Feb. 3, 2003
LEXINGTON, Ky. –
No. 1/X Florida Gators (18-2, 7-0 SEC)
vs.
No. 6/X Kentucky Wildcats (16-3, 6-0 SEC)
The Florida Game
Lexington, Ky.
Rupp Arena(23,000)
February 4, 2003
9:01 p.m. ET
Pre-Game Press Conference Quotes
RADIO
UK Radio Network (80+ stations): Tom Leach, Mike Pratt, Dave Baker.
TELEVISION
ESPN: Dan Shulman, Dick Vitale and Andy Katz.
Series Historyvs. FloridaNickname: GatorsWeb site: gatorzone.comSeries Record: UK leads 78-24In Lexington: UK leads 40-6Last Meeting: March 2, 2002 – UK 70, UF 67
Coaching Comparisons
Tubby Smith (High Point ’73)
Overall: 272-108 (.716)(12th)
at UK: 148-46 (.763) (6th)
vs. Florida: 10-4
Billy Donovan (Providence ’87)
Overall: 177-87 (.670) (9th)
at UF: 142-67 (.679) (7th)
vs. Kentucky: 4-10
Did You Know?
Did you know that the UK-UF game is Kentucky’s 999th Southeastern Conference game against the Gators? UK owns more SEC wins (786), championships (41) and tournament titles (23) than any other team in the league. UK was a charter member of the SEC.
SEC Titans Clash In Rupp
One of the nation’s hottest basketball teams, the Florida Gators, roll their “Fun & Gun” style into Rupp Arena carrying a 14-game win streak for a Super Tuesday matchup with host Kentucky, which has its own 10-game win streak on the line. The two top-10 teams are the last undefeated squads in Southeastern Conference play and will meet again in Gainesville in the final regular-season contest in 32 days.
The Kentucky-Florida matchup has become quite the SEC rivalry. The two teams have shared the SEC Championship in 2000 and 2001 and split the East Division crown for a third straight year last season.
This meeting matches the SEC’s highest scoring offense (Florida – 75.4 ppg) against the top defense (Kentucky – 57.3 ppg allowed) in league games only. In all games, UK is actually outscoring the Gators, 78.3 ppg to 77.9 ppg. But not only is UF undefeated since Dec. 3, the Gators are unbeaten on the road, winning all five games this season. While seniors Matt Bonner and Brett Nelson play key roles, the Gators’ super frosh tandem of Matt Walsh and Anthony Roberson are second and third on the team in scoring.
The Gators may be the nation’s top-ranked team by gameday. If so, UK has faced a No. 1 team only one time in Rupp Arena history. No. 5 Kentucky knocked off top-ranked Indiana, 69-58, on Dec. 15, 1979. While the Cats are 4-8 against AP No. 1 teams since 1949, Florida marks their eighth ranked opponent on the UK schedule this season, the first top-ranked foe. Last season, UK fell to No. 1 Duke in the Meadowlands (Cameron Indoor North), 95-92 in overtime.
Just 10 games remain on the regular-season schedule. The Cats will play host to six home games and will travel four more times over the next five weeks. The post-season begins March 13-16 with the SEC Tournament in New Orleans.Series Information
This is the 103rd meeting between the two teams with UK owning a 78-24 advantage. Kentucky holds a 40-6 lead in Lexington and a 23-4 advantage in Rupp Arena.
After splitting the season meetings four years in a row, UK earned its first sweep of the Gators since 1997 with a 70-68 win in Gainesville last January and a 70-67 victory in Lexington on Senior Day. The Cats have won three of the last four meetings.
