March 14, 2000
LEXINGTON, Kty. – The Kentucky Wildcats head to Cleveland, Ohio for first-round action in the 2000 NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats received a No. 5 seed and will battle No. 12-seed St. Bonaventure, which makes its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 22 years. For the Wildcats, it’s their ninth straight tournament appearance, an NCAA record 41st overall. The game will be played at the Cleveland State University Convocation Center. This will be the first meeting between the two teams.
UK owns an 84-35 record (70.6%) in NCAA Tournament play. It’s the most games played (119) by a member school and the most wins (84). In addition, the winning percentage ranks fourth all-time. The Cats have won seven NCAA Championships including two in the last four years — 1948, ’49, ’51, ’58, ’78, ’96 and ’98 — more than any other school except UCLA (11). In the last four seasons, Kentucky is 20-2 in NCAA Tournament play.
The Wildcats are 31-9 in first round NCAA Tournament games.
2000 NCAA TOURNAMENT – 1st ROUND
#12 St. Bonaventure Bonnies (21-9, 11-5 A-10)
vs. #5 Kentucky Wildcats (22-9, 12-4 SEC)
12:20 p.m. ET – March 16, 2000 – Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland State Convocation Center (13,610)
RADIO
UK Radio Network
Ralph Hacker, Sam Bowie, Dave Baker
TELEVISION
CBS Sports
Kevin Harlan, Jon Sundvold
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 | Tayshaun Prince | G/F | 6-9 | 215 | So. | 12.9 | 5.9 | Compton, Calif. | |
| 40 | Jules Camara | F | 6-11 | 223 | So. | 7.0 | 4.6 | Dakar, Senegal | |
| 42 | Jamaal Magloire | C | 6-10 | 260 | Sr. | 13.3 | 9.1 | Toronto, Ontario | |
| 11 | Saul Smith | G | 6-2 | 175 | Jr. | 6.7 | *3.4 | Athens, Ga. | |
| 10 | Keith Bogans | G | 6-5 | 205 | Fr. | 12.3 | 3.5 | Alexandria, Va. |
Key Cats Off The Bench
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Ppg | Rpg | Hometown | |
| 3 | J.P. Blevins | G | 6-2 | 181 | So. | 4.1 | 1.3 | Edmonton, Ky. | |
| 24 | F/C | 6-10 | 256 | Fr. | 4.7 | 3.8 | Huntsville, Ala. |
St. Bonaventure
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Ppg | Rpg | Hometown | |
| 21 | Caswell Cyrus | F | 6-9 | 215 | Sr. | 12.1 | 6.2 | Toronto, Ontario | |
| 20 | Patricio Prato | F | 6-4 | 200 | Fr. | 8.3 | 3.7 | Cordoba, Argentina | |
| 33 | Peter Van Paassen | C | 6-11 | 250 | Jr. | 10.2 | 7.1 | Zoetermeer, Holland | |
| 3 | D. Messiah-Capers | G | 6-3 | 210 | Sr. | 10.7 | 3.8 | New Brunswick, N.J. | |
| 11 | Tim Winn | G | 5-10 | 175 | Sr. | 13.7 | *4.1 | Niagra Falls, N.Y. |
* Assists per game
Comparison Stats
| UK | St. B | |
| Record | 22-9 | 21-9 |
| Scoring Off. | 69.2 | 68.5 |
| Scoring Def. | 62.6 | 64.1 |
| Scoring Margin | +6.6 | +4.4 |
| FG % | 42.1 | 45.0 |
| Def. FG % | 39.3 | 40.8 |
| 3FG % | 29.0 | 35.0 |
| Def. 3FG % | 33.2 | 36.4 |
| FT Pct. | 69.1 | 66.3 |
| Reb. Avg. | 39.4 | 36.3 |
| Opp. Reb. Avg. | 34.0 | 33.2 |
| Rebound Margin | +5.4 | +3.1 |
| TO Avg. | 14.9 | 15.9 |
| Opp. TO | 14.7 | 16.0 |
| TO Margin | -0.2 | +0.1 |
| Blocks Avg. | 5.5 | 2.8 |
| Steals Avg. | 6.1 | 8.3 |
Coaching Numbers
Orlando “Tubby” Smith (High Point ’73)
| Overall (9th year) | 209-84 | (71.3%) | |
| at UK (3rd year) | 85-22 | (79.4%) | |
| SEC Tournament (4 yrs.) | 10-2 | (83.3%) | |
| NCAA Tournament (6 yrs.) | 15-5 | (75.0%) |
Smith All-Time vs. Midwest Bracket Teams
| St. Bonaventure | 0-0 | |
| Samford | 0-0 | |
| Syracuse | 0-1 |
Bracket Coaches vs. Kentucky
Jim Baron (St. Bonaventure ’77)
| Overall (13 years) | 188-189 | (49.9%) | |
| at St. Bon. (8th year) | 114-118 | (49.1%) | |
| vs. UK | 0-0 |
Jimmy Tillette (Our Lady of Holy Cross ’75)
| Overall (3 years) | 59-29 | (67.0%) | |
| at Samford | same | ||
| vs. UK | 0-0 |
Jim Boeheim (Syracuse ’66)
| Overall (24 years) | 573-198 | (74.3%) | |
| at Syracuse | same | ||
| vs. UK | 2-8 |
’00 Bracket Notes
This is the Cats’ second consecutive appearance in the Midwest Region. Last year, UK was eliminated from the tournament by Michigan State in the regional final. State was the No. 1 seed in the region one year ago and holds that same distinction this season. 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 10-2 in three appearances in the Midwest Region.
The Midwest Region is loaded with six teams that won or tied for their regular-season conference championship. Michigan State tied for the Big Ten crown, Syracuse tied for the Big East title, Iowa State won the Big 12, Utah won the Mountain West, Central Connecticut State captured the Northeast Championship and Kentucky was co-champion of the Southeastern Conference. The Wildcats are 3-2 against the four Midwest Region teams they faced this season.
The Wildcats have played the nation’s toughest schedule, according to both independent RPI polls, and have faced 15 teams in the tournament field of 64. UK is 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 fifth-seeded Florida (1-1).
All nine teams that beat UK this season are in the 2000 NCAA Tournament field.
