Feb. 25, 2000
LEXINGTON, Kty. – One of the top rivalries of the 1990s — the Razorbacks vs. the Wildcats — will be renewed in Rupp Arena with league tournament implications at stake. With three games left in the regular season for both teams, the two SEC powerhouses from the 1990s are battling for high finishes in their respective divisions. If Kentucky, one game behind SEC East leaders Tennessee and Florida, wins its remaining three games, the Cats will earn at least a No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament due to its tiebreaker advantage over the Gators. The Cats have one road trip remaining to Mississippi State and a UK Senior Day reservation with Florida. Arkansas, which trails division leaders LSU and Auburn by three games, must win its remaining three games to have a chance at forging a second-place tie in the Western Division. To do that, Auburn must lose its last three, which includes games at Florida and Arkansas and at home against LSU. But Arkansas’ schedule is extremely difficult, with a trip to Tennessee and a home date with Auburn remaining.
Both Kentucky and Arkansas are 2-2 against teams from the opposite division.
The Wildcats own the best Eastern Division record in the SEC at 7-2. Tennessee and Florida are 6-3 and Vanderbilt follows at 5-3. The Cats swept South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Georgia in division play this season.
Kentucky is attempting to extend its 18-game home win streak, the nation’s eighth longest.? The Cats have won all 12 at Rupp Arena this season. Arkansas is 2-6 on the road this season, 2-4 in conference play.
The Wildcats will be attempting to win their 20th game of the season. UK has 44 20-win seasons in the program’s history. The Cats have won at least 20 games in the last nine consecutive seasons.
Jamaal Magloire will attempt to record three straight double-doubles for the third time this season. The 6-10 senior had 11 points and 13 rebounds last week against Georgia, 11 points and 15 boards against Tennessee on Wednesday.
For the seventh consecutive week, UK owns the nation’s toughest basketball schedule. CollegeRPI.com and College Basketball News both list UK’s schedule No. 1 and both rank the Cats second in the nation overall behind Cincinnati. In addition, Kentucky ranks 16th in the latest Jeff Sagarin Power Rankings, which has UK’s schedule No. 3 in the nation.
Arkansas Razorbacks (14-12, 6-7) vs.
#18 – #16 Kentucky Wildcats (19-8, 9-4)
Feb. 26, 2000 – 12:06 p.m. ET
Rupp Arena (23,000) – Lexington, Ky.
UK Radio Network — 10:30 a.m. ET
Ralph Hacker, Sam Bowie, Dave Baker
CBS Sports
Tim Brando, James Worthy
UKathletics.com
Follow the Wildcats in cyberspace with live stats, notes, audio and much, much more.
PROBABLE STARTERS
KENTUCKY
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Ppg | Rpg | Hometown | |
| 21 | G/F | 6-9 | 215 | So. | 12.7 | 5.7 | Compton, Calif. | ||
| 32 | Desmond Allison | G/F | 6-5 | 214 | So. | 7.9 | 3.8 | Tampa, Fla. | |
| 42 | Jamaal Magloire | C | 6-10 | 260 | Sr. | 13.0 | 8.7 | Toronto, Ontario | |
| 11 | Saul Smith | G | 6-2 | 175 | Jr. | 6.9 | *3.3 | Athens, Ga. | |
| 10 | Keith Bogans | G | 6-5 | 205 | Fr. | 11.3 | 3.3 | Alexandria, Va. |
Key Cats Off The Bench
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Ppg | Rpg | Hometown | |
| 3 | G | 6-2 | 181 | So. | 4.3 | 1.4 | Edmonton, Ky. | ||
| 40 | Jules Camara | F | 6-11 | 223 | So. | 7.3 | 4.6 | Dakar, Senegal | |
| 24 | F/C | 6-10 | 256 | Fr. | 5.0 | 4.2 | Huntsville, Ala. |
ARKANSAS#
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Ppg | Rpg | Hometown | |
| 24 | Joe Johnson | F | 6-8 | 225 | Fr. | 15.5 | 5.6 | Little Rock, Ark. | |
| 31 | Alonzo Lane | F | 6-7 | 240 | Fr. | 8.3 | 4.4 | Canton, Miss. | |
| 21 | Blake Eddins | G | 6-6 | 205 | Fr. | 2.2 | 0.9 | Montgomery, Ala. | |
| 13 | Brandon Dean | G | 6-1 | 190 | So. | 8.1 | 2.2 | Monroe, La. | |
| 41 | Chris Walker | G | 6-5 | 220 | Sr. | 12.0 | 5.0 | Pine Bluff, Ark. |
* Assists per game, # Arkansas has used 19 starting lineups this season
Series Facts
Overall Record: UK leads 13-5
In Lexington: UK leads 4-2
In Fayetteville: UA leads 3-2
At Neutral: UK leads 7-0
This is the 19th meeting between the two teams. Arkansas won last year’s regular-season meeting, 74-70 in Bud Walton Arena, snapping the Cats’ surprising six-game win streak over the ‘Backs. But Kentucky gained revenge just 15 days later, beating Arkansas in the SEC Tournament Championship, 76-63 in Atlanta. See summaries and box scores on this page.
