Feb. 18, 2002
Tennessee Volunteers (13-12, 6-6)
vs.
No. 12/12 Kentucky Wildcats (17-7, 7-5)
Feb. 19, 2002
9:05 p.m. ET
Rupp Arena (23,000)
Lexington, Ky.
RADIO
UK Radio Network (90+ stations): Tom Leach, Mike Pratt, Dave Baker.
TELEVISION
ESPN: Brad Nessler and Brad Daugherty.
Series Information
Series Record: UK leads 129-62
In Lexington: UK leads 76-15
At Rupp Arena: 23-3
In Knoxville: UK leads 44-43
At Neutral Sites: UK leads 9-4
Last Game: Feb. 6, 2002 – UT 76, UK 74 OT
Website: utsports.com
Coaching Comparison
Tubby Smith (High Point ’73)
Overall (11th) 251-102 (71.1%) at UK (5th) 127-40 (76.0%) SEC Tourney (6) 13-3 (81.3%) NCAA Tourney (8) 18-7 (72.0%) vs. Tennessee 9-5
Buzz Peterson (North Carolina ’86)
Overall (6th) 163-117 (58.2%) at UT (1st) 13-12 (52.0%) vs. Kentucky 1-0
Team Comparisons
cats volsRecord 17-7 13-12SEC Record 7-5 6-6Scoring Offense 78.6 73.1Scoring Defense 67.2 71.2Scoring Margin +11.4 +1.8FG % 46.1 45.9FG % Defense 40.0 42.13FG % 31.7 35.23FG % Defense 31.7 34.6Free Throw % 66.1 68.2Rebound Average 41.1 37.9Opp. Rebound Average 35.0 34.4Rebound Margin +6.2 +3.5TO Average 15.3 16.4Opponent TO 17.1 13.8TO Margin +1.8 -2.6Blocks Average 4.8 3.4Steals Average 8.0 6.3
Probable Stating Lineups
WILDCATS No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Ppg Rpg Hometown Last Game 21 Tayshaun Prince F 6-9 215 Sr. 17.0 6.1 Compton, Calif. 17 pts, 5 rebs, 2 blks, 6-7 FT 44 Chuck Hayes F 6-7 237 Fr. 5.0 3.9 Modesto, Calif. 5 pts, 5 rebs, 1 blk 50 Marquis Estill F 6-9 240 Jr. 9.8 4.3 Richmond, Ky. 14 pts, 7 rebs, 6-9 FG 10 Keith Bogans G 6-5 205 Jr. 11.8 4.6 Alexandria, Va. 5 pts, 3 rebs, 5 assts 1 Cliff Hawkins G 6-1 185 So. 7.3 *4.3 Dumfries, Va. 6 pts, 5 rebs
VOLUNTEERS No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Ppg Rpg HometownLast Game 1 Vincent Yarbrough F 6-7 210 Sr. 18.1 7.2 Cleveland, Tenn. 17 pts, 8 rebs, 11-14 FT 12 Marcus Haislip F 6-10 230 Jr. 17.1 6.6 Lewisburg, Tenn. 30 pts, 12-20 FG, 4 rebs 4 Brandon Crump C 6-10 210 Fr. 7.3 4.1 Klein, Texas 6 pts, 3 rebs, 3-3 FG 24 Jenis Grindstaff G 6-2 185 Sr. 6.2 2.4 Spruce Pine, N.C. 6 pts, 4 rebs 42 Jon Higgins G 6-3 190 Jr. 7.5 *4.2 Shaker Heights, Ohio 11 pts, 3 rebs, 0 assts*Assists
Wildcats Seek Revenge vs. Volunteers, Fitch, Sears Suspended
Kentucky returns home for back-to-back home games for the first time since mid-December when it plays host to Tennessee and Arkansas this week. The Wildcats meet the Vols for the second time in 13 days looking to avenge a 76-74 overtime loss in Knoxville on Feb. 6. UK will have to face the challenge without starting guard Gerald Fitch, who was suspended with teammate Cory Sears for conduct detrimental to the team after an incident occurred on the team’s return trip to Lexington following Saturday’s loss at Georgia.
Since Kentucky and Tennessee last met, UK has gone 2-1 with wins over LSU and Vanderbilt prior to a loss at Georgia. The Vols are 1-2 since defeating the Cats, falling to South Carolina and Alabama on the road sandwiched around an Arkansas win at home.
The Cats remain just one game out of first place in the unpredictable Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference. UK trails Georgia by a half game and Florida by a game. Teams must finish first or second in their division to earn a first-round bye in next month’s SEC Tournament in Atlanta.
