Jan. 21, 2003
No. 24 Auburn Tigers (15-2, 4-0 SEC)
vs.
No. 8/10 Kentucky Wildcats (13-3, 3-0 SEC)
The Auburn Game
Rupp Arena (23,000)
Lexington, Ky.
Jan. 22, 2003
7 p.m. ET
RADIO
UK Radio Network (80+ stations): Tom Leach, Mike Pratt, Dave Baker.
TELEVISION
Fox Sports South (Live): Dave Neal and Barry Booker.
vs. Auburn
Nickname: Tigers
Web site: auburntigers.com
Series Record: UK leads 75-17
In Lexington: UK leads 39-2
Last Meeting: Jan. 22, 2002 – UK 69, AU 62
Coaching Comparisons
Tubby Smith (High Point ’73)
Overall: 269-108 (.714) (12th)
at UK: 145-46 (.759) (6th)
vs. Auburn: 6-2
Cliff Ellis (Florida St. ’68)
Overall: 513-313 (.621) (28th)
at AU: 165-101 (.620) (9th)
vs. Kentucky: 1-10
Did you know that Kentucky jumped back into the AP top 10 this week for the first time since Feb. 11 last season? The Cats were in the top 10 for 11 of the 18 weeks last season. They began the 2001-02 campaign with a preseason No. 4 ranking.
Probable Starters
Kentucky No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Ppg Rpg Hometown '03 Note44 Chuck Hayes F 6-6 247 So. 9.0 6.1 Modesto, Calif. CH 17 pts, 16 rebs vs. ND14 Erik Daniels F 6-8 214 Jr. 10.4 6.1 Cincinnati, Ohio Double figures in 5 of last 750 Marquis Estill C 6-9 236 Sr. 11.6 5.8 Richmond, Ky. 18 pts, 8 rebs vs. ND10 Keith Bogans G 6-5 213 Sr. 17.3 3.2 Alexandria, Va. One point shy of UK top-10 4 Gerald Fitch G 6-3 188 Jr. 11.9 2.7 Macon, Ga. 2nd in steals per game with 1.4
Auburn 3 Marquis Daniels F 6-6 200 Sr. 19.1 6.9 Orlando, Fla. Current SEC Player of the Week 4 Marc Killingsworth F 6-7 235 So. 15.2 6.8 Montgomery, Ala. Started all but one game34 Kyle Davis C 6-10 235 Jr. 7.4 6.5 Blakely, Ga. Leads league in blocks11 Derrick Bird G 6-4 195 Sr. 10.6 3.4 Ypsilanti, Mich. 13 pts vs. Bama22 Lewis Monroe G 6-5 190 So. 6.0 3.0 Madison, Wisc. 7-10 FT vs. Bama
Team Comparison
cats tigersRecord 13-3 15-2Scoring Offense 79.4 77.2Scoring Defense 69.3 61.9Scoring Margin +10.1 +15.2FG % 49.1 50.4FG % Defense 42.6 38.23FG % 34.7 35.33FG % Defense 37.1 29.1Free Throw % 71.7 64.7Rebound Average 36.8 38.6Opponent Reb. Avg. 31.9 32.3Rebound Margin +4.8 +6.4TO Average 14.8 16.9Opponent TO 17.1 17.2TO Margin +2.3 +0.3Blocks Average 5.3 6.1Steals Average 8.2 9.2
East-West Unbeatens Collide in Rupp
Two of the three unbeaten teams in Southeastern Conference play will square off when Auburn invades Rupp Arena. The Tigers sit atop the SEC Western Division with a 4-0 mark after beating archrival Alabama on Saturday, 77-68. Marquis (mar-KEES) Daniels led the Tigers’ charge with 13 points, five boards and five rebounds. In AU’s win at South Carolina one week ago, the senior guard had a career-high 31 points. On Monday, Daniels, the No. 2 scorer in the SEC, was named the league’s Player of the Week.
The Tigers are one of the nation’s top defensive teams. Auburn’s defense leads the SEC, allowing opponents 38.2% FG shooting, 29.1% from 3FG range and just 56.0 ppg. Kyle Davis is No. 2 in the nation in blocks, averging 4.2 bpg.
Auburn owns a nine-game win streak and this week appeared in the AP Top 25 for the first time this season. Kentucky, meanwhile, jumped to No. 8 in the AP poll and No. 10 in the coaches poll after its win over 10th-ranked Notre Dame last Saturday. AU was picked in the preseason to finish sixth in the West, while the Cats were picked third in the East.
UK is riding a seven-game win streak and has won 13 of its 16 games thus far. Auburn marks the Cats’ sixth ranked opponent they’ve faced this season. UK is 4-1 against ranked teams, including two wins over top-10 teams. This is the second of three straight games against ranked teams for the Wildcats. Kentucky will play at No. 15 Alabama on Saturday. Earlier in the season, the Crimson Tide was ranked No. 1 nationally.
