Dec. 6, 2002
The North Carolina Game
Dean Smith Center (21,750)
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Dec. 7, 2002
2 p.m. ET
No. 18/18 Kentucky Wildcats (3-1)
vs.
No. 12/14 North Carolina (5-1)
RADIO
UK Radio Network (80+ stations): Tom Leach, Mike Pratt, Dave Baker.
Listen Live
TELEVISION
ESPN: Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale and Jay Bilas
The Series
vs. North Carolina
Nickname: Tar Heels
Web site: tarheelblue.com
Series Record: UNC leads 16-8
In Chapel Hill: Series tied at 1
Last Meeting: Dec. 8, 2001, UK 79, UNC 59
North Carolina’s Game Notes (PDF)
Coaching Comparisons
Tubby Smith (High Point ’73)
Overall: 259-106 (.710) (12th)
at UK: 135-44 (.754) (6th)
vs. North Carolina: 2-1
Matt Doherty (North Carolina ’84)
Overall: 61-44 (.581) (5th)
at UNC: 39-28 (.582) (3rd)
vs. Kentucky: 0-2
Wildcats Face First Road Test of Season
The two college programs that have combined to win 3,614 basketball games and stand as the two winningest teams of all time will meet for the 25th time when Kentucky travels to Chapel Hill to face North Carolina. The contest marks UK’s second against a ranked opponent this season.
Kentucky has long owned the title as the nation’s all-time winningest team. But following a 13-19 season in 1989, the Tar Heels overtook UK on Jan. 3, 1990 with a 90-78 win over Old Dominion. The Wildcats reclaimed the lead during its 1996 championship run with an 83-63 victory over Wake Forest in the Midwest Regional Championship on March 23.
The game is the third of a four-year, home-and-home contract between the two schools and the second meeting in UNC’s “Dean Dome.” Last season the teams faced off in Lexington for the first time in 33 years with UK notching the 79-59 win. In a memorable Big Blue moment, senior Tayshaun Prince drained five consecutive three-pointers to open the game, including the fifth one from 30 feet out, to lead UK to its second straight victory in the series.
UNC has bounced back from an 8-20 record last year, the most losses in school history, to open with a 5-1 record. The Heels claimed the Preseason NIT title with wins over Penn State, Rutgers, then-No. 2 Kansas and Stanford.
Probable Starters
KentuckyNo. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Ppg Rpg Hometown '03 Note10 Keith Bogans G/F 6-5 213 Sr. 17.8 3.5 Alexandria, Va. 18th in UK career scoring44 Chuck Hayes F 6-6 247 So. 7.5 5.0 Modesto, Calif. Back-to-back 11-point games50 Marquis Estill C 6-9 236 Sr. 11.3 4.0 Richmond, Ky. UK's all-time best FG % leader40 Jules Camara F/C 6-11 220 Sr. 10.8 7.3 Dakar, Senegal Team's leading rebounder 4 Gerald Fitch G 6-3 188 Jr. 13.5 *4.0 Macon, Ga. CH 18 points, 6 assists vs. HPU
North Carolina32 Rashad McCants F/G 6-3 190 Fr. 19.8 5.2 Asheville, N.C. MVP of the Preseason NIT21 Jawad Williams F 6-8 200 So. 12.8 6.5 Lakewood, Ohio Third on team in scoring42 Sean May F/C 6-9 250 Fr. 15.5 8.5 Bloomington, Ind. Opened year with two D-D 5 Jackie Manuel G 6-5 185 So. 7.2 4.7 W. Palm Beach, Fla. P-NIT All-Tourney Team 2 Raymond Felton G 6-0 185 Fr. 9.2 *6.3 Latta, S.C. SH 16 points in Stanford win*Assists
Daniels Returns
Junior Erik Daniels was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating NCAA rules governing summer league play but is scheduled to return against North Carolina on Dec. 7. Daniels had permission to play in a summer league in Lexington, but when he returned home to Cincinnati, he participated in a second summer league. UK asked the NCAA to reconsider but its appeal was denied.
Shortened Squad
Kentucky will remain without two of its heavyweights when it faces North Carolina. Point guard Cliff Hawkins was deemed academically ineligible for the fall semester. He won’t be eligible to play until the Cats take on Indiana on Dec. 21.
