April 29, 2002
LEXINGTON, Ky. –
2002 Final Notes
Wildcats End 2002 Season in Syracuse
Kentucky finished its 99th season of basketball with a 22-10 record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. UK is the nation’s only team to reach the Sweet 16 in seven of the past eight seasons. The Wildcats overcame an 0-2 start in the league play to finish as tri-champs of the SEC East. UK won 20 games for the 47th time in school history and watched as Coach Tubby Smith earned his 250th career victory during the season, one of only seven coaches to reach the mark in 11 seasons or less.
Tayshaun Prince led the Wildcats in scoring and rebounding, averaging 17.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He registered two of the most memorable games in Wildcats’ history — hitting three-pointers on five consecutive possessions vs. North Carolina in December and scoring 41 points vs. Tulsa in the NCAA Tournament, the first Cat to score that many points in a game since 1984. He finished his career seventh all-time at UK in scoring (1,775 points), second in made (204) and attempted (621) three-pointers and fifth in blocked shots (142). He became the first Wildcat to earn All-America honors in back-to-back seasons since 1986. Junior Keith Bogans finished second in scoring with 11.4 ppg this season and is currently tied with Mike Pratt for 22nd on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,359 points.
Title Game Foes
The NCAA Championship game had two teams familiar to Kentucky fans — Maryland and Indiana. The Wildcats ended their season with a 78-68 loss to the eventual national champion Terrapins. The Cats had cut the lead to three, 66-63, with 5:05 remaining in the East Region semifinal before the Terps held on for the win. In December, UK dominated the Hoosiers, holding IU’s offense to 32.1% shooting from the field and its lowest point total in the series since 1976 to grab the 66-52 win in the RCA Dome.
Top Honor
Senior co-captains Tayshaun Prince and J.P. Blevins will both graduate on schedule when ceremonies are conducted May 5 at the University of Kentucky. Prince is earning his degree in sociology while Blevins, a three-time Academic All-SEC honoree, is graduating magna cum laude in communications.
Nine Lives
The Wildcats had a topsy-turvy 99th season riddled with injuries and suspensions. Yet, the Wildcats managed to earn a share of the SEC Eastern Division crown and a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. UK won 20 games for the 47th time in school history including the last 12 consecutive seasons. Notables from throughout the season include:
Tayshaun Prince, the 2001 SEC Player of the Year, led UK’s 13-man tournament roster with 17.5 ppg and 6.4 rpg. He was named a second-team All-American by the NABC and a third-team All-American by The Associated Press.
The Cats were without center Jason Parker, who tore an ACL in July and again in October just before Midnight Madness introductions. Parker started all 34 games in 2001 and made the SEC’s All-Freshman team.
The Wildcats’ longest win streak was six games, from Nov. 16-Dec. 15. Then-No. 1 Duke snapped the Cats’ win streak in overtime.
The Wildcats overcame an 0-2 start in SEC play to finish as tri-champs of the Eastern Division. In the league opener, host Miss. State rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to earn the OT win. This season, UK lost all three of its overtime games.
Coach Tubby Smith earned his 250th career win in February, becoming only the seventh coach to reach the plateau in 11 seasons or less.
The Wildcats suffered the following injuries: J.P. Blevins (missed NABC Classic with sprained ankle; missed 10 games with broken wrist); Rashaad Carruth (missed first four games with high ankle sprain); Adam Chiles (missed three games with bruised ribs); Marquis Estill (missed one game due to scratched cornea); Jason Parker (out for season with torn ACL).
Five players missed 13 games due to team suspensions. One player, Marvin Stone, was dismissed after the Indiana game when he failed to return to the team following the Christmas holiday. Adam Chiles was suspended indefinitely at the end of the season, missing postseason play.
UK earned a No. 4 seed in the 2002 NCAA Tournament in the East Region. UK advanced to the Sweet 16 for the seventh time in the past eight seasons after beating Valparaiso and Coach Tubby Smith’s former team, Tulsa, in the first two rounds. The Cats, however, fell to top-seeded Maryland in the East Region Semifinals, 78-68.
Team Awards
Tayshaun Prince was named Most Valuable Player for the 2002 season at Kentucky’s annual postseason awards banquet, held April 24 in a private ceremony at the UK Basketball Museum. The award was one of four collected by the two-time All-American, who also took home the Leadership, Best Rebounder and Best Defensive Player awards.
Cliff Hawkins and J.P. Blevins each received three team awards.
A new award was given this season, the Bill Keightley Award. The award honors the individual who understands and exemplifies the pride, respect and the positive attributes associated with being a part of the Kentucky basketball program. The winner of the inaugural award was Brooks Downing, the team’s media relations director.
A complete listing of the awards follows.