Following the Auburn contest, UK will play three of its next four games on the road. The Cats will be attempting to start league play with a 4-0 record. Such a start would be its best since 1998, when UK won its first eight games in SEC play.
Series Information
This marks the 93rd meeting between the two teams. Kentucky has won 16 of the last 17 games. Last season, Kentucky won a 69-62 decision in Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum, led by Marquis Estill’s 21 points. Auburn’s last win in the series came Jan. 11, 2000, a 66-63 thriller in Auburn.
Kentucky owns a 39-2 advantage over the Tigers in Lexington and an 19-2 margin in Rupp Arena. UK hasn’t lost to Auburn in the Bluegrass since Jan. 9, 1988, a 53-52 decision when John Caylor buried a shot late to give the visitors the victory.
Cliff Ellis holds a 1-10 record against the Wildcats with the win coming in 2000. Tubby Smith is 6-2 all-time against the Tigers, including a 4-1 mark while at UK.
UK athletic trainer David Kindy served on Coach Ellis’ staff at Auburn for two years before joining the Wildcats in August ’98.
Ellis and Smith History
The two coaches are old friends. In fact, when Cliff Ellis accepted the Clemson job in 1984, he offered Tubby Smith an assistant’s job. Smith, however, remained at VCU.
Common Opponents
Kentucky and Auburn have had two common opponents this season, Vanderbilt and South Carolina. Both teams earned wins in those games.
Opponent UK AUVanderbilt W, 74-52 W, 62-59South Carolina W, 62-55 W, 67-60
Power Rankings
Jeff Sagarin ranks the Wildcats 12th in his latest power poll. UK’s schedule rates 16th nationally. Auburn also is ranked among Sagarin’s top 25.
Sagarin College RPI.comKentucky 12th(16th) 16th (NA)Auburn 23rd (181st) 25th (NA)
Vs. Ranked Opponents
UK owns a 4-1 record this season against ranked opponents with wins over No. 20 Gonzaga in the Maui Invitational, at No. 12 North Carolina, vs. No. 6 Indiana and vs. No. 10 Notre Dame. The Cats’ only loss to a ranked opponent was a 71-67 defeat to No. 21 Michigan State on Dec. 14. The Cats also lost at Louisville, a team unranked at the time that currently has moved into the top 10.
This week, Kentucky faces No. 24 Auburn and the nation’s former No. 1 team, Alabama. The league is loaded, with three other ranked opponents in this week’s polls — Florida, Georgia and Mississippi State.
Inside the Numbers
The Wildcats are 13-3 overall and 3-0 in SEC play including a 5-1 record at home… 10 Wildcats average nine minutes or more per game and Keith Bogans leads all Cats with 30.0 mpg… Marquis Estill has won the opening tip in all 16 games for UK… The Wildcats’ 49.1% FG shooting is the highest since the 1986 season, the last without the three-pointer… Kentucky 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 12 games when leading inside the last five minutes… UK has used four starting lineups.
SEC TV
The Wildcats will be making their second appearance on Fox Sports South this season, a regional cable/satellite service. Insight digital subscribers in Lexington can pick up the game on channel 52. However, Fox Sports South is not on throughout the state of Kentucky. Dish subscribers would need to have the Fox package to view the game. Others should check with their cable provider to inquire about the availability of Fox Sports South.
Rupp Arena
-Kentucky is in its 27th season at Rupp Arena, where the Wildcats own a 345-40 (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.
Once again this season, the 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.
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. The sophomore has started all 16 games for UK and is tied for the team lead in rebounding, averaging 6.1 rpg.
Better Attempts
The Wildcats are shooting 49.1% from the field this season, the best mark by a UK team since the 1985-86 season.
The Cats have topped 50.0% shooting in nine games this season, including five of the last seven. Last year, UK topped the mark just six times.
Delivering on Defense
Tubby Smith made it clear entering league play that he wasn’t happy with his team’s defense this season.
Since then, the Cats have held their opponents under 40.0% shooting in the last three games, including a season-low 34.4% mark by No. 10 Notre Dame.
Only two teams have topped 50.0% shooting against the Cats this season, Tennessee State and UT. UK still managed to win both outings.
Go Figure
In all games, Kentucky ranks second in the SEC in scoring and third in FG percentage, but 11th in scoring defense and 12th in FG percentage defense and 3FG defense… In three league games, UK ranks second in scoring offense and fourth in FG percentage, yet, it’s improved to second in scoring defense, fourth in FG percentage defense and fifth in 3FG defense… In all games, three Eastern Division teams lead the SEC in scoring — Georgia, UK and Florida… The six Western Division teams, however, lead the league in scoring defense… Kentucky and Auburn have combined to block 187 shots this season.
Foul Shooting?
Kentucky has significantly improved its free throw shooting this season, hitting 71.7%, the best since the 1996 championship season.
