Jan. 17, 2003
No. 10/9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (14-2, 2-1 Big East)
vs.
No. 16/16 Kentucky Wildcats (12-3, 3-0 SEC)
The Notre Dame Game
Rupp Arena (23,000)
Lexington, Ky.
Jan. 18, 2003
2:05 p.m. ET
RADIO
UK Radio Network (80+ stations): Tom Leach, Mike Pratt, Dave Baker.
TELEVISION
CBS Sports (Live): Gus Johnson and Clark Kellogg.
The Series
vs. Notre Dame
Nickname: Fighting Irish
Web site: und.com
Series Record: UK leads 39-17
In Lexington: UK leads 6-0
Last Meeting: Jan. 19, 2002 – UK 72, ND 65
Coaching Comparisons
Tubby Smith (High Point ’73)
Overall: 268-108 (.713) (12th)
at UK: 144-46 (.758) (6th)
vs. Notre Dame: 2-0
Mike Brey (George Washington ’82)
Overall: 155-75 (.674) (8th)
at ND: 56-43 (.566) (3rd)
vs. Kentucky: 0-2
Team Comparisons
cats irishRecord 12-3 14-2Scoring Offense 78.9 79.4Scoring Defense 69.1 62.8Scoring Margin +9.8 +16.6FG % 48.9 46.7FG % Defense 43.2 36.73FG % 35.2 38.63FG % Defense 37.4 31.9Free Throw % 71.2 74.9Rebound Average 36.5 38.2Opponent Reb. Avg. 31.8 39.6Rebound Margin +4.7 -1.4TO Average 15.2 12.9Opponent TO 17.3 14.6TO Margin +2.1 +1.7Blocks Average 5.1 7.0Steals Average 8.4 8.7
Did You Know?
Did you know that Kentucky won the first meeting in the series with Notre Dame in 1929, but UND took nine of the first 12 meetings? The Wildcats have since turned the tables, taking eight wins in a row, dating back to the 1991 season.
Probable Starters
KentuckyNo. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Ppg Rpg Hometown '03 Note44 Chuck Hayes F 6-6 247 So. 8.5 5.5 Modesto, Calif. Team's leading FT shooter14 Erik Daniels F 6-8 214 Jr. 10.0 6.1 Cincinnati, Ohio Tied CH rebs with 8 vs. VU50 Marquis Estill C 6-9 236 Sr. 11.1 5.6 Richmond, Ky. 15 pts, 7 rebs vs. VU10 Keith Bogans G 6-5 213 Sr. 17.6 3.2 Alexandria, Va. Needs 14 pts for UK top-10 4 Gerald Fitch G 6-3 188 Jr. 12.1 2.7 Macon, Ga. Game-high 18 pts vs. VU
Notre Dame12 Jordan Cornette F 6-9 221 So. 2.8 3.9 Cincinnati, Ohio Averages 2.7 bpg34 Torin Francis F 6-10 220 Fr. 10.3 8.9 Roslindale, Mass. Team’s leading rebounder21 Dan Miller G-F 6-8 223 Sr. 14.6 6.1 Mt. Holley, N.J. Game-high 25 pts vs. Rutgers13 Matt Carroll G 6-6 211 Sr. 20.1 5.2 Horsham, Pa. Leads team in scoring & steals 1 Chris Thomas G 6-1 175 So. 17.0 *7.3 Indianapolis, Ind. Eighth in nation in apg *Assists
Returning Cats vs. Irish
Points-Rebounds-Assists
|
|
Date |
||
|
1/13/01 |
1/19/02 |
Averages |
|
| 14-16-1 | 23-5-0 | 18.5-10.5-0.5 | |
| 4-3-0 | 4-3-0 | ||
| 10-4-2 | 3-4-2 | 6.5-4-2 | |
| 6-4-1 | 9-2-0 | 7.5-3-0.5 | |
| 13-4-2 | 6-2-1 | 9.5-3-1.5 | |
| 7-1-1 | 7-5-6 | 7-3-3.5 | |
| 4-4-0 | 4-4-0 | ||
Kentucky Completes Non-Conference Slate; Celebrates Anniversary of ’78 Champs
The Wildcats play host to Notre Dame in the Cats’ final non-conference regular season game. The nationwide CBS game also serves as a 25th anniversary celebration of the 1978 National Championship team at Kentucky. Nearly the entire team is expected to return for the halftime celebration, including the starting five and Coach Joe B. Hall.
