Dec. 13, 2002
No. 21/21 Michigan State Spartans (4-2)
vs.
No. 12/12 Kentucky Wildcats (5-1)
The Michigan State Game
Rupp Arena (23,000)
Lexington, Ky.
Dec. 14, 2002
4:06 p.m. ET
RADIO
UK Radio Network (80+ stations): Tom Leach, Mike Pratt, Dave Baker.
Listen Live
TELEVISION
CBS: Vern Lundquist and Clark Kellogg
vs. Michigan State
Nickname: Spartans
Web site: msuspartans.com
Series Record: UK leads 11-8
In Lexington: UK leads 7-1
Last Meeting: Dec. 16, 2000 – @MSU 46, UK 45
COACHING COMPARISONS
Tubby Smith (High Point ’73)
Overall: 261-106 (.711) (12th)
at UK: 137-44 (.757) (6th)
vs. Michigan State: 1-2
Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan ’77)
Overall: 171-67 (.718) (8th)
at MSU: same
vs. Kentucky: 2-1
DID YOU KNOW
Did you know that Kentucky is shooting 51.8 percent from the field through its first six games? The last time a UK team topped 50% shooting for a season occurred in 1986, the last year college hoops went without the 3-point shot. That season, UK hit 51.4%.
Wildcats Face Big Ten-Favorite Michigan State in Retro Game
Kentucky will battle its third ranked opponent in five games as its tough Saturday December schedule continues when No. 21 Michigan State invades Rupp Arena. The Wildcats, which have beaten ranked opponents Gonzaga and North Carolina already this season, will break out its new gray “retro” uniforms against the Spartans. The Nike uniforms pay tribute to the Cats’ 100 years of basketball, which is being celebrated all season long. And no, the shorts aren’t short.
The Cats enter the contest with a four-game winning streak and play at home for just the second time this season. After opening their 100th season in Maui, they grabbed a home opening victory over High Point before picking up road wins at North Carolina and Tulane the past week. Next Saturday, after final exams are complete, UK will battle Indiana in Louisville then face Louisville in Freedom Hall on the month’s final Saturday.
Michigan State is led by sophomore guard Chris Hill, who leads the team in scoring, three-point shooting, assists and steals. The 6-3 guard has led MSU to consecutive homes wins over Virginia and Cleveland State after suffering two losses in the Great Alaska Shootout, falling to Villanova in the semifinals before losing to Oklahoma State in the consolation game. This is MSU’s first road game of the season.
PROBABLE STARTERS
KentuckyNo. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Ppg Rpg Hometown '03 Note44 Chuck Hayes F 6-6 247 So. 8.3 5.8 Modesto, Calif. Had 10 boards vs. Tulane40 Jules Camara F/C 6-11 220 Sr. 9.5 6.0 Dakar, Senegal Scored double digits 4 times50 Marquis Estill C 6-9 236 Sr. 12.5 4.8 Richmond, Ky. 7th in NCAA FG%10 Keith Bogans G/F 6-5 213 Sr. 18.7 3.0 Alexandria, Va. Hit 11 of last 17 3FGAs 4 Gerald Fitch G 6-3 188 Jr. 14.8 2.8 Macon, Ga. Named SEC & TSN POW
Michigan State 55 Adam Ballinger F 6-9 250 Sr. 10.7 4.7 Blufton, Ind. Solid shooter 25 Aloysius Anagonye F 6-8 260 Sr. 8.7 6.2 Southfield, Mich. Started vs. UK in ’00 meeting 15 Alan Anderson F 6-6 220 So. 8.7 3.7 Minneapolis, Minn. 2nd at MSU in FTAs 23 Kelvin Torbert G 6-4 215 So. 8.0 3.2 Flint, Mich. Another “Flint”stone 5 Chris Hill G 6-3 190 So. 16.8 2.8 Indianapolis, Ind. Shooting 45.1% from 3FG
Fitch Named SEC and Sporting News Player of the Week
Gerald Fitch recorded back-to-back career highs last week – 18 points against High Point, 25 against No. 12 North Carolina – in leading the Wildcats to consecutive wins, earning SEC Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career. He also was recognized nationally as The Sporting News’ Player of the Week.
