February 2003 News Archive (02-28-03)      Basketball SHRINKING LEAD CAN TRIGGER UK'S KNOCKOUT BLOW    It's a Catch-22 if not a catch Kentucky. To challenge the Cats is to invite falling further behind. Tennessee became the latest team to discover this Kentucky trait. Led by star Ron Slay, the Volunteers stayed within three points of UK early in the second half Wednesday night. Kentucky Wildcats Report    Smith had two answers to the Slay problem   The University of Kentucky's strategy to stop Tennessee's high-scoring Ron Slay on Wednesday night included different matchups that took advantage of Chuck Hayes' physical play and Jules Camara's quickness.      Women's Basketball Cats Play Host To No. 3 Tennessee on    |    Complete Release in PDF Format    Sunday marks the final home game for lone senior Rita Adams when the Kentucky women's basketball team plays host to third-ranked Tennessee on Sunday, March 2 at 1 p.m. ET in Memorial Coliseum. The game will be televised live on Comcast. UK WOMEN    Gamecocks hand Cats 46-point whipping    Jocelyn Penn scored 35 points and had eight rebounds but sprained her ankle late in No. 16 South Carolina's 97-51 defeat of Kentucky last night. Name mi fg-a 3-pt ft-a rb a pf tp    Kentucky (51) Humphrey 22 1-6 0-0 1-2 4 0 1 3 Helm 25 5-8 0-2 1-2 7 0 5 11 Potts 33 2-7 2-6 1-2 6 4 1 7 Adams 19 1-6 1-4 0-0 0 0 2 3      Baseball Brad Pickrell's Walk-Off Homer Wins Game For Bat Cats    Kentucky senior Brad Pickrell launched a game-winning three-run home run on the first pitch he saw from Marshall reliever Chris Meadows to propel the Bat Cats to a 9-6 victory over the Thundering Herd. Brock bounces back from frustrating ’02    Sports rarely offer a second chance. Results of games are final; nothing can change them. You can only hope to get another shot, an opportunity for redemption. (02-27-03)      Basketball Clutch Camara fends off Volunteer upset bid again     Tennessee’s Ron Slay got his, but Jules Camara prevented a Volunteer upset for the second time this season. --Hayes keeps Slay from having heyday    VOLS STAR PRESENTS CHALLENGE, TEMPORARILY   Chuck Hayes couldn't wait for the challenge, couldn't wait to go one-on-one, syllable-on-syllable, man-on-man with the most vocal and valuable Vol. Cats weather another foe    To get past the Vols, Kentucky needed a take-charge game from its senior leader, Keith Bogans, who at one time shouted to his teammates, ''Give me the ball.'' (2) Kentucky 80, Tennessee 68    Keith Bogans scored 15 points to lead a balanced Kentucky attack, as the second-ranked Wildcats extended their winning streak to 17 with an 80-68 victory over Tennessee at Rupp Arena. Chuck Hayes and Jules Camara each chipped in 12 points for the Wildcats (23-3, 13-0 SEC), who haven't lost since December 28 at Louisville. Wildcats extend nation’s longest streak    Tennessee’s Ron Slay glanced at the nearly expired shot clock, then sank a 3-pointer over Kentucky’s Chuck Hayes. “‘Jawbreaker,”’ Hayes remembered Slay saying as the two trotted to the other end of the court in the second half. Not so fast. Kentucky dashes past UT    It was a classic case of passive/aggressive behavior. Second-ranked Kentucky offered a passive defensive effort for 20 minutes Wednesday night at Rupp Arena and Tennessee responded by shooting out the lights. Wildcats claw past UT     Ron Slay mused earlier this week that maybe Tennessee could be a little speed bump in Kentucky's Sunday drive toward a perfect season in the SEC. Wildcats went after Watson    Good thing for Tennessee point guard C.J. Watson it's not a leap year. The last thing he needs is 29 days in February. Cats roll after rocky start    No. 2 UK cranks up defense in second half to subdue gritty Vols, 80-68    Tennessee star Ron Slay lived up to his billing as the favorite to win the Southeastern Conference's Player of the Year Award. Kentucky continued on the path, which the Slay-led Vols made unusually rocky, toward the SEC championship. NOTES    Indianapolis a possible destination for UK    All things being equal, a No. 1-seeded Kentucky will be more likely to open the NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis than Nashville. Why? Because the NCAA will have more tickets to sell in the RCA Dome in Indianapolis than the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville. Top Cats    UK's all-time leading scorers Player Years Points 1. Dan Issel 1967-70 2,138 2. Kenny Walker 1982-86 2,080 3. Jack Givens 1974-78 2,038 UK's longest winning streaks    Wins Dates Coach 32 Dec. 5, 1953 to Jan. 8, 1955 Adolph Rupp 27 Dec. 2, 1995 to March 10, 1996 Rick Pitino 26 Jan. 28 to Dec. 30, 1946 Adolph Rupp Former girlfriend sues Magloire    SUIT SAYS EX-UK STAR CAUSED EMOTIONAL DISTRESS Former University of Kentucky basketball star Jamaal Magloire, who now starts with the New Orleans Hornets, was sued yesterday by an ex-girlfriend who alleges he tried to force her to abort his child four years ago.      Women's Basketball Women's Hoops Falls To No. 16 South Carolina, 97-51    Jocelyn Penn scored 35 points and had eight rebounds but sprained her ankle late in No. 16 South Carolina's 97-51 defeat of Kentucky on Thursday night. Penn injured her right ankle with 6:25 to go when she was fouled going for a layup with the Gamecocks (20-6, 8-5 Southeastern Conference) ahead 81-44. faith-based initiative    Mission trip to Africa opens UK player's eyes, heart    At age 21, no one expects you to have all the answers. But as Jenerrie Everette looked into the dark brown eyes of a young African girl, she wished she had an answer for this question: (02-26-03)      Basketball No. 2 Men's Basketball Trounces Tennessee, 80-68    Keith Bogans scored 15 points as Kentucky used balanced scoring to extend the nation's longest winning streak to 17 games with an 80-68 win over Tennessee on Wednesday night. Chuck Hayes and Jules Camara scored 12 points, Cliff Hawkins had 11 and Marquis Estill added 10 points and nine rebounds for Kentucky (23-3, 13-0 Southeastern Conference), which tied its longest winning streak under coach Tubby Smith Hand it to Tubby -- he's a class act    GAME RITUAL SAYS MUCH ABOUT MAN    The first time, six years ago now, they didn't know what to think. For the first time anyone could remember, just before tip-off, Kentucky's new basketball coach didn't breeze right on by the scorer's table as though he couldn't get to his bench fast enough. Instead, the coach actually stopped, chatted, shook hands. Everyone's hands, from opponents, to referees, to the stats crew. Slay admits admiration of Kentucky    If second-ranked Kentucky were playing golf instead of basketball right now, the Wildcats would be hitting everything within 5 feet of the cup. 'Cats on country's best roll    As late-season basketball perspectives go, Kentucky and Tennessee often don't see eye to eye. Tonight's 8 o'clock contest at Rupp Arena in Lexington is a case in point. "We've got to see if we can be a little speed bump in their season,'' UT's Ron Slay said. Cats say Slay won't sway them    UK players confident they'll stick to game plan    If the game were Scrabble, Kentucky would be more vulnerable against Tennessee tonight. Tennessee star Ron Slay's game plan -- to "discombobulate" Kentucky -- threw some Wildcats off kilter. Tennessee at No. 2 Kentucky    When: 8 Records: Tennessee 15-8 (7-5 SEC), Kentucky 22-3 (12-0) Series: UK leads 131-62 Last meeting: Kentucky won 74-71 on Jan. 8 KENTUCKY-TENNESSEE NOTES    'Luxury' Camara offers sets UK apart from Vols    Not many teams boast a productive big man off the bench. That Kentucky is one of those teams spelled the difference in the first game with Tennessee. LINEUPS, STATISTICS    Tennessee Probable starters No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 4 Brandon Crump F 6-10 235 So. 35 Ron Slay F 6-8 240 Sr. 10 Thaydeus Holden G 6-0 180 Sr. These Cats aren't same ones Vols saw last month    The University of Kentucky will play the same eight or nine guys tonight that it used in the first meeting with Tennessee seven weeks ago, but by no means is Kentucky the same basketball team it was back then. Cats look to continue winning streak    Just before the Kentucky Wildcats took off on their lengthy streak of Southeastern Conference dominance, the second-ranked Wildcats escaped with a three-point win at Tennessee to open the league season. Just three weeks until NCAA office pool mayhem    Three weeks from now, NCAA Tournament brackets will be a prized possession. Kentucky’s defense picked up after coach got in star’s face    Kentucky coach Tubby Smith was angry, and he let senior guard Keith Bogans know. It was Jan. 14, early in the conference season, and the Wildcats trailed Vanderbilt 36-28 at halftime. Behind closed doors, Smith ripped the players, focusing much of his wrath at Bogans.      