April 13, 2000
1999-2000 Kentucky Wildcats
23-10 Overall, 12-4 SEC (T-1st East)
Co-Southeastern Conference Champions
Second Round Finish — NCAA Tournament
Syracuse Ends UK’s Season of “Adversity”
With only nine Wildcats available to Coach Tubby Smith, the fifth-seeded Wildcats advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before being eliminated by fourth-seeded Syracuse, 52-50. Kentucky left Cleveland with a final 23-10 record, but while the Cats fell short of their goal of a fourth Final Four appearance in the last five years, it was a roller-coaster season filled with many accomplishments.
UK bolted out of the gate, winning its first three games — including victories over ranked foes Utah and Maryland — to advance to the finals of the Preseason NIT. But a loss to Arizona in the championship game sent UK into a short tailspin. The Cats dropped four out of five games, losing to Dayton by two, Indiana in Indianapolis and Maryland in a rematch in College Park. The loss to the Terrapins dropped UK to 4-4 on the season with games against Louisville and Michigan State up next.
The Cats clawed back, hanging a 30-point defeat on the Cardinals before tackling the Spartans in Rupp Arena, 60-58. Kentucky proceeded to win 13 of 14 games, the lone defeat coming at Auburn on a controversial no-call in the waning moments of regulation. During the stretch, UK picked up wins over ranked opponents Vanderbilt and Tennessee, climbing back into the AP Top 25 at No. 11. In mid-February, UK stumbled on the road, losing at Florida, LSU and Tennessee. The Cats, once again showing their resilience, won their last three games of the season — including a convincing 85-70 victory over Florida on UK’s Senior Day — to capture a share of the Southeastern Conference Championship.
Hot Arkansas eliminated the Cats in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. A week later, and without the services of starting guard Desmond Allison who was suspended from the team, UK grabbed a thrilling 85-80 double-overtime victory over upset-minded St. Bonaventure before losing to Syracuse in the second round. It was UK’s earliest exit from NCAA Tournament play since 1994.
Overall, Kentucky tallied its 45th 20-win season en route to capturing its 40th SEC crown while earning victories over national champion Michigan State and runner-up Florida. Not bad for a team that began the season 4-4, played the nation’s toughest schedule, shot the worst field goal percentage in 37 years at UK and set a school-record low 29.2 percent accuracy from three-point range.
Said Coach Smith, “It’s been a good run for us. We had to overcome a lot of things this year. I am very proud of this team and I told them to hold their heads high.”
FINAL STARTING LINEUP
KENTUCKY
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Ppg | Rpg | Hometown | |
| 21 | Tayshaun Prince | G/F | 6-9 | 215 | So. | 13.3 | 6.0 | Compton, Calif. | |
| 40 | Jules Camara | F | 6-11 | 223 | So. | 7.2 | 4.6 | Dakar, Senegal | |
| 42 | Jamaal Magloire | C | 6-10 | 260 | Sr. | 13.2 | 9.1 | Toronto, Ontario | |
| 11 | Saul Smith | G | 6-2 | 175 | Jr. | 6.6 | *3.5 | Athens, Ga. | |
| 10 | Keith Bogans | G | 6-5 | 205 | Fr. | 12.5 | 3.6 | Alexandria, Va. |
* Assists per game
Smith’s Numbers
Orlando “Tubby” Smith (High Point ’73)
| Overall (9 years) | 210-85 | (71.2%) | |
| at UK (3 years) | 86-23 | (78.9%) | |
| SEC Tournament (5 yrs.) | 10-3 | (76.9%) | |
| NCAA Tournament (7 yrs.) | 16-6 | (72.7%) |
Cats’ Tourney Nuggets
- UK made its ninth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, an NCAA-record 41st overall.
- UK owns an 85-36 record (70.2%) in NCAA Tournament play. It’s the most games played (121) by a member school and the most wins (85). In addition, the winning percentage ranks third all-time. The Cats have won seven NCAA Championships including two in the ’90s — 1948, ’49, ’51, ’58, ’78, ’96 and ’98 — more than any other school except UCLA (11). In the last five seasons, Kentucky is 21-3 in NCAA Tournament play.
- The Wildcats are now 32-9 in first round NCAA Tournament games, 19-13 in second-round action.