The No. 5 seed is 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 five of the last six NCAA Championship games and seven league teams have played in five of the last six Final Fours.
UK’s Tournament History
Appearances
| Kentucky (1942-00) | 41 | |
| UCLA (1950-00) | 35 | |
| North Carolina (1941-00) | 34 |
Tournament Games
| Kentucky (1942-00) | 119 | |
| North Carolina (1941-00) | 109 | |
| UCLA (1950-00) | 101 |
Tournament Wins
| Kentucky (1942-00) | 84 | |
| North Carolina (1941-00) | 76 | |
| UCLA (1950-00) | 74 |
Tournament Winning Percentage
| Duke (1955-00) | .756 (65-21) | |
| UCLA (1950-00) | .733 (74-27) | |
| UNLV (1975-00) | .714 (30-12) | |
| Kentucky (1942-00) | .706 (84-35) |
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 15-5 overall, coaching his last seven teams to the “Big Dance” and five of his last six squads to the round of 16. Among active coaches, he ranks second in winning percentage (.750), trailing Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski (.787). At UK, Smith is 9-1 in NCAA Tournament play, 16-2 overall in the month of March.
In the 1990s, Kentucky appeared in eight NCAA Tournaments, winning two national championships and finishing as runner-up once. Kentucky won seven of eight SEC Tournaments during the decade.
UK owns a 54-8 record in postseason play since 1992, including its 0-1 record in last week’s SEC Tournament.
Magloire’s Tournaments
This marks the fourth tournament appearance in four years for UK senior Jamaal Magloire. The 6-10 center has played in 16 tournament games. If the Wildcats reach the Midwest Region Championship game, Magloire will tie for the fifth-most tournament games played (20) in a career. He already ranks among the tournament’s best in blocked shots, tallying 34 in his NCAA tournament career. Here’s the rundown:
Blocked Shots
| Tim Duncan (Wake Forest) | 50 | |
| Marcus Camby (UMass) | 43 | |
| Alonzo Mourning (Georgetown) | 37 | |
| Scot Pollard (Kansas) | 35 | |
| Tim Perry (Temple) | 34 | |
| Jamaal Magloire (Kentucky) | 34 |
Kentucky vs. St. Bonaventure
This is the Wildcats first meeting with St. Bonaventure.
The Bonnies’ last appearance in the tournament was 1978. In 1970, St. Bonaventure advanced to the Final Four, losing to Jacksonville, 91-83. Jacksonville had just eliminated No. 1 Kentucky in the regional final the game before, 106-100.
Jim Baron has coached his alma mater for the past eight seasons, leading it to two berths in the NIT Tournament (1995 and ’98) and now into the NCAA Tournament. The 1977 graduate of St. Bonaventure is a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and has won at least 10 games in all eight seasons.
In his first year on the Bonnies’ coaching staff is Tyrone Weeks. Weeks is a graduate of UMass, where he played against Kentucky in the 1995 Great Eight and the 1996 Final Four. The 6-6 wide-body scored more than 1,000 points and tallied more than 800 rebounds for the Minutemen.
UK holds a 69-10 record versus teams from the Atlantic 10.
The 12th-seeded Bonnies earned their first appearance in the NCAA Tourney since 1978 after winning six of their last eight regular season games and advancing to the Atlantic 10 Tournament championship game with wins over Xavier and Dayton. The Bonnies, 21-9, fell to Temple in the final game 65-44.
Common Opponents
Kentucky and St. Bonaventure have played one common opponent this season. UK lost to Dayton, 68-66, on Nov. 29 in Cincinnati. The Bonnies split with the Flyers this season, losing at Dayton, 68-64 on Feb. 12, before picking up a win last weekend in the Atlantic-10 Tournament, 56-50.
If the Cats Should Advance…
If Kentucky advances past the first round, the Cats will face the winner of Syracuse and Samford. Here’s the breakdown of those two teams…
Syracuse
Series Record: UK leads 8-2
| at Neutral Sites: | 4-0 | |
| in NCAA Tournament play: | 2-0 |
The Wildcats have won the last three meetings against the Orangemen, including a 76-67 win in the 1996 NCAA Championship game… UK also defeated SU in the ’96 Great Alaska Shootout, 87-53… Coach Tubby Smith is 0-1 against the Orangemen after one of the most thrilling 1996 NCAA Tournament games as head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs…In the West Regional semifinal game, Syracuse’s John Wallace canned a three-pointer in overtime to defeat Georgia 83-81.
Samford
Series Record: Never Met
The Bulldogs finished their regular season with a 21-10 overall record… Samford won the Trans America Athletic Conference Tournament Championship for the second straight year for the automatic bid… UK is 3-2 versus teams from the TAAC… The Bulldogs were a No. 14 seed in last year’s NCAA tournament and fell to St. John’s in the first round 69-43.
Big Blue 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 has assembled a defensive-oriented team that leads the SEC in scoring defense (62.6 ppg), ranks second in field goal percentage defense (39.3%) and second in blocks (5.6 bpg) despite playing the nation’s toughest schedule according to both independent RPI polls. After a 4-4 start, which included a runner-up finish in the Preseason NIT, the Wildcats have won 18 of their last 23 games. Four of the Wildcats’ last five losses came during league play against ranked opponents on the road — #4 Auburn, #12 Florida, #25 LSU and #7 Tennessee. Now the Wildcats must again overcome adversity with the loss of Desmond Allison. See next page for more information.
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.
Kentucky has a 6-7 record against 13 ranked opponents this season. Dayton and Arkansas are the only unranked teams to beat UK. Against top-10 teams, UK is 3-3 this season.
Among the Cats’ 14 non-conference opponents this season, five 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, and Michigan State shared the Big Ten title. Dayton, which beat UK in November, won the Western Division of the Atlantic 10.
Once again, Kentucky was strong at home, winning all 14 games played at Rupp Arena to run its win streak to 20 straight, which is tied for the nation’s sixth longest home win streak.
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 10th consecutive week, UK owns the nation’s toughest basketball schedule. CollegeRPI.com and College Basketball News both list UK’s schedule No. 1 while CollegeRPI.com ranks UK third overall and CBS ranks the Cats fourth.