Women's Basketball UK Meets South Carolina In Regular Season Road Finale    |    Complete Release in PDF Format   The Kentucky women's basketball team looks to continue its winning ways when it travels to Columbia, S.C. to face 16th-ranked South Carolina on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. ET in the newly built Carolina Center. Thursday's game marks the Cats' final road game of the regular season before heading to the conference tournament on March 6-9 in Little, Rock, Ark.      Football UK's Brooks is wooing 2004 recruits    The University of Kentucky football team welcomed a large group of high school juniors to Sunday's basketball game against Mississippi State. Kentucky Football Notebook    The Louisville at Kentucky battle for the Governor's Cup has been moved to Sun. Aug. 31 and will be televised by espn2 at 6:30 p.m. EDT.    Wide receiver/kick returner Derek Abney will be honored by the Touchdown Club of Atlanta on Saturday night at the club's annual banquet. Abney will receive the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year recognition. (02-25-03)      Basketball Kentucky vs. Tennessee Notes    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 New Orleans. For the Volunteers, a win would snap a two-game losing streak and help position the Big Orange for an NCAA Tournament bid.    Pre-Game Press Conference Quotes Tennessee Travels to No. 2 Ranked Kentucky Wednesday    UK Won First Meeting 74-71 in Knoxville  Peterson hopes Vols will meet UK challenge     Whether the notoriety and hoopla associated with Tennessee's six-game win streak got to the Vols' heads is up for debate. Legends Return to Rupp    There were a lot of legends hanging around Rupp Arena Sunday during UK's nationally televised 70-62 victory over a strong Mississippi State club. In a special weekend reunion of former Wildcat players who were celebrating 100 years of UK basketball, the old faces were everywhere A man of his word    UT's Slay bringing his entertaining lexicon to Lexington    Tennessee star Ron Slay truly has done it all this season. He's a scorer, rebounder, passer, leader and walking, talking thesaurus. Tennessee at Kentucky    When: 8 p.m. Records: Tennessee 15-8 (7-5 SEC), Kentucky 22-3 (12-0) TV: WKYT-27 Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1 UConn takes fight out of Irish The Southeastern Conference will begin a new ticket policy for its...    The Southeastern Conference will begin a new ticket policy for its post-season tournament next month in New Orleans. The new policy allows Kentucky students to buy $10 tickets for the sessions that include a UK game. Seats can be bought from UK representatives at the player/guest ticket gate -- Gate H -- before the Cats' game. The policy requires only cash payments. Students must show identification cards. Focus on: Men's college basketball polls    Associated Press (media) The Associated Press' men's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Sunday, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking: The Rating Percentage Index (RPI) has been used by the NCAA since 1984...    The Rating Percentage Index (RPI) has been used by the NCAA since 1984 to supplement the selection of at-large teams and the seeding of all teams for the NCAA women's basketball tournament. This list is an independent duplication of the RPI without input from the NCAA, which does not release the RPI to the public. It is derived from three component factors: Division I winning percentage (25 percent), schedule strength (50 percent); and opponent's schedule strength (25 percent). Games against non-Division... UK role players deserve an Oscar    The University of Kentucky is on a roll because the players know their roles. Cats remain No. 2; Cards fall to No. 11    The University of Kentucky (22-3) remained No. 2 behind Arizona (21-2). UK beat Arkansas and Mississippi State last week to extend the longest winning streak in NCAA Division I to 16 games. It was voted No. 1 on 14 ballots compared with 58 for Arizona; last week the margin was 59-13. Top 25 hoops poll    Louisville falls to ninth; Gators climb back up to No. 4.      Baseball Tommy Lasorda To Speak To Baseball 'Dugout Club'    The University of Kentucky baseball program concludes its season ticket campaign with an appearance by Hall of Fame baseball manager Tommy Lasorda on Wed., Feb. 26, to speak to the `Dugout Club,' a group that meets monthly to lend support and generate enthusiasm for the UK baseball program. Season tickets for the 107th season are now available through the Memorial Coliseum ticket office at (859) 257-1818. Tickets are priced at and cover the entire 33-game 2003 home schedule (02-24-03)      Basketball Nit-picking proves Kentucky is back    BIG BLUE STREAK HAS REVIEWERS SEEKING PERFECTION AGAIN    They unveiled the Fantasy Five at Rupp Arena yesterday, but back on Nov. 18 here was the real fantasy. That the same Kentucky basketball team booed off the floor after losing an exhibition game to a traveling band known as Team Nike would be 22-3 overall, 12-0 in the Southeastern Conference, winners of 16 straight, and ranked second in the nation. Cats make plays to run streak to 16    You knew it had to end at some point, didn't you? Kentucky gets challenge, but streak still intact    Cats win a Cliffhanger, 70-62    Cliff Hawkins made 5-of-6 shots and scored a season-high 14 points in the No. 2-ranked Wildcats' victory over Mississippi State. What Kentucky needed?     Looming rout of Mississippi State becomes 70-62 win. No. 2 Kentucky wins 16th straight, tops Miss. State    Kentucky got exactly what it needed from Mississippi State on Sunday. A close game. Bulldogs make it close, but Kentucky Wins again    This one didn't come as easily as most of their other recent victories, as the Wildcats nearly blew a 16-point lead with 10 minutes left. Don't fret, Cat fans    The University of Kentucky rolled out its Fantasy Five -- a dream team chosen by fans -- before yesterday's basketball game at Rupp Arena. UK fans greet 3 of Fantasy 5 with adulation    The University of Kentucky rolled out its Fantasy Five -- a dream team chosen by fans -- before yesterday's basketball game at Rupp Arena. Kentucky unveils ‘Fantasy Five'     There have been many standout players in the 100 years of University of Kentucky basketball. Cats' streak hits sweet 16    UK survives offensive drought, tops Mississippi St. in tough test    It was what Kentucky guard Keith Bogans called "clutch time." Separate-the-winners-from-the-losers time in the final minutes of a competitive game. Tennessee at Kentucky    When: 8 p.m. Wednesday Records: Tennessee 15-8 (7-5 SEC), Kentucky 22-3 (12-0) TV: WKYT-27 Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1 NAME mi fg-a 3-pt ft-a rb a pf tp    Mississippi St. (62) Harper 27 3-7 0-1 1-1 3 0 2 7 Ignerski 27 4-9 2-5 1-1 2 0 0 11 Austin 38 7-13 0-1 6-10 8 0 1 20 Bowers 34 5-9 3-6 0-2 3 3 2 13 East    SEC All Kentucky 12-0 22-3 Florida 10-2 22-4 Georgia 8-4 16-7 Tennessee 7-5 15-8 South Carolina 4-8 11-12 Vanderbilt 3-9 10-13 West NOTES    Hawkins comes off bench to stifle MSU    Supersub Cliff Hawkins shot, scored, scrapped and starred off the bench in Kentucky's 70-62 win over Mississippi State yesterday. That he made his first four shots and scored 14 points put Mississippi State's defense between a Hawk and hard place.      Women's Basketball UK WOMEN    Adams' free throws lift Cats to 2 OT victory    Rita Adams hit two free throws with four seconds left in the second overtime and Kentucky had five players score in double figures yesterday in a 73-71 victory over Alabama. Wildcats knock off Alabama in 2 OTs    Rita Adams hit two free throws with four seconds left in the second overtime to lift the University of Kentucky women's basketball team to a 73-71 victory at Alabama yesterday. NAME mi fg-a 3-pt ft-a rb a pf tp    Kentucky (73) Potts 45 6-13 6-10 0-0 4 1 3 18 Humphrey 36 4-7 0-0 2-2 5 1 2 10 Helm 38 5-6 1-2 3-3 4 2 4 14 Adams 45 5-13 0-3 4-5 6 3 2 14 Women's SEC standings    SEC All Tennessee 12-0 24-3 Louisiana State 10-2 23-2 Georgia 9-3 18-7 Vanderbilt 8-4 18-7 Mississippi State 8-4 20-6 South Carolina 7-5 19-6      Baseball UK SPORTS    Bat Cats' 4-run rally in ninth not enough to beat Richmond    The Kentucky baseball team scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning, fueled by home runs from Spencer Graeter and Gordy Tyler, but the Cats fell short, 11-10, against 15th-ranked Richmond yesterday in the Crab House Challenge in Charleston, S.C. (02-23-03)      Basketball No. 2 Kentucky Defeats Mississippi St.    