996 Great Alaska Shootout. It’s the second-longest streak on record at UK. The longest record is the late Steve Reardon’s 626 games.
The illness forced Wiggins to miss four games, but he has since returned to see every contest in person, a streak of 224 games.
Meanwhile, his home court streak is still intact. Wiggins has not missed a home game in 42 years, a streak spanning 596 games. During that period, which dates back to 1960-61, UK has a home record of 529-67.
UK’s NBA Players
To start the 2002-03 NBA season, the following Wildcats were active:
Derek Anderson – Portland
Tony Delk – Boston
Jamaal Magloire – New Orleans
Jamal Mashburn – New Orleans
Walter McCarty – Boston
Ron Mercer – Indiana
Nazr Mohammed – Atlanta
Scott Padgett – Utah
Mark Pope – New York
Tayshaun Prince – Detroit
Antoine Walker – Boston
In addition, former UK assistant coach Jim O’Brien is the head coach of the Boston Celtics while former UK All-American Pat Riley coaches the Miami Heat.
Other Wildcats participating in professional basketball include Heshimu Evans, Jared Prickett, Andre Riddick and Wayne Turner, who are all playing overseas, and Saul Smith, who plays for Columbus of the NBDL.
UKathletics com 100-Year Catalog and Online Store
UK Athletics has released an official catalog and online store with products celebrating the 100 years of UK hoops. The product line includes memorabilia, Tubby Smith autographed items, 100-year videos and DVDs and a full-line of Nike apparel. The catalog is a special 100-year basketball that features UK’s national champions, All-Americans, great coaches and 100-year logo. Fans may call 888-234-9350 or log on to ukauthentic.com to purchase items.