Early Madness in SEC East
Four games remain on the UK regular-season slate. When the Vols visit Lexington, just 16 days remain before the SEC Tournament tips off in Atlanta… UK has three of its final four games at home. Next week, the Cats must travel to Vanderbilt for the ‘Dores’ Senior Night before returning home for Senior Day at Kentucky against Florida on March 2… Kentucky is 7-5 in SEC play after a 10-2 non-conference record, and according to CollegeRPI.com, has played the nation’s toughest schedule… UK had five league losses in 1999, finishing second in the East to division-champ UT.
Series History
Kentucky meets its oldest hardwood rival, Tennessee, for the 192nd time. The border rivals first met on Feb. 16, 1910, a 26-5 UK win. UK owns a 129-62 advantage in the series.
UK holds a 76-15 advantage over the Vols in Lexington and has won 21 of the last 22 regular-season meetings in the Bluegrass State. The Wildcats are 23-3 all-time against UT in Rupp Arena, including a 101-40 win in the 1993 SEC Tournament.
Tubby Smith is 9-5 all-time against Tennessee, including a 5-4 mark while at UK. Buzz Peterson is in his first season as the Vols head coach and owns a 1-0 record over the Cats after UT’s win two weeks ago. Peterson served as the associate head coach at Vanderbilt from 1993-96.
Smith and Peterson share ties as head coaches. Each has served as head coach of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane – Smith from 1992-95 and Peterson in 2001. Smith led the Hurricane to a 79-43 record, two Missouri Valley Conference regular-season titles and two NCAA Final 16 appearances. Peterson’s Tulsa squad claimed last year’s NIT title, finishing with a 26-11 record.
Peterson was recruited to play basketball at Kentucky by Joe B. Hall. The Asheville, N.C. native chose to stay home and play for North Carolina. Playing alongside Michael Jordan, Peterson was a member of the 1982 National Champions and served as team co-captain as a senior in 1985.
Orange Crush
Several members of this year’s squad have had good fortune while playing against Tennessee. Keith Bogans averages 17.8 ppg and 5.4 rpg in five meetings with UT, while Tayshaun Prince averages 13.9 ppg and 5.4 rpg in his seven games against UT. Prince has posted 22.7 ppg and 6.0 rpg in the last three series meetings.
Gerald Fitch, who will will not play against the Vols due to his suspension, continued his strong play against the Vols earlier this month with 12 points and seven boards. In his three games vs. UT, Fitch has averaged 11.0 ppg and 8.3 rpg.
Common Opponents
Kentucky and Tennessee have had 10 common opponents this season, including non-conference foe Louisville. UK owns a 7-4 record against those teams, while UT is 3-7.
Opponent UK UTLouisville W, 82-62 L, 72-73Mississippi St. L, 69-74* L, 91-92*Georgia L, 84-88 L, 70-73 L, 69-78South Carolina W, 51-50 L, 60-94 W, 91-74 L, 54-72Auburn W, 69-62 W, 82-59Alabama L, 61-64 L, 82-95Florida W, 70-68 L, 100-104*LSU W, 68-56 W, 61-58Vanderbilt W, 67-59 W, 67-65*overtime
No. 1 Schedule
The most recent RPI poll released by CollegeRPI.com rated Kentucky No. 7 overall with the nation’s toughest schedule. The Cats’ schedule ranks third in the Sagarin rankings. And while there are three SEC teams among the top 15 in the national voter polls, UK has the highest RPI ranking according to both power polls.Strength of schedule ratings are listed in parenthesis:
CollegeRPI.com SagarinKentucky 7th (1st) 9th (3rd)Tennessee 54th (8th) 54th (5th)
The Southeastern Conference is rated as the nation’s toughest conference by CollegeRPI.com and Sagarin. All but one team (Auburn) has a winning overall record.1. SEC
2. ACC
3. Big 12
Fitch’s Production
What will the Cats miss without Gerald Fitch in the lineup? Over the last five games, 6-3, 188-pound guard has averaged 13.4 points, 6.4 boards and 2.4 spg while shooting 54.5% from the field and 43.5% from three-point range. In SEC play alone, he’s second on the team in scoring (11.3 ppg), first in rebounding (6.4 rpg) and first in steals (26). The improved numbers of the last five games coincided with the return of injured point guard J.P. Blevins to the rotation.
Fitch was solid against Georgia, matching his career high for the second time this season with 17 points. He was 3-for-6 from 3FG range and grabbed five rebounds and three steals in a team-high 36 minutes.
