Feb. 25, 2003
Tennessee Volunteers (15-8, 7-5 SEC)
vs.
No. 2/2 Kentucky Wildcats (22-3, 12-0 SEC)
The Tennessee Game
Lexington, Ky.
Rupp Arena (23,000)
February 26, 2003
8:05 p.m. ET
Pre-Game Press Conference Quotes
RADIO
UK Radio Network (80+ stations): Tom Leach, Mike Pratt, Dave Baker.
TELEVISION
JP Sports: Tom Hammond and Larry Conley.
vs. Tennessee
Nickname: Volunteers
Web site: utsports.com
Series Record: UK leads 131-62
In Lexington: UK leads 77-15
Last Meeting: Jan. 8, 2003 – UK 74, UT 71
Coaching Comparison
Tubby Smith (High Point ’73)
Overall: 278-108 (.720) (12th)
at UK: 154-46 (.770) (6th)
vs. UT: 11-5
Buzz Peterson (North Carolina ’86)
Overall: 135-74 (.646) (7th)
at UT: 30-24 (.556) (2nd)
vs. Kentucky: 1-2
Did you know that UK’s scoring defense in SEC play is the school’s best since 1960? The Cats are holding league opponents to 58.1 ppg. The only SEC team to score more than 70 points against the Cats was Tennessee (71). The ’60 Cats allowed SEC teams to average 57.6 ppg.
Kentucky Looks to Secure SEC Tournament Bye Against Tennessee
Seven weeks after the Wildcats opened Southeastern Conference play with a hard-fought 74-71 victory on the road at Tennessee, the two teams battle in Rupp Arena with much different goals at stake.
For the Cats, a win assures the squad a bye in the upcoming SEC Tournament next month in Atlanta. The bye means UK would not open tournament play until Friday, March 14. The top-two teams in each division earn a bye in the 12-team event, meaning a tournament maximum of three games played opposed to four.
For the Volunteers, a win would snap a two-game losing streak and help position the Big Orange for an NCAA Tournament bid. UT had won six straight games, including a 66-59 win over Florida in Knoxville 10 days ago, before dropping back-to-back games at South Carolina and to visiting Alabama.
Tennessee is led by arguably the league’s best player, Ron Slay. The 6-8 senior leads the SEC in scoring and led the Vols in the first UK-UT meeting with 22 points. Since the two teams last met, UK has gone 12-0, while UT has gone 8-5, with an overtime loss at Georgia.
UK will look to extend its 16-game winning streak, which leads all Division I teams. The Cats have gone unbeaten since Dec. 28, a streak of eight weeks, while climbing to a No. 2 ranking in the national polls. UK has four games remaining in the regular season, two at home and two on the road. The Wildcats finish their schedule with road games at Georgia and Florida sandwiched around UK Senior Night at home against Vanderbilt in one week. While the Cats need a victory to clinch an SEC Tourney bye, they need two wins to clinch at least a share of the East Division and regular-season SEC Championship.
UK also will be hoping to complete the month of February with an unbeaten record for the first time since 1996 and just the second time since 1980.
Kentucky looks to extend its three-point streak to 499 games, the third longest in the nation.