Tubby Smith is 10-4 overall against the Gators, including a 6-4 mark at UK. Billy Donovan is 4-10 against the Cats, including a 4-8 mark at Florida and an 0-2 record while at Marshall.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Kentucky
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Ppg Rpg Hometown '03 Note44 Chuck Hayes F 6-6 247 So. 8.9 6.3 Modesto, Calif. 42 boards over last 5 games14 Erik Daniels F 6-8 214 Jr. 9.4 5.7 Cincinnati, Ohio 20 assists over last 5 games50 Marquis Estill C 6-9 236 Sr. 11.5 5.5 Richmond, Ky. Team-high 18 pts vs. USC10 Keith Bogans G 6-5 213 Sr. 16.7 3.3 Alexandria, Va. 16 pts, 7 rebs vs. USC 4 Gerald Fitch G 6-3 188 Jr. 12.2 2.9 Macon, Ga. 2-10 3FGs last two games
Florida
44 Matt Walsh F 6-6 205 Fr. 14.2 4.7 Holland, Pa. SEC’s top-scoring frosh24 David Lee F 6-9 240 So. 11.0 7.4 St. Louis, Mo. Shooting 64.5% FG15 Matt Bonner F 6-10 240 Sr. 14.3 5.9 Concord, N.H. Team-high 46.2% 3FGs in ‘0310 Brett Nelson G 6-4 205 Sr. 7.5 1.9 St. Albans, W.Va. Season-high 25 pts at LSU12 Justin Hamilton G 6-3 225 Sr. 8.5 3.6 Sarasota, Fla. 14 assists last three games
Kentucky/Florida Connection
Both Tubby Smith and Billy Donovan coached at Kentucky under Rick Pitino. They were on Pitino’s first staff (1989-90), Smith as an assistant, Donovan as a graduate assistant. The next year, Smith served as Pitino’s associate coach. Smith left to become head coach at Tulsa after two seasons at UK, while Donovan stayed on the UK staff for five years before accepting the head coaching job at Marshall.
Common Opponents
Kentucky and Florida have had three common opponents this season – Tennessee, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. Both teams are undefeated in those games.
OpponentUKUFTennesseeW, 74-71W, 77-64South CarolinaW, 62-55W, 77-75W, 87-69VanderbiltW, 74-52W, 87-75
Power Rankings
Jeff Sagarin ranks the Wildcats fifth in his latest power poll. UK’s schedule rates seventh nationally. The independent poll is listed below (schedule strength in parentheses):
SagarinKentucky5th (7th)Florida 6th (41st)
Bracketology
With quality wins over six ranked opponents and a perfect record in SEC play, the Cats are one of two league teams that ESPN has predicted to be No. 1 seeds in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Florida also is predicted to be a top seed.
According to ESPN, the Wildcats have more wins (10) on the road and at neutral sites than any other team in the nation. The Cats are 6-1 on the road, 4-1 at neutral sites this season.
Just a Century Ago…
Thursday, Feb. 6 marks the 100th anniversary of Kentucky’s first men’s basketball game. The Cats played their inaugural game against Georgetown College on Feb. 6, 1903 in old Barker Hall on the UK campus.
The Tigers won the game, 15-6. Kentucky would earn its first program victory on Feb. 18, 1903, a thrilling 11-10 win over the Lexington YMCA.
Glue Times Two
Last week, UK’s Chuck Hayes was named to cnnsi.com’s All-Glue team. The squad, chosen by Sports Illustrated’s Seth Davis, celebrates those players in the game who ‘by virtue of their toughness and smarts help their teams win in subtle but important ways’.
It marks the second straight year that a UK sophomore has earned the honor. Gerald Fitch was named captain of the squad last season.
Joining Hayes on this year’s squad is captain Rick Anderson (Arizona), Jaron Brown (Pittsburgh), Justin Hamilton (Florida), Robert Johnson (Oregon), Ellis Myles (Louisville) and Tony Robertson (UConn).
Quick Start
Kentucky played at South Carolina’s new Carolina Coliseum for the first time on Saturday, and got off to a quick start, tallying 57 points in the first half.
It was the most points in a half by a USC opponent this season, as the Cats led 57-32 at the break. UK went on to win the game, 87-69, marking the most total points by a Gamecock foe this year as well.
The Cats’ dominated inside, tallying 52 of their 87 points in the paint. Kentucky topped 50.0% shooting for the 10th time this season. UK is 66-1 overall in the Tubby Smith Era when shooting 50.0% or better.
From Left Field
On Feb. 4, 1969, Tubby Smith scored his 1,000th point in his three-year career at Great Mills High School. The school yearbook stated 34 years ago that, “while bludgeoning opponents on their way to an eight-game win streak, the Hornets’ Tubby Smith scored his 1,000th career point. He became the first cager in the county’s 21-year prep basketball history to achieve that milestone.”
Smith grew up in Scotland, Md., a rural community in the southern part of the state.
Win Streak
The Wildcats have won 10 straight games, their longest win streak of the season and the second longest in the Tubby Smith era. Smith’s 1998 champs won 13 straight en route to the title. UK then won the first four of the 1999 season to extend that streak to 17 games. The Cats’ longest SEC win streak under Tubby Smith is 10 games, which includes seven to close the 1998 season and three to open the 1999 slate.
Other highlights of the current streak include:
UK has held four of its last five opponents below 40% shooting and has beat its last five opponents by an average of 17.6 ppg.