Award WildcatMVP Tayshaun PrinceCo-Leadership Tayshaun Prince J.P. BlevinsBest FG Percentage Marquis EstillBest Rebounder Tayshaun PrinceBest FT Shooter Chuck HayesMost Assists Cliff HawkinsBest Defensive Player Tayshaun PrinceMost Charges Taken Keith BogansThree-Point Award Gerald FitchCo-Most Improved Cliff Hawkins Chuck HayesMr. Hustle Chuck HayesMost Positive Jules CamaraMost Courageous J.P. BlevinsStudent-Athlete of the YearJ.P. BlevinsBest Individual WorkoutJosh CarrierMr. Deflection Cliff HawkinsBest Assist-to-TO RatioErik DanielsKeightley Award Brooks Downing
Smith Success
In his five years at Kentucky, Coach Tubby Smith has taken four teams to the Sweet 16. As a head coach, he’s taken seven of his last nine teams to the regional semifinals, including twice at Tulsa and once at Georgia.
Smith is 20-8 (71.4%) in NCAA Tournament action, which ranks as the fifth-best winning percentage among active coaches:
.800Tom Izzo, Mich. St. (16-4).795Mike Krzyzewski, Duke (58-15).788Rick Pitino, UL (26-7).741Steve Fisher, SDSU (20-7).714Tubby Smith, UK (20-8)
Smith’s nine consecutive tournament appearances rank as the fourth-most among active coaches.
Smith owns an impressive 25-7 record in March (78.1%) since taking over at UK. He’s 9-2 in the SEC Tournament, 14-4 in the NCAA tourney and owns a 2-1 advantage over Florida in regular-season closers while at Kentucky.
NCAA Notables
The Wildcats are 89-38 all-time in NCAA Tournament play after making their national-record 43rd appearance this season.
The Wildcats earned an at-large bid, claiming a No. 4 seed for the first time since the NCAA Tournament went to a seeding format in 1979. It was the second straight season that UK played in the East Region.
Since 1992, UK is an impressive 62-12 (83.8%) in postseason play, including NCAA and SEC Tournament action. During the stretch, the Cats have won nine SEC Tournament titles, two NCAA Championships and played in four Final Fours.
NCAA Cat Scratches
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 43Tourney Record: 89-38 (70.1%)Regular-season record vs. '02 Tourney Field: 6-6Seed: UK was a No. 4 seed (East) for the first time since seeding began in 1979.Bid: At-Large'02 NCAA Results: Defeated Valparaisoand Tulsa; Eliminated by Maryland inEast Region Semifinals.
Madness Numbers
As the nation’s winningest team, Kentucky holds many distinctions in NCAA Tournament play, including:
AppearancesKentucky (1942-02)43UCLA (1950-02)36North Carolina (1941-01)35Tournament GamesKentucky (1942-02)126North Carolina (1941-01)116UCLA (1950-02)108Tournament WinsKentucky (1942-02)89North Carolina (1941-01)81UCLA (1950-02)80Tournament Winning PercentageDuke (1955-02)77.3 (75-22)UCLA (1950-02)73.4 (80-29)Kentucky (1942-02)70.6 (89-37)
NCAA ChampionshipsUCLA (1964-95)11Kentucky (1948-98)7Indiana (1940-87)5NCAA Final FoursNorth Carolina (1946-00)15UCLA (1962-95)14Kentucky (1942-98)13Duke (1963-01)13NCAA Final Four WinsUCLA (1962-95)24Kentucky (1942-98)17Duke (1963-01)14
RHis Royal Highness
Tayshaun Prince completed one of the most storied careers in the 99-year history of Kentucky Basketball on March 22.
He finished at No. 7 on UK’s all-time scoring list with 1,775 points, No. 2 in three-pointers made (205) and attempted (621) and fifth in blocked shots (142).
Prince withdrew his name from the 2001 NBA Draft and returned for his senior season to lead UK in scoring (17.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.3 rpg). He earned several honors this season alone, including first-team All-SEC by both The Associated Press and the Coaches. He was also named second-team All-American by the NABC and third-team All-American by the AP.
The Compton, Calif., native was among 20 finalists for the Wooden Award, which recognizes the top men’s college basketball player each season, and one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award. The award was established to honor student-athletes who complete their eligibility.
Prince was Kentucky’s first back-to-back All-American since Kenny Walker (1985-86) after earning second-team honors in 2001.
Rupp Arena
With the win over Florida on March 2, Kentucky wrapped up play at Rupp Arena this season with a 12-3 record.
At the end of its 26th season in the building, UK owns a 340-39 (89.7%) record in Rupp.
This year, the Cats won the national attendance title for the seventh straight season. The Wildcats have won 15 national attendance titles in the building.
Attendance Leaders
The Cats averaged 21,014 fans per game at Rupp Arena this season to lead the nation again. UK outdistanced Syracuse by an average of nearly 3,000 spectators. North Carolina had finished second last season in average attendance, but the Heels fell to less than 18,000 per game this year. This is the seventh straight year UK has won the national attendance title, the 15th overall since Rupp Arena was opened in 1976-77.
Blevins Earns Academic All-SEC Honor
Senior J.P. Blevins was named to the SEC’s Academic Honor Roll, the lone Wildcat on the list of 18 released by Commissioner Roy Kramer in early March. Blevins, who will graduate in May with a degree in communications, became the first Wildcat since Travis Ford (1992-94) to earn the honor three times.