Probable Starters
KentuckyNo. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Ppg Rpg Hometown Cat Scratch44 Chuck Hayes F 6-6 247 So. 8.8 6.7 Modesto, Calif. Averaging 8.0 rpg in last 414 Erik Daniels F 6-8 214 Jr. 10.0 5.6 Cincinnati, Ohio Dbl figures in 5 of last 750 Marquis Estill C 6-9 236 Sr. 10.8 5.5 Richmond, Ky. 7-19 FG over last 3 games10 Keith Bogans G 6-5 213 Sr. 16.4 3.8 Alexandria, Va. 18 pts, 7 rebs vs. MSU 4 Gerald Fitch G 6-3 188 Jr. 12.6 3.1 Macon, Ga. Shooting 50% in last 2 games
Tennessee35 Ron Slay F 6-8 240 Sr. 21.9 7.5 Nashville, Tenn. SEC POY Candidate 4 Brandon Crump F 6-10 235 So. 10.3 5.7 Houston, Texas Team-leading 55.8% FG42 Jon Higgins G 6-3 200 Sr. 8.7 3.4 Shaker Hts., Ohio Shoots 41.7% 3FG32 C.J. Watson G 6-1 165 Fr. 9.7 4.6 Las Vegas, Nev. Leads SEC in assists (5.5 apg)10 Thaydeus Holden G 6-0 180 Sr. 8.2 2.5 Silsbee, Texas 2nd in SEC in 3FG% (45.8)
Team Comparison
cats volsRecord 22-3 15-8SEC Record 12-0 7-5Scoring Offense 77.2 69.7Scoring Defense 65.1 65.4Scoring Margin +12.0 +4.3FG % 48.7 45.6FG % Defense 41.6 41.83FG % 35.1 37.23FG % Defense 33.8 33.0Free Throw % 70.6 73.5Rebound Average 36.4 36.4Opp. Reb. Avg. 31.1 30.8Rebound Margin +5.3 +5.6TO Average 14.2 15.3Opponent TO 16.8 14.3TO Margin +2.6 -1.9Blocks Average 5.0 3.4Steals Average 7.7 6.1
Series Information
Kentucky has played Tennessee more than any other team in college basketball. This marks the 194th meeting between the two squads, which first met on the hardwood on Feb. 16, 1910, a 26-5 UK win. It was the first future SEC team that Wildcats ever played. The Cats own a 131-62 advantage in the series.
The Wildcats own a 77-15 series lead in Lexington, including a 24-3 record in Rupp Arena. The Cats have won four of the last five meetings in the series, including a 74-71 decision in the SEC opener in Knoxville last month.
Tubby Smith is 11-5 all-time against the Vols, including a 7-4 mark while at UK. Buzz Peterson, in his second season at UT, is 1-2 against UK after splitting the series last year and falling to the Cats in January. Peterson also served as the associate head coach at Vanderbilt from 1993-96. The Commodores were 1-7 against Kentucky during that time.
Smith and Peterson share ties as head coaches. Both have served as head coach of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane – Smith from 1992-95 and Peterson in 2001. Smith led the Hurricane to a 79-43 record, two Missouri Valley Conference regular-season titles and two NCAA Final 16 appearances. Peterson’s Tulsa squad claimed the 2001 NIT title, finishing with a 26-11 record.
Peterson was recruited to play hoops at Kentucky by Joe B. Hall, and at the end of his official visit, gave the staff a verbal commitment. But after returning home to Asheville, N.C., he chose to stay and play for North Carolina. The high school All-American was a member of the 1982 National Champions and served as team co-captain as a senior in 1985. Peterson later served as best man in his roommate Michael Jordan’s wedding.
Common Opponents
Kentucky and Tennessee have had nine common opponents this season. UK is 9-1 against those teams, while UT is 7-5.
Opponent UK UT Florida W, 70-55 L, 64-77 W, 66-59 Alabama W, 63-46 L, 71-76 S. Carolina W, 62-55 W, 60-56 W, 87-69 L, 63-77 Ole Miss W, 80-62 W, 66-64 Georgia W, 87-67 L, 76-81* W, 78-72 Vanderbilt W, 74-52 W, 71-66 Arkansas W, 66-50 W, 70-62 Auburn W, 67-51 W, 60-57 Louisville L, 63-81 L, 69-72
Orange Crush
Keith Bogans has had tremendous success during his career against Tennessee. The senior has averaged 15.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game against the Vols in seven previous meetings. Four times he’s topped the 20-point mark against UT, including a 25-point effort in his first game in the series as a freshman.
Also performing well against the Volunteers is Gerald Fitch, who averages 12.5 ppg and 6.3 rpg in four series meetings.
Oak Hill Connection
Kentucky’s Cliff Hawkins played high school ball at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia with Tennessee big man Ron Slay in 1999. That year, Hawkins was a junior and Slay was a senior. The two helped guide Oak Hill to a 31-0 record and a final No. 1 national ranking. Other members of that team included Maryland’s Steve Blake and Virginia’s Travis Watson.
Great Start
Kentucky matched its best start since 1998 when it beat Miss. State on Sunday. The Cats also began their triumphant championship season with a 22-3 record five years ago before losing a home to Ole Miss. A win over Tennessee would give the Cats their best start in the Tubby Smith era and it would be Smith’s best start in 12 seasons as a head coach.