Return to Cleveland
This is Kentucky’s first trip to Cleveland, the home of former UK quarterback Tim Couch, since Dec. 28, 1996, when the Wildcats beat Ohio State in the Rock & Roll Classic, 81-65. That game was played at Gund Arena. UK has never played at the CSU Convocation Center.
Allison Suspended
University of Kentucky sophomore Desmond Allison was suspended from the men’s basketball team on Sunday.
Allison, a 6-5 starting guard, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence early Sunday morning in Lexington. The Tampa, Fla., native will be 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.
“We have educated our team on the use of alcohol time and again, yet, we have a young man who chose to put his life, and the lives of others, in danger,” Coach Smith said. “I am deeply disappointed in his actions and it comes at a time when our team and our fans should be excited about March Madness. However, Desmond will now have to pay the price, and we will abide by the Athletics Association’s policy.”
Allison has played in all 31 games with 29 starts this season, averaging 7.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 apg. He is not expected to play again this season.
Academic Honor
J.P. Blevins earned SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition. The 6-2 sophomore sports 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 has earned the honor. Steve Masiello was an Academic All-SEC selection in 1998 and Scott Padgett won the award in both 1998 and ’99.
Earlier this season, 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 released last week. Magloire, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, 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.
Milestones
When Keith Bogans needs one steal to claim sole possession of the UK freshman record of 45 steals in a single season. He’s currently tied with Chris Mills (1989). Steals have been recorded at UK since 1978.
Magloire continues his climb up the career games-played list. The “Big Canadian” has played in 143 games during his four years in the Bluegrass, which is tied with Jared Prickett for second on the all-time UK list and fifth all-time in college basketball. Former Cat Wayne Turner set the NCAA mark with 151 games in his career, which concluded last March. For a top-five UK and NCAA list, check the boxes on page 5.
Magloire has tallied 771 rebounds in his four-year career. He needs 12 boards to move into a tie for 11th place on UK’s all-time rebound chart. Dan Issel holds the school record with 1,078 in his three-year career. Check out the complete listing on page 5.
Magloire’s Impact
How important has the “Big Canadian,” Jamaal Magloire, been to the Wildcats? Crunch these All-America type numbers…
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,
Scored in double figures in 26 of the 31 games, including three 20-plus point games,
The school-record holder in blocks leads the team in scoring (13.3 ppg), rebounding (9.1 rpg) and swats (54),
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),
Has scored 412 points this season, becoming the 47th Wildcat to score 1,000 points in his college career.
Good, er, Tough Losses?
Kentucky’s nine losses this season have come to teams who are participating in the 2000 NCAA Tournament. The teams — Arizona, Dayton, Indiana, Maryland, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Tennessee and Arkansas — have a combined record of 207-72 heading into the NCAA Tournament. Also, each team has won at least 19 games.
Power Rankings
| Poll | Rank | Sch. Strength | |
| CollegeRPI.com | 3rd | 1st | |
| CBN RPI | 4th | 1st | |
| Sagarin | 17th | 2nd |
D-E-F-E-N-S-E
Eight UK opponents this season have scored 53 points or less against the Cats and only seven teams have scored more than 70 points against the Wildcats.
UK is 13-0 when holding opponents under 60 points, 19-3 when holding opponents under 70.
Tubby Smith’s “ball-line defense” has 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. 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 have allowed 39.3 percent shooting from the field, the third straight year UK opponents have shot 40 percent or less from the field.
The Cats have allowed 62.6 ppg this season, which ranks first in the SEC.
The Wildcats are averaging 5.6 bpg this season and three Wildcats — Jamaal Magloire (1.7 bpg), Jules Camara (1.5) and Tayshaun Prince (1.3) — rank in the SEC top 10 this season in blocks per game.
More Magloire Notes
With seven double-doubles in the last 10 games, Magloire has raised his season rebound average to 9.1 rpg, which leads 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).
Magloire leads the SEC in double-doubles this season with 15, 10 of which occurred in league play. His total ranks as the ninth most double-doubles in the nation, according to Stats, Inc. (as of 3/12).
| 1. Darren Phillip, Fairfield | 24 | |
| 2. Shaun Stonerook, Ohio | 22 | |
| 3. Josh Sankes, Holy Cross | 20 | |
| 3. Troy Murphy, Notre Dame | 20 | |
| 5. Chris Mihm, Texas | 19 | |
| 6. Darren Fenn, Canisius | 18 | |
| 7. Jarrett Stephens, Penn State | 17 | |
| 8. Ricardo Greer, Pittsburgh | 16 | |
| 9. Jamaal Magloire, Kentucky | 15 |
UK vs. Top 25
Kentucky is 6-7 against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 this season, and 3-3 vs. top-10 teams. 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 |
|||
| 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 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 last weekend to Arkansas was their first in the Georgia Dome, dropping their record to 13-1 in the home of the Falcons.
Y2UK Trends
Kentucky has 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 is 19-1 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 18 of its last 23 games.
Sixteen opponents have hit more threes than UK, but the Cats have won all but four of those meetings.
UK has shot better than 50 percent from the field only three times this season — 59.6% vs. Louisville, 51.0% vs. South Carolina (1/15/00) and 52.9% vs. Florida (3/4/00).
Consecutive Threes
The Cats have hit three-pointers in 405 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.
Rupp Arena
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, it’s tied for the sixth longest streak in the nation. Utah leads the nation with 51 straight wins at home. Kentucky will not play at home again this season.
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.
Ball Control
Kentucky is averaging 14.9 turnovers per game this season, and until a 27-turnover performance vs. Arkansas in the SEC Tournament, it was the lowest season average (14.5 tpg) since 1990, when the Wildcats committed 14.4 tpg.
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 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
Kentucky fell to 19th in the final AP poll this week, 20th in the Coaches poll. The USA Today/ESPN poll will come out one more time at the end of tournament play.
In the AP poll, UK has been 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
Six 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. 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.