- UK made its second consecutive appearance in the Midwest Region. In 1999, UK was eliminated from the tournament by Michigan State in the region final. UK won the Midwest Region in 1996 en route to the NCAA Championship. Kentucky’s only other appearance in the Midwest Region was 1957, when it lost to Michigan State in Lexington. Overall, the Wildcats are now 11-3 in four appearances in the Midwest Region.
- The Wildcats played the nation’s toughest schedule, according to both independent RPI polls, and faced 15 teams in the tournament field of 64 during the regular season. UK was 10-9 against those 15 opponents, including a 4-5 record against six teams seeded the same or higher than the Cats in the bracket — No. 1 seeds Arizona (0-1) and Michigan State (1-0), third-seeded Maryland (1-1), No. 4 seeds Tennessee (1-1) and LSU (0-1) and No. 5 Florida (1-1).
- All 10 losses UK incurred this season came at the hands of teams in the 2000 NCAA Tournament field.
- The No. 5 seed was a first for a UK team. The Cats have been seeded lower three times and seeded higher 14 times since the NCAA began seeding the tournament in 1979.
- Six SEC teams were selected to play in the 2000 NCAA Tournament, equaling the number of teams selected from the Big Ten and the Big 12 conferences. The SEC has had teams in six of the last seven NCAA title games and seven league teams have played in six of the last seven Final Fours. The league finished with an 11-6 record in NCAA Tournament play this season.
UK’s Tournament History
Appearances
| Kentucky (1942-00) | 41 | |
| UCLA (1950-00) | 35 | |
| North Carolina (1941-00) | 34 |
Tournament Games
| Kentucky (1942-00) | 121 | |
| North Carolina (1941-00) | 114 | |
| UCLA (1950-00) | 104 |
Tournament Wins
| Kentucky (1942-00) | 85 | |
| North Carolina (1941-00) | 80 | |
| UCLA (1950-00) | 76 |
Tournament Winning Percentage
| Duke (1955-00) | .753 (67-22) | |
| UCLA (1950-00) | .731 (76-28) | |
| Kentucky (1942-00) | .702 (85-36) |
Current Consecutive Tourney Appearances
| North Carolina (1975-00) | 26 | |
| Arizona (1985-00) | 16 | |
| Indiana (1986-00) | 15 | |
| UCLA (1989-00) | 12 | |
| Kansas (1990-00) | 11 | |
| Temple (1990-00) | 11 | |
| Cincinnati (1992-00) | 9 | |
| Kentucky (1992-00) | 9 |
March Madness in the Bluegrass
- In NCAA Tournament games, Kentucky’s Tubby Smith is 16-6 overall, coaching his last seven teams to the “Big Dance” and five squads to the round of 16. Among active coaches, he ranks third in winning percentage (.727), trailing Mike Krzyzewski (.781) and Steve Fisher (.769). At UK, Smith is 10-2 in NCAA Tournament play, 17-3 overall in the month of March.
- UK owns a 55-9 record in postseason play since 1992, including its 1-2 record in this year’s madness.
’99-2000 Highlights
- Despite losing three seniors to graduation, a tragic and sudden death of a 1999 recruit, three transfers who left the 1999 team and a transfer at midseason of this year, Coach Tubby Smith assembled a defensive-oriented team that finished second in the SEC in scoring defense (62.8 ppg), ranked second in field goal percentage defense (39.0%) and second in blocks (5.6 bpg). The Wildcats won 19 of their last 25 games and four of the Wildcats’ last five losses in the regular season came during league play against ranked opponents on the road — #4 Auburn, #12 Florida, #25 LSU and #7 Tennessee.
- Surging Arkansas eliminated Kentucky in the Cats’ first game of the SEC Tournament. The Wildcats committed a season-high 27 turnovers against the Hogs’ pressure defense, losing 86-72. It marked the first time in the last nine years UK did not advance to the SEC Tournament title game, which it had won seven of the previous eight years. Arkansas went on to capture its first SEC Tournament Championship, defeating ranked opponents LSU and Auburn in the process.
- Among the Cats’ 16 non-conference opponents UK played this season, six teams either won conference championships or division titles. Utah tied for the Mountain West title, Miami tied for the Big East Championship, Penn swept the Ivy League with a 13-0 mark, Michigan State shared the Big Ten title and Syracuse shared the Big East crown. Dayton won the Western Division of the Atlantic 10.