Requirements for the award were a 3.0/4.0 GPA, a sophomore or higher in academic standing and have 24 semester hours toward a degree. Blevins owns a 3.67 GPA in communications.
Bogans, Prince Tourney Averages
Keith Bogans and Tayshaun Prince can boast of fine play in NCAA Tournament games. In three seasons, Bogans has averaged 17.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. The junior came alive to start NCAA play again this year, totaling 55 points in UK’s three games and shot 50.0% from the field and 47.0% from three-point range. For the season, he shot 39.4% FG and 31.5% 3FG range. His best tournament effort was a 23-point performance vs. Southern Cal in March 2001.
Prince averaged 16.2 points and 4.9 rebounds in 12 tourney games during his four seasons. For the ’02 tournament, he shot 49.0% from the field and 42.9% from 3FG range. He had a long list of outstanding games during his tournament career, including:
In the first round against St. Bonaventure in 2000, Prince hit a clutch three-pointer with seven seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime. He had a then-career-high 28 points in the double-overtime win, playing a career-high 48 minutes.
The Cats faced another tough opening-round battle last year against Holy Cross, escaping with 72-68 win. Prince led all scorers with 27 points on 10-for-17 shooting.
Prince continued his hot play in the 2001 second round, draining six 3FGs to finish with a then-career-high 31 points in UK’s 92-79 win over Iowa. He added seven assists in the win.
In second-round action this past season, Prince led UK to an 87-82 win over Tulsa with a career-high 41 points on 14-of-21 shooting. He again led UK in scoring in the East Region semifinals, totaling 17 points in UK’s loss to Maryland.
Prince of Rare Air
Tayshaun Prince recorded one of the finest performances ever by a Wildcat in the Cats’ 87-82 win over Tulsa on March 16.
Prince hit 14-of-21 FGs, including 6-of-8 3FGs, to finish with a career-high 41 points, nine rebounds, four assists, three blocks and no turnovers. Notables follow:
It was the most points scored by a Wildcat since Melvin Turpin poured in 42 against Tennessee in the 1984 SEC Tournament;
It’s the first time a Cat has topped 40 points since Derrick Miller scored 40 against Vandy in 1990;
It’s the seventh highest point total recorded by a Wildcat. Sixteen Cats have now scored 41 or more points led by record-holder Dan Issel’s 53 vs. Ole Miss in 1970;
Another UK senior southpaw, also wearing jersey No. 21, poured in 41 in the same city, St. Louis, in the 1978 NCAA Championship game vs. Duke — Jack Givens;
It set the Edward Jones Dome record for points scored by an individual;
It ranked as the most points scored by an individual in the 2002 NCAA Tournament. Prince finished 13th in tournament scoring average with 23.5 ppg.
Cats in the Domes
Overall this season, UK is 3-2 in domes with losses coming to South Carolina in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals at the Georgia Dome and to Maryland in NCAA action.
UK earned a win over Indiana in the RCA Dome in December and recorded two victories in St. Louis’ Edward Jones Dome during the NCAA first and second rounds.
Vs. Top-Five Teams
Kentucky’s is 50-42 all-time against top-five teams, including a 1-2 mark this season. Kentucky dropped an overtime thriller to No. 1 Duke in December, before knocking off No. 5 Florida on Jan. 29 in Gainesville. UK closed the season with a loss to fourth-ranked Maryland on March 22.
Under Tubby Smith, UK is 6-7 against top-five teams. The list is based on the team’s ranking in the AP poll at the time the game was played.
Vs. Ranked Opponents
After losing to Maryland in the East Region semifinals, the Cats were 2-4 against ranked opponents this season. Kentucky defeated the No. 5 Gators, 70-68, in Gainesville on Jan. 29, and again in Lexington when the Gators were ranked eighth, 70-67, on March 2.
UK lost to No. 1 Duke, 95-92, in overtime on Dec. 18 in the Jimmy V Classic, dropped a close battle to No. 14 Alabama, 64-61, in Lexington on Jan. 26 and fell to No. 21 Georgia, 78-69, on Feb. 16. UK lost to No. 4 Maryland in the Sweet 16, 78-68, on March 22. Rankings were current at the time of the game.
National Polls
UK was ranked 16th in the final AP poll, and 13th in the Coaches poll. UK spent 11 of the 18 weeks this season in the AP top 10.
The Wildcats began the season ranked fourth in both major polls.
Milestones
Keith Bogans’ 15 points in the season finale against Maryland advanced his career total to 1,359 points, tying him Mike Pratt (1968-70), UK’s radio analyst, for 22nd on the all-time chart.
Tayshaun Prince made 205 3FGs in his career, making him No. 2 all-time in three-pointers made at UK. While he could not catch school-record holder Tony Delk (283), he is the highest ranking three-point shooter in UK history in the post-Pitino Era. Meanwhile, Bogans moved past John Pelphrey and into fifth place against Vanderbilt. He has 174 made 3FGs.
Prince’s 17-point effort against Maryland gave the senior 1,775 career points, moving him past the legendary Cotton Nash and into seventh place on the UK scoring list.