Since Arkansas joined the league in 1992, Kentucky owns a 9-5 advantage in the series. In regular-season games during that period, Arkansas has won five of the eight meetings. Meanwhile, Kentucky has won all six matchups in the SEC Tournament. The two teams have split the four previous meetings in Lexington with UK winning the last two.
Nolan Rich-ardson, a mentor to Tubby Smith, is 5-9 against UK while Smith is 5-7 against Arkansas. Smith, who coached Tulsa from 1992-95, was 0-5 against Arkansas while coaching the Golden Hurricane. In ’94, the year Richardson’s Razorbacks won the NCAA title, Smith’s Tulsa teams lost twice: 93-91 in the regular season and 103-84 in the NCAA Tournament’s third round. Smith was 2-1 against Arkansas while coaching Georgia and he’s 3-1 at UK. Richardson also coached Tulsa from 1981-85.
Similar Shooting
Against SEC competition, Kentucky and Arkansas are tied for seventh in the league in field goal shooting. Both teams are shooting 42.4 percent >from the field.
Memorable Matchups
March 25, 1978 — Long before the Razorbacks joined the SEC in 1992, UK had won all four meetings in the series, including a 65-59 win in the 1978 Final Four in St. Louis. Kyle Macy and Rick Robey led the Cats past the Hogs’ terrific trio of Marvin Delph, Sydney Moncreif and Ron Brewer. UK then defeated Duke in the final game to win its fifth NCAA crown.
Jan. 25, 1992 — In Arkansas’ first visit to Rupp Arena, the No. 9 Hogs were victorious, defeating the eighth-ranked “Unforgettables,” 105-88.
Feb. 9, 1994 — No. 3 Arkansas was quickly becoming a thorn in UK’s side, rolling to a 90-82 win over fourth-ranked Kentucky in Rupp Arena. It was the Razorbacks’ third win in four tries against the Cats since UA joined the league in 1992. UK’s lone victory during the stretch came in the 1993 NCAA Tournament.
Jan. 29, 1995 — On Super Bowl Sunday, UK battled defending champ Arkansas in the Cats’ first trip to Bud Walton Arena. With UK leading 92-91, Scotty Thurman drove into the paint and pulled up for the game winner with eight seconds left. A late free throw set the final margin at 94-92.
March 12, 1995 — In the SEC Tournament Championship, UK repeatedly clawed back after trailing by 19 in the first half, 12 points with nine minutes remaining in regulation and nine points with 1:33 left in overtime before pulling out a 95-93 win.
Jan. 26, 1997 — Again, Super Bowl Sunday pitted the shorthanded Cats at Arkansas. Without injured star Derek Anderson for the second straight game, seldom-used walk-on Cameron Mills scored 12 points as UK won for the first time in Fayetteville, 83-73.