- Kentucky won 20 games for the 45th time in school history. The Wildcats finished SEC play with a 12-4 record, improving on last season’s win total by one victory.
- For the final 10 weeks of the regular season, UK owned the nation’s toughest basketball schedule. CollegeRPI.com and College Basketball News both listed UK’s schedule No. 1 while CollegeRPI.com ranked UK third overall and CBS ranked the Cats fourth.
Team Awards
Jamaal Magloire picked up six team awards and Tayshaun Prince was named the team’s Most Outstanding Player at the Wildcats’ annual private banquet held April 12 at the Hyatt in downtown Lexington. The awards were selected by the coaching staff and presented by Coach Tubby Smith.
Magloire, a first-team All-Southeastern Conference pick, shared the Leadership Award with fellow senior Steve Masiello, and also earned honors for Best Defensive Player, Mr. Deflection, Best Rebounder, Best Field Goal Percentage and Best Individual Workout, an honor he shared with Saul Smith.
Smith picked up four awards, including Best Playmaker after leading the team in assists and J.P. Blevins earned four awards as well, including Student-Athlete of the Year. Marvin Stone was named Most Courageous for continuing to battle despite his broken thumb.
The complete list of the 2000 team awards follows:J.P. Blevins — Student-Athlete of the Year, Three-Point Award, Top Free Throw Shooter, Most Improved,Keith Bogans — Freshman Leadership,Jules Camara — Most Improved Player,Jamaal Magloire — Leadership, Best Defensive Player, Mr. Deflection, Best Rebounder, Best Field Goal Percentage, Best Individual Workout,Steve Masiello — Leadership, Mr. Positive,Tayshaun Prince — Most Outstanding Player,Saul Smith — Best Playmaker, Most Charges, Mr. Hustle, Best Individual Workout,Marvin Stone — Most Courageous
Academic Honor
J.P. Blevins earned SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition, sporting a 3.82 GPA in general studies, the highest GPA of all the league honorees. It’s the third consecutive season a UK basketball player won the honor. Steve Masiello was an Academic All-SEC selection in 1998 and Scott Padgett won the award in both 1998 and ’99.
In the fall, Blevins was named to the UK Athletics Director’s Honor Roll.
All-SEC Teams Announced
Jamaal Magloire, Tayshaun Prince and Keith Bogans were all honored on various All-SEC teams. Magloire was a first-team pick by both the coaches and media. Prince earned second-team honors from the coaches and Bogans was named to the All-SEC Freshman team. See page 4 for a complete listing of both the media and coaches’ polls.
Rupp Arena Win Streak
- UK completed its 24th season of basketball at Rupp Arena with a perfect 14-0 record, the eighth perfect season in the facility. UK is 317-35 (90.1%) in Rupp since it opened in 1976-77.
- The Wildcats have won 20 straight games in the gym which is tied for the sixth longest streak in the nation. Utah leads the nation with 51 straight wins at home.
- The Kentucky Wildcats played their 350th game in Rupp Arena, a 70-64 win over Georgia, on Feb. 19.
- With UK’s win over Alaska-Anchorage, the Cats finished the ’90s with a 54-2 record at home against non-conference opponents.
- From historic Alumni Gym to Memorial Coliseum to Rupp Arena, the Wildcats have logged 72 consecutive seasons without a losing record at home, a mark that began in 1927-28 when the Cats were 6-2. It’s believed to be the longest streak in the nation. Only seven of UK’s 97 basketball teams have finished with a sub-.500 record at home, and all seven seasons occurred prior to 1928.
Milestones
Keith Bogans set a school record for most steals in a season with 47. He broke the record of 45 held by Chris Mills (1989). Steals have been recorded at UK since 1978.
Jamaal Magloire finished second at UK on the career games-played list. The “Big Canadian” played in 145 games during his four years in the Bluegrass, which trails only former Cat Wayne Turner, who played in 151 to set the NCAA mark. For a top-five UK and NCAA list, check the boxes on page 4.
Magloire tallied 1,064 points in his four-year career which ranks 42nd all-time at UK. He grabbed 789 rebounds which is 11th all-time at the school. In blocked shots, the school record holder finished with 268, which ranks fifth all-time in the SEC.
Magloire’s Tournaments
Jamaal Magloire played in the NCAA Tournament all four years at UK. The 6-10 center saw action in 18 tournament games. He finished with 37 blocked shots in his NCAA Tournament career, which ties Alonzo Mourning for the third most blocks in tournament history.