Jules Camara, who has 117 blocked shots, needs two blocks to catch current UK assistant Reggie Hanson in eighth place on the all-time blocks chart at Kentucky.
Starting Spark
Chuck Hayes enjoyed a solid freshman campaign, averaging 5.9 ppg and 4.5 rpg in just 16.7 mpg. However, in his nine games as a starter, Hayes shined, averaging 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per outing. He recorded his first career double-double in UK’s SEC Tournament game, scoring 10 points while grabbing a career-high 13 rebounds.
Neutral Sites
UK posted a 5-3 record at neutral sites this season with losses coming to No. 1 Duke at the Meadowlands, against South Carolina at the SEC Tournament in the Georgia Dome and the season finale with Maryland in the Carrier Dome. UK earned two neutral-site wins at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.
Former Cat Now Interim AD
Terry Mobley, who lettered for the Wildcats from 1963-65, is now serving as the interim athletics director at Kentucky .
Mobley played for Adolph Rupp and was a member of the Wildcats’ 1964 SEC Championship team. In ’64, he started 25 of the 27 games at guard, averaging 9.4 ppg in leading the Cats to a 21-6 record. He was best remembered for one shot — a short jumper with four seconds left that gave top-ranked UK a victory over No. 9 Duke in the Sugar Bowl title game. He was a veteran on the ’65 team that featured up-and-coming stars Larry Conley, Louie Dampier and Pat Riley. As a senior, he started half the games, averaging 9.0 ppg as the Cats finished 15-10.
The Harrodsburg, Ky., native serves as the Chief Development Officer at UK.
RPI Polls
In the final CollegeRPI.com ratings completed March 12, UK ranked No. 11 overall with the nation’s third toughest schedule. The Cats’ schedule also ranked third in the Sagarin rankings, which were updated March 24.
Strength of schedule is listed in parenthesis:CollegeRPI.comSagarinKentucky11th (3rd)10th (3rd)
Pride in Defense
Defensive highlights this season include:
Leading the SEC in FG percentage defense during league play (41.5%) and in blocked shots (5.3 bpg).
Limiting host Florida to a then-season-low 68 points and a season-low 31 rebounds in the teams’ first meeting. Florida matched its season-low rebounding again in Lexington.
Holding the SEC’s top three-point shooting team, Vanderbilt, to 31.8% accuracy on Feb. 13.
In 14 of the 32 games this season, UK opponents shot less than 40% from the field. The Cats were 13-1 in those outings. Overall, opponents combined to shoot 41.2% from the field. Indiana and South Carolina both shot 32.1% from the field, the best defensive efforts by the ’02 Wildcats.
Only five teams shot better than 50% against the Cats this season. UK lost the first four of those games before earning the win over Tulsa in the NCAA Tournament.
The Cats’ defense averaged 7.9 steals per game in 2002. That’s up from last year’s 6.7 spg and the best at UK since the ’98 champs averaged 8.7 spg.
UK’s Offensive Woes
The Wildcats shot 44.8% from the field in 2002, the lowest percentage since hitting 42.3% in 2000. While UK shot 50% or better from the field six times this season, the Wildcats shot under 40.0% in five of the final 10 games, including a season-low 31.1% effort in the loss to South Carolina (3/8).
Changing Lineups
Against Florida on March 2, Kentucky started its eighth lineup of the season, inserting J.P. Blevins on Senior Day for Keith Bogans.
In the first eight games of the season, Smith used four different lineups. Only Tayshaun Prince started every game.
Cats in the NCAA
In the final NCAA statistics for 2002, UK owned the following rankings among the 321 D1 schools:
CategoryUKRankingWinning %68.8%T45thScoring76.9 ppg55thScoring Def.68.2 ppg107thScoring Margin+8.7 ppg28thFG% Def.41.2%59thFG%44.8%T117thFT%.676T206thReb. Margin5.5 rpg24thBlocks4.8 bpgT31stAssists14.8 apgT99thSteals7.9 spg105th3FG per game6.8T104th3FG%31.6%T268thTOs/game14.4 tpgT111th
Cats in the SEC
In the final Southeastern Conference rankings for all games played, UK’s Tayshaun Prince was third in the league in scoring (17.5 ppg) while Cliff Hawkins ranked fourth in assists (4.3 apg). Prince, Jules Camara and Marquis Estill all were tied for third in blocks with 1.3 bpg. Prince also ranked 11th in rebounding (6.4 rpg).
UK was first in rebounding (40.1 rpg) and offensive boards (15.4 orpg) and second in blocks (4.8 pg). The Wildcats also were second in scoring (76.9 ppg), third in scoring margin (+8.7) and second in rebounding margin (+5.5 rpg).
In SEC games only, Prince finished the season ranked second in the league in blocked shots with 1.9 bpg. Camara was fourth with 1.4 pg and Estill ranked sixth with 1.3 bpg. Hawkins was third in assists (4.3 apg).
Gerald Fitch was 10th in rebounding in league games with 6.2 rpg, while Prince ranked ninth in FG% (43.5%) and was tied for eighth in scoring (16.4 ppg).