Keith Bogans had 18 points and seven rebounds as No. 2 Kentucky extended the nation's longest winning streak to 16 games with a 70-62 victory over No. 19 Mississippi State on Sunday. No. 2 Kentucky Holds Off No. 19 Mississippi State, 70-62    Keith Bogans had 18 points and seven rebounds as No. 2 Kentucky extended the nation's longest winning streak to 16 games with a 70-62 victory over No. 19 Mississippi State on Sunday. Cliff Hawkins added 14 points for the Wildcats (22-3, 12-0 Southeastern Conference), who continued the longest one-season winning streak in coach Tubby Smith's six seasons. Past Cats proud to see tradition continues    At reunion activities celebrating a proud program's 100th season yesterday, players from Kentucky basketball's glorious past saluted Kentucky basketball's glorious present. Cats seeking quick-strike capabilities     Although it's won its last two games by a combined 27 points, the No. 2-ranked University of Kentucky men's basketball team acknowledges that it has some work to do. Fans get a peek at 100 years of UK basketball    Fans streamed into the University of Kentucky Basketball Museum yesterday in search of autographs. Some of them found awe. Look familiar? Cats' versatility recalls Denny's Cards    Some might consider the following blasphemous, but the best reference point for the current Kentucky basketball team is not found among former Kentucky basketball teams, but former Louisville basketball teams. Common sense gives old-fashioned Austin uncommon game    The impulse to refer to the Mississippi State center as "Super" Mario Austin is strong. He ranks among the Southeastern Conference leaders in five statistical categories and anchors the league's hottest team not named Kentucky. centers of gravity    With last season on mind, Estill primed for battle of big men When someone suggested that Marquis Estill could measure himself against Mississippi State center Mario Austin today, the Kentucky big man offered a counterproposal: Maybe Austin could measure himself against Estill. NOTEBOOK    Stansbury savors memories of father    After winning the Southeastern Conference Tournament last March, Mississippi State players followed a routine familiar to championship settings. Each took a turn stepping up a ladder, snipping off a piece of the net and waving it triumphantly. LINEUPS, STATISTICS    Mississippi State Probable starters No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 31 Ontario Harper F 6-5 210 So. 44 Michal Ignerski F 6-10 225 Sr. 33 Mario Austin F-C 6-9 260 Jr. East    SEC All Kentucky 11-0 21-3 Florida 10-2 22-4 Georgia 8-4 16-7 Tennessee 7-5 15-8 South Carolina 4-8 11-12 Vanderbilt 3-9 10-13 West What we'll see     Today Mississippi State looks good on paper -- leading the Southeastern Conference in field-goal-percentage defense, rebounding and scoring margin -- but on paper is where you train your dog to go. Look for the Cats to avenge last year's humbling loss, win their 16th in a row and send the Bulldogs back to Starkville with their tails between their legs. (2 p.m., CBS-27)      Women's Basketball UK Women Defeat Alabama in Double Overtime    Rita Adams hit clutch free throws with 44 seconds remaining in double- overtime to give the Kentucky women's basketball team a 73-71 win over Alabama in Coleman Coliseum Sunday. It marked Kentucky's first double-overtime game since 1986 and first road win of the season. UK improves to 11-13 overall, 4-8 in the Southeastern Conference.      Baseball Kentucky Ninth-Inning Rally Falls Short as Bat Cats Lose, 11-10, to No. 15 Richmond    The Kentucky Wildcats baseball team (3-3, 0-0 SEC) scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning, including home runs from Spencer Graeter and Gordy Tyler, but couldn't overcome the No. 15 Richmond Spiders (2-0, 0-0 CAC) who dropped the Bat Cats, 11-10. UK SPORTS    STEWART'S BUNT IN 8TH SCORES GRAETER, BEATS BOSTON COLLEGE    Caleb Stewart's eighth-inning squeeze bunt broke a 4-4 tie and sent the University of Kentucky baseball team to its first win in the Charleston Crab House Challenge in South Carolina. (02-22-03)      Basketball Studying sharpens Cats' claws    Scouting reports let UK know what's coming    Kentucky's defensive effort starts days before tip-off. Long before the game starts, the Cats watch more video than Roger Ebert and listen to more lectures than the Iraqi ambassador to the United Nations. No. 19 Mississippi State at No. 2 UK    When: 2 p.m. Records: Mississippi State 17-5 (7-4 SEC); Kentucky 21-3 (11-0) TV: CBS-27 Radio: WLAP-AM 630; WBUL-FM 98.1 At an end? NCAA wants to interview Stone    TALKS MAY BE ABOUT AAU COACH    The NCAA has asked Louisville to make Marvin Stone available for an interview on Sunday. The player's attorney said the NCAA has threatened to make Stone ineligible if the player does not provide information about his former AAU team. Former Cat Jason Parker drops out of South Carolina    PLAYER FAILED TO COMPLETE CLASSWORK ON TIME, SCHOOL SAYS    The often troubled basketball career of former Kentucky player Jason Parker has hit a potential dead end. Academic shortcomings caused Parker to drop out of school at South Carolina, the school's basketball coach said yesterday. Parker, who was abruptly dismissed from UK last August, had not completed classwork from the fall semester at South Carolina. East    SEC All Kentucky 11-0 21-3 Florida 9-2 21-4 Georgia 7-4 15-7 Tennessee 7-4 15-7 South Carolina 4-7 11-11 Vanderbilt 3-8 10-12 West UK's scouting puts defense a step ahead    What fans might see when the University of Kentucky men's basketball team plays defense is Gerald Fitch darting into the passing lane for a steal or Cliff Hawkins stopping a player from penetrating. SCOUTING REPORT: MISS. STATE AT UK    Kentucky will welcome back over 100 former lettermen, as well as Mississippi State in a game the Cats will surely be looking to win for payback. UK STREAK OVERSHADOWS MISS. STATE TURNAROUND    At one point, Mississippi State was 0-3 and in last place of the SEC. Today, the Bulldogs are 7-4 and sitting atop of the West Division      Women's Basketball Cats Travel To Tuscaloosa To Take On Crimson Tide  |  Complete Release in PDF Format  |  The Kentucky women's basketball team travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to face Alabama on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. ET in Coleman Coliseum for the second meeting between the two schools this season. The Cats defeated the Tide in the teams' conference-opener in Lexington, 59-55.      Baseball Kentucky Baseball Downs Boston College, 5-4    Caleb Stewart squeezed Spencer Graeter in from third base to give UK (3-2, 0-0 SEC) a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the eighth breaking a 4-4 tie and giving the Bat Cats their third win of the season, as they defeated the Boston College Eagles (0-2, 0-0 Big East). Freshman Rob Bland came on to nail it down in the ninth and earn the first save of his young career. James Rodriquez (2-0) got the victory in relief of starter Heath Castle (02-21-03)      Basketball MSU's Stansbury eyes win at Rupp    Rick Stansbury returns home again Sunday.    This time, he hopes the return is much more pleasant than his two previous visits to Rupp Arena as the Mississippi State men's head basketball coach. East meets West    Tubby Smith has no trouble knocking his players’ egos from their perches. But he might have to start using the same approach to the compliments his peers are throwing his way. Streaking Cats tug at foes' reins    OPPOSITION'S PREPARATION KEEPS UK ON ITS TOES   Instead of devastating first-round knockouts, Kentucky won recently by taking charge in the second half. The Cats saw this variation as more a statement about the competition rather than an early-warning sign of complacency. Kentucky Wildcats Report    No. 2-ranked University of Kentucky sits poised for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but don't expect coach Tubby Smith to talk to his team about it. He said enough attention is placed on the tournament without him adding to the pressure on his players. Stopping opponents could be reason Wildcats reach Final Four    It takes only 10 seconds for Georgia’s Jarvis Hayes to launch the first shot after halftime. He misses, and Kentucky center Marquis Estill collects the rebound. There seems nothing special about this transaction, and that turns out to be true, as it is repeated in some fashion nine times in the next five minutes.      