Blocked Shots
| Tim Duncan (Wake Forest) | 50 | |
| Marcus Camby (UMass) | 43 | |
| Alonzo Mourning (Georgetown) | 37 | |
| Jamaal Magloire (Kentucky) | 37 | |
| Scot Pollard (Kansas) | 35 |
Men’s Basketball Guide Rated No. 1
For the second consecutive season and the third time in the last four years, the University of Kentucky men’s basketball media guide was rated the “Best in the Nation” by the College Sports Information Director’s Association. The brochure, edited and compiled by Associate Media Relations Director Brooks Downing, ranked first among 80 entries in Division A. The 1999-00 UK guide, which contains information on this year’s team, a review of the ’99 season and complete records for the Wildcats’ program, edged out Connecticut, Tennessee and Auburn for the award. It marked the sixth time UK has won the award.
Allison Suspended
University of Kentucky sophomore Desmond Allison was suspended from the men’s basketball team on March 12.
Allison, a 6-5 starting guard, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence early that morning in Lexington. The Tampa, Fla., native is suspended temporarily, according to the Athletics Association’s Student-Athlete Alcohol Policy. If Allison is convicted of DUI, he will be suspended indefinitely and will forfeit his scholarship.
Prior to the NCAA Tournament, Allison had played in all 31 games with 29 starts, averaging 7.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 2.4 apg.
Magloire’s Points
- SEC-leading 15 double-doubles this season, including three straight on three occasions. He had 16 points and 13 rebounds in UK’s loss to Arkansas in the SEC Tournament. His 15 double-doubles ranked among the top 10 in the nation, according to Stats, Inc.
- With seven double-doubles in the last 12 games, Magloire raised his season rebound average to 9.1 rpg, which led the SEC. It’s the highest season average by a Wildcat since SEC Player of the Year Kenny Walker in 1984-85 (10.2 rpg),
- Scored in double figures in 28 of the 33 games, including three 20-plus point games,
- Was second on the team in scoring (13.2 ppg) and led the team in rebounding (9.1 rpg) and blocks (57),
- Vs. league competition, averaged a double-double — 14.4 ppg and 9.9 rpg. Finished ninth in the league in scoring, first in rebounding, fourth in FG percentage (54.1%) and third in blocks (1.6 bpg),
- Became the 47th Wildcat to score 1,000 points in his college career.
Good, er, Tough Losses?
Kentucky’s 10 losses this season came to teams who participated in the 2000 NCAA Tournament. The teams — Arizona, Dayton, Indiana, Maryland, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Tennessee, Arkansas and Syracuse — have a combined record of 246-87 (73.9%) heading into the NCAA Tournament. Also, each team won at least 19 games.
Final Power Rankings
| Poll | Rank | Sch. Strength | |
| CollegeRPI.com | 3rd | 1st | |
| CBN RPI | 4th | 1st | |
| Sagarin | 19th | 3rd |
D-E-F-E-N-S-E
- Nine UK opponents this season scored 53 points or less against the Cats and only eight teams scored more than 70 points.
- UK was 13-1 when holding opponents under 60 points, the lone loss coming to Syracuse (52-50). The Cats were 19-4 when holding opponents under 70.
- Tubby Smith’s “ball-line defense” held 17 opponents below 40 percent shooting this season, including a 35.8% effort by Florida on March 4, the league’s second-best shooting team, and a 31.7% shooting effort by Syracuse in the season final. Only two teams have shot better than 50.0 percent from the field vs. UK — Florida in the first meeting in Gainesville (50.0%) and Indiana (54.7%).
- The Cats allowed 39.0 percent shooting from the field, the third straight year UK opponents shot 40 percent or less from the field.
- The Cats allowed 62.8 ppg this season, which ranked second in the SEC.
- The Wildcats averaged 5.6 bpg this season and three Wildcats — Jamaal Magloire (1.7 bpg), Jules Camara (1.6) and Tayshaun Prince (1.3) — finished in the SEC’s top 10.