UK rides a six-game win streak into the matchup with the Fighting Irish, while Notre Dame is 14-2 overall and has won 10 of its last 11 games. Irish point guard Chris Thomas ranks eighth nationally in assists, averaging 7.3 per game.
Both teams are ranked in the Top 25 this week. With the Irish ranked 10th and UK 16th, it marks the first time in the last three seasons that both teams have been ranked for the meeting. The Wildcats were ranked 12th last season when they defeated ND, 72-65, in South Bend. The 25th-ranked Fighting Irish were handed an 82-71 loss in Lexington to the unranked Wildcats on Jan. 13, 2001.
This is UK’s fifth ranked opponent of the season. The Cats are 4-1 against ranked teams in 2003.
Series Information
This is the 57th meeting between the two teams with Kentucky owning a 39-17 advantage. This is the seventh meeting in Lexington, where UK owns an unblemished 6-0 record. It’s the third game of a four-year home and home contract. The series began in 1929 with UK picking up a 19-16 win, but Notre Dame won nine of the first 12 meetings. The Cats have won the last eight in a row, dating back to the 1990-91 season.
The teams last met on Jan. 19, 2002, a 72-65 UK win in South Bend. Keith Bogans broke out of a four-game shooting slump to record 23 points while leading 12th-ranked Kentucky to the win.
Thirty-two of the series 56 games have been played in Louisville. The teams played in the River City every season between 1960 and 1981, highlighted by the Cats’ 34-28 overtime victory there in 1981 B.S.C. (Before Shot Clock). ND Coach Digger Phelps milked the clock while trying to capture the victory.
Notre Dame’s last win in the series came on March 5, 1990, an 80-67 victory in South Bend over Rick Pitino’s first UK squad. Tubby Smith served as an assistant on that team as Notre Dame ended UK’s season with a 14-14 record. The Cats wasted a seven-point halftime lead as Joe Fredrick tallied 23 points, Elmer Bennett added 22 and LaPhonso Ellis chipped in 12 points and 14 rebounds. Derrick Miller countered with 17 for the Cats while current UK assistant Reggie Hanson had 15.
Tubby Smith is 2-0 against the Irish in his career, while Mike Brey is 0-2 against UK as a head coach. Brey, however, does own two victories over Kentukcy as a Duke assistant coach (1988-95), including the ’92 NCAA East Region Final that saw Duke end UK’s “Unforgettable” season.
UK vs. Big East
UK is 86-35 against Big East opponents for a .711 winning percentage. Last year, the Cats were 1-0 against the league with the win over the Irish.
UK/ND Connections
UK junior Erik Daniels and ND sophomore Jordan Cornette both hail from Cincinnati, Ohio. Daniels played for Princeton High School, while Cornette went to St. Xavier.
UK senior Keith Bogans and Irish Basketball Operations director Rod Balanis both played for legendary Morgan Wooten at DeMatha High School. Bogans graduated in 1999, while Balanis finished in 1988.
Common OpponentsKentucky and Notre Dame have had one common opponent this season, Vanderbilt. Both teams earned a win over the Commodores. UK will face VU again on March 5.
Opponent UK ND Vanderbilt W, 74-52 W, 76-63
National Exposure
This game marks the Cats’ 10th time on national television this season. UK is 6-3 on either ESPN or 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.
Vs. Ranked Opponents
Notre Dame is the Wildcats’ fifth ranked opponent of the season and its second top-10 foe.