Wild, Wild World
Tubby Smith will appear March 9 on the Discovery Channel’s weekly program, Nigel’s Wild, Wild World. The feature with Smith was taped in Memorial Coliseum on Feb. 11 and will feature ‘Big Cats’ on Discovery’s March Madness programming. Smith appeared with Nigel and a real live wildcat.
It’s one of two national shows by Nigel with ties to March Madness. Billy Donovan and some real Florida gators will be featured March 2.
National Exposure
The Cats have already appeared on national TV 10 times this season, including a series of five consecutive national broadcasts. All totaled, Kentucky will appear six times on ESPN and a record seven times on CBS, according to 17-year veteran producer Bob Dekas.
Pride in Defense
Defensive highlights this season include:
Holding the SEC’s top three-point shooting team, Vanderbilt, to 31.8% accuracy.
Limiting host Florida to a then-season-low 68 points and a season-low 31 rebounds.
In 12 of the 24 games this season, UK opponents have shot less than 40% from the field. The Cats are 11-1 in those outings. Overall, UK opponents have combined to shoot 40.0% from the field. Indiana and South Carolina both shot 32.1% from the field, the best defensive efforts by the ’02 Wildcats.
Georgia (54.1%) and Tennessee (53.4%) are the only teams to shoot better than 50% against the Cats this season.
In SEC play only, UK leads the league in FG percentage defense (40.6%) and blocks (5.4 bpg) and ranks third in scoring defense (67.8 ppg).
Entering the final stretch of regular-season play, the Wildcats’ defense is averaging 8.0 steals per game. That’s up from last year’s 6.7 spg and the best at UK since the ’98 champs averaged 8.7 spg.
Offensive Woes
The Wildcats are shooting 46.1% from the field, the lowest percentage since a 42.3% in 2000. While UK has shot 50% or better from the field six times this season, the last two games have featured 39.2% shooting vs. Vanderbilt and 35.7% shooting vs. Georgia. UK had previous sub-40% shooting efforts against Western and Alabama.
Changing Lineups
Since the lineup is destined to change after the suspension of starting guard Gerald Fitch, it will mark the first lineup change since the switch between the Florida and South Carolina games. Chuck Hayes and Erik Daniels got the starting nod for the first time against the Gators while Marquis Estill got back into the lineup. Cliff Hawkins and Tayshaun Prince rounded out the first five. In the following game against South Carolina (2/2), Fitch and Keith Bogans returned to their starting roles, while Prince, Estill and Hawkins completed the lineup, which has remained intact since.
In the first eight games of the season, Smith used four different lineups. Only Tayshaun Prince has started every game. Hawkins has started 21 times while running mate J.P. Blevins has three starts. Estill has 11 starts, while Jules Camara made 11 starts before the Florida game.
Last 10
Only four regular-season games remain on the Kentucky slate. The NCAA selection committee utilizes the results of a team’s last 10 outings, including conference tournament play, when making its choices for the “Big Dance.” Kentucky closed out its last 10 regular-season games last year with an 8-2 record, then won the SEC Tournament to earn a No. 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament. So far, UK is 4-2 start in its final 10 regular-season games.
Top-10 Assault
Tayshaun Prince joined an elite group of UK basketball players on Feb. 9. With his 18 points in the win over LSU, Prince moved past Louie Dampier (1965-67) and into the top 10 on UK’s all-time scoring list. He now has 1,624 points in his career.
The senior sits just 13 points behind Ed Davender (1985-88) in ninth place. He’s the first Wildcat to crack the top 10 since Tony Delk in 1996. The ’96 Final Four MVP finished fourth with 1,890 points.
Milestones
Keith Bogans, currently 27th on UK’s all-time scoring list, has 1,270 career points and with 13 more can tie Jim Master (1981-84) for 26th.
Tayshaun Prince has made 186 three-pointers in his career, just four shy of third place held by Travis Ford and five behind Derrick Miller in second place. While he will not catch the school-record holder, Tony Delk (283), he can become the highest ranking three-point shooter in UK history in the post-Pitino Era. Meanwhile, Bogans moved past John Pelphrey and into fifth place. He has 165 made 3FGs.
Prince and Jules Camara have each cracked UK’s top-10 list for career blocks this season. Prince’s two blocks against Georgia gave him 132 swats, good for sixth, while Camara ranks ninth with 111.
Rupp Arena
With the win over Vanderbilt on Feb. 13, Kentucky’s record at Rupp Arena improved to 9-3 this season.
Now in its 26th season in the building, UK has posted a 337-39 (89.6%) record in Rupp.