Each Cat began shooting 100 free throws prior to practice over the holiday break. In seven of the last eight games, UK has topped 70.0%.
Chuck Hayes has been Kentucky’s most consistent shooter from the charity stripe, hitting 80.7% of his shots this season to rank fourth in the SEC. He’s hit 33 of his last 37 attempts.
Double Figures
Thanks to Erik Daniels’ 19 points vs. South Carolina on Jan. 11, UK now has four players averaging double figures in scoring — Keith Bogans (17.3 ppg), Gerald Fitch (11.9), Marquis Estill (11.6) and Daniels (10.4).
The last time at least four Cats averaged double figures for an entire season was 1991, when Reggie Hanson, John Pelphrey, Jamal Mashburn, Deron Feldhaus and Richie Farmer led the surprising Cats to the best record in the SEC.
New Year’s Cats
UK is 6-0 to start the month in 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 516-176 overall record in the year’s first month for a .746 winning percentage.
Milestones
Keith Bogans’ 21 points against Ohio moved him past Louie Dampier into 11th place on UK’s all-time scoring list. He now has 1,636 points and needs one more to crack the top 10.
Bogans has 214 career threes and sits in second place on UK’s all-time list of made threes. Tony Delk is the school leader with 283. Bogans also ranks second in career three-point attempts.
After recording a season-high four blocks against Alcorn State, Jules Camara advanced to sixth place on the Wildcats’ all-time blocked-shots list, trailing No. 5 Tayshaun Prince by one block. Camara has 141 rejections in his career.
Swat Team
Marquis Estill and Jules Camara, the Wildcats’ tandem at center, have totaled 52 blocked shots this season. Against Ohio on Jan. 4, Estill had four rejections while Camara added two. Estill is fourth and Camara ranks eighth in the SEC in blocked shots.
In comparison, Auburn’s Kyle Davis has blocked 71 shots this season.
Cats in Stats
In the updated SEC stats, Keith Bogans ranks fourth in scoring, seventh in threes made per game and ninth in field-goal percentage.
Marquis Estill ranks fourth in blocks, while teammate Jules Camara is eighth. Estill also ranks eighth in offensive rebounds. Chuck Hayes is fourth in FT%.
As a team, UK is second in the league in scoring, third in FG percentage, second in blocks, third in assists and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio.
In SEC games only, Fitch is tied for first in steals and ranks ninth in 3FG%. Bogans ranks fifth in offensive rebounds. As a team in league play, UK ranks third in scoring, first in rebounding defense and steals, second in assists, scoring defense, scoring margin and FT% and fourth in FG% and FG% defense.
In the most recent NCAA statistics (Jan. 13), UK ranks 24th in the nation in FG%, 26th in blocks per game and 30th in win-loss percentage.
Road Warriors
UK has opened the season with a 4-1 record on the road with wins over North Carolina, Tulane, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. The only loss on an opponent’s court this year came to Louisville on Dec. 28. UK has won seven straight games since that loss.
National Exposure
Kentucky has already appeared on national television 10 times this season. UK is 7-3 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.
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 783-212 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 81-34 (70.4%). 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.
Estill Holds Record Mark
Senior Marquis Estill owns the school record for FG percentage. So far this year, he’s 76-of-126 from the field (60.3%), and for his career, he’s shooting 61.1%.
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)
61.1 Marquis Estill (272-445) 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
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 last Saturday. It’s the eighth-ranked Cats’ first top-10 appearance in the AP poll since last February. UK is ranked 10th in the coaches poll.
The Wildcats were ranked 17th in both preseason polls.
Next Opponent
Kentucky takes to the road again on Saturday to face Alabama, which has beaten UK in three of the last four meetings. The Crimson Tide has struggled to gain its footing in SEC play so far, going 2-2 with losses to Auburn and Vanderbilt.
The game is the first of three road games in four outings for UK.
Last Time Out
Kentucky led by as many as 21 points en route to an 88-73 win over 10th-ranked Notre Dame in Rupp Arena. Chuck Hayes was the star of the game with a career outing. Hayes totaled 17 points, 16 rebounds, three blocks and five assists in leading UK to its ninth straight win over the Fighting Irish, its seventh straight win this season.
Three Mania
Kentucky ranks third nationally in consecutive games with a made three-pointer. The Wildcats have hit a three-pointer in 489 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 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.
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.
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
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.
ESPN Classic Announces UK Day
In honor of the Wildcats’ 100 years of basketball, ESPN Classic has scheduled replays of five Kentucky basketball games back-to-back on the network on Sunday, Feb. 2. 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 Tourn. – 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.
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 1,280 games, owning a 979-301 (.765) record.
The Wildcats, who are celebrating their 100th season of basketball, have played 2,402 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 1,238 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 223 games.
Meanwhile, his home court streak is still intact. Wiggins has not missed a home game in 42 years, a streak spanning 595 games. During that period, which dates back to 1960-61, UK has a home record of 528-67.
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.