Vs. SEC West
Kentucky finished the 2003 regular season with a 6-0 sweep of SEC Western Division teams. With its win over Mississippi State on Sunday, the Cats own an eight-game win streak against the West, dating back to last season, and have won nine of their last 10 vs. teams from the other division. UK’s last West defeat came against Alabama last year.
It was UK’s first regular-season sweep of the West since 1996. The Cats lost to MSU in the SEC Tournament that year.
Overall, UK is 55-17 (.764) against SEC West Division teams since the league split in ’92.
SEC Leaders
In 12 league games, UK leads the SEC in scoring defense, scoring margin, FG percentage, FG percentage defense, 3FG defense, rebound defense, rebounding margin, assists and turnover margin. The Cats are tied for second in scoring offense.
Tennessee leads the SEC in 3FG percentage.
Defense Secretary
The MSU game was Tubby Smith’s 200th contest at UK, where he’s compiled an impressive 154-46 record in six seasons. Smith reached two other milestones in the past two weeks, recording his 150th UK win and his 275th career victory.
With the Cats’ success this season, Smith is a viable candidate for both SEC and National Coach of the Year honors. He was named co-SEC Coach of the Year in 1998 with Tennessee’s Jerry Greene and earned Basketball Weekly’s National Coach of the Year award that same season.
On the Rebound
Kentucky has dominated its opponents on the glass during league play, owning an SEC-leading rebounding margin of 6.5 rpg. The Wildcats also rank first in rebounding defense, holding teams to just 28.8 boards per game.
Those stats were put to the test against Mississippi State on Sunday. The Bulldogs were ranked second in the country in rebounding margin entering the game, outrebounding their opponents by 9.1 rpg. UK won the battle of the boards, 37-25.
Three Spree
Keith Bogans continues to produce dividends for the Cats from beyond the arc. The senior has nailed a three-pointer in 28 consecutive games, including every game this season and the three NCAA Tournament games last year. His streak is the third longest in school history, trailing Travis Ford by just four games.
UK 3FG Streaks
1. Tony Delk (1994-95) – 34
2. Travis Ford (1993-94) – 32
3. Keith Bogans (2002-03) – 28
*Note: All three streaks have occurred over two seasons.
Deep Bench
Kentucky’s success this season extends beyond its starting five. The bench has paid huge dividends with five reserves averaging between 7.5 and 21.0 mpg.
Junior Cliff Hawkins and senior Jules Camara lead the charge. Hawkins sparks the team at both ends of the floor, averaging a team-high 3.8 apg with a career-best assist/turnover ratio of 1.8:1. He’s earned the reputation as one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the nation.
Coach Tubby Smith calls Camara the team’s “all-around best defender,” due to his quickness and athleticism at 6-11 and his shot-blocking skills. Camara ranks fifth all-time at UK in blocked shots, and needs just one to reach 150 in his career.
Antwain Barbour, Kelenna Azubuike and Josh Carrier see action as well. The UK bench owns 66 career starting assignments.
Quote of the Week
“Ralph Beard and Cliff Hawkins are two of the best defensive guards this school has ever had,” said former UK coach Joe B. Hall, who played against the legendary Beard in practice every day in the 1940s.
Inside the Numbers
Kentucky is undefeated in league play, owns the nation’s longest win streak and ranks No. 2 nationally but has won SEC Player of the Week honors just once – Gerald Fitch in early December… After losing to Michigan State at Rupp in December, the Cats have a nine-game win streak on Cawood’s Court… Six different Cats have tied or led the team in scoring this season… With a minimum of 20 attempts, five Cats are shooting better than 71% from the foul line… UK has topped 50% shooting 12 times this season, after achieving the mark only six times all of last season… SEC opponents are shooting 40.1% FG, 28.4% from 3FG range vs. UK defense… Marquis Estill has won the opening tip in 23 of the 25 games for UK… The Cats are 17-1 since Cliff Hawkins returned to the lineup… The Cats have won all 21 games when leading inside the last five minutes… UK has used just four starting lineups… The Cats are 18-0 when scoring 68 points or more.
National Win Streaks (Through 2/24)
1. Kentucky – 16
2. Weber State – 12
3. Xavier – 11
Win Streak
The Wildcats have won 16 straight games, the longest single-season win streak 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’ have opened league play with an 12-0 record, marking the longest SEC win streak under Tubby Smith and the longest since the Cats swept the SEC slate in 1996 (16-0).