The Wildcats have won 15 national attendance titles in the building, including the last six.
Big Draw I
This season, the Cats have played in front of five of the top 10 crowds in the nation, including four at home. Kentucky has entertained nine of the nation’s top-20 crowds as well. Statistics courtesty of the NCAA and include all games through Feb. 11:
Game (Site) Attendance1. UK-Indiana (N) 29,3792. UK-Louisville (H) 24,3303. UK-Alabama 23,5444. Syracuse-Virginia Tech (H) 23,2265. UK-North Carolina (H) 23,1536. Missouri-Illinois (N) 22,1537. Syracuse-Pittsburgh (H) 21,9358. North Carolina-Duke (H) 21,7508. North Carolina-NC State (H) 21,75010. UK-South Carolina (H) 21,731
Big Draw II
Kentucky routinely draws an opponent’s top home crowd each season. In fact, in the eight road games the Cats have played this year, UK matched or exceeded the team’s average crowd.Opponent Attendance Opp. Avg.Miss. State 9,347 4,607S. Carolina 12,097 7,975Notre Dame 11,418 10,984Auburn 10,500 9,500Florida 12,212 10,346Tennessee 17,260 13,661LSU 8,549 8,305Georgia 10,523 8,799
Cats in the NCAA
In the NCAA statistics released Feb. 11, the Wildcats ranked 27th in scoring (79.6 ppg) and 17th in scoring margin (+12.5 ppg). UK was 16th in the nation in rebounding margin, outrebounding opponents by 7.0 rpg.
Cats in the SEC
In the latest Southeastern Conference rankings for all games played, UK’s Tayshaun Prince is seventh in the league in scoring (17.0 ppg) while Cliff Hawkins ranks fifth in assists (4.3 apg). Jules Camara ranks third in blocked shots (1.5 pg), Prince is fourth (1.4 pg) and Marquis Estill is seventh (1.2 pg). Prince also ranks 13th in rebounding (6.1 rpg).
The Wildcats are third in scoring (78.6 ppg), third in scoring margin (+11.4) and second in rebounding margin (+6.2 rpg). UK is first in rebounding (41.1 rpg) and offensive boards (15.8 orpg). The Cats rank second in blocks (4.9 pg).
In SEC games only, Prince is second in the league in blocked shots with 2.0 bpg. Camara is fourth with 1.6 pg and Estill ranks sixth with 1.2 bpg. Hawkins is fourth in assists (4.4 apg).
Gerald Fitch is ninth in rebounding in league games with 6.4 rpg, while Prince ranks ninth in FG% (45.2%) and 10th in scoring (16.2 ppg).
Double-Doubles
Tayshaun Prince posted his fourth double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 boards against the Gators. The senior had three double-doubles in the month of December.
Gerald Fitch had his second double-double of the year with 13 points and 11 rebounds against Ole Miss after a 16-10 performance against Tulane in early January. He has recorded three double-doubles in his career.
Jules Camara had his best effort of the season against Duke, scoring 10 points while grabbing 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the season and the fourth of his career.
Current Wildcats who have recorded double-doubles in their career include:
Cat Career Doubles Keith Bogans 2 Jules Camara 4 Marquis Estill 1 Gerald Fitch 3 Jason Parker 2 Tayshaun Prince 11
Three Mania
Kentucky has hit a three-pointer in 465 consecutive games. UK trails UNLV, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech, which all have similar streaks. UNLV, Vanderbilt and Princeton have hit a three-pointer in every game since the rule was adopted in 1987, but Princeton hasn’t played as many games.
The Wildcats’ last game without a three-pointer came 13 years ago against Seton Hall on Nov. 26, 1988, a “three-point” loss in the Great Alaska Shootout.
UK in February
The Wildcats own a 580-181 (76.2%) all-time record in the year’s second month. Last season, UK went 7-1 in February, with its only loss coming on the road at Arkansas. So far this month, the Cats are 3-2.
Next Game
The Wildcats play host to their second consecutive home game for the first time since December when Arkansas visits on Saturday. The game marks UK’s final regular-season contest with a Western Division opponent this season. The showdown is a high noon CBS broadcast.
Last Time Out
UK had its poorest shooting performance in league play (35.7%) en route to a 78-69 loss to Georgia. The Bulldogs swept the regular-season series for the first time since the 1986-87 season. Gerald Fitch matched his career high with 17 points, while Tayshaun Prince added 17 of his own in the loss.