Women's Basketball UK women beat Florida, end skid at 6    It was close for the Florida women, but not close enough. For Kentucky, it was too close for comfort. Adams delivers, ending UK skid     Rita Adams was the difference in her return from a two-game absence, nailing a 3-pointer with 1:19 remaining to put the UK women’s basketball team ahead 49-45 against Florida last night to end a six-game losing streak. Name mi fg-a 3-pt ft-a rb a pf tp    Florida (47) Mosby 21 3-11 0-1 0-1 5 2 1 6 Hayden 29 6-11 0-0 3-5 17 3 2 15 Gregory 28 0-2 0-1 0-0 2 0 3 0 Lowe 36 1-7 0-3 1-2 2 2 0 3     (02-20-03)      Basketball Hogs get boot, like Nolan did    FUN IS MISSING WITHOUT COLORFUL COACH    I miss the boots. Come on, you gotta miss the boots. The rattlesnake boots. The leather boots. The alligator boots. The boots made for stomping -- opponents right into the hardwood. All that fabulous footwear that lined Nolan Richardson's closet. Kentucky Basketball Notebook    A limited number of Kentucky men's basketball tickets for the Wildcats' final two home games against Tennessee (2/26) and Vanderbilt (3/5) were made available beginning at 5 p.m. ET today (Thursday) on the Internet at UKathletics.com. UK has no 'rhythm,' but no blues, either    The margin seemed familiar, and the 66-50 victory was the 15th in a row for the No. 2-ranked University of Kentucky basketball team, but the Wildcats left Arkansas last night with a growing list of concerns. No. 2 Kentucky runs streak to 15     Fitch’s 17 carry Wildcats to 66-50 win vs. Arkansas Kentucky Routs Arkansas Stays Unbeaten in the SEC    Second-ranked Kentucky again turned to its defense and extended the nation's longest winning streak to 15 games.    No. 2 Kentucky Spanks Arkansas, 66 - 50    Gerald Fitch scored 17 points and No. 2 Kentucky shut down Arkansas in a 66-50 victory Wednesday night that extended the nation's longest winning streak to 15 games. Name mi fg-a 3-pt ft-a rb a pf tp    Kentucky (66) Daniels 29 5-7 0-0 0-1 6 1 2 10 Hayes 28 2-6 0-1 5-7 4 1 1 9 Estill 20 0-3 0-0 4-4 7 1 3 4 Fitch 31 6-12 2-5 3-4 3 1 1 17 Second-half 16-2 run pushes UK past Arkansas    The jacket came off. Cliff Hawkins went in. The defensive intensity shot up. A fashion statement and a substitution sparked another night's work for the Smothers Brothers (a.k.a. the defense-oriented Kentucky Wildcats of 2002-03). East    SEC All Kentucky 11-0 21-3 Florida 9-2 21-4 Georgia 7-4 15-7 Tennessee 7-4 15-7 South Carolina 4-7 11-11 Vanderbilt 3-8 10-12 West No. 19 Mississippi St. at No. 2 UK    When: 2 p.m. Sunday Records: Mississippi State 17-5 (7-4 SEC); Kentucky 21-3 (11-0) TV: CBS-27 Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1      Women's Basketball UK Women Defeat Gators To Snap A Six-Game Losing Streak    Rita Adams hits key three-pointer to push Cats over Florida in Memorial UK WOMEN    Cats, Gators in dire need of a victory    The Kentucky women's basketball team, which has lost six straight and nine of the past 11, takes on an opponent tonight whose struggles are even greater. (02-19-03)      Basketball No. 2 Wildcats Dominate Arkansas, 66-50    Gerald Fitch scored 17 points and No. 2 Kentucky shut down Arkansas in a 66-50 victory Wednesday night that extended the nation's longest winning streak to 15 games. Erik Daniels added 10 points and three others had at least eight for the Wildcats (21-3, 11-0 Southeastern Conference), who were able to pull their starters with almost three minutes left. Wildcats coach Tubby Smith won for the first time in six tries at Bud Walton Arena and it was the first win for any Kentucky team at Arkansas since an 83-73 victory on Jan. 26, 1997. Wildcats finally cooling off a little    TUBBY, HOBBS LOSE POWER IN ICE STORM    One and dones: The man has the No. 2 team in the country, has won 14 straight games, is undefeated in the SEC, and not even Tubby Smith has been spared from Ice Storm 2003. Hayes stands out in Cats' pack    Coach says unsung forward 'does the dirty work'    Many players contribute to Kentucky's one-for-all special season. But UK Coach Tubby Smith designates one player as first among equals. After tough times, Barbour feeling better about his game    For a long time, Antwain Barbour couldn't say it was one of the most trying stretches of basketball in his young life. Cats hope to heat it up in Fayetteville showdown    Kentucky will bring its own version of “Forty Minutes of Hell” into Bud Walton Arena tonight using its trademark-suffocating defense made famous by past Arkansas teams. No. 2 Kentucky at Arkansas    When: 8 p.m. Records: Kentucky 20-3 (10-0 SEC); Arkansas 7-14 (2-8) Series: UK leads 16-7 Last season: UK won 71-58 on Feb. 23 in Lexington LINEUPS, STATISTICS    Kentucky Probable starters No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 44 Chuck Hayes F 6-6 247 So. 14 Erik Daniels F 6-8 214 Jr. 50 Marquis Estill C 6-9 236 Sr. UK-ARKANSAS NOTES   METHOD OF INTIMIDATION    Arkansas used to exude an aura of tough defense vividly captured by the catch phrase "40 minutes of hell." Kentucky doesn't have the catchy label yet, but it's got the hellish defense. A look at UK's dominance since the second half of the Vanderbilt game...    A look at UK's dominance since the second half of the Vanderbilt game: Halftime Largest Final Opponent lead lead margin Vanderbilt -8 22 22 For Cats' foes, it's been '40 minutes of fail'    Under former coach Nolan Richardson, Arkansas' basketball teams gloated that their defense produced ''40 minutes of hell'' for the opponent. Bogans, Gaines named finalists    SENIORS AMONG 20 IN RUNNING FOR AWARD    Atlanta -- Kentucky's Keith Bogans and Louisville's Reece Gaines were among 20 finalists named yesterday for the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award.      Women's Basketball UK Women Play Host To The Florida Gators    |    Complete Release in PDF Format    Half of the city of Lexington may be without power but Memorial Coliseum will be electric when the Kentucky women's basketball team takes on the Florida Gators on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. ET.      Baseball Kentucky Baseball To Take Part in Charleston Crab House Challenge    The University of Kentucky baseball team (2-1, 0-0 SEC) will travel to Charleston, S.C. to participate in the Charleston Crab House Challenge presented by Trademark Properties, hosted by the Citadel on Friday, Feb. 21-Sunday, Feb. 23. Boston College and Richmond join the host school and the Bat Cats to make up the field   (02-18-03)      Basketball Arizona still on top, UK No. 2 in AP poll    Arizona was No. 1 in the AP men's college basketball poll for the fourth time in five weeks yesterday, while three teams moved in at the bottom of the Top 25, two for the first time this season. UK up to No. 2 in AP Top 25    There's a Cat fight for the top spot in college basketball. A pair of Wildcats -- Arizona and the University of Kentucky -- sit 1-2 atop The Associated Press Top 25 poll released yesterday. Mistaken judgment: once in a lifetime     I was wrong. Stop grinning and pay attention. This is a once-in-a-lifetime offering. Let's just say that a hop, skip and tumble down the driveway jarred me into reconsidering the things I've misjudged this basketball season. Kentucky vs. Arkansas Notes    Kentucky carries its nation's best 14-game win streak and No. 2 national ranking on the road to one of the most difficult places in America to play -- Arkansas' Bud Walton Arena. The Cats are unbeaten in Southeastern Conference action this season, winning all five road games and all four contests against SEC West opponents. Student Ticket Lottery Postponed, Again    Lottery now will be held Wednesday night, with UK-Arkansas game on big screen. (02-17-03)      Basketball Wildcats rise to No 2; Cards fall to No. 4    UPDATE: Arizona retains the top spot. Kentucky, which beat Georgia and LSU, had the other 13 votes for No. 1. Louisville, which lost at Saint Louis then beat Marquette, dropped to fourth. Kentucky edges Louisville in latest poll Arizona retains No. 1 spot; Kansas moves from No. 10 to No. 6. At 20-3, Cats make Big Blue Nation fun again    Who would have believed this Kentucky team would be doing this? Bogans turning to other ways to lead Wildcats    Keith Bogans has tried hard to shed his role as only "a scorer." Ice Storm Postpones Monday's Student Ticket Lottery    Due to the severe ice storm in the Lexington area, the University of Kentucky Athletics Department has canceled tonight's (Monday - 2/17) student ticket distribution for the final three home games of the UK men's basketball schedule.      