Fitch shot 68.2% from the field for the week and 75.0% from three-point range against the two teams. Against High Point, he totaled a career-high six assists as well. Against UNC, he scored 16 of his 25 in the decisive second half as UK rallied from a 43-40 halftime deficit. Fitch, a two-guard, is playing out of his normal position at point guard in the absence of 2002 starter Cliff Hawkins.
Good Shots, Good Percentage
Kentucky has continued to shoot the ball well this season, topping the .500 mark in four of its six games, including the last three.
After converting a season-high 62.7% against High Point on Dec. 3, the Cats topped the 60.0% mark a second time last week with a 60.3% outing against the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, marking the first time that Kentucky has put together back-to-back 60.0% shooting performances since the 1996-97 season. That season, the Wildcats shot 63.9% against College of Charleston in the finals of the 1996 Great Alaska Shootout before hitting 60.9% of its shots against Purdue in the Great Eight in Chicago just four days later.
Against Tulane on Tuesday, the Cats just missed the 60.0% plateau with a 54.7% performance. For the season, the Cats are shooting a blistering 51.8%, led by Marquis Estill’s 71.1%.
Shortened Squad
Kentucky will remain without two potential starters when it faces Michigan State. Point guard Cliff Hawkins is missing what the Cats hope will be his final game after sitting out the fall semester with academic issues. He may return to action following finals next week when UK battles Indiana in Louisville’s Freedom Hall.
The Wildcats were dealt another blow on Dec. 1 when junior college transfer Antwain Barbour broke his left hand in practice. Barbour underwent surgery on Dec. 3 to stabilize the break in his third metacarpal bone. Doctors expect him to be out for 4-6 weeks.
Series Information
This is the 20th meeting between the two teams with UK holding an 11-8 advantage in the series. The teams last met on Dec. 16, 2000, with the No. 2 Spartans taking a 46-45 win in East Lansing. It was a shocking finish considering second-ranked MSU was averaging 92 ppg coming into the contest and was held to a season-low 18 points in the first half as UK built a nine-point lead. It served as a breakout game for UK freshman Gerald Fitch, who came off the bench to total two points, nine boards, two assists and two steals to spark the Wildcats.
This is the teams’ seventh meeting since 1971. The last meeting in Lexington occurred on Dec. 23, 1999, a 60-58 UK victory. MSU star Mateen Cleaves was sidelined for the game with an injury.
State coach Tom Izzo holds a 2-1 record against the Wildcats, including a 73-66 win in the 1999 NCAA Midwest Regional Championship game, giving MSU its first Final Four berth since 1979. Tubby Smith is 1-2 against State.
UK vs. Big Ten
The Spartans are the first of two Big Ten opponents on the UK schedule this season. The Cats return to the court next Saturday following final exams to face 2002 NCAA runner-up Indiana.
Kentucky is 86-51 all-time against the conference, including a 24-21 record against the Hoosiers, who annually appear on the UK slate.
Last season, UK went 1-0 against the Big Ten with its win over IU.
“Respect Month”
UK forward Chuck Hayes has termed December “Respect Month” for the Wildcats. Following road games at North Carolina last Saturday and Tulane earlier this week, the Cats face Michigan State, Indiana and Louisville on consecutive Saturdays. Both the IU game and the Louisville road game will be played in U of L’s Freedom Hall.
UK holds a 429-101 mark (.809) in the month of December, including a 3-0 start to the month this year. Last season, the Cats went 5-1 in the year’s final month with its only loss coming at the hands of then-No. 1 Duke in the Jimmy V Classic.
Since Maui
Since the Wildcats returned from its three-game stint in the Maui Invitational, their stats have improved. In the three games since, UK has shot 59.3 percent from the field and 55.3% from three-point range.
Keith Bogans has shot 62.2% from the field and 64.7% from three-point range during the last three games while averaging 20.7 points, 3.7 assists and 3.3 steals per game.
Gerald Fitch has shot 67.9% from the field and 66.7% from three-point range while averaging 17.7 ppg and 3.0 apg.
In the last four games, Chuck Hayes has averaged 7.8 rpg. In three of those four contests, he’s earned the start at small forward.