National Polls
After a win over Vanderbilt and a loss to then-No. 21 Georgia, the Wildcats fell to 12th in both major polls. The Wildcats have spent 11 of the 15 weeks this season in the AP top 10. UK began the season ranked fourth in both major polls.
After losing its season opener, UK dropped to a season-low 13th in the AP poll and 14th in the Coaches poll.
Vs. Ranked Opponents
The Cats are 1-3 against ranked opponents this season. Their lone win against a ranked team came Jan. 29 at No. 5 Florida. UK lost to No. 1 Duke, 95-92, in overtime on Dec. 18 in the Jimmy V Classic, dropped a close battle to No. 14 Alabama, 64-61, in Lexington on Jan. 26 and fell to No. 21 Georgia, 78-69, on Feb. 16. Rankings were current at the time of the game.
SEC Domination
Kentucky is in its 69th season of SEC play. A charter member, the Cats have been the most dominant team in the league through the years, recording a 777-211 mark (78.6%). No other team has won more than 645 games (Alabama) and no other team has a better winning percentage. UK has averaged 11.3 wins and 3.0 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 10 SEC Tournament titles.
TUB-BEE, TUB-BEE!
In the past four seasons, since Orlando “Tubby” Smith took the coaching reins at Kentucky, the Wildcats have won three SEC Championships and three SEC Tournament titles. While the tournament success continues a string of titles the past decade, UK’s success in winning the regular-season crown hasn’t been achieved since the Wildcats won three of the four titles between 1983-86.
Smith is 56-20 (73.7%) in SEC regular season play since taking over at Kentucky.
Smith has an amazing 13-3 (81.3%) record in the SEC Tournament which includes his two seasons at Georgia.
Last season, Smith’s Cats captured a share of the SEC Eastern Division crown, his third in the last four years and the second straight.
Road Cats
Kentucky is 5-3 in “away” games this season, 8-4 overall outside of Rupp Arena. The Cats have won five of their last seven road games with the only losses during the stretch coming in overtime at Tennessee, 76-74, on Feb. 6 and a 78-69 loss at No. 21 Georgia. Against ranked opponents on the road, UK is 1-1 after its 70-68 win over then-No. 5 Florida on Jan. 29.
Overtime Trials
The Wildcats have yet to earn an overtime win this season in three tries. The Wildcats have fallen to Duke, 95-92, Miss. State, 74-69, and Tennessee, 76-74.
Kentucky has now played 81 overtime games in 99 seasons, and owns a 44-37 record in those contests.
In the Tubby Smith era, the Cats won their first seven overtime games but have lost their last four over the past two seasons.
The most OT games UK has played in one season was five — 1978-79.
SEASON NOTES
Prince Named Naismith Finalist
On Feb. 12, Tayshaun Prince was named one of the 20 finalists for the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award which is presented annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
Prince was the only SEC player among the finalists. The preseason list was narrowed by the Naismith Board of Selectors, which includes basketball coaches, journalists and administrators.
Former winners include Larry Byrd, Michael Jordan and Tim Duncan. Last year’s award went to Duke’s Shane Battier.
CLASS Act
On Feb. 6, Tayshaun Prince was named one of the 10 finalists for the inaugural Senior CLASS Award presented by the Kansas City Club.
The CLASS award, an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, will be presented during the Final Four.
Joining Prince as finalists were Maurice Baker (Okla. St.), Lonny Baxter and Juan Dixon (Maryland), Sam Clancy (USC), Dan Dickau (Gonzaga), Lynn Greer (Temple), Udonis Haslem (Florida), Steve Logan (Cincinnati) and Preston Shumpert (Syracuse).
Healthy at Last
The Wildcats have had their share of injuries this season. The return of J.P. Blevins and Adam Chiles to action on Feb. 2 marked the healthiest the squad has been since mid-December.
Blevins, who suffered a broken right wrist on Dec. 22 vs. Indiana, underwent surgery to have a screw inserted into the break on Dec. 27. He missed 10 games due to the injury.
It was not his first injury of the season. He missed the Cats’ first two games of the year with a sprained ankle. He’s played in eight games with three starts, averaging 2.9 ppg and 1.4 rpg while playing 17.5 mpg.
Chiles suffered bruised ribs prior to the Notre Dame game. He missed four games before reappearing against South Carolina on Feb. 2.
Jason Parker suffered two torn ACLs in the same knee prior to the season. After undergoing his second surgery Nov. 1, he’ll miss the entire year. Marquis Estill pulled a back muscle late in the preseason and missed both exhibition games but did return in time to play in the Cats’ first game vs. Western Kentucky.