UK was dealt another blow on Sunday when junior college transfer Antwain Barbour broke his left hand in practice. Barbour underwent surgery on Tuesday to stabalize the break in his third metacarpal bone. Doctors expect him to be out for 4-6 weeks.
Series Information
This marks the 25th meeting between the nation’s two winningest programs. The Tar Heels lead the series, which dates back to the 1924 season, 16-8, but UK has won the past two meetings inteh renewed series.
North Carolina had won six consecutive games in the series before UK shocked the Heels in Chapel Hill on Dec. 2, 2000, 93-76, for the second worst defeat in Dean Dome history. Then last season, Tayshaun Prince ripped off five consecutive three-pointers to open the game, including one from 30 feet, en route to the 79-59 victory.
Carolina’s last win in the series came in NCAA Tournament play on March 25, 1995, a 74-61 victory in the Southeast Regional championship.
History and Tradition Clash
Kentucky and North Carolina rank among the elite in college basketball. Examples include:
NCAA Championships 1. UCLA 11 2. Kentucky 7 3. Indiana 5 4. North Carolina 3
NCAA Final Fours 1. North Carolina 15 2. UCLA 14 3. Kentucky 13
All-Time Victories 1. Kentucky 1,820 2. North Carolina 1,794
All-Time Winning Percentage1. UK 76.2% (1,820-569-1)2. UNC 73.4% (1,794-651)
NCAA Tournament Appearances 1. Kentucky 43 2. UCLA 37 3. North Carolina 35
NCAA Tournament Games 1. Kentucky 127 2. North Carolina 116
NCAA Tournament Wins 1. Kentucky 89 2. North Carolina 81
Final Four Wins 1. UCLA 24 2. Kentucky 17 3. Duke 14 4. Indiana 12 5. North Carolina 11
Legendary Coaches
Former UK coach Adolph Rupp was a legendary leader known for his innovation with the fast-break offense.
He finished his 41-year career as the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball with 876 wins, a mark that stood for 25 yearsuntil UNC’s Dean Smith moved ahead in 1997.
Smith retired later that season with 879 wins while guiding the Tar Heels to their 11th Final Four appearance under his guidance.
The Wildcats own an unparalleled tradition of success. Since 1903, the University of Kentucky has fielded 100 basketball teams. The first national championship was an NIT title in 1946. The first NCAA Championship came in 1948 and the latest, No. 7, occurred in 1998. No other program can claim the unparalleled success that matches the Wildcats’ efforts throughout the past century.
Unparalleled Tradition
Highlights include:
Seven NCAA titles (1948, ’49, ’51, ’58, ’78, ’96, ’98);
The all-time winningest team in college hoops:
The highest all-time winning percentagein college basketball — 76.2% (1,820-569-1);
Three NCAA runner-up trophies;
13 Final Four appearances;
A national-record 43 NCAA tournament appearances;
41 SEC Championships;
23 SEC Tournament titles;
Ten 30-win seasons;
38 players chosen All-American 55 times;
88 Wildcats drafted by the NBA.
UK vs. ACC
The Wildcats own a 113-53 record against ACC opponents, highlighted by a 56-15 record against Georgia Tech.
Last season, the Wildcats went 1-2 against ACC opponents with the win over UNC and losses to No. 1 Duke and eventual-national champion Maryland.
UK is 0-1 vs. the ACC this year, falling to Virginia in the Maui Invitational.
Carolina Connections
Tubby Smith was an all-conference performer at High Point College (N.C.) and later coached basketball at Hoke County High School in Raeford, N.C., from 1977-79. His son Saul was born at Pinehurst Hospital during Coach Smith’s second year coaching at Hoke County.
Assistant coach Reggie Hanson was born in Charlotte, N.C. and lived there until he was 11 years old. The family then moved to Somerset, Ky., where he led Pulaski County to the 1986 state championship.
UK in December
UK holds a 427-101 mark in the month of December. Last season, the Cats went 5-1 in the year’s final month, with its only loss coming at the hands of then-No. 1 Duke in the Jimmy V Classic.
Vs. Ranked Opponents
The Wildcats have already beaten No. 20 Gonzaga in the Maui Invitational to own a 1-0 record against ranked teams this season.