During the 10-game stretch, opponents have averaged 19.4 turnovers per game and topped 40% shooting only three times.
During the 10-game stretch, eight Cats have averaged 10 minutes or more per game led by Gerald Fitch’s 27.4 mpg.
Offensively in the last 10 outings, UK has shot 49.5% FG and averaged 80.7 ppg while holding opponents to 40.4% FG shooting and 64.2 ppg.
National Win Streaks
1. Louisville – 15
2. Florida – 14
3. Stephen F. Austin – 13
4. Manhattan – 12
5. Kentucky – 10
(Including games through 2/2)
Vs. Top-Five Opponents
Kentucky is 48-42 all-time against top-five teams. Based on the AP ranking at the time of the game, UK owns a 4-8 mark against No.1 teams, 8-9 vs. No. 2, 7-8 vs. No. 3, 14-8 vs. No. 4 and 15-9 vs. No. 5.
The Cats last faced a top-five opponent when they took on No. 1 Duke in the Jimmy V Classic on Dec. 18, 2001, a 95-92 overtime loss.UK vs. No. 1 teams since 1949:
Opp. Result Date SiteOhio St. L, 74-87 3-18-61 N-LouisvilleOhio St. L, 64-74 3-17-62 N-Iowa CityIndiana W, 92-90 3-22-75 N-DaytonUCLA L, 85-92 3-31-75 N-San DiegoIndiana L, 68-77 12-15-75 N-LouisvilleIndiana W, 69-58 12-15-79 H-LexingtonUNC L, 69-82 12-26-81 N-MeadowlandsDuke L, 80-55 11-19-88 N-SpringfieldDuke L, 103-104* 3-28-92 N-PhiladelphiaArkansas W, 90-78 3-12-94 N-MemphisUMass W, 81-74 3-30-96 N-MeadowlandsArizona L, 74-89 11-25-97 N-MauiDuke L, 92-95* 12-18-01 N-Meadowlands*Overtime
Vs. Ranked Opponents
Florida is the eighth ranked opponent to face UK this season. UK is 6-1 in those games, including wins over two top-10 teams. (AP ranking at time of game)
Opponent Date Result Score#20 Gonzaga 11/27 W 80-72#12 North Carolina 12/7 W 98-81#21 Michigan St. 12/14 L 67-71#6 Indiana 12/21 W 70-64#10 Notre Dame 1/18 W 88-73#24 Auburn 1/22 W 67-51#15 Alabama 1/25 W 63-46
The Cats also lost at Louisville, a team unranked at the time that currently has moved into the top 10.
The SEC has two other ranked opponents in this week’s polls — Georgia and Mississippi State.
If Florida earns the nation’s top ranking this week, it will mark the second SEC team to earn the top spot this season. Alabama was No. 1 for two weeks in December.
Big Croc
Keith Bogans has had great success against the Gators during his previous three seasons. In six games, the senior has averaged 17.2 ppg and 3.0 rpg. Three times he’s scored 20 points or more, including a career-high 29 points against UF in March 2001.
The ‘SuffoCats!’
Other outstanding defensive performances by UK this season include:
Holding Indiana’s Tom Coverdale to an ineffective six points, eight below his average.
Limiting Vanderbilt to four second-half FGs while outscoring VU 46-16 during the final 20 minutes to dispel the “Memorial Gym Magic.”
Limiting the SEC’s No. 2 leading scorer, Auburn’s Marquis Daniels, to 11 points, eight below his average.
Forcing the nation’s No. 8 assists leader, Notre Dame’s Chris Thomas, into nine turnovers.
Allowing only three teams to shoot 50.0% from the field against the Cats this season — Tennessee State, host Tennessee and South Carolina in Columbia. UK won all three outings.
Inside the Numbers
The Wildcats are 16-3 overall and 6-0 in SEC play including a 6-1 record at home… Marquis Estill has won the opening tip in 18 of the 19 games for UK; He got the tip vs. Alabama but the Cats didn’t gain possession… The Cats are 11-1 since Cliff Hawkins returned to the lineup… The Wildcats’ 48.7% FG shooting is the highest since the 1988 season… UK has topped 50% shooting 10 times this season, after achieving the mark only six times all of last season… UK is 10-0 when shooting 50% or better… The Cats have won all 15 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 346-40 (89.6%) record.
The Cats have won five straight home games since losing to Michigan State in early December. UK is 6-1 at home this season.
The Cats have won the national attendance title the past seven seasons. Overall, the Wildcats have won 15 national attendance titles in the building.