Women's Basketball UK WOMEN    UK HELD SCORELESS IN FIRST EIGHT MINUTES    It was the largest blowout by Mississippi State in the team's Southeastern Conference history. Led by LaToya Thomas' 22 points, the No. 16 Lady Bulldogs beat Kentucky 96-46 yesterday afternoon. Women's SEC standings    SEC All Tennessee 10-0 22-3 Louisiana State 9-1 22-1 Georgia 8-2 17-6 Vanderbilt 7-4 17-7 Arkansas 6-4 19-6 Mississippi State 6-4 18-6 NAME mi fg-a 3-pt ft-a rb a pf tp    Kentucky (46) Everette 22 1-3 0-0 0-0 2 1 0 2 Tate 25 1-5 0-0 0-0 3 0 2 2 Helm 19 2-5 0-0 0-0 5 0 1 4 Potts 31 4-11 2-5 0-2 4 1 3 10 (02-16-03)      Basketball barbour school    Early trials test transfer's patience    At some point, his talent will be required. Bet on it. There will be a contest marred by foul trouble. Or there will be an unfortunate injury. Or the shots will refuse to drop, and Tubby Smith's team will need an unexpected lift off the bench. Cats top LSU to stay unbeaten in SEC    Kentucky proved it can rely on defense when its shots aren’t falling. Keith Bogans scored 20 points and Gerald Fitch added 15 as the No. 3 Wildcats extended their winning streak to 14 games with a 68-57 win over LSU on Saturday. No. 3 Kentucky sloppy but effective for 14th consecutive victory    Keith Bogans scored 20 points and Gerald Fitch added 15 as the No. 3 Wildcats extended their winning streak to 14 games with a 68-57 victory over Louisiana State on Saturday. Name mi fg-a 3-pt ft-a rb a pf tp    lsu (57) Dupree 34 4-9 1-1 1-3 7 2 5 10 Lloreda 31 8-12 0-0 2-4 9 1 3 18 Bright 35 3-10 2-7 2-2 2 4 3 10 Whipple 17 0-1 0-0 0-0 2 1 2 0 No rout, but Cats get it done    UK holds off LSU 68-57, winning streak reaches 14 Yesterday saw Rupp Arena visited by unidentified flying objects: Clutch Kentucky free throws flew through the air. That alien sight punctuated a 68-57 Kentucky victory over LSU that strayed from recent custom. Oh, the Cats got in position for yet another blowout. If you're counting, a ninth straight victory by 15 or more points seemed in the offing when the UK lead reached 20 points with almost six minutes left. UK BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK    Secret agent helped Tech coach end UK streak    John "Whack" Hyder, a coach linked to one of the most famous defeats in Kentucky basketball history, died at the age of 90 last weekend. His Georgia Tech team beat UK 59-58 on Jan. 8, 1955. That snapped the Cats' 129-game -- and 12-year -- homecourt winning streak. NOTES    CATS' WICKED 1-2 PUNCH    Erik Daniels again played defensive stopper yesterday. He held LSU's leading scorer, Ronald Dupree, to 10 points in Kentucky's 68-57 victory.      Women's Basketball Wildcats Stumble Against No. 16 Mississippi St.    LaToya Thomas scored 22 points as No. 16 Mississippi State beat Kentucky 96-46 Sunday. Mississippi State never trailed in the game. Three other Lady Bulldogs scored in double figures, including Tan White with 19 points, Rebecca Kates with 11 and Seneca Anderson with 10. Danyelle Payne scored 12 points for Kentucky.      Football FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK    Barnhart: Brooks turns down 49ers job to stay with Cats    The last thing Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart wanted to deal with was another football coaching search. But Barnhart said that possibility struck him in the face three weeks ago when San Francisco 49ers General Manager Terry Donahue contacted UK Coach Rich Brooks about the NFL team's coaching vacancy. (02-15-03)      Basketball No. 3 Wildcats Pick Up 20th Win; Defeat LSU, 68-57    Keith Bogans scored 20 points and Gerald Fitch added 15 as No. 3 Kentucky extended its winning streak to 14 games with a 68-57 victory over LSU on Saturday. Chuck Hayes had six points, 10 rebounds and a career-high six blocked shots, and Erik Daniels added nine points and a career-high 10 rebounds for the Wildcats (20-3, 10-0 SEC). The winning streak, the longest active streak in the nation, is Kentucky's longest in a season under coach Tubby Smith. wildcats' surprise party    Unexpected dominance warms winter for UK fans   For the Kentucky basketball fan, the sweetest gift of this recent rampage is that it has been such an unexpected pleasure. Not even the truest and bluest could have predicted the Cats would be a wondrous 19-3, winners of 13 consecutive, unblemished in the SEC, ranked third nationally -- with a guarantee to climb higher should they beat visiting Louisiana State today -- here smack-dab in the middle of February. Hawkins' sixth sense lifts UK    Energy off bench keep Cats cooking    Basketball historians credit a Kentuckian, Frank Ramsey, as the original "Sixth Man." He provided a lift off the bench for the Boston Celtics in the 1950s and early 1960s. Hawkins accepts backup position    Through a stretch of games in late December and January, the question became a staple of Tubby Smith's press conferences. ''Will Cliff Hawkins start?'' Today    Louisiana State at No. 3 Kentucky When: 1 p.m. Records: LSU 14-8 (3-7 SEC); Kentucky 19-3 (9-0) Series: UK leads 72-21 Last meeting: UK won 68-56 on Feb. 9, 2002 East    SEC All Kentucky 9-0 19-3 Florida 9-1 20-3 Tennessee 6-3 14-6 Georgia 5-4 13-7 Vanderbilt 3-7 10-11 South Carolina 2-7 9-11 West Auburn 6-3 17-5 LSU-UK NOTES    Bruised Hayes ready for action    Kentucky forward Chuck Hayes could say he literally fell for a head-fake after bruising his backside in practice Thursday. "He gave me a shot-fake," Hayes said of freshman Kelenna Azubuike, "and I fell for it. I mean, I really fell for it." LINEUPS, STATISTICS    Louisiana State Probable starters No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 12 Ronald Dupree F 6-7 209 Sr. 14 Jamie Lloreda F 6-9 246 Jr. 3 Torris Bright G 6-4 204 Sr.      Baseball Bat Cats Clinch Amtrak Invitational With Extra-Innings Victory    Senior Russ Rutherford drilled a first-pitch fastball to the wall in left-center field to score Brad Pickrell from third base in the top of the 11th inning, as the Bat Cats went on to a 3-2 victory and clinch the Amtrak Invitational. (02-14-03)      Basketball Wildcats Look for 20th Win Against LSU    With the nation's longest win streak intact, third-ranked Kentucky will play host to LSU in Rupp Arena in hopes of securing its 13th consecutive 20-win season. The Cats' 13-game win streak became the nation's longest after losses this week by Louisville and Manhattan. In addition, the Cats' look to record the longest single-season win streak in the Tubby Smith era with a win over the Tigers. UK won 13 straight in 1998 en route to the national championship. Friday's Press Conference LA Prep Bass Picks LSU Over UK Hoops    Brandon Bass had Valentine's greeting for a number of people Friday morning.    In a 9:30 a.m. press conference, the Capitol-Baton Rouge senior announced he would play for coach John Brady's LSU Tigers. 'Old School' Daniels Wildcats' newest star    Erik Daniels' University of Kentucky teammates laughed when asked to describe his style of play. They wonder how defenders can take him seriously because of his herky-jerky motion. Kentucky Wildcats Report    Bogans not zeroed in on individual honors     University of Kentucky senior guard Keith Bogans said any attention he pays to postseason honors will take away from his focus on the team. So anytime he's asked about winning Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, he tries to shrug off the question. Kentucky-Louisiana State Matchup    LSU Wishes For Bluegrass Miracle II    LSU basketball coach John Brady is willing to try anything when his team plays at No. 3 Kentucky on Saturday. Barbour Working Hard To Improve    Tubby On Big Blue's Nation Good Side    Two cops in tow, Tubby Smith broke into a postgame jog as he headed toward a Rupp Arena tunnel, en route to a jubilant Kentucky locker room. Wildcats share an affair to remember    Does Cupid approve of love triangles? Because here on Valentine's Day, a torrid one has blossomed in Lexington. University of Kentucky fans are back in love with Tubby Smith LSU coach holding out for a 'miracle'    BRADY: TIGERS IN NEED OF HOOPS HAIL MARY    When it comes to apt analogies, LSU Coach John Brady slam-dunked one yesterday. To support the contention that sizzling Kentucky will be nearly impossible for his team to beat on Saturday, Brady said      Women's Basketball UK WOMEN    Poise lets Arkansas squeak by Cats    Much to its head coach's dismay, Arkansas has been in many, many close games this year. But that experience paid off for the No. 13 Razorbacks in their 70-60 win over the Kentucky women last night at Memorial Coliseum, UK's fifth straight loss.      Football UK's Lorenzen Has A Lot On His Plate    (02-13-03)      Basketball Do-it-all Daniels has feel for game    Like an improvisational jazz man, Erik Daniels lets the groove take him where it pleases. It's taken the Kentucky forward to places rarely visited by his too-cool-for-school counterparts and helped propel the Cats to unexpected heights. East    SEC All Kentucky 9-0 19-3 Florida 9-1 20-3 Tennessee 6-3 14-6 Georgia 5-4 13-7 Vanderbilt 3-7 10-11 South Carolina 2-7 9-11 West Auburn 6-3 17-5 Mississippi State 5-4 15-5 Alabama 3-6 13-7      Women's Basketball Women's Basketball Falls To No. 13 Arkansas, 70-60    Dana Cherry scored 15 points to lead No. 13 Arkansas to a 70-60 victory over Kentucky on Thursday night. The Razorbacks (19-5, 6-3 Southeastern Conference) notched their third consecutive victory. Cherry scored 14 points in the second half as Arkansas overcame 13 lead changes and 12 ties by outscoring Kentucky 14-3 in the final two minutes for the win. Sara Potts scored 16 points and Raquel Ellis had a career-high 14 for the Wildcats (9-12, 2-7). Cats trying to get a handle on Hogs    There's a common thread running through the University of Kentucky women's basketball team's last four games, all losses: Turnovers.      Football Kentucky Football Notebook    Coach Brooks Gives Ceremonial "First Pint" of Cats vs. Hogs Blood Drive: Coach Rich Brooks began the Ninth Annual "Game for Life" blood drive competition between Kentucky and Arkansas with a one-pint donation on Thursday.      