Rashaad Carruth suffered a high ankle sprain/bone bruise and missed both exhibition games and the Cats’ first four regular-season contests. Gerald Fitch also broke his nose in UK’s first exhibition game against Nike Elite but failed to miss any action.
In all, five Wildcats have missed a total of 46 games, both regular season and exhibition.
True Glue
Gerald Fitch earned national attention in early February by Sports Illustrated as a “Glue Guy” – ‘someone who’s versatile, tough, smart, unselfish, but not a star.’ The magazine started the list three years ago, and writer Seth Davis dubbed Fitch the leader of the third annual squad.
“When Keith Bogans was mired in a shooting slump, Fitch helped Kentucky by tossing in points. When Bogans had it going against Florida, Fitch was content to score just two points and contribute six boards, two assists and two steals. That’s called stickin’ it to ’em.”
Also making the team were Duke’s Dahntay Jones, UCLA’s Billy Knight, Maryland’s Byron Mouton, Indiana’s Jarrad Odle and Alabama’s Antoine Pettway.
Ahhhh, Maui
Next Nov. 25-27, the Wildcats will compete in the Maui Invitational. It’s UK first return to the islands since Nov. 1997. Other participating teams include Arizona State, Chaminade, Gonzaga, Indiana, UMass, Utah and Virginia.
UK in January
The Wildcats hold a 510-176 all-time record in the month of January for a .743 winning percentage. UK finished the month with a 5-3 mark.
Mr. Clutch Strikes Again
Tayshaun Prince has a laundry list of clutch performances during his four-year career at Kentucky. Against Auburn on Jan. 22, he struck again. Prince canned a three-pointer to curtail Auburn’s 14-4 run and give the Cats’ a 57-50 lead. The shot boosted UK on an 8-0 run that iced the game.
Other clutch performances by Prince include a game-winner against Florida last season, scoring 16 of the Cats’ final 23 to lead a comeback at Vanderbilt, a double-clutch three against St. Bonaventure in the 2000 NCAA Tourney and a runner in the lane with 23 seconds to go that lifted UK to a win at Miami that same season.
Eight in a Row
Kentucky continued its dominance at the UCA Cheerleading Championships on Jan. 12 when the Wildcats took the title for the eighth consecutive year. It was the 12th title overall for the team. The UK squad is coached by Saleem Habash with advisor T. Lynn Williamson.
Central Florida finished second in the event, which was held at MGM Grand Studios in Orlando, Fla.
Kentucky has won the event in 1985, ’87, ’88, ’92, ’95, ’96, ’97, ’98, ’99, 2000, ’01 and ’02.
Three-Point Show
Kentucky set a school record when nine different Wildcats made a three-point field goal in UK’s win over Tulane on Jan. 2. Since the three-point shot was implemented in 1987, no UK squad had ever had nine different Cats can a three in the same game. The nine different “lives” splashed in 16 total treys against the Green Wave, the most in a game in the Tubby Smith Era at Kentucky. It also marked the most since UK canned 16 against UNC Asheville in Dec. 1996.
Prince Named SEC Player of the Week
The Southeastern Conference named Kentucky senior Tayshaun Prince its Player of the Week for Dec. 24-Jan. 1.
The 6-9 senior was very consistent in late December, tallying 17 points and nine rebounds against Duke, 17 and 11 against the Hoosiers and 18 and nine against the Cardinals. The double-double against Indiana was his third this season and the 10th of his career.
It was his first SEC Player of the Week honor this season and the first by a Cat. Prince won the award once as a sophomore and twice last season.
Stone Dismissed
Marvin Stone was dismissed from the Kentucky men’s basketball team on Dec. 27. The 6-10 junior failed to return from the holiday break and became the first player to be dismissed from the Wildcats’ basketball team in Smith’s five seasons.
Stone averaged 5.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He saw action in all nine contests, starting the first two, and averaged 13.9 minutes per game.
The Huntsville, Ala., native totaled 397 points and 314 rebounds in his career after playing in 75 games with 11 starts.
He transferred to Louisville.
Prince On Wooden List
Tayshaun Prince was among the Top 30 candidates for the Wooden Award in its midseason poll released Dec. 28. Prince was a Wooden All-American last year. This year’s honors will be announced March 26 and include the 10-member All-America team and college basketball’s Most Outstanding Player.
Cawood’s Court
The new floor at Rupp Arena was named “Cawood’s Court” in ceremonies before the Louisville game. The tribute honors Cawood Ledford, who was the beloved “Voice of the Wildcats” for 39 years (1953-92). Ledford passed away in early September following a long battle with cancer.