The Wildcats could play as many as seven teams ranked in the Top 25 this season, including two top-10 squads — Florida and Alabama. Future UK opponents Georgia, Indiana, Michigan State, Mississippi State and North Carolina also are ranked.
Cats in the Polls
The Wildcats were ranked 17th in both preseason polls, before jumping to 15th in the AP and 16th in the ESPN poll on the opening day of the Maui Invitational.
UK fell to 18th in both polls this week after its third-place finish in Hawaii.
National Exposure
The North Carolina game marks UK’s fourth national television appearance this season, all of which have been on the ESPN network. 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
Kentucky takes to the road again on Tuesday to face Tulane in New Orleans. It’s the final game in a two-game series with the Green Wave.
TU head coach Shawn Finney served as assistant coach under Tubby Smith for nine seasons prior to his first head coaching job, including four years at UK.
The 9 p.m. game will be aired on ESPN, UK’s second consecutive contest on the network.
Last Time Out
The Wildcats had their best shooting performance in nearly two years when they shot 62.7% from the field in the 84-64 win over Tubby Smith’s alma mater, High Point.
Keith Bogans turned in his best performance thus far this season with 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting, while Gerald Fitch had a career night with 18 points, six assists and eight made baskets.
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.
Rupp Arena
Kentucky is in its 27th season at Rupp Arena, where the Wildcats own a 341-39 (91.8%) 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. Shockingly, 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.
Milestones
Keith Bogans is currently 18th on UK’s all-time scoring list with 1,430 points. He needs 31 points to catch Johnny Cox at 17th.
Bogans needs eight three-pointers to reach No. 4 Travis Ford on the all-time three-pointers made list at UK. Bogans currently has 182 trifectas.
Jules Camara ranks seventh on the Wildcats’ all-time blocked-shots list, trailing No. 6 Nazr Mohammed by 10 blocks.
Three Mania
Kentucky ranks third nationally in consecutive games with a made three-pointer. The Wildcats have hit a three-pointer in 477 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.
Estill Holds Record Mark
Senior Marquis Estill shot six-of-eight from the field in the season opener against Arizona State and now has the minimum 200 made field goals in his UK career to take the all-time lead in FG percentage. So far this year, he’s 19-of-26 from the field. For his career he’s shooting 62.3%.
Estill ranks ahead of the school’s previous record holder, Charles Hurt (1980-83), who shot 59.3 percent. Estill can own the school record should he maintain the pace throughout the season. The 6-9 center can earn a fourth year of eligibility should he graduate by the fall semester of 2003.
Career FG Percentage (Min. 200 made)
62.3 Marquis Estill (215-345) 2001-03
59.3 Charles Hurt (303-511) 1980-83
59.1 Melvin 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 first double-double performance of the season when Jules Camara totaled 12 points and 10 rebounds in relief against Virginia. It marked Camara’s fifth of his career.
Chuck Hayes nearly pulled off the feat against Gonzaga, but fell just short, finishing with 11 points and nine boards against the Bulldogs.
100th Season
The Wildcats are playing their 100th season of basketball this year. The Cats have a number of events planned throughout the season, including fan balloting for the program’s greatest players, games and moments. The celebration will include replays of the top 10 games on radio, a 25-year celebration of the 1978 NCAA Champions, and four special-edition bobble-head dolls that fans can collect. The year-long celebration concludes with an all-letterman reunion on Feb. 23 at the Mississippi State 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 in teh home opener when 500 lucky students received a Kyle Macy bobble-head.
SEC Domination
UK will play its 70th season of SEC action in 2003. A charter member, the Cats have been the most dominant team in the league through the years, recording a 780-212 mark (78.6%). No other team has won more than 647 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.
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, which includes Cliff Hawkins, who’s expected to return during the holidays:
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, was also 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
Keightley’s Seen 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” has served on the staff since the 1961-62 season and has witnessed 1,268 games during his career, owning a 969-299 record during that era.
The Wildcats, who are celebrating their 100th season of basketball, have played 2,390 games, meaning Keightley has witnessed 53.1% 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 1,226 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 212 games.
Meanwhile, his home court streak is still intact. Wiggins has not missed a home game in 42 years, a streak spanning 590 games. During that period, which dates back to 1960-61, UK has a home record of 524-66.
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, videos, DVDs and the 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.
— Go Cats —