Jan. 17, 1998 — After Kareem Reid’s runner in the lane rolled out, sending the game to overtime, Heshimu Evans scored the Wildcats’ first seven points of overtime as UK rallied for the home victory, 80-77.
Milestones
With action against Arkansas, Jamaal Magloire can move into sole possession of fourth place for games played in his UK career. The “Big Canadian” is currently tied with Ralph Beard with 139 games played. He trails NCAA leader and former Wildcat Wayne Turner by 12 games. Turner logged 151 games in his career which concluded last March.
Keith Bogans, who topped 300 points in his freshman career, needs two steals to tie the UK freshman record of 45 held by Chris Mills (1989). Steals have been recorded at UK since 1978.
Team Comparisons
| UK | UA | |
| Record | 19-8 | 14-12 |
| Scoring Off. | 68.7 | 75.8 |
| Scoring Def. | 61.9 | 70.7 |
| Scoring Margin | +6.9 | +5.1 |
| FG % | 42.0 | 42.8 |
| Def. FG % | 39.3 | 42.7 |
| 3FG % | 29.5 | 35.1 |
| Def. 3FG % | 33.9 | 36.7 |
| FT Pct. | 69.1 | 59.2 |
| Reb. Avg. | 39.1 | 35.8 |
| Opp. Reb. Avg. | 34.1 | 40.5 |
| Rebound Margin | +5.0 | -4.7 |
| TO Avg. | 14.8 | 15.6 |
| Opp. TO | 15.4 | 21.8 |
| TO Margin | +0.6 | +6.2 |
| Blocks Avg. | 5.7 | 3.8 |
| Steals Avg. | 6.7 | 11.8 |
Coaching Comparisons
Orlando “Tubby” Smith (High Point ’73)
| Overall (9th year) | 206-83 | (71.3%) | |
| at UK (3rd year) | 82-21 | (79.6%) | |
| SEC Tournament (4 yrs.) | 10-2 | (83.3%) | |
| NCAA Tournament (6 yrs.) | 15-5 | (75.0%) | |
| vs. Arkansas | 5-6 |
Nolan Richardson (UTEP ’63)
| Overall (20th year) | 470-178 | (72.5%) | |
| at Arkansas (15th year) | 351-141 | (71.3%) | |
| vs. Kentucky | 5-9 |
Rupp Arena
The Kentucky Wildcats played their 350th game in Rupp Arena, a 70-64 win over Georgia. Now in their 24th season of basketball in the facility, UK is 315-35 (90.0%). UK has recorded seven perfect home seasons and four years with only one defeat since Rupp Arena opened in 1976-77. The Big Blue earned its 300th victory in the 23,000-seat gymnasium on Jan. 30, 1999, an 86-62 win over LSU. Kentucky finished the ’99 season with a 12-1 record on its home court.
With 12-0 record at Rupp this season, the Wildcats have won 18 straight games in the gym, the seventh longest streak in the nation. Utah leads the nation with 50 straight wins at home. Kentucky’s next home game is Arkansas on Feb. 26.
With UK’s win over Alaska-Anchorage, the Cats finished the ’90s with a 54-2 record at home against non-conference opponents.
Did You Know?
Did you know, that while no official records are kept, Kentucky is believed to own the nation’s longest streak of winning seasons at home?
From historic Alumni Gym 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. In fact, 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.
UK is 12-0 at Rupp this season.
Cats’ Board Work
Kentucky has stepped up its second-chance efforts, averaging 17.4 offensive rebounds per game over the last five outings. In the last two contests against Georgia and Tennessee, UK grabbed 21 and 22 offensive boards, respectively.
Magloire Notes
After a 15-rebound performance against Tennessee on Wednesday, Jamaal Magloire raised his season average to 8.7 rpg. It’s the highest season average by a Wildcat since 6-7 freshman Chris Mills averaged 8.7 rpg during the 1989 season.
The 6-10 center is tied for the SEC lead in double-doubles. Both he and Ole Miss’ Rahim Lockhart have recorded 12 double-doubles this season.