Other highlights of the current streak include:
The Cats have beaten six ranked opponents during the run and won nine of its last 11 games by 15 points or more.
In the last 12 games, dating back to the South Carolina game on Jan. 11, UK has seen just 26 lead changes.
UK has held eight of its last 12 opponents below 40% shooting and has beat its last 11 opponents by an average of 16.0 ppg.
During the 16-game stretch, opponents have averaged 17.9 turnovers per game and topped 40% shooting only six times.
In the streak, eight Cats have averaged 10 minutes or more per game led by Keith Bogans’ 28.3 mpg.
Offensively in the last 16, UK has shot 49.1% FG and averaged 78.0 ppg while holding opponents to 40.2% FG shooting and 62.2 ppg.
Rupp Arena
UK is in its 27th season at Rupp Arena, and the Wildcats recorded their 350th win in the legendary venue against Mississippi State on Feb. 23. Kentucky is 350-40 (89.7%) all-time in Rupp.
The Cats have won nine straight home games since losing to Michigan State in early December. UK is 10-1 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.
UK set a new attendance record with 24,459 fans at the Florida game on Feb. 4. The arena holds 200 more patrons due to the new standing-room only student section in one end zone, the “e-Rupp-tion Zone.” The previous record was 24,340 fans at the UK-Louisville game on Dec. 23, 1995.
Milestones
Keith Bogans needs two points for eighth place and seven points for seventh place on the UK all-time scoring list. He now has 1,768 career points and is 75 shy of the Wildcats’ top-five scorers. He trails All-American Cotton Nash, who totaled 1,770 points, and former teammate Tayshaun Prince, who totaled 1,775 points. The senior became the second Cat in two years to crack the school’s top 10 and the fourth since 1993 when he achieved the feat earlier this month. He ranks first among active SEC players in career scoring.
Last week, Bogans recorded his 500th career rebound as well.
Junior Gerald Fitch needs eight points to total 800 in his career while Marquis Estill needs 13 points to reach the same mark.
Improving Offense
In UK’s game against Georgia (2/11), six Cats scored in double figures, the most since seven hit the mark vs. UGA in 1999.
The Wildcats are shooting 48.7% from the field this season, the best mark by a UK team since the 1996 championship season.
The Cats have topped 50.0% shooting in 12 games this season, including five of the last 11. Last year, UK topped the mark just six times.
Road Warriors
UK owns an 8-1 road record this season. It’s the most road victories in a season since the ’98 champs went 11-0 on the road.
Even more impressive, UK is 6-0 on the road in the SEC in ’03.
With two regular-season road trips remaining, UK has already accumulated a 12-2 record away from Rupp Arena. It’s the most neutral-site and road wins for the Wildcats prior to post-season play since UK had 17 victories in 1998. The Cats went on to record 26 wins away from Rupp en route to the NCAA title that season.
Power Rankings
Jeff Sagarin ranks the Wildcats second in his latest power poll. UK’s schedule rates sixth nationally. Two independent polls are listed below (schedule strength in parentheses):
Sagarin CollegeRPI.comKentucky 2nd (12th) 3rd (26th)Tennessee 42nd (35th) 48th (57th)
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 792-212 mark (78.9%) during regular-season SEC play. The Cats’ victory over Ole Miss on Feb. 8 was UK’s 1,000th SEC game. No other team has won more than 651 regular-season SEC games (Alabama) and no other team has a better winning percentage. UK has averaged 11.3 wins and 3.0 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 90-34 (72.6%), the best record and most wins of any active coach in the league. He’s captured three SEC Championships and four Eastern Division crowns in five seasons in the Bluegrass. He also owns a 13-4 record in seven SEC Tournament appearances, winning three titles.
Vs. Ranked Opponents
Kentucky has faced 10 ranked opponents this season. UK is 9-1 in those games, including wins over three top-10 teams, including No. 1 Florida. (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#1 Florida 2/4 W 70-55#20 Georgia 2/11 W 87-67#19 Miss. State 2/23 W 70-62
Currently, five UK opponents are ranked in this week’s Top 25.