UK owns a 3-1 record this season against ranked opponents with wins over No. 20 Gonzaga in the Maui Invitational, at No. 12 North Carolina and vs. No. 6 Indiana. The Cats’ only loss to a ranked opponent was a 71-67 drop to No. 21 Michigan State on Dec. 14. The Cats also lost at Louisville, a team unranked at the time that currently has moved into the Top 25.
Next weekend, Kentucky will face the nation’s former No. 1 team, Alabama. The league is loaded, with three other ranked opponents in this week’s polls — Florida, Mississippi State and LSU.
Reunion Weekend
As Kentucky continues to celebrate the 100th season of basketball, another special milestone will be celebrated at the ND game — the 25th anniversary of the 1978 National Championship.
UK will honor this special team during hafltime. Most members of the ’78 roster plan to return, including Coach Joe B. Hall and the starting five — Truman Claytor, Jack Givens, Kyle Macy, Mike Phillips and Rick Robey.
The team will enjoy a private reception on Friday evening and a private breakfast with Coach Hall on Saturday morning. The squad will be signing autographs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday at the UK Basketball Museum in the Lexington Civic Center, adjacent to Rupp Arena. The cost is $10 per item for autographs, which includes admission to the museum.
The last of four planned bobble-head dolls will be released at the Notre Dame game. Tubby Smith, Adolph Rupp and Kyle Macy have all been honored. Now, Cawood Ledford, the legendary Voice of the Wildcats, will have a bobble-head, complete with headset. Last season, the floor at Rupp Arena was dedicated as “Cawood’s Court.”
Tale of Two Halves
Kentucky battled back from a 14-point first-half deficit against Vanderbilt on Tuesday to win the game, 74-52.
Down 36-28 at the half, UK used a 25-3 run to start the second half, virtually shutting the Commodores down in the final period. The Cats outscored VU 46-16 in the half. Prior to the game, UK was outscoring its opponents by 7.0 ppg in the first half, but just 1.9 ppg in the second stanza.
The Wildcats tallied 12 second-half steals, converting to 17 points off turnovers in the final period. UK limited Vandy to just one offensive rebound in the second half and the ‘Dores had more turnovers (13) than FGs (4) in the second half.
Inside the Numbers
The Wildcats are 12-3 overall and 3-0 in SEC play including a 4-1 record at home… Ten Wildcats average 10 minutes or more per game and Keith Bogans leads all Cats with 30.1 mpg… Marquis Estill has won the opening tip in all 15 games for UK… The Wildcats’ 48.9% FG shooting is the highest since the 1986 season, the last without the three-pointer… Kentucky has topped 50% shooting eight times this season (more than half of its games), after achieving the mark only six times all of last season… UK is 8-0 when shooting 50% or better… The Cats have won all 11 games when leading inside the last five minutes… UK has used four starting lineups.
Rupp Arena
Kentucky is in its 27th season at Rupp Arena, where the Wildcats own a 344-40 (89.6%) 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. 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.
Hayden Dies
Basil Hayden, the Wildcats’ first All-American in 1921, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 9, in Paris, Ky. He was 103.
Hayden lettered for the Wildcats from 1919-22, leading the Cats to the 1921 Southern Intercollegiate Tournament Championship. The four-game event, played in Atlanta, was the first basketball tournament held in the South, and many believe, the first played in the nation. The Cats beat Tulane, Mercer, Mississippi A& M and Georgia to capture the trophy and finish the season with a 13-1 record.
Hayden injured his knee in the high jump prior to his senior season and while he played, was less effective. He later returned as coach of the Wildcats, but after leading UK to a 3-13 record, decided coaching was not in his blood.
Looking Good!
Collegeinsider.com’s Angela Lento annually tracks the nation’s best dressed head and assistant coaches. In the latest Fashion Power Index, UK coach Tubby Smith ranks second among head coaches, while UK assistant coach Reggie Hanson is the top ranked assistant. Kentucky was named the best dressed staff of 2002 and looks to be making a run at a repeat performance in 2003.