The school leader in blocked shots for a career has 50 blocks this season. It’s the 16th highest total ever recorded at UK in a single season. In 1997, Magloire had a freshman-record 79 blocks, before swatting 66 shots in each of his last two seasons.
Consecutive Threes
The Cats have hit three-pointers in 401 consecutive games, the third 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). Neither UNLV or Vanderbilt has missed a three-pointer since the rule was implemented in 1986-87 and both teams have at least 30 more games on the Wildcats’ streak:
More on the Schedule
Kentucky’s eight losses this season have come to teams who have performed well throughout the year. The teams — Arizona, Dayton, Indiana, Maryland, Auburn, Florida, LSU and Tennessee — have a combined record of 166-41 heading into this weekend. Also, each team has won at least 18 games. In this week’s AP poll, seven of the eight teams were ranked in the top 19.
Fewer Turnovers
The Wildcats recorded a season-low six turnovers vs. Alabama 10 days ago. 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.
Against SEC competition, UK is averaging 14.1 turnovers per game. This year’s team averaged 16.7 tpg through the first eight games en route to a 4-4 start.
Power Rankings
| Poll | Rank | Sch. Strength | |
| CollegeRPI.com | 2nd | 1st | |
| CBN RPI | 2nd | 1st | |
| Sagarin | 16th | 3rd |
Injury Report
Marvin Stone suffered a broken bone in his right thumb in practice the day before the LSU game. Stone played an ineffective eight minutes against the Tigers but bounced back with one of his best games of the season vs. Alabama, tallying nine points, seven rebounds and two blocks. He started against Georgia (2/19/00) and played 21 minutes. He’s likely to wear the protective device through the remainder of the season.
Before & After
Since the 4-4 start, UK has improved in key statistical categories. Here’s the comparison between the first eight games of the season and the eight SEC games:
| Category | First 8 | SEC Only | |
| Scoring Off. | 66.0 | 70.7 | |
| Scoring Def. | 60.4 | 66.2 | |
| Scoring Margin | +5.6 | +4.5 | |
| FG% | 40.2 | 42.4 | |
| Def. FG% | 41.3 | 40.0 | |
| 3FG% | 25.2 | 30.1 | |
| Reb. Avg. | 38.6 | 38.5 | |
| Opp. Reb. Avg. | 33.9 | 35.0 | |
| Reb. Margin | +4.8 | +3.5 | |
| TO Avg. | 18.0 | 14.1 |
Bogans SEC’s Best Freshman?
Keith Bogans is third on the team in scoring, averaging 11.3 ppg and second on the team in SEC play with 13.1 ppg. He leads the team in steals with 43.
He 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 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.
Magloire Madness
How important has the “Big Canadian,” Jamaal Magloire, been to the Wildcats? Crunch these All-American type numbers…
Team and SEC-leading 12 double-doubles this season, including three straight on two occasions,
Scored in double figures in 22 of the 27 games this season, including three 20-point games,
The school record holder in blocks leads the team in scoring (13.0 ppg), rebounding (8.7 rpg) and swats (50),
Vs. league competition, averaging nearly a double-double — 14.2 ppg and 9.6 rpg. Ranks 10th in the league in scoring and first in rebounding, third in the SEC in FG percentage (54.5%) and third in blocks (1.7 bpg),
Has played in 139 games in his UK career, 12 shy of the NCAA record held by UK’s Wayne Turner, a mark he could tie if the Cats advance to the NCAA title game,
Needs 20 points to become the 47th member of the Wildcats’ 1,000-point club.
D-E-F-E-N-S-E
Eight UK opponents this season have scored 53 points or less against the Cats and only six teams have scored more than 70 points against the Wildcats.
UK is 12-0 when holding opponents under 60 points.
Tubby Smith’s “ball-line defense” has held 15 opponents below 40 percent shooting this season, including Tennessee on Wednesday (38.9%). Only two teams have shot better than 50.0 percent from the field vs. UK — Florida (50.0%) and Indiana (54.7%).