Vs. Top 50
According to ESPN’s bracketology, UK has more victories against top-50 teams in the RPI than any other team in America. The Cats are 12-3 vs. top-50 teams, including a 5-1 mark against top-25 squads. With two weeks remaining in the regular season, ESPN predicts UK to be the top No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Opponent’s Top Target
Over the last four weeks, Kentucky has singled out the opponent’s top gun and severely limited his production in the first half of those games.
Against Auburn, UK limited the SEC’s No. 2 scorer, Marquis Daniels, to just two first-half points. Daniels totaled just 11 points, eight below his average.
Against Alabama, Erwin Dudley finished the game 0-7 shooting and teammate Kenny Walker to 0-6 shooting. Dudley was scoreless in the first half.
Against Florida, Matt Bonner had no points on 0-6 shooting in the opening stanza.
Vs. Ole Miss, Justin Reed was 0-6 in the first half and had no points at halftime.
Against Georgia, Ezra Williams canned his first shot with 13:41 left to play, finishing with five points for the game.
Vs. LSU, Ronald Dupree scored just two of his 10 points in the first half.
‘Sufferin’ 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 by 30, 46-16 during the final 20 minutes to dispel the “Memorial Gym Magic.”
Forcing the nation’s No. 8 assists leader, Notre Dame’s Chris Thomas, into nine turnovers.
Holding Alabama to 10 made FGs, 23.8% shooting and 46 total points, the fewest since 1969 at home.
Limiting the Gators to 20% shooting in the decisive first half, 34% for the game and a season-low 55 points.
Leveling Georgia with a 20-point loss. The Dawgs had lost their previous six games by 27 total points.
Holding Arkansas to just one field goal in the first 10 minutes of the second half and just 11 points in the half’s first 16+ minutes. The Hogs finished the half with eight made baskets.
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.
Early Honors
Keith Bogans earned first-team recognition and Marquis Estill was named to the second team when the NABC District 7 teams were announced last week.
Joining Bogans on the first team was Tennessee’s Ron Slay, Vanderbilt’s Matt Frieje, Louisville’s Reece Gaines and Morehead State’s Ricky Minard.
On the second team with Estill was Chris Massie of Memphis, Damien Kinloch of Tennessee Tech, Marvin Stone of Louisville and James Singleton of Murray State.
Estill Holds Record Mark
Senior Marquis Estill owns the school record for FG percentage and ranks sixth in career FG percentage in the SEC. This year, he’s 111-of-193 from the field (57.5%), and for his career, he’s shooting 60.0%.
Estill ranks ahead of UK’s previous record holder, Charles Hurt (1980-83), who shot 59.3 percent. 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)
60.0 Marquis Estill (307-512) – 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
SEC Career FG Percentage (Min. 500 atts.)
64.1 Dwayne Davis, UF (572-892) – 1987-91
62.6 Charles Barkley, AU (467-746) – 1982-84
60.9 Aaron Swinson, AU (574-943) – 1992-94
60.6 Willie Jones, VU (367-606) – 1980-82
60.6 Will Perdue, VU (519-856) – 1984-88
60.0 Marquis Estill, UK (307-512) – 2001-03
Cats in the Polls
Kentucky remained No. 2 in the AP rankings for the second straight week. It is the Cats’ highest ranking since the final AP poll in 1996, when UK finished No. 2.
The Wildcats were ranked 17th in both preseason polls. Their lowest ranking this year was 20th.
Double-Doubles
Kentucky got two double-double performances in the same game for the first time since 2001 in its win over Georgia (2/11). The marks by Chuck Hayes (11-10) and Marquis Estill (16-12) were UK’s sixth and seventh double-doubles of the season. It was Hayes’ fifth career double-double and the fourth of the season.
Estill has three career double-doubles and two this season. On Dec. 30, he had a 15-point, 11-rebound effort against Tennessee State.
Earlier this year, Jules Camara totaled 12 points and 10 rebounds in relief against Virginia, his fifth career double-double.
National Exposure
The Mississippi State game marked UK’s 14th appearance on national television this season. UK is 10-3 on either ESPN or CBS. The Cats will appear on national TV 16 times during the regular season, including 10 ESPN appearances and six games on CBS.
Next Opponent
Kentucky opens March Madness with a Sunday trip to Athens, Ga., to face the Georgia Bulldogs. The Cats lost their last game in Stegeman Coliseum, 78-69, giving UGA its first regular-season sweep of Kentucky since 1985. The CBS game tips at 4 p.m.