Updated Player Bios
DESMOND ALLISON
G/F – 6-5 – 214 – So. – Tampa, Fla. (Robinson)
Suspended temporarily from practice and games pending outcome of DUI charge which occurred March 12… Not expected to participate in the NCAA Tournament… Scored in double figures for the 11th time this season with 12 points against Florida in the final regular-season game after a 12-point outing at Miss. State — three double-figure scoring efforts in the last five games… Came off the bench at Tennessee (2/23/00) to score a team-high 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out five assists… Started 42 games in a row before a miss vs. Georgia (2/19/00)… For the season, owned a 1.8:1 assist-to-turnover ratio which ranks fifth in the SEC… The defensive stopper is second on the team in 3FG shooting (33.3%) and assists (2.4 apg) and leads the team in free-throw shooting (77.9%)… Hit 13 consecutive free throws before a miss at Florida… In two trips to the Sunshine State, had 15 points, five rebounds, three assists and no turnovers vs. Miami and 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists and no turnovers vs. Florida… Career effort at Vanderbilt: 23 points on 6-9 3FG shooting along with five rebounds and a block in 26 minutes… Scored 16 points against Louisville… Also tallied 15 points vs. UNC Asheville on perfect shooting: 5-5 FG, 3-3 3FG and 2-2 FT… Made his first start at small forward vs. U of L… His baseline jumper with 1:07 remaining gave UK a four-point lead in the win over Utah… Recorded a then-career-high seven rebounds against Penn while also tying his mark for steals in a game with four… Was named Tampa’s “High School Basketball Player of the Decade” by the Tampa Tribune in December.
Career Highs
| Opponent | Date | ||
| Points | 23 | Vanderbilt | 1/22/00 |
| FG Made | 7 | Vanderbilt | 1/22/00 |
| FG Atts | 10 | Four times | |
| 3FG Made | 6 | Vanderbilt | 1/22/00 |
| 3FG Atts | 9 | Vanderbilt | 1/22/00 |
| FT Made | 6 | Florida | 2/8/00 |
| FT Atts | 9 | Florida | 2/8/00 |
| Rebounds | 8 | Florida | 2/8/00 |
| Assists | 6 | Arkansas | 2/20/99 |
| Turnovers | 5 | Florida | 3/5/00 |
| Blocks | 2 | N. Mexico St. | 3/12/99 |
| Steals | 4 | Twice | |
| Minutes | 37 | Florida | 2/8/00 |
Career Stats
| Year | G-S | Min.-Avg. | FG-A/Pct. | 3FG-A/Pct. | FT-A/Pct. | Reb.-Avg. | PF | AT | TO | BS | St | TP-Avg. |
| 98-99 | 36-17 | 553-15.4 | 64-128/.500 | 21-54/.389 | 21-32/.656 | 72-2.0 | 49-0 | 45 | 30 | 12 | 20 | 170-4.7 |
| 99-00 | 31-29 | 801-25.8 | 79-187/.422 | 31-93/.333 | 53-68/.779 | 117-3.8 | 75-0 | 73 | 44 | 6 | 25 | 242-7.8 |
| Totals | 67-46 | 1354-20.2 | 143-315/.454 | 52-147/.354 | 74-100/.740 | 189-2.8 | 124-0 | 118 | 74 | 18 | 45 | 412-6.1 |
J.P. BLEVINS
G – 6-2 – 181 – So. – Edmonton, Ky. (Metcalfe Co.)
Named to the UK Athletics Director’s Honor Roll for the fall semester with a 3.75 GPA in communications… Earned Academic All-SEC honors with a 3.82 GPA in general studies, the highest GPA among those recognized by the league… Has played in every game with two starts… UK’s top 3FG shooter (36.0%), he’s hit eight of his last 18 >from beyond the arc in the last six games, including both attempts at Tennessee… The performance includes a career-high four threes and four assists vs. Georgia (2/19/00) to rally the Cats to victory… In his two starting assignments (Missouri and Georgia), averaged 13.5 ppg while shooting 9-of-17 from the field, 6-of-11 from 3-point range and seven total assists… Nailed two clutch treys midway through the second half vs. S. Carolina (2/5/00) to give UK a five-point lead… Ranks second on the team from the foul line (76.0%)… At LSU, recorded five points, three assists, a career-high three steals and no turnovers… Suffered a sprained ankle on Jan. 20 but did not miss game action… Made his first collegiate start against Missouri, finishing with 13 points and three assists while hitting two-of-three 3FG shots and no turnovers in 31 minutes… His lone three against Alaska-Anchorage kept UK’s 12-year three-point streak alive… Great night against Michigan State: nine points behind three three-pointers, four rebounds and two steals… His third three-pointer gave UK the lead for good against the Spartans, 50-49, with 7:21 remaining.
Career Highs
| Opponent | Date | ||
| Points | 14 | Georgia | 2/19/00 |
| FG Made | 5 | Georgia | 2/19/00 |
| FG Atts | 11 | Georgia | 2/19/00 |
| 3FG Made | 4 | Georgia | 2/19/00 |
| 3FG Atts | 8 | Georgia | 2/19/00 |
| FT Made | 4 | Twice | |
| FT Atts | 4 | Four times | |
| Rebounds | 4 | Michigan State | 12/23/99 |
| Assists | 4 | Georgia | 2/19/00 |
| Turnovers | 3 | Ole Miss | 1/19/00 |
| Blocks | 0 | ||
| Steals | 3 | LSU | 2/13/00 |
| Minutes | 31 | Twice |
Career Stats
| Year | G-S | Min.-Avg. | FG-A/Pct. | 3FG-A/Pct. | FT-A/Pct. | Reb.-Avg. | PF-D | AT | TO | BS | St | TP-Avg. |
| 98-99 | 13-0 | 64-4.9 | 4-12/.333 | 3-9/.333 | 0-1/.000 | 6-0.5 | 5-0 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 11-0.8 |
| 99-00 | 31-2 | 505-16.3 | 41-108/.380 | 27-75/.360 | 19-25/.760 | 40-1.3 | 29-0 | 39 | 20 | 0 | 15 | 128-4.1 |
| Totals | 44-2 | 569-12.9 | 45-120/.375 | 30-84/.357 | 19-26/.731 | 46-1.1 | 34-0 | 42 | 29 | 0 | 16 | 139-3.2 |
KEITH BOGANS
G – 6-5 – 205 – Fr. – Alexandria, Va. (DeMatha Catholic)
Named to the All-SEC Freshman Team… A candidate for Freshman All-America honors as well… Tied his career best with a game-high 25 points in the loss to Arkansas in the SEC Tournament, canning four-of-six three-point attempts… Has played in every game, earning his first start vs. Louisville… Started 17 straight games before a miss vs. Georgia (2/19/00)… Scored in double figures 20 times, including 13 of the last 15 games… Has topped 20 points five times this season, including twice against Arkansas in the last four games… In the regular-season meeting with the Hogs, scored a game-high 22 points vs. Arkansas while matching his career-high nine rebounds… After senior Steve Masiello got the start vs. Florida on Senior Day, came off the bench to tally 14 points… Against Mississippi State, tied the UK freshman record for steals in a season with 45, a mark held by Chris Mills (1989)… Third on the team in scoring (12.3 ppg) and finished second in SEC play (13.7 ppg)… Against SEC competition, finished 13th in scoring, ninth in three-pointers made (1.9 pg) and tied for eighth in steals (1.6 spg)… Also scored at least 20 in three consecutive games, only the second Wildcat freshman to accomplish that feat since freshmen became eligible in 1972-73… Tallied 25 points against No. 6 Tennessee (2/1/00), 21 against South Carolina (2/5/00) and 24 at No. 12 Florida, including 19 in the second half, to average 23.3 ppg during the three-game stretch… It was a career effort vs. the Vols: 25 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range, five assists and two steals… His 25 points were the most by a UK freshman since Rod Rhodes in 1992-93… Scored 10 of his 14 points in the first half at Georgia with three steals… Tallied a team-high 16 points vs. Miami… Solid outing at Vanderbilt: six points along with personal bests of nine rebounds and five assists… His consecutive string of free throws made ended at 15 against Ole Miss… Break-out game came against Maryland in the Preseason NIT, finishing with 17 points, including a 6-of-7 performance from the foul line… Scored his first collegiate points vs. Utah.