The Cats have allowed 39.3 percent shooting from the field, including a 32.2% effort by Alabama last week, the third straight year UK opponents have shot 40 percent or less from the field.
The Wildcats have allowed 61.4 ppg this season, which ranks first in the SEC, 22nd in the NCAA.
The Wildcats are averaging 5.7 bpg this season and three Wildcats — Jamaal Magloire (1.9 bpg), Jules Camara (1.4) and Tayshaun Prince (1.3) — rank in the SEC top 10 this season in blocks per game.
UK vs. Top 25
Kentucky is 5-7 against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 this season, and 2-3 vs. top-10 teams. 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 |
Losses
| Opponent | AP Rank | Site | |
| Arizona | 8th | N | |
| Indiana | 23rd | N | |
| Maryland | 21st | A | |
| Auburn | 4th | A | |
| Florida | 12th | A | |
| LSU | 25th | A | |
| Tennessee | 7th | A |
SEC Marks
UK has won 63 of its last 77 (81.8%) 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 and 11-5 the last two seasons.
The Cats have won seven of the last eight SEC Tournaments, boasting a 23-1 record in the event.
The Wildcats are playing their 67th season of SEC basketball. The league kingpin has won 39 SEC Championships and 22 SEC Tournament titles, more titles in each category than all the other league teams combined. Kentucky is 755-202 (.789) in regular-season conference play. Last season, the Cats finished second in the SEC Eastern Division with an 11-5 record.
Y2UK Trends
Kentucky has won 19 of 20 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 is 16-1 when tied or leading at halftime, falling to Dayton after a cold-shooting second half.
Since Tubby Smith made a lineup change against Louisville — inserting Keith Bogans at guard — UK has won 15 of its last 19 games.
Fourteen opponents have hit more threes than UK, but the Cats have won all but three of those meetings.
UK has shot better than 50 percent from the field only twice this season — 59.6% vs. Louisville and 51.0% vs. South Carolina.
Top 25 Rankings
The Wildcats are 18th in the AP poll, 16th in the USA Today/ESPN poll this week.
In the AP poll, UK has been ranked in 13 of the 16 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
Five times this season Coach Tubby Smith has 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.
Double-Doubles
The following Wildcats have recorded double-figure points and rebounds in a game:
Jules Camara
| Opponent | Date | Pts.-Rebs. |
| South Carolina | 1/15/00 | 12-10 |
| Georgia | 2/19/00 | 12-12 |
(Career Total: 3)
Jamaal Magloire
| Opponent | Date | Pts.-Rebs. |
| Maryland | 12/11/99 | 12-16 |
| Louisville | 12/18/99 | 12-10 |
| Michigan St. | 12/23/99 | 18-11 |
| Missouri | 12/30/99 | 21-13 |
| Vanderbilt | 1/8/00 | 15-10 |
| Ole Miss | 1/19/00 | 19-14 |
| Vanderbilt | 1/22/00 | 23-15 |
| Georgia | 1/26/00 | 19-10 |
| South Carolina | 2/5/00 | 23-11 |
| LSU | 2/13/00 | 11-10 |
| Georgia | 2/19/00 | 13-11 |
| Tennessee | 2/23/00 | 11-15 |
(Season Total: 12, Career Total: 17)
| Opponent | Date | Pts.-Rebs. |
| Georgia Tech | 1/5/00 | 21-10 |
(Career Total: 1)
| Opponent | Date | Pts.-Rebs. |
| UNC Asheville | 12/7/99 | 12-10 |
(Career Total: 1)
SEASON REVIEW
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 leads 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.
Magloire Earns SEC Honor No. 2
On Jan. 24, Jamaal Magloire earned his second Southeastern Conference Player of the Week honor this season after leading the Wildcats to wins over Ole Miss and Vanderbilt.
Magloire, a 6-10, 260-pound center, averaged 21.0 ppg and 14.5 rpg in the two victories. The Canadian 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.