Three Mania
Kentucky ranks third nationally in consecutive games with a made three-pointer. The Wildcats have hit a three-pointer in 498 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.
February Fury
Kentucky owns a 589-182-1 (.763) record in February after finishing last month with a perfect 8-0 record, its first perfect January since 1998.
UK is 7-0 in February this year. Last season, the Wildcats were 5-3 in February with three SEC road losses.
Foul Shooting?
Kentucky has significantly improved its free throw shooting this season, hitting 70.6%, the best since the 1996 championship season. In 12 of the last 17 games, UK has topped 70.0%.
Keith Bogans leads the SEC in league games only with 88.9% shooting from the line, one of four Cats shooting above 80% in the 12 league games. Bogans has hit 28 of his last 30 FTAs over the past 11 games.
Chuck Hayes has been Kentucky’s most consistent shooter from the charity stripe, hitting 79.5% of his shots this season. He’s hit 49 of his last 58 attempts.
In the Cats’ 16-game win streak, they’ve hit 71.5% of their attempts, after shooting 69.0% in the first nine games.
Four in Double Figures
Thanks to Erik Daniels’ career-high 20 points vs. Ole Miss on Feb. 8, UK now has four players averaging double figures in scoring — Keith Bogans (16.4 ppg), Gerald Fitch (12.6), Marquis Estill (10.8) 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.
Kingfitch?
On several occasions, Gerald Fitch has become a second-half offensive weapon. Fitch’s 2003 scoring averages by half are 4.7 ppg in the first 20 minutes, 7.8 ppg in the second half.
Fitch has totaled 16 points or more eight 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. Versus Auburn, he had 15 of his 16 points in the final 20 minutes, after shooting 0-6 in the first half against the Tigers.
Then against LSU on Feb. 15, he scored 13 of his 15 after halftime.
SEASON NOTES
100 Years
105 former Wildcats returned to campus for a 100 Years of Kentucky Basketball Reunion Weekend in conjunction with the UK-MSU game Feb. 23. A dinner on the floor of Memorial Coliseum Saturday night and a massive halftime introduction of the Cats were part of the many weekend-long events. Stars such as Ralph Beard, Vernon Hatton, Cotton Nash and Rex Chapman attended the festivities. UK also announced its “Fantasy Five,” the five favorite players according to the fans. Tony Delk, Jamal Mashburn, Kyle Macy, Jack Givens and Dan Issel made up the select group, although Delk and Mashburn were unable to attend due to NBA commitments. The oldest alum returning was Evan Settle, who played on legendary coach Adolph Rupp’s third and fourth UK teams in 1933 and ’34.
The Cats have had a number of events throughout the season to honor the first century of basketball at UK, including fan balloting, which concluded at the end of December, for the program’s greatest players, games and moments. The celebration included 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 for fans to collect — Adolph Rupp, Tubby Smith, Kyle Macy and Cawood Ledford.
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.
Topping Twenty
The Wildcats won their 20th game of the season for the 13th year in a row against LSU on Feb. 15. Kentucky has recorded 20 wins in 38 of its 100 seasons. Coach Tubby Smith recorded his 10th consecutive 20-win season as a head coach. He’s accomplished the feat in all six seasons in the Bluegrass and his impressive string has occurred at three different schools.
Good Work!
Jules Camara was the SEC Good Works Team Player of the Week for Feb. 17-23 and was featured on Jefferson-Pilot’s telecasts of the UK-Arkansas, Alabama at Tennessee and South Carolina at Georgia games that week.
The senior has been a community volunteer throughout his career, including serving dinner at the “Hope Center” for the homeless, working ice cream socials at the senior citizen’s center, playing bingo at the UK Children’s Hospital, assisting with the March of Dimes’ “Walk-a-thon,” appearing at a rally against violence in schools and giving pep talks to school children prior to state testing. Most impressively, after violating the athletics department’s policy on alcohol, Camara has appeared at numerous DARE graduations and pep rallies.
Dynamite Daniels
When the Cats traveled to Ole Miss on Feb. 8, Erik Daniels was listed as questionable for the game. The junior was battling pain due to an infected gland beneath his right arm.