Baseball Bat Cats Fall to No. 21 Stetson in Season Opener    Stetson University (3-1, 0-0 ASC) used a four-run seventh inning to break open a game that saw two lead changes and two ties, en route to handing Kentucky (0-1, 0-0 SEC) an 8-5 loss in its season opener. With the game tied at five, Stetson's Bryan Zenchyk doubled in a run and Joe Kurelic delivered a two-run triple to right-center field to give the Hatters the three-run advantage. (02-12-03)      Basketball Wildcats Continue To Roll; Defeat Georgia, 87-67    Kentucky's defense humbled another Southeastern Conference challenger Tuesday night. Marquis Estill scored 16 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked three shots as the third-ranked Wildcats won their 13th straight game. Daniels Makes Difference Early Look At NCAA Tourney Seedings    The NCAA Tournament is just five weeks away, but it is never to early to project the field of 65 teams. Watkins' Sports In Kentucky    Commonwealth kingpins are No. 1; UK football celebrates small victories   Name a college basketball team in America playing better than the Kentucky and Louisville? Dogs bowed and wowed by Cats    The final minutes of a University of Kentucky basketball game are bordering on the scripted. UK's starters play most of the second half wearing smiles and practicing their lob passes and tomahawk dunks after racing unabated down the floor, then they cheer for the human victory cigars at the end of the bench who finish the game. Anything U Of L Can Do, UK Is Doing, Too    Here in the hoops-addled and hopelessly overstimulated commonwealth of Kentucky, the release of this week's Associated Press poll was the most anticipated voting return since the 2000 Florida presidential vote. Kentucky 87 Georgia 67    Georgia has played six teams currently ranked in the Top 25. But Bulldogs coach Jim Harrick thinks his team hasn't seen anyone better than Kentucky. "They are the best team I've watched all year," Harrick said after the No. 3 Wildcats' 87-67 win over No. 22 Georgia on Tuesday night. Schedule Has Helped Cats    Fans Pine For UK, U Of L Title Game    Stopped for gas here the other day, just to say I had been to the state capital of college basketball's Shangri-La. Wildcats Boring? Right Word Is Goring    All those people were right, after all. This Tubbyball sure is boring. It’s the same thing day after day, night after night, game after game, poor overmatched foe after poor overmatched foe. Bulldogs Embarrassed By UK    Kentucky continued its roll through the Southeastern Conference on Tuesday night. Georgia will continue to look for answers. UK Offense Thrives Even Without NBA's Prince UK Follows Script, Drops Georgia    Kentucky basketball is becoming all too familiar these days. UK followed a familiar script, romping to a 31-point second half lead on Georgia before settling for an 87-67 victory at Rupp Arena. Tubby's Terminators   Kentucky improves to 9-0 in SEC    Georgia stood up to Kentucky last night. Then again, the condemned stand up to a firing squad. Despite an opponent willing to put up a fight, Kentucky hammered Georgia on the backboards and the scoreboards. Next game    LSU at No. 3 Kentucky When: 1 p.m. Saturday Records: Kentucky 19-3 (9-0 SEC), LSU 13-8 (2-7) TV: WKYT-27 Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1 Bulldogs Blown Out At Rupp    Georgia's basketball team has played Florida, which was No. 1 in the nation a week ago, and beat Pittsburgh, which was nearly No. 1 a month ago. Cincy Enquirer UK Hoops Notebook    Erik Daniels is tiring of the basketball world asking about his armpit. Estill's Fire Ignites Cats Quick-Starting Cats Breeze Past Bulldogs    The Cats are making the nation's toughest conference look awfully tame.  A dominating 87-67 victory over the No. 20 Georgia Bulldogs Tuesday at Rupp Arena continued a UK trend of overwhelming offensive spurts and consistent defense that has propelled the No. 3 Cats to a 9-0 Southeastern Conference record. Fitch Says Studying Brings Success    UK's Gerald Fitch believes that preparation has had a lot to do with the #3 Wildcats' success this basketball season. Wildcats might just run table in SEC    After another Tuesday night slaughter of another rattled, ranked opponent in front of another feral Rupp Arena crowd, it's time to pop the question: (02-11-03)      Basketball Wildcats Continue To Roll; Defeat Georgia, 87-67    Kentucky's defense humbled another Southeastern Conference challenger Tuesday night. Marquis Estill scored 16 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked three shots as the third-ranked Wildcats won their 13th straight game Cats Have Georgia's Sweep On Their Minds    UK has revenge on its mind tonight when No. 20 Georgia visits Rupp Arena.  The Cats (18-3, 8-0 Southeastern Conference) have risen to a No. 3 national ranking and are riding the crest of a 12-game winning streak, but are more concerned with a battle-tested Bulldogs team that defeated them twice last season. Kentucky Once Again Place For College Hoops     They have a dream in the Bluegrass State. The two of them in New Orleans for the Final Four. Pitino and Smith. Laughing All The Way To The NCAA    Daniels Rebounds Quickly From Surgery    Dogs Will Need Better Defense To Contain UK    Georgia coach Jim Harrick is starting to take offense to all the talk about his team's poor defense. State's hoops go beyond UK, U of L    Be seated, please. The tour of the college basketball capital of the world commences now. Look straight ahead, and you see a state whose "big teams" are simultaneously flush with bounty. Rupp-roh, Bulldogs owed one    Georgia all but sneaked into Rupp Arena last year. Who knew Jarvis Hayes was so good? Who knew the Bulldogs would not only beat Kentucky here, but sweep two highly competitive games? Georgia Heads To UK For First Matchup    Georgia travels to Kentucky for the first of the two teams' matchups this season. The Dogs and Cats don't normaly wait this late before facing one another. It's been 25 years, in fact, since they went this deep into the SEC schedule before seeing each other for the first time. Cats look to collar Dawgs' tandem    Although Georgia's Jarvis Hayes and Ezra Williams easily could be mistaken for thick-bodied outside linebackers, they happen to be the baddest 1-2 scoring punch in the Southeastern Conference. Tonight    No. 20 Georgia at No. 3 UK When: 9 p.m. Records: Georgia 13-6 (5-3 SEC); Kentucky 18-3 (8-0) Series: UK leads 99-19 Last season: Georgia won both games, 88-84 in Lexington, and 78-69 in Athens. East    SEC All Kentucky 8-0 18-3 Florida 8-1 19-3 Georgia 5-3 13-6 Tennessee 5-3 13-6 Vanderbilt 3-6 10-10 South Carolina 2-7 8-11 West Auburn 6-3 17-5 Mississippi State 5-4 15-5 Alabama 3-6 13-7 LINEUPS    Georgia Probable starters No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 50 Chris Daniels F 6-7 220 Jr. 24 Jarvis Hayes F 6-7 220 Jr. 55 Steve Thomas C 6-8 240 Jr. UK's Big Blue Is Heavenly Home    Duke has its Cameron Crazies. Florida has its Rowdy Reptiles. There's "Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk" at Kansas, and Calling the Hogs at Arkansas. Will UK, U Of L Earn No. 1 Seeds?    Will Kentucky or Louisville ever lose again?   Well, one of them has to, unless they meet on the court the evening of April 7 and decide to share the NCAA championship. It's hard to imagine those guys agreeing on anything, so that is an unlikely scenario. Wrong Cats No. 1, Brady says    Kentucky rose to a season-best No. 3 ranking in The Associated Press poll this week. Guard Gerald Fitch acknowledged a desire to be No. 1. AP Hoops Poll: U Of L 2nd, UK 3rd    The Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll, with number of first-place votes and record in parentheses, total points and previous ranking. U of L, UK move 3 spots to 2nd, 3rd    Louisville and Kentucky moved up to Nos. 2 and 3 in the the AP men's college basketball poll yesterday, the first time the state rivals have been in the top five since Dec. 15, 1981, when UK was No. 2 and U of L No. 3. A 2-3 PUNCH    The University of Louisville and University of Kentucky are together in The Associated Press basketball poll's top five for the first time in more than 21 years. U of L advanced three spots yesterday to reach No. 2 for just the 16th time in school history, while UK jumped three places to No. 3. The last time they were in the top five together was Dec. 15, 1981. Dare to dream: Why not No. 1?    Just this: The universities of Louisville and Kentucky have soared from Planet Nowhere to the point where even rational people are wondering how irrationally frantic life would be if the Cardinals and Wildcats crashed the Final Four.      