Cats in Stats
In the NCAA stats, Marquis Estill ranks seventh in the nation in field goal percentage, hitting 71.8% entering the week. As a team, UK ranks 11th nationally in field goal percentage (51.2%), 32nd in blocked shots (5.4 bpg) and 39th in scoring (81.0 ppg).
In the updated SEC stats, Keith Bogans ranks fourth in scoring, eighth in FG percentage, third in 3FG percentage, ninth in steals and first in threes made per game. Gerald Fitch ranks 13th in scoring, ninth in FG percentage and fourth in 3FG percentage. Marquis Estill ranks second in FG percentage and third in blocks, just ahead of teammate Jules Camara in fourth.
As a team, UK is third in the league in scoring, second in FG percentage, first in three-point percentage, third in FT percentage and second in blocks.
Vs. Ranked Opponents
The Wildcats have already beaten No. 20 Gonzaga in the Maui Invitational and No. 12 North Carolina in Chapel Hill to own a 2-0 record against ranked teams entering the matchup with No. 21 Michigan State.
The Wildcats could play as many as seven teams ranked in the Top 25 this season, including two top-10 squads — Florida and Alabama. Future UK opponents Georgia, Indiana and Mississippi State also are ranked.
Cats in the Polls
The Wildcats were ranked 17th in both preseason polls. This week, UK is ranked 12th in both major polls, its highest ranking since the end of February last season.
After a third-place finish in Hawaii, Kentucky fell to 18th in both polls, its lowest ranking this season.
Rupp Arena
Kentucky is in its 27th season at Rupp Arena, where the Wildcats own a 341-39 (91.8%) record.
The Cats have won the national attendance title the past seven seasons. Overall, the Wildcats have won 15 national attendance titles in the building.
Once again this season, the arena debuts new upgrades, including all blue seats in the lower level, a new concourse, a standing-room only “eRUPP-tion Zone” for the student body and a media press box, all totaling $5.1 million. The new purple concourse is two levels, replacing the old one-level boxed concession stand. It features greater concession stand access and more restrooms. The “eRUPPtion Zone” moved 400 season ticket holders to other seats in lower arena and moves the band and nearly 700 students into the end zone nearest UK’s bench. It also gives students access to floor-level seating, er, standing. Shockingly, a UK junior from Lincolnton, N.C., Andy Acker, named the area in a contest among the student body. His entry was picked from nearly 200 submissions.
National Exposure
The Michigan State game marks UK’s sixth national television appearance in seven games this season, its first on CBS. The Cats will appear on national TV 16 times during the 2002-03 regular season, including 10 ESPN appearances and six games on CBS.
Power Rankings
Kentucky’s schedule is annually ranked one of the toughest in the nation. The following is this week’s power rankings (schedule ranking in parentheses):
Sagarin collegerpi.comUK 6th (30th) 20th (38th)MSU 39th (143rd) 84th (110th)
Next Opponent
Kentucky will play its annual neutral-site game at Louisville’s Freedom Hall against this week’s seventh ranked team, Indiana. The Hoosiers, who are coming off a 2002 NCAA runner-up finish, have lost the last two meetings in the series with UK. Last year, Kentucky’s Cliff Hawkins dominated the game with 17 points for the 66-52 Wildcat victory.
It marks the first of two consecutive games for UK in Freedom Hall as UK returns to the building on Dec. 28 to battle host Louisville.
Last Time Out
Keith Bogans was a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point range to lead UK with 21 points in a 76-60 win over Tulane in New Orleans Arena.
The Cats shot 54.7% from the field, making it the fourth time in six games that UK has shot over 50.0% from the field.
Milestones
In his last outing, Keith Bogans moved past two UK legends — Johnny Cox and Pat Riley — and into 16th place on UK’s all-time scoring list with 1,471 points. He needs four points to catch another legend, Cliff Hagan.
Bogans’ five made threes against Tulane tied him for fourth place on the UK list for career made three-pointers with Travis Ford. With one more, he can tie Derrick Miller for third place.
Jules Camara ranks seventh on the Wildcats’ all-time blocked-shots list, trailing No. 6 Nazr Mohammed by six blocks.
Three Mania
Kentucky ranks third nationally in consecutive games with a made three-pointer. The Wildcats have hit a three-pointer in 479 consecutive games, which trails UNLV and Vanderbilt.