Lento’s Runway to the Fashionable Four is in its sixth year.
FREE for All
Kentucky has significantly improved its free throw shooting this season, hitting 71.2%, the best since the 1996 championship season.
Each Cat began shooting 100 free throws prior to practice over the holiday break. In six of the last seven games, UK has topped 70.0%.
Chuck Hayes has been Kentucky’s most consistent shooter from the charity stripe, hitting 81.1% of his shots this season to rank fourth in the SEC. He’s hit 30 of his last 33 attempts.
Double Figures
Thanks to Erik Daniels’ 19 points vs. South Carolina on Jan. 11, UK now has four players averaging double figures in scoring — Keith Bogans (17.6 ppg), Gerald Fitch (12.1), Marquis Estill (11.1) and Daniels (10.0).
The last time at least four Cats averaged double figures for an entire season was 1991, when Reggie Hanson, John Pelphrey, Jamal Mashburn, Deron Feldhaus and Richie Farmer led the surprising Cats to the best record in the SEC.
New Year’s Cats
Throughout the 100-season history of the basketball program, Kentucky has enjoyed success in the month of January. UK owns a 515-176 overall record in the year’s first month for a .745 winning percentage.
UK is 5-0 to start the month in 2003. Last year the Cats were 6-3 in January with all three losses coming at the hands of ranked SEC opponents.
Milestones
Keith Bogans’ 21 points against Ohio moved him past Louie Dampier into 11th place on UK’s all-time scoring list. He now has 1,623 points and needs 14 more to crack the top 10.
Bogans has 213 career threes and sits in second place on UK’s all-time list of made threes. Tony Delk is the school leader with 283.
After recording a season-high four blocks against Alcorn State, Jules Camara advanced to sixth place on the Wildcats’ all-time blocked-shots list, trailing No. 5 Tayshaun Prince by two blocks. Camara has 140 rejections in his career.
Swat Team
Marquis Estill and Jules Camara, the Wildcats’ tandem at center, have totaled 49 blocked shots this season. Against Ohio on Jan. 4, Estill had four rejections while Camara added two. Estill is fifth and Camara ranks eighth in the SEC in blocked shots.
Cats in Stats
In the updated SEC stats, Keith Bogans ranks fourth in scoring, seventh in threes made per game and eighth in field-goal percentage.
Marquis Estill ranks fifth in blocks, while teammate Jules Camara is seventh. Estill also ranks eighth in offensive rebounds. Chuck Hayes is fourth in FT%.
As a team, UK is second in the league in scoring, third in FG percentage, third in blocks, third in assists and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio.
In SEC games only, Fitch is fourth in steals, and ninth in 3FG%. Bogans ranks fourth in offensive rebounds. As a team in league play, UK ranks fourth in scoring, third in scoring defense, second in scoring margin and FT% and third in FG%.
UK also is second in rebounding defense, first in rebounding margin and steals and second in assists.
In the most recent NCAA statistics (Jan. 13), UK ranks 24th in the nation in FG%, 26th in blocks per game and 30th in win-loss percentage.
Road Warriors
UK has opened the season with a 4-1 record on the road with wins over North Carolina, Tulane, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. The only loss on an opponent’s court this year came to Louisville on Dec. 28. UK has won six straight games since that loss.
SEC Domination
UK is a charter member of the SEC and since the league’s inception in 1932-33, the Cats have been the most dominant team, recording a 783-212 mark (78.7%) during regular-season SEC play. No other team has won more than 648 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.
Tubby Smith has coached seven seasons in the SEC, two at Georgia and five at Kentucky. In SEC regular-season play, he’s 80-34 (70.2%). He’s captured three SEC Championships and four SEC Eastern Division crowns in five seasons in the Bluegrass. He also owns a 13-4 record in seven SEC Tournament appearances, winning three titles.