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 786-212 mark (78.8%) during regular-season SEC play. No other team has won more than 649 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 is in his eighth season in the SEC, his sixth at Kentucky. In SEC regular-season play, he’s 84-34 (71.2%). 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.
Happy Birthday
Birthday wishes go out to one of UK’s most dedicated fans, Bob Wiggins. Wiggins, who is in his 50th season following the Cats, celebrates his 75th birthday on Feb. 4. He’s attended 1,240 Wildcat games according to his own recordkeeping, including 596 consecutive home games dating back to the 1961 season when he was just a mere 33 years young.
Bogans Cracks Top 10
Keith Bogans’ 13 points against Auburn moved him past Ed Davender into UK’s top-10 on the all-time scoring list. He now has 1,677 points and needs 67 more to reach Alex Groza in ninth place.
Bogans becomes the second Wildcat in two years to crack the school’s top 10 and the fourth since 1993. He also ranks first among active SEC players.
February Fury
Kentucky owns a 583-182-1 (.761) record in February after finishing last month with a perfect 8-0 record, its first perfect January since 1998.
UK is 1-0 to start the month this year. Last season, the Wildcats were 5-3 in February with three SEC road losses.
Good Shooting
The Wildcats are shooting 48.7% from the field this season, the best mark by a UK team since the 1988 season.
The Cats have topped 50.0% shooting in 10 games this season, including six of the last 10. Last year, UK topped the mark just six times.
Go Figure
In all games, Kentucky ranks second in the SEC in scoring and FG percentage… On defense, the Cats rank 10th in scoring defense, eighth in FG percentage defense and 12th in 3FG defense… However, in six league games, UK ranks third in scoring offense and in FG percentage, yet, it’s first in scoring defense, FG percentage defense and 3FG defense… In all games, three Eastern Division teams lead the SEC in scoring — Georgia, Florida and UK… Five Western Division teams, however, lead the league in scoring defense.
Foul Shooting?
Kentucky has significantly improved its free throw shooting this season, hitting 70.8%, the best since the 1996 championship season.
Each Cat began shooting 100 free throws prior to practice over the holiday break. In eight of the last 11 games, UK has topped 70.0%.
Chuck Hayes has been Kentucky’s most consistent shooter from the charity stripe, hitting 79.0% of his shots this season to rank fourth in the SEC. He’s hit 36 of his last 42 attempts.
In the Cats’ 10-game winning streak, they’ve hit 72.2% of their attempts, after shooting 69.0% in the first nine games.
Swat Team
Marquis Estill and Jules Camara, the Wildcats’ tandem at center, have totaled 61 blocked shots this season. Against Alabama on Jan. 25, Estill and Camara each had two blocks. Estill is fourth and Camara ranks sixth in the SEC in blocked shots.
Vs. SEC West
Kentucky is 2-0 against SEC Western Division teams this season. The Cats are currently riding a four-game win streak against the West, dating back to last season. UK’s last loss against a team from the West came against Alabama last year.
Overall, UK is 51-17 (.750) against SEC Western Division teams since the league split in 1992.
Road Warriors
UK owns a 6-1 record on the road this season with wins at North Carolina, Tulane, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Alabama and South Carolina. The only loss on an opponent’s court this year came to Louisville on Dec. 28.
Kingfitch?
On several occasions, Gerald Fitch has become a second-half offensive weapon. Fitch’s 2003 scoring averages by half are 4.1 ppg in the first 20 minutes, 8.1 ppg.
Fitch has totaled 16 points or more seven times this season. Against North Carolina, he had a career-high 25 points, including 16 in the second half. At Vanderbilt, he scored 16 of his 18 points after the break. Then against Auburn, he had 15 of his 16 points in the final 20 minutes, after shooting 0-6 in the first half against the Tigers.
Estill Holds Record Mark
Senior Marquis Estill owns the school record for FG percentage. So far this year, he’s 91-of-156 from the field (58.3%), and for his career, he’s shooting 60.4%.
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)
60.4 Marquis Estill (287-475)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
Estill is 35 shots shy of the career minimum 500 attempts to qualify for the SEC rankings. If he were to qualify now, he’d rank fourth in league history.
Double-Doubles
Kentucky got its fifth double-double performance of the season after a 12-point, 10-rebound showing by Chuck Hayes against South Carolina on Feb. 1. It was his fourth career double-double and the third of the season. The sophomore recorded double-doubles against Notre Dame and Ohio as well.