Career Highs
| Opponent | Date | ||
| Points | 25 | Twice | |
| FG Made | 9 | Twice | |
| FG Atts | 20 | Florida | 2/8/00 |
| 3FG Made | 4 | Tennessee | 2/1/00 |
| 3FG Atts | 10 | Georgia | 2/19/00 |
| FT Made | 8 | Three times | |
| FT Atts | 11 | Maryland | 12/11/99 |
| Rebounds | 9 | Twice | |
| Assists | 5 | Vanderbilt | 1/22/00 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 10th time | |
| Blocks | 1 | UNCA | 12/7/99 |
| Steals | 4 | Alaska Anchorage | 12/27/99 |
| Minutes | 37 | South Carolina | 2/5/00 |
Career Stats
| Year | G-S | Min.-Avg. | FG-A/Pct. | 3FG-A/Pct. | FT-A/Pct. | Reb.-Avg. | PF-D | AT | TO | BS | St | TP-Avg. |
| 99-00 | 31-21 | 837-27.0 | 129-317/.407 | 46-154/.299 | 76-117/.650 | 109-3.5 | 56-0 | 50 | 75 | 1 | 45 | 380-12.3 |
JULES CAMARA
F – 6-11 – 223 – So. – Dakar, Senegal (Oak Hill Academy)
Played in 29 games with nine starts… Has scored in double figures eight times this season, including a 12-point effort vs. Florida (3/4/00)… Ranks fifth in the SEC in blocked shots (1.5 bpg)… Against SEC competition, finished the regular season ranked second in blocked shots (1.9 bpg) and 10th in offensive rebounding (2.8 rpg)… Returned to action against LSU after missing two games due to a “stress reaction” in his right foot suffered during the first Tennessee game (2/1/00), his first UK game missed due to injury… In his third game back, scored 12 points and pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds, including nine offensive boards, in a start vs. Georgia (2/19/00), his second double-double of the season, the third in his career… Grabbed a career-high nine offensive rebounds vs. Georgia (2/19/00)… Vs. the Tide, scored all 10 points in the first half and added six rebounds and two blocks… Against the Vols (2/1/00), recorded nine points, four rebounds and three blocks in 17 minutes prior to the foot injury… Had his first double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 boards at South Carolina (1/15/00)… Started the super-sub swing against Ga. Tech, matching his personal-best 15 points and grabbing five rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench… Tallied 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocks against Indiana off the bench… Had 10 first-half points against Dayton… Made his first career start against Penn and got the start in the first seven games.
Career Highs
| Opponent | Date | ||
| Points | 15 | Twice | |
| FG Made | 7 | Twice | |
| FG Atts | 12 | Ga. Tech | 1/5/00 |
| 3FG Made | 1 | Four times | |
| 3FG Atts | 5 | Utah | 11/19/99 |
| FT Made | 5 | UNCA | 12/7/99 |
| FT Atts | 6 | Twice | |
| Rebounds | 12 | Georgia | 2/19/00 |
| Assists | 3 | Georgia | 2/19/00 |
| Turnovers | 5 | Georgia | 2/19/00 |
| Blocks | 4 | Three times | |
| Steals | 4 | Tennessee State | 12/29/98 |
| Minutes | 33 | Twice |
Career Stats
| Year | G-S | Min.-Avg. | FG-A/Pct. | 3FG-A/Pct. | FT-A/Pct. | Reb.-Avg. | PF | AT | TO | BS | St | TP-Avg. |
| 98-99 | 37-0 | 415-11.2 | 73-137/.533 | 2-8/.250 | 14-27/.519 | 118-3.2 | 34-0 | 16 | 35 | 25 | 18 | 162-4.4 |
| 99-00 | 29-9 | 562-19.4 | 89-175/.480 | 2-12/.167 | 33-48/.688 | 132-4.6 | 46-0 | 20 | 48 | 44 | 12 | 203-7.0 |
| Totals | 66-9 | 977-14.8 | 162-312/.519 | 4-20/.200 | 47-75/.627 | 250-3.8 | 80-0 | 36 | 83 | 69 | 30 | 365-5.5 |
JAMAAL MAGLOIRE
C – 6-10 – 260 – Sr. – Toronto, Ontario (Eastern Commerce)
Building an All-America campaign… Was a first team All-SEC selection by both the media and coaches… Tallied his league-leading 15th double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds vs. Arkansas in the SEC Tournament… Has tallied seven double-doubles in the last 10 outings, including five of the last six games… Leads the team in scoring (13.3 ppg), blocks (54) and rebounding (9.1 rpg)… The only Wildcat to start every game this season… Named the SEC Player of the Week for the third time this season on March 7, averaging a double-double in the final week of the regular season — 15.0 points and 11.0 rebounds in wins at Miss. State and at home against No. 8 Florida — including a 14-point, 13-rebound performance vs. the Gators (3/4/00)… He’s the first Wildcat to win the award three times in the same season, the third SEC player to