UK vs. Top 25
- Kentucky finished 6-8 against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 this season, and 3-3 vs. top-10 teams. Dayton and Arkansas were the only unranked teams to beat UK this season. Rankings were current on the date the game was played. Here’s the rundown:
Wins
| Opponent | AP Rank | Site | |
| Utah | 16th | H | |
| Maryland | 24th | N | |
| Michigan St. | 5th | H | |
| Vanderbilt | 20th | A | |
| Tennessee | 6th | H | |
| Florida | 8th | H |
Losses
| Arizona | 8th | N | |
| Indiana | 23rd | N | |
| Maryland | 21st | A | |
| Auburn | 4th | A | |
| Florida | 12th | A | |
| LSU | 25th | A | |
| Tennessee | 7th | A | |
| Syracuse | 16th | N |
SEC Marks
- UK has won 66 of its last 80 (82.5%) regular-season SEC games. The Cats were 14-2 in 1995, tallied the league’s first perfect record in 40 years, 16-0, in 1996, and went 13-3 in 1997, 11-5 last season and 12-4 this year.
- The Wildcats completed their 67th season of SEC basketball. The league kingpin has won 40 SEC Championships and 22 SEC Tournament titles, more titles in each category than all the other league teams combined. Kentucky is 758-202 (.790) in regular-season conference play.
- The Cats have won seven of the last nine SEC Tournaments, boasting a 23-2 record in the event. Their loss to Arkansas in early March was their first in the Georgia Dome, dropping their record to 13-1 at the home of the Falcons.
Y2UK Trends
- Kentucky won 22 of 23 games when leading at the five-minute mark. Auburn is the only team to rally in the final minutes for victory against the Cats. In addition, UK was 20-2 when tied or leading at halftime. The two losses? Dayton and Syracuse.
- The Cats were 13-4 when the opponent made more three-pointers this season.
- UK shot better than 50 percent from the field only four times in 32 games — 59.6% vs. Louisville, 51.0% vs. South Carolina (1/15/00), 52.9% vs. Florida (3/4/00) and 50.0% vs. St. Bonaventure.
Consecutive Threes
The Cats hit three-pointers in 407 consecutive games, the fourth longest streak in the nation. The last time UK was held without a three-point field goal was Nov. 26, 1988, a “three-point” loss to Seton Hall in the Great Alaska Shootout (63-60). UNLV, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech rank ahead of the Wildcats. The three-point rule was implemented in 1986-87.
Ball Control
- Against SEC competition during the regular season, UK averaged 13.7 turnovers per game. This year’s team averaged 16.8 tpg through the first eight games en route to a 4-4 start. The Cats finished the season averaging 15.2 tpg.
- The Wildcats recorded a season-low six turnovers vs. Alabama in February. The last time a UK team recorded only six turnovers in a game was in the Cats’ win over Stanford in the 1998 National Semifinals.
Top 25 Rankings
In the final rankings of the season, Kentucky was 19th in the AP poll, 22nd in the Coaches poll.
In the AP poll, UK was ranked in 16 of the 19 polls this season. On Dec. 13, UK was out of the AP poll for the first time since Dec. 4, 1990. The streak ended at 164 consecutive weeks in the rankings, the fifth-longest streak on record. UCLA owns the most consecutive weeks in the poll with 221 between 1966-80, followed by North Carolina’s streak that ended this season at 172 weeks, North Carolina’s previous streak of 171 weeks (1972-82) and Marquette’s mark of 166 weeks (1969-79).
Lineup Changes
Seven times this season Coach Tubby Smith altered the starting lineup:
- Against Louisville, he went small, inserting freshman Keith Bogans at shooting guard, moved Desmond Allison to small forward and Tayshaun Prince to power forward, and brought Jules Camara off the bench.
- Against Indiana on Dec. 4, Nate Knight earned the start at power forward and J.P. Blevins got his first start against Missouri. Both moves were in response to disciplinary measures.
- Vs. Georgia on Feb. 19, Allison, Bogans and Prince were held out of the starting lineup while Marvin Stone earned his first start along with Camara and Blevins.
- For matchup reasons, Smith started Jules Camara for the second straight game against Tennessee (2/23/00), bringing Desmond Allison off the bench. He reverted to his favorite lineup — Prince and Allison at forwards, Magloire at center and Smith and Bogans at guard — in the last two outings vs. Arkansas.
- In the last home game, Steve Masiello made his second career start as freshman Keith Bogans came off the bench.
- In the final two games of the season, UK again inserted Camara for the suspended Allison.