The Wildcats’ last game without a three-pointer came 14 seasons ago against Seton Hall on Nov. 26, 1988, a “three-point” loss in the Great Alaska Shootout.
Estill Holds Record Mark
Senior Marquis Estill shot six-of-eight from the field in the season opener against Arizona State and now has the minimum 200 made field goals in his UK career to take the all-time lead in FG percentage. So far this year, he’s 32-of-45 from the field. For his career he’s shooting 62.6%.
Estill ranks ahead of the school’s previous record holder, Charles Hurt (1980-83), who shot 59.3 percent. Estill can own the school record should he maintain the pace throughout the season. The 6-9 center can earn a fourth year of eligibility should he graduate by the fall semester of 2003.
Career FG Percentage (Min. 200 made)
62.6 Marquis Estill (228-364) 2001-03
59.3 Charles Hurt (303-511) 1980-83
59.1 Melvin Turpin (626-1059) 1981-84
58.1 Rick Robey (533-917) 1975-78
57.1 Kenny Walker (765-1339) 1983-86
Double-Doubles
Kentucky got its first double-double performance of the season when Jules Camara totaled 12 points and 10 rebounds in relief against Virginia. It marked Camara’s fifth career double-double.
Chuck Hayes nearly pulled off the feat against Gonzaga, but fell just short, finishing with 11 points and nine boards against the Bulldogs.
SEASON NOTES
100th Season
The Wildcats are playing their 100th season of basketball this year. The Cats have a number of events planned throughout the season, including fan balloting for the program’s greatest players, games and moments. The celebration will include replays of the top 10 games on radio, a 25-year celebration of the 1978 NCAA Champions, and four special-edition bobble-head dolls that fans can collect. The year-long celebration concludes with an all-letterman reunion on Feb. 23 at the Mississippi State game.
Kentucky celebrates unparalleled tradition, including seven NCAA titles, the most wins in college basketball, the best winning percentage in college hoops, the most consensus All-Americans, the most AP top-10 finishes, the most SEC Championships and tournament crowns and 15 national attendance titles.
Its first bobble-head promotion was held at the home opener when 500 lucky students received a Kyle Macy bobble-head. The second surprise bobble-head debuts against Michigan State.
Triple Trouble
Three Wildcats topped the 20-point mark in UK’s win over UNC on Dec. 7, making it the first time in 13 seasons that three players scored 20 points in the same game. Gerald Fitch led the team with a career-high 25 points, while Keith Bogans and Marquis Estill each added 20. All of Estill’s points came in the decisive second half.
The last group to accomplish the feat included current UK assistant coach Reggie Hanson. With Tubby Smith on the sidelines as an assistant coach, Hanson combined his 20 points with 21 by Deron Feldhaus and a 40-point burst from Derrick Miller for a 100-73 win over Vanderbilt on Feb. 7, 1990.
Long-Range Love
UK was 10-of-16 from treyville against UNC, connecting on 62.5% of its shots, which would be a school record had the Cats made the minimum 20 threes needed.
It was the highest three-point percentage since UK hit 63.6% of its shots against Wake Forest during its 1996 march to the national title. UK was 7-of-11 from outside in that game.
Daniels’ Solid Return
Junior Erik Daniels, who was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating NCAA rules governing summer league play, had a stellar return against North Carolina on Dec. 7. Daniels shot a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, including 1-of-1 from three-point land, for 9 points, while grabbing five rebounds and two assists in 19 minutes.
His productive start was reminiscent of his freshman season when the Cincinnati native missed the opener after having his knee scoped in the preseason. He returned against UCLA and over the course of the next three games was a perfect 9-for-9 from the field.
Home Openers
With the win over High Point, Kentucky is now 85-15 all-time in home openers. Nine of those losses occurred before Adolph Rupp began coaching in 1930. The Cats are 66-6 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 last season to Western Kentucky.
UK now stands at 24-3 in home openers at Rupp Arena.