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
Kentucky bounced back into the nation’s top 10 after beating No. 10 Notre Dame on Jan. 18. UK moved to seventh in both the Associated Press and ESPN Coaches Poll the following week after convincing wins over No. 24 Auburn and at No. 15 Alabama. The updated polls were not available at the time of this release.
The Wildcats were ranked 17th in both preseason polls.
National Exposure
The Florida game marks UK’s 12th appearance on national television this season. UK is 8-3 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.
Next Opponent
The Cats will travel for the third consecutive Saturday when they head to Oxford, Miss., to face the Ole Miss Rebels. It is UK’s third road trip in the last four games.
Three Mania
Kentucky ranks third nationally in consecutive games with a made three-pointer. The Wildcats have hit a three-pointer in 492 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 (Jan. 18) 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, Cawood Ledford, was unveiled for the Notre Dame game, Jan. 18.
Low Tide
Against Notre Dame, basketball analyst Clark Kellogg described Kentucky’s defense as the “saran-wrap defense.” Against Alabama, that “D” produced tremendous results.
UK held the Tide to just 10 made baskets, the lowest by an opponent since Morehead State made nine FGs in a 96-32 loss to the Cats on Dec. 16, 1995.
Bama’s 46 points was its lowest point total since the 1996 season and the fewest at home since 1969.
UA’s 23.8% FG shooting was the lowest by an opponent this season and the worst by a UK opponent since Georgia Tech shot 24.2% against UK on Dec. 19, 1998.
2002 SEC Player of the Year Erwin Dudley shot 0-for-7 from the field while teammate Kenny Walker was 0-for-6. It marked the first time in Dudley’s four-year career he was held without a FG.
Hayes Fever
Chuck Hayes has been a consistent threat for the Wildcats over the past two seasons, but on Jan. 18 against Notre Dame, Hayes had his best game at Kentucky.
The Modesto, Calif., native recorded 17 points, 16 rebounds, three blocks and five assists, all career bests.
Hayes collected three blocks within the first six minutes of the game and dominated the glass, pulling down 13 defensive rebounds in the win.
Hayden Dies
Basil Hayden, the Wildcats’ first All-American in 1921, passed away on 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.
Season Turning Point?
Kentucky battled back from a 14-point first-half deficit against Vanderbilt on Jan. 14 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.
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 four-year career 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 in January 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.
New Year’s Cats
UK finished January with an unblemished 8-0 mark to start 2003. Last year, the Cats were 6-3 in January with all three losses coming at the hands of ranked SEC teams.
Throughout the 100-season history of the basketball program, Kentucky has enjoyed success in the month of January. UK owns a 518-176 overall record in the year’s first month for a .746 winning percentage.
The Cats’ last undefeated January was 1998.
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 Cats. 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 Lexington’s Commonwealth Travel 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.
PRESEASON NOTES
The Zone
Once again this season, Rupp 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.
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.
Last Sunday, the 1975 Kentucky-Indiana regional final was replayed. The Cats, led by Kevin Grevey, earned redemption from an early season loss to IU and a trip to the Final Four with the win.
The games are airing on the UK Radio Network, which includes WLAP in Lexington, WHAS in Louisville and WCKY in Cincinnati. The game ranks sixth in the fans’ voting.
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; and No. 7 — UK-Duke ’92, arguably the greatest college basketball game ever played and the last with the legendary Cawood Ledford behind the microphone.
Mashburn, Walker Earn All-Star Recognition
Former Wildcats Jamal Mashburn (’93) and Antoine Walker were both named to the 2003 NBA All-Star team. The “Monster Mash,” who plays for the New Orleans Hornets, earned his first NBA award while averaging 20.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game this season.
Walker has the Boston Celtics in playoff contention once again, averaging 21.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 4.3 apg. He was on the All-Star team in 1998 and 2002. Walker was the Cats’ sixth former letterman to be named an NBA All-Star while Mashburn, a 10-year NBA veteran, becomes the Cats’ seventh NBA All-Star.
It marks the first time since 1951 that two Wildcats have earned All-Star recognition in the same season — Alex Groza and Ralph Beard.
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.
Nice Fit
Collegeinsider.com’s Angela Lento annually tracks the nation’s best dressed head and assistant coaches. In the latest Fashion Power Index, 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.
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 1,282 games, owning a 981-301 (.766) record.
The Wildcats, who are celebrating their 100th season of basketball, have played 2,405 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, 75, 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 1,240 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 225 games.
Meanwhile, his home court streak is still intact. Wiggins has not missed a home game in 42 years, a streak spanning 596 games. During that period, which dates back to 1960-61, UK has a home record of 529-67.
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.