Football Former UK Star Pinner Hobbled    Former UK running back Artose Pinner has suffered a setback as he attempts to enter professional football. (02-10-03)      Basketball Kentucky vs. Georgia Notes    After playing eight games of a 16-game Southeastern Conference slate, Kentucky returns to Rupp Arena for an Eastern Division showdown with third-place Georgia. It marks the Wildcats' ninth game against a ranked opponent this season.    Pre-Game Press Conference Quotes Foes' stars not so bright vs. Cats    It must be fun for a basketball team's leading scorer to go against the University of Kentucky's defense. As long as your idea of fun is being audited by the Internal Revenue Service or a colonoscopy. Wildcats Doing Their Homework    The third-ranked Cats (18-3, 8-0 Southeastern Conference) have won 12 straight games heading into Tuesday's game with No. 20 Georgia (13-6, 5-3). During their streak, the Wildcats have forced 19 turnovers per game and held eight below 40 percent shooting. SEC's First Half Was Wild, Crazy    How good is Southeastern Conference basketball? Alabama may become the first team in NCAA history to reach a No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press poll, yet not reach the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky-Georgia Matchup    Kentucky Unbeaten In SEC    Kentucky is 18-3 and 8-0 in the SEC and hasn't lost since Dec. 28 against Louisville. Wildcats Play Like No. 1    If the pollsters are looking for a new No. 1 next week, they might want to consider No. 6 Kentucky. Daniels Plays With Growth Under Arm    Coaches Heaping Praise On UK What's Up With Ex-Wildcat Wah Wah Jones    If you conjure up a short list of the greatest all-around athletes in University of Kentucky history, one name inevitably bubbles toward the top. Tubby Winning His Way    To paraphrase Lyle Lovett, they weren't good, but they had good intentions. Tubby Smith has received a treasure trove of unsolicited advice from the commonwealth's deep bench of moonlighting volunteer assistant basketball coaches the past couple of years. Race Is On For Top Seeds    Less than five weeks remain until the NCAA men's basketball committee selects and seeds the 65-team field for this season's tournament.      Women's Basketball Turnovers again plague Wildcats in loss to Vandy    In what Vanderbilt Coach Melanie Balcomb called "a game of runs," it was the Commodores that ran all over Kentucky 85-63 in Memorial Coliseum yesterday. Arkansas at Kentucky    When: 7 p.m. Thursday Records: Arkansas 18-5 (5-3 SEC); Kentucky 9-11 (2-6) Radio: WLXG-AM 1300 NAME mi fg-a 3-pt ft-a rb a pf tp    Vanderbilt (85) Benningfield 27 7-14 1-1 2-3 5 5 4 17 Anderson 22 4-7 0-0 4-4 7 1 3 12 Ramsey 36 6-10 3-5 2-4 5 1 4 17 McElhiney 39 4-9 3-5 4-5 1 6 1 15      Football Kentucky Football Notebook    Coach Rich Brooks and the University of Kentucky football coaching staff will visit patients in the Lexington Veterans Administration Medical Center on Tues. Feb. 11 at 11:30 a.m.    Pinner, Abney to be honored at Birmingham Quarterback Club Banquet (02-09-03)      Basketball daniels a lion in cats' deN   All the Kentucky basketball news fit to print this time a year ago involved strife and stress. A rolling river of toil and trouble. Bad news, bad breaks, bad karma. Rebels' yell: 'Uncle'   No letdown. No letup. Four days after humiliating No. 1 Florida, Kentucky stretched its winning streak to 12 games by dispatching Mississippi in a similarly thorough manner. Its defense yet again denying the opposition half a chance, UK rolled 80-62 yesterday. UK suffers no letdown, rips Rebels    Just as the University of Kentucky was pummeling Mississippi into submission yesterday, a Van Halen classic played over the loudspeakers. It's a race to summit for Cards and Cats    The race to the summit continues. Top this, says Planet Red: University of Louisville 95, Indiana 76. Prince playing waiting game as NBA rookie    Former Kentucky Wildcats star and current Detroit Pistons rookie Tayshaun Prince spent this weekend's NBA All-Star break in Lexington. That helps explain why his basketball life these days is less about the give-and-go and more about the watch-and-learn. SEC perfection 'awesome task'    Only twice since 1954 has a team gone undefeated in Southeastern Conference play. Kentucky's 80-62 victory over Mississippi yesterday sparked speculation about a third team scaling that mountain. UK's longest winning streaks    W's Dates Coach 32 Dec. 5, 1953 to Jan. 8, 1955 Adolph Rupp 27 Dec. 2, 1995 to March 10, 1996 Rick Pitino 26 Jan. 28 to Dec. 30, 1946 Adolph Rupp      Women's Basketball Women's Basketball Falls To No. 18 Vanderbilt, 85-63    Jenni Benningfield and Abi Ramsey scored 17 points each to lead five Vanderbilt players in double figures as the No. 18 Commodores beat Kentucky 85-63 Sunday. The Commodores (15-7, 5-4 Southeastern Conference) beat Kentucky for the sixth straight time and the 14th time in the last 15 meetings. Rita Adams scored 20 and Sara Potts added 19 for Kentucky (9-11, 2-6), which lost its fourth straight game      Football Brooks pleased with first recruiting class    Recruiting analysts aren't doing backflips over Kentucky's 2003 recruiting class, as Rivals.com ranked UK's class dead-last in the Southeastern Conference and 63rd overall. But UK Coach Rich Brooks thinks he and his staff did fairly well under the circumstances. MEANWHILE, MARCUS, FORD MISS OUT ON THE GOOD KARMA    Twenty-one thoughts to ponder while you shop for a giant, candy-filled heart: 1. Of all the assistants new Kentucky coach Rich Brooks brought to Lexington, the hire I liked best was Mike Archer for his second stint as UK defensive coordinator. (02-08-03)      Basketball No. 6 Kentucky Cruises Past Mississippi, 80-62    Erik Daniels scores 20 points to lead the Wildcats to their 12th consecutive win. Daniels and Kentucky beat Mississippi    If the pollsters are looking for a new No. 1 next week, they might want to consider No. 6 Kentucky. Job No. 1 for Cats: Forget rout of Gators    As much fun as it was to beat Florida convincingly on national television, a loss at Ole Miss would undo it all. That's why the No. 6 Wildcats, winners of 11 straight, have tried to put Tuesday's game out of their minds. Rebels test their trademark against UK    If defense sparks another Kentucky victory today, it might be the Mississippi defense. The next game after the joyous victory over No. 1 Florida on Tuesday invites a Kentucky letdown. The Rebels' in-your-face defense might be just the thing to re-ignite UK's competitive urges. Inside The SEC: Midseason Report    Observations and superlatives at the halfway point of the SEC season:  > Best team: Kentucky. The emphasis here is on the word "team," and nobody plays defense like the 'Cats. Honorable mention: Florida. Cats Out Of The Bag    It's not clear whether Georgia coach Jim Harrick was speaking honestly or just trying to set up Kentucky for their Tuesday night matchup in Lexington. Whatever his motive, his comments about the Wildcats this week caught the attention of the SEC. Rebels Must Cage Wildcats To End Skid    The sight was as brutal from the bench as it was from the thousands of other seats in the arena. UK Demolition Job Has Coaches Buzzing    Reviews of Kentucky's 70-55 victory over top-ranked Florida Tuesday among SEC coaches ranged from amazement to dread. Daniels May Miss Ole Miss Game    Kentucky may have to play one its most dangerous games without it’s unsung hero when it enters Tad Smith Coliseum to play Ole Miss on Saturday. Barnes: Rebels Ready For Wildcats    The Ole Miss Rebels checked into their hotel in Auburn, Ala., in time Tuesday night to see seventh-ranked Kentucky's nationally televised game with No. 1 Florida. Kentucky at Mississippi    Florida game? What Florida game?  That's how the University of Kentucky basketball team is taking its victory over the No. 1-ranked Gators, with the idea that the players won't carry a hangover into today's game at Mississippi. Swollen armpit may sideline Daniels    A golf ball-sized swelling in his right armpit has made Kentucky forward Erik Daniels questionable for today's game at Mississippi. LINEUPS, STATISTICS    Mississippi Probable starters No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 23 Justin Reed F 6-8 240 Jr. 40 Derrick Allen F 6-8 238 Sr. 1 Aaron Harper G-F 6-7 217 Jr. East    SEC All Kentucky 7-0 17-3 Florida 7-1 18-3 Georgia 5-2 13-5 Tennessee 4-3 12-6 Vanderbilt 3-5 10-9 South Carolina 1-7 7-11 West Auburn 5-3 16-5 Mississippi State 4-4 14-5 Alabama 3-5 13-6      Women's Basketball Kentucky Women Host To No. 18/19 Vanderbilt    The University of Kentucky women's basketball team looks to snap a three-game losing skid when the Wildcats play host to 18th-ranked Vanderbilt on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum. The Cats and the Commodores tip it off for the second time this season. UK also looks avenge an 84-50 loss to then 14th-ranked Vanderbilt on Jan. 19 in the Music City. (02-07-03)      Basketball Wildcats Put Florida Win Behind Them    Kentucky took some time to savor its crushing victory over top-ranked Florida. Now it's time to go back to work. Kentucky vs. Ole Miss Notes    The sixth-ranked Wildcats will try to protect an 11-game win streak when they battle Ole Miss in Tad Smith Coliseum. In the series with UK, the Rebels have won two of the last three games played in Oxford, including a 65-55 victory in 2001.    