Estill Holds Record Mark
Senior Marquis Estill owns the school record for FG percentage. So far this year, he’s 69-of-113 from the field (61.1%), and for his career, he’s shooting 61.3%.
Estill ranks ahead of the school’s previous record holder, Charles Hurt (1980-83), who shot 59.3 percent. Estill will own the school record should he maintain the pace throughout the season. He captured the record once he surpassed the minimum 200 made during the Maui Invitational. The 6-9 center can earn a fourth year of eligibility should he graduate by the start of the fall semester of 2003.
Career FG Percentage (Min. 200 made)
61.3 Marquis Estill (265-432) 2001-03
59.3 Charles Hurt (303-511) 1980-83
59.1 M. 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 third double-double performance of the season after a 11-point, 12-rebound performance by Chuck Hayes in the win over Ohio. It was his second career double-double. On Dec. 30, Marquis Estill had a 15-point, 11-rebound effort against Tennessee State. It also was Estill’s second career double-double.
Earlier this year, Jules Camara totaled 12 points and 10 rebounds in relief against Virginia, his fifth career double-double.
Cats in the Polls
The Wildcats were ranked 17th in both preseason polls. They rose to No. 12 in both polls following their win at North Carolina, their highest ranking of the season.
UK improved to 16th in both The Associated Press and ESPN Coaches polls this week after SEC wins over Tennessee and South Carolina.
Next Opponent
Auburn will visit Rupp Arena on Jan. 22 for a 7 p.m. battle on SEC-TV. AU’s Marquis Daniels is second in the league in scoring. UK has taken two consecutive wins in the series. The Tigers lead the SEC West with a 3-0 record and are 14-2 overall.
Last Time Out
Kentucky rebounded from a 14-point first-half deficit to outscore Vanderbilt 46-16 in the second half and earn the 74-52 win in Nashville. Gerald Fitch was an offensive spark, scoring 18 points on 3-of-5 three-point shooting.
Three Mania
Kentucky ranks third nationally in consecutive games with a made three-pointer. The Wildcats have hit a three-pointer in 488 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.
SEASON NOTES
100th Season
The Cats are playing their 100th season of basketball this year. The Cats have a number of events planned throughout the season, including fan balloting, which concluded at the end of December, for the program’s greatest players, games and moments. The celebration includes replays of the top 10 games on radio, a 25-year reunion of the 1978 NCAA Champs and four special-edition bobble-head dolls that fans can collect. The celebration concludes with an all-letterman reunion on Feb. 23 at the MSU 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 bobble-head was Adolph Rupp, which debuted against Michigan State. A third made its way out of the bag before the Indiana game — Tubby Smith. The last of the series will be legendary broadcaster Cawood Ledford and will be unveiled for the Notre Dame game on Jan. 18.
SEC Openers
With the win over Tennessee on Jan. 8, Kentucky is 54-16 all-time in SEC openers and has won 15 of its last 16 league debuts. Its only loss during the stretch came last year at Mississippi State, a 74-69 decision in overtime.
Bogans Off the Bench
In his 113 career games at UK, Keith Bogans has played a reserve role just 13 times, but he’s played the role well. The senior averages 10.8 ppg off the bench and has scored in double digits eight times.
Bogans’ most recent outing as a reserve came against Tennessee where he led the team with 20 points and nine rebounds. He’s started 13 of 14 games this year and 100 games in his career.
GOOD-bye 2002!
Kentucky ended the 2002 calender year with a bang, earning a 115-87 win over Tennessee State on Dec. 30. The victory included many season highs, including: points (115), three-pointers (11), rebounds (52), rebounding margin (+31), steals (12) and margin of victory (+32). The Wildcats were 21-11 overall in 2002.
December Embers
The Wildcats completed a rugged December schedule, which included three road games and games against three ranked opponents, with a 5-2 record.
