Nov. 19, 1999
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The casts are different, but the show never seems to end when Kentucky and Utah get together.
Forget the Wildcats have knocked the Utes out of the NCAA Tournament fourtimes in the 1990s. This latest chapter has Utah coach Rick Majerus angeredover his team having to travel to Rupp Arena for Friday’s Preseason NITsecond-round game.
Majerus claims when he committed his team to play in the 16-team tournament,he was promised the Utes would play at home in the first and second rounds. Itappears he must have misunderstood.
“I’m upset about it,” he said Thursday. “It was driven by TV. ESPNdoesn’t want us on TV, or doesn’t want us back in New York.
Back on the court, the 14th-ranked Wildcats and No. 16 Utah meet for theright to move on to next week’s semifinals at Madison Square Garden in NewYork.
Kentucky qualified for Friday’s game by defeating Pennsylvania, 67-50 in thefirst round on Wednesday. Utah moved on by wiping out Arkansas State, 76-43.
The Utes knocked the Indians out of last year’s NCAA Tournament, 80-58 inthe first round.
Friday’s game is a rematch of the 1998 national championship game, won 78-69by Kentucky. Only senior center Jamaal Magloire and junior guard Saul Smithremain from that Kentucky team. On Utah’s end, Michael Doleac and Andre Millerare gone, but so is 6-foot-10 senior forward Hanno Mottola, albeit for a muchmore serious reason than graduation.
Mottola, who tore a ligament in his left knee during a rare exhibition losslast week, will not be back until around Christmas.
Missing his biggest force down low, Majerus cautions that despite his team’seasy first-round victory, the Utes are a long way from being considered anational power.
“The score was not indicative of how good we are,” Majerus said. “We’vegot so much work to do, but it’s a nice win and it was nice to see goodenthusiasm and good effort.”
Nate Althoff and Jeff Johnsen, who added 14 and 10 points, respectively, inthe opening-round win, will continue to be called upon in Mottola’s absence.
While Utah scrambles to make up for the loss of its main weapon, Kentuckyunveiled a new force against Penn in freshman Marvin Stone, rated by coachTubby Smith as one of the most promising big men he’s ever coached.
The 6-foot-10 forward-center from Huntsville, Ala., did nothing to dampenexpectations in the season opener, scoring 12 points, grabbing six rebounds andand handing out three assists.
Stone’s effort aside, Smith said overall his team will have to be moreaggressive against Utah, especially on the offensive glass. Penn grabbed 13offensive rebounds, to Kentucky’s 11.
“Against Utah, we’ll have to play a much better game, especially in some ofthe boxing out and rebounding, because they’re very aggressive, very strong onthe boards,” he said. “I didn’t see any of the gang rebounding (against Penn)that we’re going to need against a Utah team.”