ever accomplish the feat and the first SEC player since UT’s Dyron Nix in 1989… Became the 47th member of UK’s prestigious 1,000-point club against Mississippi State, and now is tied for 42nd on the list… Will finish second all-time at UK for games played… Currently tied for second at UK in games played with 143, which is fifth all-time nationally… Needs one more blocked shot to tie for fifth place on the all-time SEC list, equaling Roy Rogers’ Alabama mark of 266… Against SEC competition, averaged a double-double — 14.4 ppg and 9.9 rpg — and finished 9th in scoring, first in rebounding, fourth in field goal percentage (54.1%), first in defensive rebounds (6.2 rpg) and offensive rebounds (3.8 rpg), and third in blocks (1.6 bpg)… For the season, leads the SEC in rebounding (1st), ranks 12th in scoring and fourth in blocks… A career 59.3% FT shooter prior to the season, he’s hit 68.7% for the season, 69.3% in SEC play, including four inside the last 19 seconds against Arkansas (2/26/00) to seal the win… He’s the first Wildcat since Reggie Hanson (1989-90) to record at least three consecutive double-doubles in a season… His last string of three straight double-doubles include a 15-point, 12-rebound performance vs. Arkansas (2/26/00), 11 points and 15 boards at Tennessee and 11 points and 13 rebounds vs. Georgia (2/19/00), the third time this season he’s recorded three straight… Against South Carolina (2/5/00), charted 23 points and 11 rebounds, hitting all 11 of his free throws… Earned his second SEC Player of the Week honor on Jan. 24 after a 23-point, 15-rebound performance vs. Vanderbilt, which followed 19 points and 14 boards against Ole Miss… Won his first league award on Jan. 3 after tallying 15.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg and 2.3 bpg during the two-week holiday break… He was the first player in the league to win the award twice this season and the first UK player since Ron Mercer in ’97 to win the award twice the same season… Other double-doubles this season include three straight against Maryland (12 points – 16 rebounds, 12/11/99), Louisville (12-10) and Michigan State (18-11), as well as double-doubles against Vanderbilt (15 points – 10 rebounds, 1/8/00), Missouri (21-13), LSU (11-13) and the first Georgia meeting (19-10)… With three swats vs. Louisville, broke the school record for career blocked shots held by Melvin Turpin (1984) who recorded 226.
Career Highs
| Opponent | Date | ||
| Points | 23 | Twice | |
| FG Made | 8 | Twice | |
| FG Atts | 13 | Four times | |
| 3FG Made | 0 | ||
| 3FG Atts | 0 | ||
| FT Made | 11 | South Carolina | 2/5/00 |
| FT Atts | 13 | Indiana | 12/4/99 |
| Rebounds | 17 | Missouri | 11/26/97 |
| Assists | 3 | Twice | |
| Turnovers | 6 | Three times | |
| Blocks | 6 | Five times | |
| Steals | 3 | Three times | |
| Minutes | 39 | Vanderbilt | 1/22/00 |
Career Stats
| Year | G-S | Min.-Avg. | FG-A/Pct. | 3FG-A/Pct. | FT-A/Pct. | Reb.-Avg. | PF | AT | TO | BS | St | TP-Avg. |
| 96-97 | 40-22 | 626-15.7 | 75-153/.490 | 0-0/.000 | 45-82/.549 | 177-4.4 | 120-5 | 15 | 64 | 79 | 25 | 195-4.9 |
| 97-98 | 38-12 | 567-14.9 | 77-158/.487 | 0-0/.000 | 43-64/.672 | 161-4.2 | 99-0 | 11 | 46 | 66 | 10 | 197-5.2 |
| 98-99 | 34-6 | 668-19.6 | 94-177/.531 | 0-0/.000 | 49-85/.576 | 151-4.4 | 79-1 | 18 | 42 | 66 | 16 | 237-7.0 |
| 99-00 | 31-31 | 897-28.9 | 139-278/.500 | 0-0/.000 | 134-195/.687 | 282-9.1 | 86-0 | 18 | 84 | 54 | 15 | 412-13.3 |
| Totals | 143-71 | 2758-19.3 | 385-766/.503 | 0-0/.000 | 271-426/.636 | 771-5.4 | 384-6 | 62 | 236 | 265 | 66 | 1041-7.3 |
STEVE MASIELLO
G – 6-1 – 170 – Sr. – White Plains, N.Y. (The Harvey School)
Has seen action in 14 games this season and 69 in his four-year career… Made his second career start against Florida (3/4/00) on Senior Day, logging eight minutes with an assist and a turnover… The former walk-on carries a 1.3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio this season… Played a career-high 11 minutes vs. Alaska Anchorage… Looking for his first field goal of the season… Played four quality minutes vs. Arkansas in the SEC Tournament picking up an assist and a rebound… Has also picked up quality time as a reserve vs. Indiana, LSU and Alabama.