All-time, UK holds a 431-103 mark (.807) in the month of December. Last season, the Cats went 5-1 in the year’s final month with their only loss coming at the hands of then-No. 1 Duke in the Jimmy V Classic.
The Hawk Returns
Point guard Cliff Hawkins returned to the court against IU on Dec. 21 after missing the Cats’ first seven games. The junior was ineligible for the fall semester after academic troubles.
Hawkins showed he hadn’t missed a beat when he entered the game mid-way through the first half. The Dumfries, Va., native totaled four points, five rebounds and five assists in 26 minutes.
The highlight of his return came late in the game when he timed an alley-oop pass to Jules Camara for a dunk.
Fitch Named SEC and TSN’s POW
Gerald Fitch recorded back-to-back career highs – 18 points against High Point, 25 against No. 12 North Carolina – in early December to lead 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, normally a two-guard, was playing at point guard in the absence of 2002 starter Cliff Hawkins. He averaged 21.5 ppg and 4.0 apg for the week.
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 nine 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.
RESEASON 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:
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, also was 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
Great Games Replayed Host Communications and the UK Radio Network are re-broadcasting the top-10 UK games as voted on by the fans this past fall.
This week, the Kentucky-Duke game from 1992 will be replayed. Most recognize that East Region final as the “greatest college basketball game ever played.” Most notably for Big Blue fans, it was Cawood Ledford’s last call as Voice of the Wildcats. The game will be aired at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19, on the UK Radio Network, which includes WLAP in Lexington, WHAS in Louisville and WCKY in Cincinnati. The game ranks seventh in the fans’ poll.
Previous games already aired include, No. 10 — UK -Louisville 1983, the original “Dream Game”; No. 9 — UK-LSU in ’90, when the outmanned Wildcats shot down Shaquille O’Neal and Chris Jackson; and No. 8 — UK-Kansas in ’78, when Dwight Anderson and Kyle Macy led the Cats to a 67-66 win after trailing by six with 30 seconds to play.
Cheerleaders’ String Snapped
The Kentucky cheerleaders had their string of eight consecutive national championships ended on Jan. 11 when UK finished second to Central Florida at the UCA Championships in Orlando.
Kentucky has won the title 12 times, but not since 1994 has a team other than the Wildcats captured the crown until Central Florida.
The UK pom squad finished ninth nationally and Scratch, one of two UK mascots, placed 11th in the mascot competition.
ESPN Classic Announces UK Day
In honor of the Wildcats’ 100 years of basketball, ESPN Classic has scheduled replays of five Kentucky basketball games back-to-back on the network on Sunday, Feb. 2. Cable or dish subscribers should check with their local cable companies to subscribe to ESPN Classic. The lineup includes:
10 a.m. UK at LSU (2-15-94) – UK rallied from 31 points down with 15 minutes to play for the 99-95 victory.
Noon UK vs. Duke – ’78 NCAA Final – UK captured its fifth NCAA crown behind Jack Givens’ 41 points.
2 p.m. UK vs. Arkansas – ’95 SEC Tourn. – UK was down 19 in the first half, 12 in the second half, and nine in overtime before rallying for the 95-93 win.
4 p.m. UK vs. Syracuse – ’96 NCAA FinalThe Cats captured their first title in 18 years, their sixth overall.
6 p.m. UK vs. Utah – ’98 NCAA Final – Down 10 points at the half, the “Comeback Cats” rallied for the 78-69 victory, their second in three years.
Keightley’s Been a Part of 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” began assisting in the equipment room during the 1961-62 season and since then, UK has played 1,279 games, owning a 978-301 (.765) record.
The Wildcats, who are celebrating their 100th season of basketball, have played 2,401 games, meaning Keightley has played a role in 53.3% 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 1,237 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 222 games.
Meanwhile, his home court streak is still intact. Wiggins has not missed a home game in 42 years, a streak spanning 594 games. During that period, which dates back to 1960-61, UK has a home record of 527-67.
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, 100-year videos and DVDs and a 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 —
