December 1, 1998
CHICAGO (AP) – Since Tubby Smith had what one player described as a “nicelittle talk” with his team, No. 8 Kentucky has looked more like the defendingnational champion.
The Wildcats manhandled No. 7 Kansas 63-45 Tuesday night in the Great Eight,their second straight win over a Top 10 team following their first loss of theseason to Pittsburgh in the semifinals of the Puerto Rico Shootout.
“Coach told us we weren’t any good and let us have it,” Heshimu Evans saidof the halftime talk during the win over then-No. 10 UCLA when the Wildcats(6-1) rallied from a halftime deficit to win the third-place game Saturday.”Coach stressed we had to come out like that every game and that meant playingdefense.”
Not many teams have ever played defense like that against a team the caliberof Kansas (4-1). The Jayhawks shot just 28 percent in the first half andtrailed 41-22, then after cutting the lead to single digits were held to onefield goal over the final 11 1/2 minutes.
“It was pretty evident what happened, you don’t have to be a nuclearphysicist to figure out they kicked our tails,” Kansas coach Roy Williamssaid. “I don’t like to use the word embarrassing because that means a personalthing. I hope and I think we’re a much better basketball team than we showed inthe first half.”
The Jayhawks cut the 19-point halftime deficit to 51-42 with 9:21 to play,but the defense stiffened again and the Wildcats dominated the offensive boardsto close the game with a 12-3 run.
“I think they were surprised by the way we got in their face and pressuredthem,” said Wayne Turner, who led the Wildcats with 14 points.
The Jayhawks shot just 29 percent for the game (15-for-51) and their onlyfield goal over the final 11 1/2 minutes was a 3-pointer by Jeff Boschee with 4:21to play that made it 58-45.
That came after Kentucky had four offensive rebounds in two possessions andthough it accounted for one field goal, it knocked more than three minutes offthe clock.
“Coach may not want to say it was embarrassing but it was to me,” Kansasguard Ryan Robertson said. “I can only hope it will be a wakeup call.”
Evans scored all 11 of his points in the first half for Kentucky, whilefreshman Tayshaun Prince added 10. Evans had 11 rebounds – eight on theoffensive end – and six assists as the Wildcats finished with a 44-33 advantageoff the boards in winning their third straight Great Eight game.
“I didn’t do anything different, just let the game come to me,” Evanssaid. “The team really played with poise and that started with the defensiveintensity.”
Eric Chenowith led the Jayhawks, who had not lost in three appearances inthe Great Eight, with 12 points, while Robertson added 10. It was the secondstraight year they played the defending national champions in the two-day eventat United Center, having beaten Arizona last season.
The Wildcats took the halftime lead by shooting 53 percent (17-for-32) whileholding Kansas to 28 percent (7-for-28). Kentucky took control with a 13-3 runthat featured 3-pointers by Evans, Prince and Saul Smith and gave the Wildcatsa 36-18 lead with 4:19 left.
“We shot the 3 well in the first half then picked up the defensiveintensity in the second half,” Smith said.
It was Kansas’ worst loss since Indiana beat the Jayhawks 80-61 on Dec. 17,1994.