Magloire also won the honor on Jan. 3 after his outstanding play over the holidays, and it was the third time in four weeks a UK player captured the award. He’s 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 last season. 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.
Three Straight Doubles, 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).
Not since Reggie Hanson accomplished the feat 10 years ago has another Wildcat had at least three straight in a season. Hanson had 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, reeling off four consecutive double-doubles.
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.
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. It was the second time in two weeks a UK player won the honor. Jamaal Magloire captured the award the previous week.
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).
Magloire Earns First League Honor of 2000
University of Kentucky center Jamaal Magloire was named the SEC Player of the Week on Jan. 3 after leading the Wildcats to wins over Louisville, then-No. 5-ranked Michigan State, Alaska-Anchorage and Missouri.
Magloire 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. The Toronto native 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 career-high 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.
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.
“Show Me” Magloire
After UK beat Missouri on Dec. 30, Jamaal Magloire said, “Maybe they should join the SEC.” The senior had just tallied a career-high 21 points and 13 rebounds in UK’s 17-point victory. Two years ago, at the start of his sophomore season, Magloire tallied a then career-high 18 points and 17 rebounds against the Tigers in Maui. His two-game Missouri averages: 19.5 ppg and 15.0 rpg.
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.
PRESEASON CAT SCRATCHES
Cats Short on Experience,Long on Talent
Seven of the 11 Wildcats on the ’99-2000 roster are freshmen or sophomores. UK lost its top four scorers, its top three rebounders and its top three assists men. The Cats’ leading returning scorer and rebounder is senior Jamaal Magloire, who averaged 7.0 ppg and 4.4 rpg, while the leading returning assist man is Saul Smith, who averaged 1.6 apg last season. The only returning starter is Desmond Allison.
Returning production includes:
| Points: | 35.8% | |
| Rebounds: | 38.9% | |
| Assists: | 33.1 % | |
| Blocks | 63.8% | |
| Steals: | 37.8% |
The NBA Connection
Kentucky led all Southeastern Conference teams with 10 Wildcats on 1999-2000 opening day NBA rosters. No other SEC team had more than six former players in the league. For UK, the Cats had Derek Anderson (Clippers), Tony Delk (Kings), Rex Chapman (Suns), Jamal Mashburn (Heat), Ron Mercer (Nuggets), Nazr Mohammed (76ers), Walter McCarty, Antoine Walker and Wayne Turner (Celtics) and Scott Padgett (Jazz). Turner has since been waived.
Magloire Earns Preseason All-SEC Honor
In early November, media members at the Southeastern Conference Media Days in Birmingham picked the Wildcats to finish second in the Eastern Division behind Florida and selected Jamaal Magloire to the preseason All-SEC team. Auburn, which returns Chris Porter and Doc Robinson from last year’s Sweet 16 team, was chosen to win the regular-season crown.
SEC Media Day Predictions
| Champion | (Votes) |
| Auburn | 29 |
| Florida | 10 |
| Kentucky | 5 |
| Eastern Division | Western Division | ||
| Florida (30) | 227 | Auburn (40) | 240 |
| Kentucky (3) | 188 | Arkansas | 177 |
| Tennessee (7) | 181 | Alabama | 142 |
| Vanderbilt | 100 | Miss. State | 121 |
| Georgia | 85 | LSU | 67 |
| South Carolina | 56 | Ole Miss | 58 |
All-SEC
| G – Tony Harris, Tennessee | 27 |
| G – Doc Robinson, Auburn | 41 |
| F – Chris Porter, Auburn | 49 |
| F – Mike Miller, Florida | 37 |
| C – Jamaal Magloire, Kentucky | 17 |
SEC Player of the Year
| Chris Porter, Auburn | 45 |
| Doc Robinson, Auburn | 1 |
| Mike Miller, Florida | 1 |
Team of the Decade
Kentucky staked its claim for the title of “Team of the Decade” during the 1990s. Only two NCAA Division I schools can claim two national titles during the last 10 years, UK and Duke.