Double-Doubles
Four Wildcats recorded nine double-doubles for UK this season.
Chuck Hayes recorded his first career double-double against South Carolina on March 8 with 10 points and a career-high 13 rebounds.
Tayshaun Prince tallied five double-doubles this year, including a 16-point, 10-rebound outing against Arkansas.
Gerald Fitch had his second double-double of the year with 13 points and 11 rebounds against Ole Miss after a 16-10 performance against Tulane in early January. He has recorded three double-doubles in his career.
Jules Camara had his best effort of the season against Duke, scoring 10 points while grabbing 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the season and the fourth of his career.
Current Wildcats who have recorded double-doubles in their career include:
CatCareer DoublesKeith Bogans2Jules Camara4Marquis Estill1Gerald Fitch3Chuck Hayes1Jason Parker2Tayshaun Prince12
Three Mania
Kentucky ranks third nationally in consecutive games with a made three-pointer. The Cats’ 473 games trails UNLV (507) and Vanderbilt (504). Georgia Tech trails UK by one game.
The Wildcats’ last game without a three-pointer came 13 years ago against Seton Hall on Nov. 26, 1988, a “three-point” loss in the Great Alaska Shootout.
Overtime Trials
The Wildcats failed to earn an overtime win this season in three tries. The Wildcats fell to Duke, 95-92, Miss. State, 74-69, and Tennessee, 76-74.
Kentucky has now played 81 overtime games in 99 seasons, and owns a 44-37 record in those contests.
In the Tubby Smith era, the Cats won their first seven overtime games but have lost their last four over the past two seasons.
National Exposure
The Cats appeared on national TV 16 times this season. The Florida game on March 2 marked the unprecedented seventh regular-season appearance on CBS, according to 17-year veteran producer Bob Dekas. Including NCAA Tournament play, UK played on the network 10 times this year. The Cats also played six times on ESPN.
SEASON NOTES
Another Smith Success Story
The Smith family success is definitely in the bloodlines. The youngest Smith, Brian, a 6-0 junior point guard at Lexington Catholic, helped steer the Knights to the school’s first state championship on March 16. His team beat Paducah Tilghman, 83-53, for the Sweet 16 crown, perhaps the only state championship still played involving every high school in the state (no classes).
Brian averaged 8.0 points and 5.3 assists per game while committing only one turnover during the four-game tournament. Neither older brothers G.G. or Saul can claim a prep state title.
SEC Domination
Kentucky completed its 69th season of SEC play. A charter member, the Cats have been the most dominant team in the league through the years, recording a 780-212 mark (78.6%). No other team has won more than 647 regular-season games (Alabama) and no other team has a better winning percentage. UK has averaged 11.3 wins and 3.1 losses per season during its SEC tenure.
The Wildcats have won 41 SEC titles and 23 SEC Tournament Championships, more titles than the other teams combined.
Kentucky has won eight of the last 11 SEC Tournament titles.
Good Work, Tayshaun!
Tayshaun Prince represented Kentucky as a featured member of the SEC Good Works Team for the week of March 10-16. The team is comprised of one student-athlete from each of the league’s 12 member institutions. The player must show excellence on the court and a dedication to community service.
Prince has spent much of his career devoting time to community service projects, including visiting local hospitals and serving as a mentor for local elementary students.
Big Draw I
This season, the Cats played in front of five of the top 10 regular-season crowds in the nation, including four at home. Kentucky entertained 10 of the nation’s top-20 crowds as well. Statistics courtesty of the NCAA and include all games through March 3:
Game (Site)Attendance1. UK-Indiana (N)29,3792. Syracuse-Georgetown29,2153. UK-Louisville (H)24,3304. UK-Florida (H)23,6065. UK-Alabama (H)23,5446. Syracuse-Virginia Tech23,2267. UK-North Carolina (H)23,1538. Syracuse-Boston College22,9289. Missouri-Illinois22,15310. UK-Arkansas (H)22,109
Big Draw II
Kentucky routinely draws an opponent’s top home crowd each season. In fact, in the nine road games the Cats played this year, UK matched or exceeded the team’s average crowd.
OpponentAttendanceOpp. Avg.Miss. State9,3474,607S. Carolina12,0977,975Notre Dame11,41810,984Auburn10,5009,500Florida12,21210,346Tennessee17,26013,661LSU8,5498,305Georgia10,5238,799Vanderbilt14,1688,848
Bowie’s Jersey Retired
Former All-American Sam Bowie had his Kentucky jersey retired in a ceremony prior to the Arkansas game on Feb. 23. Bowie, a native of Lebanon, Pa., played for the Cats for three seasons (1980-81, ’84) while battling numerous leg injuires which forced him to miss both the 1982 and ’83 seasons. Yet, he still totaled 1,285 points and averaged 13.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game during his career. The 7-1 center led the Cats to the 1984 Final Four and earned second-team All-America honors by The Sporting News.
Bowie played 11 seasons in the NBA and worked from 1998-’01 as the analyst on the UK Radio Network. He currently resides in Lexington and is involved in the standardbred horse industry. In 2000, he became the first African-American to be named to the Kentucky Racing Commission.