SEASON REVIEW
Magloire Wins Three SEC P-O-W Awards
After leading the University of Kentucky to a share of the 2000 Southeastern Conference Championship, Jamaal Magloire was named Player of the Week for the third time this season on March 6 by the SEC office.
Magloire averaged 15.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game during the final week of the regular season, leading the Wildcats to victories over Mississippi State and Florida. Against the Gators on Senior Day, the 6-10 center scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead UK to an 85-70 victory, creating a four-way tie for the league title. At Mississippi State, Magloire narrowly missed a double-double, tallying 16 points and nine rebounds.
Magloire also won the award Jan. 3 and Jan. 24, becoming the first Wildcat to capture the honor three times in the same season, only the third SEC player ever to win it three times in the same season, and the first since Tennessee’s Dyron Nix in 1989. The Wildcats won the award an SEC-record four times this season (Tayshaun Prince was named SEC Player of the Week on Jan. 10).
- Magloire earned his second honor Jan. 24 after leading the Wildcats to wins over Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. He averaged 21.0 ppg and 14.5 rpg in the two victories. He had 19 points and 14 rebounds against the Rebels while shooting 63.6 percent from the field. He followed up with a career-high 23 points, along with 15 rebounds, in UK’s thrilling overtime win against the host Commodores.
It was the third time in four weeks a UK player captured the award. He became the first player to win the award twice in the same season since Auburn’s Chris Porter and Vanderbilt’s Dan Langhi took home the honor twice in 1999. He is the first Wildcat to receive the honor twice in a season since Ron Mercer in 1997, and the first center to earn the accolade twice in the same season since Tennessee’s Steve Hamer in 1996.
- Magloire’s first award came Jan. 3 after leading the Wildcats to wins over Louisville, then-No. 5-ranked Michigan State, Alaska-Anchorage and Missouri.
He averaged 15.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game over the holidays, tallying four double-doubles in five games and becoming the first Wildcat since 1990 to string together three double-doubles in a row. He had 12 points and 10 rebounds vs. U of L, 18 points and 11 boards against Michigan State, 10 points and three rebounds vs. Alaska-Anchorage and a 21 points and 13 rebounds against Missouri. He shot 52.5 percent >from the field and 86.4 percent from the foul line while becoming the school’s all-time leader in blocked shots.
It was Magloire’s first SEC Player of the Week honor and UK’s first since Wayne Turner and Heshimu Evans won back-to-back awards in December ’98.
Prince Named Player of the Week
Tayshaun Prince won his first SEC Player of the Week award on Jan. 10 after leading the Cats to wins over Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt.
Prince recorded his first double-double — 21 points and 10 rebounds — against Georgia Tech while shooting 3-of-6 from three-point range. He followed up with a career-high five three-pointers and 17 points against Vanderbilt, becoming only the second leading scorer from an opponent to top his season average against the Commodores. For the week, the 6-9 forward averaged 19.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg and shot 61.5 percent from three-point range (8-13).
Top Freshman
Keith Bogans was third on the team in scoring, averaging 12.5 ppg, and finished second on the team in SEC play with 13.7 ppg. He led the team in steals with a UK freshman record 47.
Bogans tallied a UK season-high 25 points against Tennessee, 21 vs. South Carolina and 24 against Florida. The freshman scored 19 of his 24 points in the second half against the Gators, the most points scored by a Wildcat in a half this season. He also scored 22 against Arkansas in late February and tied his career effort with 25 against the Razorbacks in the SEC Tournament.
He is the second UK freshman to record three-straight 20-point games since freshmen became eligible in 1972-73. In 1979, Dwight Anderson tallied four straight 20-point games late in the season.? Ron Mercer is the last Wildcat to accomplish the feat, a mark that came during his sophomore season of 1997. Mercer had three straight 23-point performances against Florida, Alabama and Vandy. Earlier that season, the Nashville, Tenn. native tallied 20 vs. Alaska and 22 against College of Charleston in the 1996 Great Alaska Shootout, then followed with 30 against Purdue and 26 vs. Indiana.
Bogans’ 25 points against the Volunteers were the most points scored in a game by a UK freshman since Rodrick Rhodes rang up 27 against Georgia Tech on Dec. 5, 1992. Only 14 UK freshmen in school history have scored more than 25 points in a single game.