The ceremony included the unveiling of a logo courtside not far from where he called all the action and a donation by two area businesses to the Cawood Ledford Scholarship Fund at UK. The fund was established in 1992 to assist former student-athletes in completing their degrees.
Hawk’s Shooting Eye
Cliff Hawkins recorded back-to-back career highs in December.
The sophomore tallied 15 points against Duke, including nine of the Cats’ first 11 in overtime. He then returned to score 17 points against Indiana four days later. For the week, he averaged 16 ppg and 4.0 apg.
Within the Borders
Kentucky’s 20-point win over Louisville closed out a four-game schedule this season with state schools. UK finished with a 3-1 record in those games. It was the most games with in-state schools since the 1920-21 season.
The Cats fell to Western Kentucky and defeated Morehead State, Kentucky State and Louisville. They faced Kentucky Wesleyan, Cumberland, Georgetown and Centre during the ’21 season, posting a 5-1 record in the meetings.
Carruth Burned Devils
Rashaad Carruth broke out against Duke, taking control of the offensive end during the first half to total 14 points in the period after scoring 12 all season.
He finished the game with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting and set or tied career highs in every category.
Carruth missed the first month of the season with a high ankle sprain and played in only three games prior to the Duke contest.
Vs. Top-Five Teams
The win over No. 5 Florida improved Kentucky’s record to 50-41 all-time against top-five teams, including a 1-1 mark this season. Kentucky dropped an overtime thriller to No. 1 Duke in December.
Under Tubby Smith, UK is 6-6 against the top-five teams. The list is based on the team’s ranking in The Associated Press poll at the time the game was played.
Against fifth-ranked teams, UK is 16-9 all-time.
Cats vs. No. 1 Teams
After falling to top-ranked Duke, 95-92, in overtime on Dec. 18, Kentucky fell to 4-9 against No.1-ranked teams in the AP poll since 1949.
The Wildcats played Duke two other times when the Blue Devils were ranked No. 1 in the country. Duke won both games, 80-55 on Nov. 19, 1988 and 104-103 in overtime on March 28, 1992.
Kentucky’s last win over a top-ranked team was an 81-74 victory against UMass at the Meadowlands in the NCAA Semifinals on March 30, 1996.
December to Remember
Kentucky kicked off a highly anticipated December schedule of great rivalries on Dec. 8 with a 79-59 rout of North Carolina. After 118-63 win over Kentucky State, the Wildcats lost a thrilling overtime game to No. 1 Duke, 95-92, in the Jimmy V Classic. After holding Indiana to 32.1% shooting in a 66-52 win in the RCA Dome, the Cats finished off the Rick Pitino-coached Louisville Cards, 82-62.
TREY-Shaun’s Game
Tayshaun Prince’s effort vs. UNC won’t soon be forgotten. Along with his three-point shooting display, Prince totaled 31 points, 11 rebounds and four steals. He matched his career scoring and steals totals. It was his second consecutive double-double, the ninth of his career.
Prince’s streak of five three-pointers on five straight possessions to start the North Carolina game were the first of seven for the game, all coming in the opening half. His fifth, just a few inches inside the “U” at center court, measured nearly 30′.
His seven 3FGs in a half tied Derrick Miller for the most threes scored in a half at Kentucky. Miller also drained seven to start the Kansas game on Dec. 9, 1989 before finishing with eight threes in the game.
Prince’s seven, however, were the most treys recorded by a Wildcat in Rupp Arena as Miller’s came in the Jayhawks’ storied Allen Field House.
Queen City Mark
In November, Kentucky played its fifth consecutive season at the Firstar Center in Cincinnati, defeating Kent State, 82-68. The Wildcats are now 6-1 all-time in the arena.
Season Openers
Kentucky is 81-18 in season openers after its loss to Western Kentucky in the NABC Classic. Last season, the Cats were upset in New York by St. John’s, 62-61. Tubby Smith is 8-3 in season openers during his head coaching career.
Home Openers
Kentucky is 84-15 all-time in home openers after the loss to WKU. Nine of those losses occurred before Adolph Rupp began coaching in 1930. The Cats are 65-6 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 this season to Western Kentucky.
UK now stands at 23-3 in home openers at Rupp Arena.
PRESEASON NOTES
AP Names Prince All-America
Forward Tayshaun Prince added yet another honor to his resume in November as he was named to the The Associated Press Preseason All-America team, the only senior on the list.
Prince joined Duke’s Jason Williams, Stanford’s Casey Jacobsen, Missouri’s Kareem Rush and Illinois’ Frank Williams.