He becomes the 42nd Wildcat to earn the prestigious honor.
Injured List
The Wildcats had their share of injuries this season. The return of J.P. Blevins and Adam Chiles to action on Feb. 2 marked the healthiest the squad had been since mid-December.
Blevins, who suffered a broken right wrist on Dec. 22 vs. Indiana, underwent surgery to have a screw inserted into the break on Dec. 27. He missed 10 games due to the injury.
It was not his first injury of the season. He missed the Cats’ first two games of the year with a sprained ankle.
Chiles suffered bruised ribs prior to the Notre Dame game. He missed four games before reappearing against South Carolina on Feb. 2.
Jason Parker suffered two torn ACLs in the same knee prior to the season. After undergoing his second surgery Nov. 1, he’ll miss the entire year. Marquis Estill pulled a back muscle late in the preseason and missed both exhibition games but did return in time to play in the Cats’ first game vs. Western Kentucky.
Rashaad Carruth suffered a high ankle sprain/bone bruise and missed both exhibition games and the Cats’ first four regular-season contests. Gerald Fitch also broke his nose in UK’s first exhibition game against Nike Elite but failed to miss any action.
True Glue
Gerald Fitch earned national attention in early February by Sports Illustrated as a “Glue Guy” – ‘someone who’s versatile, tough, smart, unselfish, but not a star.’ The magazine started the list three years ago, and writer Seth Davis dubbed Fitch the leader of the third annual squad.
“When Keith Bogans was mired in a shooting slump, Fitch helped Kentucky by tossing in points. When Bogans had it going against Florida, Fitch was content to score just two points and contribute six boards, two assists and two steals. That’s called stickin’ it to ’em.”
Also making the team were Duke’s Dahntay Jones, UCLA’s Billy Knight, Maryland’s Byron Mouton, Indiana’s Jarrad Odle and Alabama’s Antoine Pettway.
Ahhhh, Maui
Next Nov. 25-27, the Wildcats will compete in the Maui Invitational. It’s UK first return to the islands since a third-place finish in Nov. 1997. Other participating teams include Arizona State, Chaminade, Gonzaga, Indiana, UMass, Utah and Virginia.
Mr. Clutch Strikes Again
Tayshaun Prince has a laundry list of clutch performances during his four-year career at Kentucky. Against Auburn on Jan. 22, he struck again. Prince canned a three-pointer to curtail Auburn’s 14-4 run and give the Cats’ a 57-50 lead. The shot boosted UK on an 8-0 run that iced the game.Other clutch performances by Prince include a game-winner against Florida last season, scoring 16 of the Cats’ final 23 to lead a comeback at Vanderbilt, a double-clutch three against St. Bonaventure in the 2000 NCAA Tourney and a runner in the lane with 23 seconds to go that lifted UK to a win at Miami that same season.
Eight in a Row
Kentucky continued its dominance at the UCA Cheerleading Championships on Jan. 12 when the Wildcats took the title for the eighth consecutive year. It was the 12th title overall for the team. The UK squad is coached by Saleem Habash with advisor T. Lynn Williamson.
Central Florida finished second in the event, which was held at MGM Grand Studios in Orlando, Fla.
Kentucky has won the event in 1985, ’87, ’88, ’92, ’95, ’96, ’97, ’98, ’99, 2000, ’01 and ’02.
White House Honors Cheerleaders
The national champion Kentucky cheerleaders were recognized with 11 other NCAA champions at a White House ceremony on Tuesday, March 12.
UK captured its eighth straight UCA Cheerleading Championship in January, the Wildcats’ 12th overall title. It’s the team’s first Presidential recognition.
The Wildcats also toured D.C. and met with Kentucky congress members.
Three-Point Show
Kentucky set a school record when nine different Wildcats made a three-point field goal in UK’s win over Tulane on Jan. 2. Since the three-point shot was implemented in 1987, no UK squad ever had nine different Cats can a three in the same game. The nine different “lives” splashed in 16 total treys against the Green Wave, the most in a game in the Tubby Smith Era at Kentucky. It also marked the most since UK canned 16 against UNC Asheville in Dec. 1996.
Prince Named SEC Player of the Week
The Southeastern Conference named Kentucky senior Tayshaun Prince its Player of the Week for Dec. 24-Jan. 1.
The 6-9 senior was very consistent in late December, tallying 17 points and nine rebounds against Duke, 17 and 11 against the Hoosiers and 18 and nine against the Cardinals. The double-double against Indiana was his third this season and the 10th of his career.
It was his first SEC Player of the Week honor this season and the first by a Cat. Prince won the award once as a sophomore and twice in 2001.
Prince Named SEC POW – Again!
Tayshaun Prince earned his second SEC Player of the Week honor for the week of Feb. 23-March 2 after leading UK to wins over Tennessee and Arkansas. He averaged 15.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg and posted his fifth double-double of the season against the Hogs with 16 points and 10 rebounds. It was the fifth career POW honor for Prince.