Smith’s Highlights
Saul Smith was named the “SEC Good Works Player of the Week” on Feb. 14. During his three-year career, Smith has served as a speaker for a number of groups throughout the Bluegrass, including D.A.R.E. graduations, elementary school efficiency testings and charity fundraisers. A member of UK’s student-athlete advisory council, Smith also has participated in skits for UK’s Schoolhouse Rock, an academic pep rally held at Memorial Coliseum each spring for several thousand fourth and fifth graders.
Smith topped the 200-assists plateau against Georgia (2/19/00). The junior point guard led the team in assists this season.
Smith hit three three-pointers and added a layup in a 2:16 stretch late in the second half at LSU to help the Wildcats trim a 20-point deficit to five inside the final five minutes.
Blevins’ Two Starts
With Keith Bogans not starting against Georgia (2/19/00), J.P. Blevins made his second career start a memorable one.
Blevins hit a personal-best four three-pointers, including three in the decisive second half, rallying UK to victory. His team-high 14 points was his most as a Wildcat and he added a career-high four assists with no turnovers in 31 minutes.
His first start came against Missouri when he had 13 points and three assists.
Three Straight Doubles, Again and Again
Jamaal Magloire’s three consecutive double-doubles in December was only the beginning. The “Big Canadian” achieved the feat again in January, tallying double-doubles against Ole Miss (19 points, 14 rebounds), Vanderbilt (23-15) and Georgia (19-10) and in February against Georgia (11-13), Tennessee (15-12) and Arkansas (15-12).
Not since Reggie Hanson accomplished the feat 10 years ago has another Wildcat had at least three straight in a season. Hanson had four straight — 24 points and 14 rebounds vs. Ohio, 13 and 11 vs. Indiana, 19 and 10 against Mississippi State and 18 and 10 against Tennessee Tech to start the 1989-90 season.
In December, Magloire ran off three straight against Maryland (12-16), Louisville (12-10) and Michigan State (18-11).
Three UK Jerseys Retired
The jerseys of Bill Spivey, Pat Riley and Jamal Mashburn were retired in pregame ceremonies, Jan. 19, prior to UK’s win over Ole Miss.
Spivey, who died in 1995, was college basketball’s Player of the Year in 1951, leading the Wildcats to their third NCAA Championship in four seasons. The All-American center nicknamed “Grits,” “The Georgia Pine” and “Mr. Poison Ivy” hailed from Macon, Ga., stood 7-foot tall, 230 pounds and was widely considered the first “big man” who could run the floor. In two seasons, he scored 1,213 points, becoming only the seventh college player to top 1,000 points in his sophomore and junior years. Old No. 77 set SEC scoring records with 578 points in 1950 and 635 points the following season. In rebounding, he grabbed a league record 567 in 1951 and his 34 rebounds against Xavier still tops the UK single-game list.
Riley, a 6-4 forward from Schenectady, N.Y., was a member of UK’s famed Rupp’s Runts team of 1966. That season was his best, earning All-SEC and All-American honors while leading the Cats on a 23-game win streak and a berth in the national championship game against Texas Western. Legendary coach Adolph Rupp called Riley one of the most complete athletes he had ever coached. Riley averaged 22.0 ppg as a junior in ’66 and 17.4 ppg as a senior the following year, finishing his three-year career with 1,464 points, which still ranks 15th all-time at UK. Riley, who wore No. 42, is the current head coach of the Miami Heat and is in his 18th season coaching in the NBA. He was named “Coach of the Decade” for the 1980s, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to four World Championships. As an NBA player, he was a member of the Lakers’ 1972 championship squad.
Mashburn, who wore No. 24, is credited for accelerating Coach Rick Pitino’s rebuilding effort of the UK basketball program in the 1990s. The 6-8 forward from New York City started every game of his three-year career (1991-93) and was a three-time All-SEC selection and a consensus All-American in 1993. He became the 15th sophomore in SEC history to score 1,000 points and ended his career with 1,843 points, fourth most in UK history at the time. Blessed with an accurate perimeter game, Mashburn shot 51.6 percent from the field during his career, and 37.6 percent from three-point range. In 1992, he averaged 21.3 ppg, and shot a school-record 43.9 percent outside the arc, to lead UK to an exciting Southeast Regional final against Duke. The following year, he led the Cats to the 1993 Final Four, the team’s first Final Four appearance in nine seasons. “The Monster Mash” entered the NBA Draft after his junior season and was selected fourth overall by the Dallas Mavericks.