Career Highs
| Opponent | Date | ||
| Points | 6 | South Carolina | 3/8/98 |
| FG Made | 2 | South Carolina | 3/8/98 |
| FG Atts | 4 | Canisius | 1/9/97 |
| 3FG Made | 1 | Five times | |
| 3FG Atts | 2 | Three times | |
| FT Made | 3 | Indiana | 12/7/96 |
| FT Atts | 4 | Indiana | 12/7/96 |
| Rebounds | 2 | Five times | |
| Assists | 2 | Four times | |
| Turnovers | 2 | Twice | |
| Blocks | 1 | Auburn | 3/7/97 |
| Steals | 1 | Five times | |
| Minutes | 11 | Alaska Anchorage | 12/27/99 |
Career Stats
| Year | G-S | Min.-Avg. | FG-A/Pct. | 3FG-A/Pct. | FT-A/Pct. | Reb.-Avg. | PF | AT | TO | BS | St | TP-Avg. |
| 96-97 | 23-0 | 79-3.4 | 6-25/.240 | 1-9/.111 | 7-10/.700 | 9-0.4 | 2-0 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 20-0.9 |
| 97-98 | 18-0 | 33-1.8 | 4-10/.400 | 2-4/.500 | 1-2/.500 | 4-0.2 | 2-0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 11-0.6 |
| 98-99 | 14-1 | 45-3.2 | 3-15/.200 | 2-9/.222 | 2-5/.400 | 5-0.4 | 4-0 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10-0.7 |
| 99-00 | 14-1 | 58-4.1 | 0-12/.000 | 0-6/.000 | 1-2/.500 | 2-0.1 | 8-0 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1-0.1 |
| Totals | 69-2 | 215-3.1 | 13-62/.210 | 5-28/.179 | 11-18/.611 | 20-0.3 | 16-0 | 25 | 19 | 1 | 5 | 42-0.6 |
TAYSHAUN PRINCE
G/F – 6-9 – 215 – So. – Compton, Calif. (Dominguez)
Was a second-team All-SEC pick by the Coaches… Has started all but one game this season and scored in double figures 21 times… Has played in every game but one… Has scored in double figures in three straight games and hit 10 of his last 11 free throws… Was outstanding the final week of the regular season, totaling 35 points and 12 rebounds in wins over Miss. State and Florida… Had eight points and a career-high 11 rebounds vs. Arkansas on Feb. 26, his second double-figure rebounding effort this season… Second on the team in scoring (12.9 ppg) and rebounding (5.9 rpg)… Ranks 14th in the SEC in scoring, 18th in rebounding and eighth in blocks… Had 14 points, five boards, four assists and three blocks vs. Alabama… In the first game against Tennessee, broke from a four-game, 30.2% shooting slump by hitting 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range to pour in 17 points, 14 in the second half… Canned clutch shots in three straight games: Against Miami, his runner in the lane gave UK a 58-57 lead with 23 seconds remaining… Big down the stretch at Georgia (1/26/00), scoring 10 of his 14 points in the last seven minutes and finishing with a game-high four steals… In the second meeting with Vandy, hit a double-pump, game-clinching three-pointer with 27 seconds remaining in OT and UK leading by two… Named SEC Player of the Week Jan. 10 after leading UK to wins over Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt… Drained a personal-best five threes vs. Vandy (1/8/00) to tally 17 points, becoming only the second opponent to score above his average this season against the VU defense… Three days earlier, recorded his first double-double — 21 points (which matched his career-high) and 10 rebounds vs. Ga. Tech… Terrific line vs. Michigan State: 17 points, five rebounds, one block in 37 minutes, and his defensive pressure on the final shot attempt secured the win for UK… Made his first start at power forward against U of L, shooting 61.5 percent from the field to finish with 20 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots in the 30-point win… Made the All-Tournament team at the Preseason NIT after tallying 21 points and nine rebounds against Maryland and 18 points and five boards against Arizona… In UK’s second meeting against the Terrapins (12/11/00) had 14 points and eight rebounds.
Career Highs
| Opponent | Date | ||
| Points | 21 | Twice | |
| FG Made | 8 | Twice | |
| FG Atts | 19 | Ga. Tech | 1/5/00 |
| 3FG Made | 5 | Vanderbilt | 1/8/00 |
| 3FG Atts | 9 | Arizona | 11/26/99 |
| FT Made | 6 | Three times | |
| FT Atts | 8 | Twice | |
| Rebounds | 11 | Arkansas | 2/26/00 |
| Assists | 6 | Arkansas | 3/7/99 |
| Turnovers | 5 | Twice | |
| Blocks | 5 | Louisville | 12/18/99 |
| Steals | 4 | Twice | |
| Minutes | 39 | Vanderbilt | 1/22/00 |
Career Stats
| Year | G-S | Min.-Avg. | FG-A/Pct. | 3FG-A/Pct. | FT-A/Pct. | Reb.-Avg. | PF | AT | TO | BS | St | TP-Avg. |
| 98-99 | 37-11 | 747-20.2 | 82-198/.414 | 29-101/.287 | 21-32/.656 | 142-3.8 | 34-0 | 45 | 38 | 21 | 25 | 214-5.8 |
| 99-00 | 30-30 | 1006-33.5 | 141-338/.417 | 39-138/.283 | 67-96/.698 | 178-5.9 | 50-1 | 55 | 59 | 38 | 25 | 388-12.9 |
| Totals | 67-41 | 1753-26.2 | 223-536/.416 | 68-239/.285 | 88-128/.688 | 320-4.8 | 84-1 | 100 | 97 | 59 | 50 | 602-9.0 |
SAUL SMITH
G – 6-2 – 175 – Jr. – Athens, Ga. (Clarke Central)
Has played in every game this season, starting all but one… Leads the team in assists (3.4 apg), third in free-throw shooting (75.3%) and second in steals (36)… Against league competition, ranked seventh in assists (3.8 apg) and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9:1)… Solid line vs. Florida (3/4/00): nine points on two-of-three shooting, five assists and one turnover… Grabbed a career-high seven rebounds at Mississippi State to go along with his six assists and one turnover… With the offense struggling against LSU, scored 15 second-half points, including 11 (three 3FG) in a 2:16 stretch to help UK rally from 20-point deficit to within five with 4:21 remaining… Hit three 3FG at Georgia to finish with 10 points, four assists and one turnover… At Vandy, hit three three-pointers to tally 12 points, four assists and only one turnover in 31 minutes… Had a career-high seven assists, six rebounds and four points at South Carolina… In back-to-back games vs. Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt, totaled nine assists, six rebounds, and one turnover… Had a career-high five three-pointers to tally 15 points at Maryland and added six assists… His steal and contested jumper with 1:58 to play against Utah gave the Cats a four-point lead in the eventual win… Made his first start at point guard vs. Penn.