Stone Dismissed
Marvin Stone was dismissed from the Kentucky men’s basketball team on Dec. 27. The 6-10 junior failed to return from the holiday break and became the first player to be dismissed from the Wildcats’ basketball team in Smith’s five seasons.
Stone averaged 5.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He saw action in all nine contests, starting the first two, and averaged 13.9 minutes per game.
The Huntsville, Ala., native totaled 397 points and 314 rebounds in his career after playing in 75 games with 11 starts.
Cawood’s Court
The new floor at Rupp Arena was named “Cawood’s Court” in ceremonies before the Louisville game. The tribute honors Cawood Ledford, who was the beloved “Voice of the Wildcats” for 39 years (1953-92). Ledford passed away in early September following a long battle with cancer.
The ceremony included the unveiling of a logo courtside not far from where he called all the action and a donation by two area businesses to the Cawood Ledford Scholarship Fund at UK. The fund was established in 1992 to assist former student-athletes in completing their degrees.
Hawk’s Shooting Eye
Cliff Hawkins recorded back-to-back career highs in December.
The sophomore tallied 15 points against Duke, including nine of the Cats’ first 11 in overtime. He then returned to score 17 points against Indiana four days later. For the week, he averaged 16 ppg and 4.0 apg.
Within the Borders
Kentucky’s 20-point win over Louisville closed out a four-game schedule this season with state schools. UK finished with a 3-1 record in those games. It was the most games with in-state schools since the 1920-21 season.
The Cats fell to Western Kentucky and defeated Morehead State, Kentucky State and Louisville. They faced Kentucky Wesleyan, Cumberland, Georgetown and Centre during the ’21 season, posting a 5-1 record in the meetings.
Cats vs. No. 1 Teams
After falling to top-ranked Duke, 95-92, in overtime on Dec. 18, Kentucky fell to 4-9 against No.1-ranked teams in the AP poll since 1949.
The Wildcats played Duke two other times when the Blue Devils were ranked No. 1 in the country. Duke won both games, 80-55 on Nov. 19, 1988 and 104-103 in overtime on March 28, 1992.
Kentucky’s last win over a top-ranked team was an 81-74 victory against UMass at the Meadowlands in the NCAA Semifinals on March 30, 1996.
December to Remember
Kentucky kicked off a highly anticipated December schedule of great rivalries on Dec. 8 with a 79-59 rout of North Carolina. After 118-63 win over Kentucky State, the Wildcats lost a thrilling overtime game to No. 1 Duke, 95-92, in the Jimmy V Classic. After holding eventual NCAA runner-up Indiana to 32.1% shooting in a 66-52 win in the RCA Dome, the Cats finished off Louisville, 82-62.
UK By Months
The Wildcats hold a 510-176 all-time record in the month of January for a .743 winning percentage. UK finished the month with a 5-3 mark.
UK closed out February on the road with a loss at Vanderbilt. The Cats were again 5-3 during the month. The Wildcats are 582-182 (76.2%) all-time in February.
March Magic
UK is 248-94 all-time in the month of March for a 72.5 winning percentage.
TREY-Shaun’s Game
Tayshaun Prince’s effort vs. UNC won’t soon be forgotten. Along with his three-point shooting display, Prince totaled 31 points, 11 rebounds and four steals. He matched his then-career scoring and steals totals. It was his second consecutive double-double, the ninth of his career.
Prince’s streak of five three-pointers on five straight possessions to start the North Carolina game were the first of seven for the game, all coming in the opening half. His fifth, just a few inches inside the “U” at center court, measured nearly 30′.
His seven 3FGs in a half tied Derrick Miller for the most threes scored in a half at Kentucky. Miller also drained seven to start the Kansas game on Dec. 9, 1989 before finishing with eight threes in the game.
Prince’s seven, however, were the most treys recorded by a Wildcat in Rupp Arena as Miller’s came in the Jayhawks’ storied Allen Field House.
Queen City Mark
In November, Kentucky played its fifth consecutive season at the Firstar Center in Cincinnati, defeating Kent State, 82-68. The Wildcats are now 6-1 all-time in the arena.
Season Openers
Kentucky is 81-18 in season openers after its loss to Western Kentucky in the NABC Classic. Last season, the Cats were upset in New York by St. John’s, 62-61. Tubby Smith is 8-3 in season openers during his head coaching career.
Home Openers
Kentucky is 84-15 all-time in home openers after the loss to WKU. Nine of those losses occurred before Adolph Rupp began coaching in 1930. The Cats are 65-6 since 1930, losing the home opener in 1955 to Temple, 1962 to Va. Tech, 1972 to Iowa, 1988 to Northwestern State, 2000 to Penn State and this season to Western Kentucky.
UK now stands at 23-3 in home openers at Rupp Arena.
PRESEASON NOTES
AP Names Prince All-America
Forward Tayshaun Prince added yet another honor to his resume in November as he was named to the The Associated Press Preseason All-America team, the only senior on the list.
Prince joined Duke’s Jason Williams, Stanford’s Casey Jacobsen, Missouri’s Kareem Rush and Illinois’ Frank Williams.