UK has now retired 39 jerseys of former Wildcat players, coaches and contributors.
Cheerleader Champions VI
The University of Kentucky cheerleaders won their sixth consecutive national championship in January in Orlando, Fla. Overall, its the group’s 10th UCA title in the last 16 seasons.
Squad members Brooke Davis and Tim Passalalqua also won the partner competition. The team has won titles in 1985 ,’86, ’88, ’92 and 1995-2000.
The cheerleaders are led by fourth-year coach Saleem Habash. The event will be televised by ESPN next month.
Cats in the ’90s
While UK completed the decade with 282 wins (NCAA recognizes 1989-90 thru 1998-99), the Wildcats were 285-62 (82.1%) between Jan. 1, 1990 and Dec. 31, 1999.
Knight Leaves UK Program
University of Kentucky junior Nate Knight left the Wildcats’ basketball program on Jan. 4.
Knight, a 6-9 forward from Sandy, Utah, had transferred to Kentucky last summer >from Utah Valley State (Junior) College after a one-year Mormon mission and one season at Oregon State.
For the Cats, Knight appeared in nine games, averaging 8.8 minutes per game. He scored 15 points (1.7 ppg) and grabbed 20 rebounds (2.2 rpg).
According to reports, he enrolled at BYU for the spring semester. He’ll sit out until next January and have one semester of eligibility remaining.
Preseason NIT Final Four Results
Kentucky earned wins over Penn, Utah and Maryland before losing in the championship of the Preseason NIT to Arizona. It was the “western” Wildcats third straight win over UK, dating back to an overtime win in the 1997 NCAA Championship game. UK finished second in the 16-team tournament field that included Ohio State, Notre Dame and Tulane. The final four results from New York’s Madison Square Garden:
Nov. 24
Arizona 76, Notre Dame 60
Kentucky 61, Maryland 58
Nov. 26
Maryland 72, ND 67
Arizona 63, Kentucky 51
Prince Makes All-Tourney
Tayshaun Prince, UK’s leading scorer and rebounder, had a career-high 21 points and nine rebounds in the Cats’ win over Maryland in the semifinals and followed up with an 18-point, five-rebound performance against Arizona to earn All-Tournament team honors at the Preseason NIT.
Joining Prince on the All-Tournament team were Notre Dame’s Troy Murphy, Maryland’s Lonny Baxter and Arizona’s Jason Gardner and Richard Jefferson. The MVP was Arizona’s Gilbert Arenas.
America’s Team Wins #1,750
The Wildcats became the first team to record 1,750 wins with their victory over Utah on Nov. 19.
UK is in its 97th season of college basketball, and its record number of victories include seven NCAA Championships, two (postseason) NIT titles, a record 84 NCAA Tournament victories and 39 Southeastern Conference Championships, more than all the other league teams combined.
November Blues
- For the fifth consecutive year, UK lost a game in the month of November. In 1995, UK lost to UMass in the Great Eight. In ’96, the Cats fell to Clemson in the BCA Classic. In ’97, Arizona knocked UK into the loser’s bracket of the Maui Invitational. Last season, Pittsburgh sent the Cats to the third-place game of the Puerto Rico Shootout. This November, Arizona earned a win over UK in the Preseason NIT final before the Cats fell to Dayton.
- For the 11th time in the last 12 seasons, the Cats lost one of their first five games of the season. The dubious streak began in 1988-89 with a loss to Duke in the Tip-Off Classic.
Home In November
Since 1980, Kentucky has lost only one home game in November, establishing a mark of 18-1 during the past two decades, including its victories over Penn and Utah. The only defeat? To Pittsburgh in the second round of the Preseason NIT in Nov. 1991.
All-time in November, UK is 45-10, including a 28-1 mark at home, a 3-0 record on the road and a 14-9 slate at neutral sites.
December Results
At home in December, the Wildcats were 4-0 this season and 271-37 all-time, a winning percentage of 88.0 percent. Overall — home, away and neutral — UK is 418-98 (81.0%) in December.
Season Openers
- With the Penn win, Kentucky has now won 10 of its last 11 season openers. UK’s one defeat came at the hands of Clemson, a 79-71 overtime loss in the BCA Classic double-header at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis on Nov. 15, 1996.
- UK has not lost a home opener since Northwestern State upset the Cats in 1988-89, a streak of 11 consecutive victories.
