Men's Basketball

March 15, 2003

2003 Southeastern Conference Tournament
No. 2/2 Kentucky Wildcats (27-3, 16-0 1st East)
vs.
Auburn Tigers (20-10, 8-8 T2nd West)

Semifinals * March 15, 2003 * 3:15 p.m. ET
Louisiana Superdome (27,000)

Complete Release in PDF Format



dot.gif
spacer.gif

Download Free Acrobat Reader

Listen Live

Gametracker Live Stats

Wildcats in Semifinals; Face Auburn

Kentucky defeated Vanderbilt, 81-63, to advance to the SEC Tournament semifinals for the 10th time in 12 years. The Cats will face Auburn, a 66-53 winner over Tennessee in Friday night’s nightcap. Since the league renewed its postseason tournament, UK is 15-0 in semifinal games. This is the fourth time in Tubby Smith’s six seasons as the Kentucky head coach that the Cats have played in the SEC Tournament semifinals. UK has won 27 of its last 30 SEC Tournament games.

The Cats are trying to become the first team since the 1952 Wildcats to sweep the regular-season slate (14-0) and win the conference tournament. Kentucky will attempt to win its 24th SEC Tournament title and secure the automatic bid for the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

Kentucky enters the SEC Tournament semifinals with the nation’s longest win streak — 21 games, which equals UK’s seventh-longest win streak. UK also owns more wins (15) away from Rupp Arena, both road and neutral site games, than any other team in the country.

The Wildcats are 2-0 in New Orleans this season, which includes a 76-60 victory over Tulane at New Orleans Arena on Dec. 10. The Cats are 5-2 all-time in the Louisiana Superdome, including a 3-1 record in SEC Tournament games. Kentucky has won its last three games in the dome.

Inside the SEC Numbers

UK has won more league tournament titles than all the other teams combined, and since the SEC switched to its expanded tournament format in 1992, the Wildcats have won eight of the 11 crowns… In the previous five years of the Tubby Smith era, UK has captured the SEC Tournament Championship three times – 1998, 1999 and 2001… UK has 100 wins in SEC Tournament play. Next among tournament wins are Alabama and Tennessee, which both have totaled 53 victories… Kentucky is 100-17 (85.5%) overall in SEC Tournament action, 43-11 since the tournament was renewed in 1979… This is the 44th SEC Tournament, and UK has won more than half (23) the titles despite playing in just 41 previous events.

Series Information

This marks the 94th meeting between Kentucky and Auburn. Kentucky has won 17 of the last 18 games.

Earlier this season, the two teams were unbeaten in SEC play when they battled in Lexington. UK won, 67-51, with Marquis Estill and Gerald Fitch each totaling 16 points for the Wildcats. The Tigers are one of two teams since Jan. 14 to own a second-half lead against Kentucky. Auburn held a brief lead for 44 seconds against UK on Jan. 22. Georgia held a second half lead for 2:56 in Athens on March 2.

Auburn’s last win in the series came Jan. 11, 2000, a 66-63 thriller in Auburn.

Cliff Ellis holds a 1-11 record against the Wildcats with the win coming in 2000. Tubby Smith is 7-2 all-time against the Tigers, including a 5-1 mark while at UK.

UK athletic trainer David Kindy served on Coach Ellis’ staff at Auburn for two years before joining the Wildcats in August ’98.

Coaching History

The two coaches are old friends. In fact, when Cliff Ellis accepted the Clemson job in 1984, he offered Tubby Smith an assistant’s job. Smith, however, remained at VCU.

The two rank as the senior members of the SEC coaches. Ellis has coached at Auburn for nine seasons and Smith has coached in the league for eight seasons, two at Georgia and six at Kentucky.

The Last Outing

The Wildcats beat Vanderbilt for the third time this season to advance to the semifinals. It was UK’s 17th straight win against an SEC opponent. The Cats have now beaten Vandy 21 of the last 22 times.

UK shot 53.4% from the field, the 14th time the Cats have topped 50% shooting this season. In the Tubby Smith era, the Cats are 70-1 when shooting 50% or better.

Kentucky trailed the ‘Dores by nine in the first half, its largest deficit since trailing by 14 in the first half against VU on Jan. 14.

Cliff Hawkins earned the start for Gerald Fitch. It was Hawkins’ first start of the season, his 30th of his career.

National Coach of the Year

Orlando “Tubby” Smith was named the National Coach of the Year Friday by ESPN/ESPN.com. It is Smith’s second national award this season. He received the same honor by FoxSports.com Thursday. Earlier in the week he swept the SEC Coach of the Year by both The Associated Press and the league coaches.

Three-Point Percentage

UK is shooting 36.0% from three-point range this season, its best since the 1998 season.

Against the ‘Dores, UK hit 40% from beyond the arc, the 13th time this season UK has hit 40% or better from 3FG arc this season.

Milestones

Keith Bogans has 1,837 career points and can crack UK’s top five with six more. Jamal Mashburn ranks fifth with 1,843.

Bogans has 706 three-point attempts in his career, which ranks second. He can own the school record for career attempts with just seven more. Tony Delk owns the school record with 712. He also owns the school record and leads Bogans in made threes by 42.