Prince was just the second Wildcat to earn the preseason honor from the AP since the national news organization began naming a preseason team in 1985. Jamal Mashburn was a preseason All-American prior to the 1992-93 season.
Prince also was named first-team Preseason All-America by collegeinsider.com, Athlon Sports, Blue Ribbon Basketball, The Sporting News and Basketball News.
He was a second-team selection by AP at the end of last season.
Parker Injury
Jason Parker underwent his second ACL surgery on his right knee in four months when he had a patella tendon autograft performed by team physicians Darren Johnson and Scott Mair on Nov. 1. Parker injured the knee June 24 in a pickup basketball game and had his initial surgery July 2. He retore the ligament prior to introductions for Big Blue Madness on Oct. 12.
Parker has missed the 2001-02 season as a redshirt. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Their Old Kentucky Home
This season’s roster boasts six products from the Bluegrass State, the most since the 1991 season.
J.P. Blevins (Edmonton), Marquis Estill (Richmond), Cory Sears (Corbin), Matt Heissenbuttel (Lexington), Josh Carrier (Bowling Green) and Adam Chiles (Louisville) all hail from within the state’s borders.
In ’91, Reggie Hanson, Richie Farmer, John Pelphrey, Deron Feldhaus, Michael Parks and Todd Bearup all came from Kentucky. Much like Sears and Heissenbuttel, Parks and Bearup were both walk-ons 11 seasons ago.
Face Lift
Fans who attended UK home games this past season recognized changes at floor level. In addition to the new floor that was purchased last summer, courtside fan seating was added as well. Twenty-two new “scholarship seats” displaced some traditional media seating and were installed on press row. The 22 seats were sold for $313,000 a pair and the revenue generated has gone to endow all 13 men’s basketball scholarships. There are still three pairs remaining to be sold.
Kentucky celebrated its 25th season in the first built-for-basketball arena last year, playing for a quarter of a century on the original floor. Pieces of the original floor were auctioned off prior to the charity game, “A Night of True Champions,” on Aug. 11, raising more than $38,000. The money was split between the UK Basketball Museum, the KHSAA and the Lexington Civic Center for the purchase of the new floor.
The new floor was designed by UK in conjunction with Lexington Civic Center officials. It was constructed by Robbins, Inc., in Cincinnati, Ohio at a cost of $125,000.
BIG BLUE MANIA
Back In Town
Several former Wildcats appeared back in the Bluegrass during the winter. Heshimu Evans, Kentucky’s spark off the bench in the Cats’ drive to the ’98 title, has been playing this season in Portugal. He was home at the end of January on a one-week break and participated in the “KENTUCKY” cheer at the Cats’ game with Alabama on Jan. 26.
Jeff Sheppard, the 1998 Final Four MVP, is back from his professional playing career in Italy. He was spotted updating his resume in CATS in January. He’s living in London, Ky., with his wife Stacey, a former star of the women’s team, and their daughter, Madison.
Allen Edwards, a teammate of Sheppard’s, is back in school on the Cawood Ledford Scholarship fund. He’s one of three Wildcats taking advantage of the fund, which allows former student-athletes to return to school after their eligibility has expired to complete their degree requirments. Also enrolled is Derrick Miller (’90) and Dale Brown (’93).
Jared Prickett (’97) returned from his pro career in Argentina due to the South America country’s severe recession. He returned to Europe.
Keightley Finishes 41st Season
Equipment manager Bill Keightley completed his 41st season in the UK program. Against Auburn, the beloved Mr. Wildcat worked his 1,250th UK game, after serving on the Wildcats’ staff since 1961-62. He’s watched the Cats roll to a 966-298 record during that era.
Keightley, who has a jersey retired in the rafters of Rupp Arena, has worked under five different head coaches at UK — Rupp, Hall, Sutton, Pitino and Smith.
Wiggins Passes 1,200
Big Blue fan Bob Wiggins continued his amazing streak of following the basketball Cats. He just completed his 49th season watching Kentucky play in person and through his own record-keeping, has attended 1,222 UK games.
Wiggins, who is retired and lives in Falmouth, Ky., saw 615 consecutive games — home and away — from 1977 until he suffered a heart attack just before the 1996 Great Alaska Shootout. It’s the second-longest streak on record at UK.
The illness forced him to miss four games, but he has since returned to see every contest in person, a streak of 208 games.
Meanwhile, his home court streak is still intact. Wiggins has not missed a home game in 41 years, a streak spanning 589 games. During that period, which dates back to 1960-61, UK has a home record of 523-66.
UK’s NBA Players
To start the 2001-02 NBA season, the following Wildcats were active:
Derek AndersonPortlandTony DelkBostonWalter McCartyBostonJamaal MagloireCharlotteJamal MashburnCharlotteRon MercerIndianaNazr MohammedAtlantaScott PadgettUtahMark PopeMilwaukeeAntoine WalkerBoston
In addition, former UK assistant coach Jim O’Brien is the head coach of the Boston Celtics while former UK All-American Pat Riley coaches the Miami Heat.