| NCAA Championships | 2 | |
| Final Four Appearances | 4 | |
| NCAA Runner-up | 1 | |
| NCAA Tourney Record (App.) | 31-6 (8) | |
| NCAA Tourney Winning % | 83.8% | |
| Decade Wins (Pct.) | 282 (81.7%) | |
| 30-Win Seasons | 4 | |
| Losing Seasons | 0 | |
| AP Top-10 Finishes | 9 | |
| All-Americans | 3 | |
| NBA Draft Picks (1st Rd.) | 10 (8) | |
| SEC Championships | 3 | |
| SEC Tournament Titles | 7 |
News from the Summer Drought
The ’99-2000 schedule includes 17 teams that played in the 1999 NCAA Tournament, including Final-Four qualifier Michigan State. There will be 14 home dates during the regular season since Kentucky advanced in the Preseason NIT. The Cats will appear on national TV 18 times, including 12 times on ESPN or espn2 and five games on CBS. SEC games televised on “Super Tuesdays” by ESPN will begin at 9 p.m. instead of 9:30 p.m.
Tubby Smith spent nearly all of July as an assistant coach for the 1999 USA Senior National Team. After winning the Tournament of the Americas in Puerto Rico, the squad qualified for the 2000 Olympics next September in Sydney, Australia. Smith will continue to serve on that staff as well, coaching such NBA greats as Tim Hardaway, Kevin Garnett, Steve Smith and Gary Peyton.
Point guard Saul Smith competed for the SEC All-Stars, which toured Japan in August. Smith helped the team to a 4-1 record against the Japan National Team.
Steve Masiello was awarded a scholarship for his senior season. The former walk-on from White Plains, N.Y. has been a member of UK’s ’97 NCAA runner-up squad, its ’98 NCAA Championship team and the Elite-Eight qualifier last season.
Jamaal Magloire declared his intentions for the NBA Draft in May, but withdrew one week before the event and decided to return to UK for his senior season.
Scott Padgett became the seventh Wildcat in the last four years to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft when he was taken 28th by the Utah Jazz. Padgett was one of 11 Wildcats on NBA rosters as of opening day. In addition, seven other Cats are playing professionally, including Heshimu Evans, who is participating in a French league this winter. (See pages 154-157 of the 2000 UK Media Guide.)
Fall Signees
Cliff Hawkins, a 6-1, 180-pound guard at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., and Michael Southall, a 6-10, 225-pound forward/center from West Salem, Wis., have both signed national letters-of-intent during the fall signing period to play their college basketball at the University of Kentucky.
Hawkins, a native of Dumfries, Va., helped the Warriors to a perfect 32-0 record last season and a final No. 1 ranking by USA Today, ESPN and The Associated Press, earning the crown of national champions.
As a junior, Hawkins averaged 11.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game last season while starting every contest. The southpaw, who his coach called the “best on-the-ball defender he’s ever coached,” also led the team in steals, averaging 3.9 per game. He shot 50.0 percent from the field, 62.5 percent from the foul line and 30.0 percent from three-point range during the ’99 season.
Hawkins played his sophomore season at Potomac High School, leading the squad to a state runner-up finish. In the state semifinals, he held Ronald Curry, the 1998 National Player of the Year, to six points, while tallying 31 in the winning effort. He earned first-team Class AAA All-State honors before transferring to Oak Hill.
Hawkins, who chose UK over New Mexico, played on the 1998 DC Team Assault summer AAU squad with current Wildcat Keith Bogans.
Southall, who plays at West Salem High School, was the Coulee Conference and Region Player of the Year last season, averaging 20.7 points and 13.0 rebounds per game. He was named the team’s Most Valuable Player and earned third team All-State honors from the Lacrosse Tribune after leading his squad to a 14-8 record. He shot 65.0 percent from the field, 66.0 percent from the foul.
Southall also was named team MVP during his sophomore year, averaging 13.7 points and 12.0 rebounds a game while leading West Salem to the sectional final.
He chose UK over Utah, Georgia Tech, Michigan and Ohio State.