Prince is just the second Wildcat to earn the preseason honor from the AP since the national news organization began naming a preseason team in 1985. Jamal Mashburn was a preseason All-American prior to the 1992-93 season.
Prince also was named first-team Preseason All-America by collegeinsider.com, Athlon Sports, Blue Ribbon Basketball, The Sporting News and Basketball News.
He was a second-team selection by AP at the end of last season.
Parker Injury
Jason Parker underwent his second ACL surgery on his right knee in four months when he had a patella tendon autograft performed by team physicians Darren Johnson and Scott Mair on Nov. 1. Parker injured the knee June 24 in a pickup basketball game and had his initial surgery July 2. He retore the ligament prior to introductions for Big Blue Madness on Oct. 12.
Parker will miss the 2001-02 season as a redshirt. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Their Old Kentucky Home
This season’s roster boasts six products from the Bluegrass State, the most since the 1991 season.
J.P. Blevins (Edmonton), Marquis Estill (Richmond), Cory Sears (Corbin), Matt Heissenbuttel (Lexington), Josh Carrier (Bowling Green) and Adam Chiles (Louisville) all hail from within the state’s borders.
In ’91, Reggie Hanson, Richie Farmer, John Pelphrey, Deron Feldhaus, Michael Parks and Todd Bearup all came from Kentucky. Much like Sears and Heissenbuttel, Parks and Bearup were both walk-ons 11 seasons ago.
Face Lift
Fans attending UK home games will recognize changes at floor level. In addition to the new floor that was purchased last summer, courtside fan seating has been added as well. Currently, 22 new “scholarship seats” have displaced some traditional media seating and been installed on press row. The 22 seats were sold for $313,000 a pair and the revenue generated will go to endow all 13 men’s basketball scholarships. There are still three pairs remaining to be sold.
Kentucky celebrated its 25th season in the first built-for-basketball arena last year, playing for a quarter of a century on the original floor. Pieces of the original floor were auctioned off prior to the charity game, “A Night of True Champions,” on Aug. 11, raising more than $38,000. The money was split between the UK Basketball Museum, the KHSAA and the Lexington Civic Center for the purchase of the new floor.
The new floor was designed by UK in conjunction with Lexington Civic Center officials. It was constructed by Robbins, Inc., in Cincinnati, Ohio at a cost of $125,000.
BIG BLUE MANIA
Several former Wildcats have appeared back in the Bluegrass during the winter. Heshimu Evans, Kentucky’s spark off the bench in the Cats’ drive to the ’98 title, has been playing this season in Portugal. He was home at the end of January on a one-week break and participated in the “KENTUCKY” cheer at the Cats’ game with Alabama on Jan. 26.
Jeff Sheppard, the 1998 Final Four MVP, is back from his professional playing career in Italy. He was spotted updating his resume in CATS in January. He’s living in London, Ky., with his wife Stacey, a former star of the women’s team, and their daughter, Madison.
Allen Edwards, a teammate of Sheppard’s, is back in school on the Cawood Ledford Scholarship fund. He’s one of three Wildcats taking advantage of the fund, which allows former student-athletes to return to school after their eligibility has expired to complete their degree requirments. Also enrolled is Derrick Miller (’90) and Dale Brown (’93).
Jared Prickett (’97) returned from his professional career in Argentina due to the South America country’s severe recession. He’s now playing in Europe.
Keightley In 41st Season, Works 1,250th Game
Equipment manager Bill Keightley is in his 41st season in the UK program. Against Auburn, the beloved Mr. Wildcat worked his 1,250th UK game, after serving on the Wildcats’ staff since 1961-62. He’s watched the Cats roll to a 961-295 record during that era.
Keightley, 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.
Wiggins Passes 1,200
Big Blue fan Bob Wiggins continues his amazing streak of following the basketball Cats. In all, he’s in his 49th season watching Kentucky play in person and through his own record-keeping, has attended 1,214 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 illness forced him to miss four games, but he has since returned to see every contest in person, a streak of 200 games.
Meanwhile, his home court streak is still intact. Wiggins has not missed a home game in 41 years, a streak spanning 587 games. During that period, which dates back to 1960-61, UK has a home record of 521-66.
UK’s NBA Players
To start the 2001-02 NBA season, the following Wildcats were active:
Derek Anderson Portland Tony Delk Phoenix Walter McCarty Boston Jamaal Magloire Charlotte Jamal Mashburn Charlotte Ron Mercer Chicago Nazr Mohammed Atlanta Scott Padgett Utah Mark Pope Milwaukee 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.
— Go Cats —