Maui Invitational Results
Kentucky finished in third place at the 19th annual Maui Invitational. Kentucky beat Arizona State in the first round before getting upset by Virginia in the semifinals. The Wildcats then beat No. 20 Gonzaga in the consolation game. It was the third appearance for UK in the Maui Invitational. The Cats are now 7-2 all-time in the tournament, earning a championship in 1993 and a third-place finish in 1997 in their two previous appearances.
Keith Bogans averaged 16.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game to earn All-Tournament team honors. UK rival Indiana beat Virginia to claim the 2002 title.
Well more than 500 Kentucky fans made the trip to the Maui Invitational to cheer on the Wildcats. UK chartered an L1011, and along with an official traveling party of 55 team and school personnel, an additional 300 fans were aboard the plane. Also, another 150 fans purchased the trip through Commonwealth Travel in Lexington and flew commercially. Others made the trip via additional travel agencies or on their own to help give the Wildcats the largest cheering section among the eight participating teams.
SEC Domination
UK will play its 70th season of SEC action in 2003. 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 SEC 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.
PRESEASON NOTES
Returning Production
UK lost just one starter off its 2002 Sweet 16 team (Tayshaun Prince), but returned just 67.1% of its scoring from a year ago. Here’s the complete breakdown, which includes Cliff Hawkins, who’s expected to return during the holidays:
Points 67.1%
Rebounds 76.6%
Assists 81.7%
Blocks 67.3%
Steals 77.4%
SEC Preseason Poll
The Wildcats were picked to finish third in the SEC Eastern Division in a preseason poll of media members. UK, which has not finished lower than second since the league split into divisions in 1992, was also predicted to finish fourth in the race for the SEC regular-season crown.
Keith Bogans was the only Wildcat picked as either first- or second-team preseason All-SEC poll. The first team included Erwin Dudley (Alabama), Mario Austin (Miss. State), Jarvis Hayes (Georgia), Maurice Williams (Alabama), and Brett Nelson (Florida). The second team included Bogans, Ronald Dupree (LSU), Matt Bonner (Florida), Ezra Williams (Georgia) and Derrick Zimmerman (Miss. State).
BIG BLUE MANIA
Keightley’s Seen Half of UK’s Games
Incredible.
Bill Keightley is in his 42nd season as equipment manager of the UK basketball team. The beloved “Mr. Wildcat” has served on the staff since the 1961-62 season and has witnessed 1,268 games during his career, owning a 969-299 record during that era.
The Wildcats, who are celebrating their 100th season of basketball, have played 2,390 games, meaning Keightley has witnessed 53.1% of the games.
The Lawrenceburg, Ky., native, 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. The current cats have a modern nickname for the 75-year-old Keightley — “Smooth.”
Wiggins In 50th Season
Big Blue fan Bob Wiggins continued his amazing streak of following the basketball Cats. He’s starting his 50th season watching Kentucky play in person and through his own record-keeping, has attended 1,226 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 longest record is the late Steve Reardon’s 626 games.
The illness forced Wiggins to miss four games, but he has since returned to see every contest in person, a streak of 212 games.
Meanwhile, his home court streak is still intact. Wiggins has not missed a home game in 42 years, a streak spanning 590 games. During that period, which dates back to 1960-61, UK has a home record of 524-66.
UK’s NBA Players
To start the 2002-03 NBA season, the following Wildcats were active:
Derek Anderson – Portland
Tony Delk – Boston
Jamaal Magloire – New Orleans
Jamal Mashburn – New Orleans
Walter McCarty – Boston
Ron Mercer – Indiana
Nazr Mohammed – Atlanta
Scott Padgett – Utah
Mark Pope – New York
Tayshaun Prince – Detroit
Antoine Walker – Boston
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.
Other Wildcats participating in professional basketball include Heshimu Evans, Jared Prickett, Andre Riddick and Wayne Turner, who are all playing overseas, and Saul Smith, who plays for Columbus of the NBDL.
UKathletics com 100-Year Catalog and Online Store
UK Athletics has released an official catalog and online store with products celebrating the 100 years of UK hoops. The product line includes memorabilia, Tubby Smith autographed items, videos, DVDs and the full-line of Nike apparel. The catalog is a special 100-year basketball that features UK’s national champions, All-Americans, great coaches and 100-year logo. Fans may call 888-234-9350 or log on to ukauthentic.com to purchase items.
— Go Cats —