“Tubbyball”

Kentucky is enjoying its best start in the Tubby Smith era with a 27-3 record entering post-season play. The current 27-3 record is Smith’s best start in 12 seasons as a head coach and he’s never had a team go undefeated in league play until this season.

During the Tubby Smith era at Kentucky, the Wildcats have won 77.6% of their games, including one national championship, four SEC Championships, three SEC Tournament titles and five of six Eastern Division crowns. Including this season’s win total, Smith has averaged 26.5 wins per season in his six years.

Tubby Smith owns an impressive 29-7 record in March (80.5%) since taking over at UK. He’s 10-2 in the SEC Tournament, 14-4 in the NCAA Tournament and owns a 5-1 advantage in regular-season SEC contests.

He also owns a 14-4 record in seven SEC Tournament appearances, winning three titles.

Bogans’ SEC Tournaments

Keith Bogans has performed well in the SEC Tournament during his career. In six games, the senior has averaged 19.8 ppg and 5.3 rpg.

His tournament-high point total came as a freshman when he scored 25 points in a quarterfinal loss to Arkansas. As a sophomore, he led all scorers in tournament play, averaging 21.7 ppg and 6.0 rpg, but teammate Tayshaun Prince won the 2001 SEC Tournament MVP honor.

Win Streak

UK has won 21 straight games, the longest win streak in Tubby Smith’s 12-year career. Smith’s 1998 champs won 13 straight en route to the title, then won the first four of the 1999 season to extend that streak to 17 games. The Cats ran the table in 2003 league play with a 16-0 record, marking the longest SEC win streak under Tubby Smith and the longest since UK swept the SEC slate in 1996 (16-0).

Other highlights of the current streak include:

The 27 wins this season are the most since the 1999 season when UK advanced to the final eight with a 28-9 record.

The Cats have beaten eight ranked opponents during the run and won 11 of their last 16 games by 15 points or more.

UK has held 11 of its last 17 opponents below 40% shooting and has beat its last 16 opponents by an average of 17.4 ppg.

During the 21-game stretch, opponents have averaged 14.1 turnovers per game and topped 40% shooting only eight times.

In the streak, eight Cats have averaged 10 minutes or more per game led by Keith Bogans’ 28.7 mpg.

Offensively in the last 20, UK has shot 49.1% FG and averaged 79.0 ppg while holding opponents to 40.6% FG shooting and 62.0 ppg.

At Home in the Dome

Kentucky is 5-2 all-time in the Louisiana Superdome, which includes the Cats’ 1996 SEC Tournament appearance. UK’s two losses in the dome came against Michigan in the 1993 Final Four and to Mississippi State in the finals of the SEC Tournament in 1996.

Date    Opponent       Result4-3-93  Michigan       L, 78-81*3-8-96  Florida        W, 100-763-9-96  Arkansas       W, 95-753-10-96 Miss. St.      L, 73-843-12-99 New Mexico St. W, 82-603-14-99 Kansas         W, 92-88*3-14-03 Vanderbilt     W, 81-63*overtime

UK All-Time Win Streaks

The 2003 Cats own the program’s seventh-longest win streak at 21 games. (See p. 233 of the UK media guide for a more detailed listing.)GamesBeganEnded3212/5/53 1/8/552712/2/953/10/96261/28/4612/30/46252/27/653/5/66242/6/332/24/34231/2/523/2/522112/30/02–211/11/493/31/492112/30/503/3/51182/5/483/31/48

Away from Rupp ’03

Though post-season action is just underway, UK has accumulated a 15-2 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.

Inside the Numbers

In the 30 games this season, six different players have led the team in scoring, six in rebounding and eight in assists… UK is shooting 70.8% from the foul line and 48.7% from the field, the best since the 1996 season… UK has topped 50% shooting 14 times this season, after achieving the mark only six times all of last season… SEC opponents shot 41.1% FG and 28.3% from 3FG range vs. the UK defense… UK has won the opening tip in 27 of the 30 games… The Cats are 22-1 since Cliff Hawkins returned to the lineup… The Cats have won 26 games when leading with five minutes to play… UK has used just five starting lineups… The Cats are 23-0 when scoring 68 points or more.

Three Mania

Kentucky ranks third nationally in consecutive games with a made three-pointer. The Wildcats have hit a three-pointer in 503 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.

Teams – Games

1. UNLV – 535
2. Vanderbilt – 533
3. Kentucky – 503

UNLV and Vanderbilt have hit a three-pointer in every game since the three-point rule was adopted to start the 1986-87 season.

March Madness

UK now owns a 252-94 (.728) all-time record in March. Last season, UK went 3-2 in the month with wins over Florida on Senior Day and Valpo and Tulsa in NCAA Tournament play.

In regular-season play, UK is 63-26 in the month of March, including 54-14 record since March regular-season games resumed in 1954.

Did You Know?

Did you know that in the decade of the ’90s, the Wildcats lost only one SEC Tournament game in 24 tries.

From 1992-99, UK went 23-1, winning seven SEC Tournament Championships. The one loss came in the Superdome to Miss. State in the tournament final in 1996.

Related Stories

View all