Infection or not, the Cincinnati native scored a career-high 20 points on 10-for-12 shooting to lead the Cats. His 10 made baskets also were a career best. Daniels added four boards, three assists and a steal in the win.
On Feb. 9, he had the infection surgically drained.
He totaled 12 points and six boards against Georgia two days later.
Glue Times Two
On Jan. 7, 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
UK played at South Carolina’s new Carolina Coliseum for the first time on Feb. 1, 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.
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.
Vs. Top-Five Opponents
After the rout of No. 1 Florida on Feb. 4, UK improved to 49-43 all-time against top-5 teams. Based on the AP ranking at the time of the game, UK owns a 5-9 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.
UK vs. No. 1 teams since 1949:
Opp. Result Date Site Ohio St. L, 74-87 3-18-61 N-Louisville Ohio St. L, 64-74 3-17-62 N-Iowa City Indiana W, 92-90 3-22-75 N-Dayton UCLA L, 85-92 3-31-75 N-San Diego Indiana L, 68-77 12-15-75 N-Louisville Indiana W, 69-58 12-15-79 H-Lexington UNC L, 69-82 12-26-81 N-Meadowlands Duke L, 80-55 11-19-88 N-Springfield Duke L, 103-104* 3-28-92 N-Philadelphia Arkansas W, 90-78 3-12-94 N-Memphis UMass W, 81-74 3-30-96 N-Meadowlands Arizona L, 74-89 11-25-97 N-Maui Duke L, 92-95* 12-18-01 N-Meadowlands Florida W, 70-55 2-4-03 H-Lexington *Overtime
Hayes Fever
Chuck Hayes has been a consistent threat for the Wildcats over the past two seasons, but on Jan. 18 against 10th-ranked Notre Dame, Hayes had his best game at Kentucky.
The Modesto, Calif., native recorded 17 points, 16 rebounds, three blocks and five assists, all then-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 ‘Dores 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 on Jan. 8, where he led the team with 20 points and nine rebounds.
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 then-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.
This Sunday night, March 2, at 8 p.m., No. 2 on the list will be replayed — the 1994 LSU game which saw the Cats claw back from 31 points down with jsut 15:34 remaining in the game to earn the 99-95 win. The broadcasts are airing on the UK Radio Network, which includes WLAP in Lexington, WHAS in Louisville and WCKY in Cincinnati.
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; No. 7 — UK-Duke ’92, arguably the greatest college basketball game ever played and the last with the legendary Cawood Ledford behind the microphone; No. 6 — 1975 Kentucky-Indiana regional final as the Cats earned a trip to the Final Four; No. 5 — 1978 NCAA Championship game between UK and Duke with Jack Givens scoring 41points to lead UK; No. 4 — the 1996 NCAA Championship game as Tony Delk tied a title-game record with seven three-pointers to help the Cats down Syracuse and No. 3 — the 1998 NCAA title game against Utah. Jeff Sheppard earned Final Four MVP honors for his performance in the games.
Fantasy Five
Kentucky introduced the “Fantasy Five,” the all-time top-five players in UK’s 100 seasons of basketball as voted on by fans in balloting done last fall on UK’s official website, ukathletics.com, and in retail outlets.
The group of more than 500,000 voters chose Dan Issel, Jack “Goose” Givens, Kyle Macy, Jamal Mashburn and Tony Delk to the all-star squad. The group was honored in ceremonies prior to the Mississippi State game on Feb. 23, though Mashburn and Delk could not attend due to NBA commitments.
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 at midseason.
Walker has the Boston Celtics in playoff contention once again, averaging 21.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 4.3 apg at midseason. 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.
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 1,288 games, owning a 987-301 (.766) record.
The Wildcats, who are celebrating their 100th season of basketball, have played 2,411 games, meaning Keightley has played a role in 53.4% 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 in his 50th season watching Kentucky play in person and through his own record-keeping, has attended 1,246 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 231 games.
Meanwhile, his home court streak is still intact. Wiggins has not missed a home game in 42 years, a streak spanning 600 games. During that period, which dates back to 1960-61, UK has a home record of 533-67.
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 Jim O’Brien is the 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 line includes memorabilia, Tubby Smith autographed items, 100-year videos and DVDs and a full-line of Nike apparel. The catalog features special 100-year basketball items detailing 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.