Career Highs
| Opponent | Date | ||
| Points | 17 | Ole Miss | 1/16/99 |
| FG Made | 6 | LSU | 2/13/00 |
| FG Atts | 13 | Twice | |
| 3FG Made | 5 | Maryland | 12/11/99 |
| 3FG Atts | 10 | Maryland | 12/11/99 |
| FT Made | 5 | Three times | |
| FT Atts | 6 | Four times | |
| Rebounds | 7 | Mississippi State | 2/29/00 |
| Assists | 7 | South Carolina | 1/15/00 |
| Turnovers | 7 | Arkansas | 3/10/00 |
| Blocks | 1 | Eight times | |
| Steals | 4 | Three times | |
| Minutes | 35 | Twice |
Career Stats
| Year | G-S | Min.-Avg. | FG-A/Pct. | 3FG-A/Pct. | FT-A/Pct. | Reb.-Avg. | PF | AT | TO | BS | St | TP-Avg. | |
| 97-98 | 39-1 | 523-13.4 | 32-89/.360 | 12-42/.286 | 21-35/.600 | 40-1.0 | 51-0 | 53 | 37 | 1 | 35 | 97-2.5 | |
| 98-99 | 37-3 | 632-17.1 | 58-158/.367 | 37-104/.356 | 31-50/.620 | 66-1.8 | 71-2 | 61 | 47 | 3 | 27 | 184-5.0 | |
| 99-00 | 31-30 | 885-28.5 | 61-180/.339 | 30-107/.280 | 55-73/.753 | 85-2.7 | 82-5 | 105 | 72 | 4 | 36 | 207-6.7 | |
| Totals | 107-34 | 2040-19.1 | 151-427/.354 | 79-253/.312 | 107-158/.677 | 191-1.8 | 204-7 | 219 | 156 | 8 | 98 | 488-4.6 |
MARVIN STONE
F/C – 6-10 – 256 – Fr. – Huntsville, Ala. (Grissom)
Has played in every game and made his first start vs. Georgia (2/19/00)… Second on the team in field goal percentage, hitting 49.2 percent… Has scored in all but three games this season… Broke his right thumb in practice (2/11/00) but has not missed game action while wearing a protective splint on the thumb… Two games after the injury, had nine points, seven boards and two blocks in 13 minutes vs. Alabama… Had career highs in points (14) and minutes (24) at Florida… Recorded a career-high three blocks against Auburn in his first return to his home state… Hit eight straight free throws before a miss against Ga. Tech… Scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds vs. Alaska in 20 minutes… Recorded the team’s first double-double of the season, 12 points and 10 rebounds vs. UNC Asheville… It was his second double-figure rebounding performance after tallying 13 against Maryland (11/24)…Hit all three field goal attempts vs. Indiana to finish with eight points and six rebounds… Had three steals vs. Arizona… Scored 12 points in his collegiate debut vs. Penn, shooting 4-of-6 from the field, and added six points, three assists, a block and no turnovers.
Career Highs
| Opponent | Date | |||
| Points | 14 | Florida | 2/8/00 | |
| FG Made | 5 | Florida | 2/8/00 | |
| FG Atts | 10 | Florida | 2/8/00 | |
| 3FG Made | 0 | |||
| 3FG Atts | 0 | |||
| FT Made | 4 | Four times | ||
| FT Atts | 7 | Florida | 2/8/00 | |
| Rebounds | 13 | Maryland | 11/24/99 | |
| Assists | 3 | Penn | 11/17/99 | |
| Turnovers | 3 | Four times | ||
| Blocks | 3 | Auburn | 1/13/00 | |
| Steals | 3 | Twice | ||
| Minutes | 24 | Florida | 2/8/00 |
Career Stats
| Year | G-S | Min.-Avg. | FG-A/Pct. | 3FG-A/Pct. | FT-A/Pct. | Reb.-Avg. | PF | AT | TO | BS | St | TP-Avg. |
| 99-00 | 31-1 | 426-13.7 | 58-118/.492 | 0-0/.000 | 31-46/.674 | 117-3.8 | 52-2 | 13 | 33 | 21 | 11 | 147-4.7 |
TODD TACKETT
G – 6-2 – 183 – So. – Paintsville, Ky. (Paintsville)
Has played in all but five games this season… Played an important 11 minutes in UK’s win at Mississippi State, contributing two points and a steal… At Florida (2/8/00), canned his first three-pointer of the season while playing solid defense in a 12-minute appearance… Finished with four points, two assists and a steal against the Gators, which matched his career bests in all categories… Against UNC Asheville, charted four points, three rebounds and one assist in 11 minutes… Also had four points vs. Vanderbilt (1/8/00)… Recorded two assists against Indiana.
Career Highs
| Opponent | Date | ||
| Points | 4 | Three times | |
| FG Made | 2 | UNCA | 12/7/99 |
| FG Atts | 6 | Mercer | 11/19/98 |
| 3FG Made | 1 | Three times | |
| 3FG Atts | 4 | Alabama | 2/16/00 |
| FT Made | 2 | Twice | |
| FT Atts | 4 | Ole Miss | 1/19/00 |
| Rebounds | 6 | Mercer | 11/19/98 |
| Assists | 2 | Three times | |
| Turnovers | 2 | Twice | |
| Blocks | 0 | ||
| Steals | 1 | Four times | |
| Minutes | 13 | Indiana | 12/4/99 |
Career Stats
| Year | G-S | Min.-Avg. | FG-A/Pct. | 3FG-A/Pct. | FT-A/Pct. | Reb.-Avg. | PF | AT | TO | BS | St | TP-Avg. |
| 98-99 | 14-0 | 71-5.1 | 4-24/.167 | 2-11/.182 | 2-4/.500 | 12-0.9 | 1-0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 12-0.9 |
| 99-00 | 26-0 | 169-6.5 | 8-41/.195 | 1-22/.045 | 5-9/.556 | 11-0.4 | 16-0 | 12 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 22-0.8 |
| Totals | 40-0 | 240-6.0 | 12-65/.185 | 3-33/.091 | 7-13/.539 | 23-0.6 | 17-0 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 34-0.9e |
SEASON REVIEW
Magloire Wins Third SEC Award
After leading the University of Kentucky to a share of the 2000 Southeastern Conference Championship, Jamaal Magloire was named Player of the Week 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 award three times in the same season, only the third SEC player ever to win the honor 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).
Top Freshman
Keith Bogans is third on the team in scoring, averaging 12.3 ppg and finished second on the team in SEC play with 13.7 ppg. He leads the team in steals with a UK freshman-record 45.
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 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.