Press Conference Quotes Again, Tubby has proven many of us wrong    With Kentucky at 17-3, unbeaten in seven Southeastern Conference games and riding an 11-game winning streak, we know this much about Tubby Smith this season: He can still coach. Ole Miss Ready For UK Cats Look Even Fiercer Than Usual    The Southeastern Conference schedule makers have never been known to be a kind bunch. This February, Ole Miss might make a case for them being pure evil. Kentucky-Mississippi Matchup    Tubby, Fitch Benefit From Reconciliation    Smith, perhaps against his better judgment, kept the faith. This season, it has paid off big-time. Fitch is a major reason why Kentucky is again a major player in the college basketball world; the No. 6 Wildcats had won 11 consecutive games including Tuesday night's 70-55 romp over No. 1 Florida, and are a serious Final Four contender. UK's Tradition: 100 Years, 1,834 Wins    Right from the start, Kentucky fans loved their basketball. Wildcats Earning Praise    U Of L, UK: 'Center Of Basketball Universe'    Welcome to Kentucky, the capital of Hoopsworld -- and currently one of the prime locations in all of American sports. Barnes Respects Tubby For Job He Does So Who's No. 1? Only One Way To Tell    Thank heavens for March Madness. Without the 65-team NCAA Tournament, it would be impossible to determine the best team of this wild and crazy season. Ole Miss Coach Talks About UK Game    "Kentucky is a good basketball team, and you have to give head coach Tubby Smith a lot of credit to have his kids playing the way they are this season. They play extremely hard and they play together. It’s a great opportunity for us. It’s going to be a tough, hard-nosed game. We have played well, but we are going to have to play better. It’s going to be a challenge for us." The Wildcats' Catalyst    Again, again and again, Tubby Smith gave Gerald Fitch another chance.  After a season like the Kentucky guard suffered through a year ago, most players would have been shown the door. And don't let it hit you on the way out. Daniels, Defense Keys UK's Rise    The defense is an obvious thing.  When a team with Florida's offensive assets scores 55 points in 40 minutes of basketball, the defense is what you are going to notice about the Kentucky Wildcats. As good as that defense is, it is not the element that is making them an extraordinary team. Embrace the precious possibility    Via the facility of mental time travel, we bring you a column from your April 7, 2003, Lexington Herald-Leader. You know, from the morning of the 2003 NCAA championship game between ... Kentucky and Louisville. U of L, UK: 'The center of the basketball universe'    The universities of Louisville and Kentucky have combined to produce a basketball season so compelling that it is the hottest storyline this side of LeBron James' amateur status. Who's better, Cats or Cards? Fans toss it up    Basketball is a blast again.  Or so it seems to Terry Meiners, the WHAS radio personality, Louisville cultural observer -- and friend of Rick Pitino. Putting Cats in their place    Superior to all college teams. Vulnerable at Mississippi on Saturday. Most improved team in the nation. Too good, too soon to be peaking at tournament time. Kentucky Wildcats Report    Georgia coach Jim Harrick had one word to describe the Unversity of Kentucky's 70-55 win over No. 1-ranked Florida:      Women's Basketball UK Women Fall To Auburn In Overtime    Kentucky dropped a heartbreaker, 63-56, to Auburn on Thursday in overtime in Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum. The Wildcats fall to 9-10 overall, 2-5 SEC while Auburn improves to 16-5, 4-4 in the SEC Kentucky loses to Auburn in overtime    Rita Adams made three three-pointers in overtime, but Kentucky lost to Auburn 63-56 last night. The Wildcats led 45-41 with 1:53 left in regulation when Auburn's Mandisa Stevenson hit a jumper. UK falls to Auburn in OT    Auburn outscored the University of Kentucky women's basketball team 18-11 in overtime to defeat the visiting Wildcats 63-56 last night. NAME mi fg-a 3-pt ft-a rb a pf tp    KENTUCKY (56) Everette 18 1-3 0-0 0-0 3 1 0 2 Humphrey 26 4-7 0-0 0-1 7 2 5 8 Helm 28 4-11 1-1 0-0 6 0 4 9 Potts 35 5-13 2-6 0-0 2 3 5 12      Football Hoptown's Abren Goes From Band To UK    Ricky Abren is hard to miss in any room. The 6-foot-2, 260-pound Hopkinsville High School senior definitely has a presence. (02-06-03)      Basketball Top Moments In 100 Years Of UK Hoops    Feb. 6, 1903 - Kentucky plays its first basketball game, which ends in a loss. UK Basketball Turns 100    Kentucky fans have loved their basketball from the start. On Feb. 6, 1903 - 100 years ago today - Kentucky played its first game before a capacity crowd in an on-campus gymnasium that is still used today. Key Moments In UK Basketball    Feb. 18, 1903 - Team records its first win, 11-10 over Lexington YMCA. This Week In SEC Hoops    Georgia basketball coach Jim Harrick tends to get a little excited about things, just ask any zebra who works one of the Bulldogs' games. Who's No. 1 now?    Florida came to Kentucky ranked No. 1. The Gators departed, but did the No. 1 ranking remain? Kentucky embraced that scenario after whipping Florida 70-55 Tuesday night in Rupp Arena. SEC Can Make Argument As No. 1 League    Which is the best conference in college basketball? Debated and discussed, it's always a juicy topic as we wait for March Madness and we endure the February Foolishness known as Signing Day. Even Wildcats are surprised how easily they beat Florida    University of Kentucky basketball coach Tubby Smith isn't a scoreboard watcher.      Women's Basketball Cats head to Auburn seeking first road win    The Kentucky women's basketball team goes after its first road victory when it travels to face Auburn at 8 tonight. The Cats (9-9, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) have struggled on the road this season. UK is 0-7 on the road, 0-3 on the road in conference.      Football Kentucky, Louisville Happy With Signees    In an era when high school athletes want H2 Hummers, two cell phones and a pair of jerseys worth nearly $1,000, it's easy to get turned off by all the greed and "Me, me, me." Ranking The SEC Football Recruiting Classes Cats get creative for football signings    Rich Brooks hit the ground running as Kentucky's new football coach. Since taking over on Dec. 30, Brooks has worked the phones relentlessly. He's burned miles on the highway visiting high schools with recruiting coordinator Joker Phillips A closer look at the players who signed with Kentucky yesterday. A closer look at the players who signed with Kentucky yesterday. Brooks Salvages Recruiting Class    Wildcats 'filled some needs, also got ready for next year'    This University of Kentucky football recruiting class wasn't about high ratings and five-star talent. It was more about hanging on for dear life to the recruits on board before a protracted coaching change gave Rich Brooks less than a month to pull together a class. NATIONAL SIGNING DAY: ANDRE WOODSON    When the recruiting process started for me over a year ago, I got tired real quick of the mail, phone calls, and visits that were associated with the recruiting process. NATIONAL SIGNING DAY: DOMINIC LEWIS    The importance of receiving a scholarship really didn't hit me until early January when the rest of my senior class was struggling trying to get into college at any school that would accept them. I credit all of my success to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, because without him I could have been stuck struggling to get into college. (02-05-03)      Basketball Kentucky Basketball Notebook    Approximately 1,000 tickets to the Kentucky-Georgia men's basketball game are now available to the general public. The upper arena seats were made available following the student-ticket lottery earlier this week.    The University of Kentucky Radio Network will rebroadcast the UK/Florida game this Saturday, Feb. 8, at 10 a.m. ET. Showdown blowdown    It was an ambush fit for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Florida, ranked No. 1 barely more than 24 hours, walked into Rupp Arena and found the University of Kentucky's barrels loaded. Wildcats show who are real SEC kings    It's good to be king. And make no mistake, that's what the University of Kentucky remains in the Southeastern Conference today. After last night's thrashing of No. 1-and-done Florida in Rupp Arena, the league throne remains here. Gators Upset By Kentucky    The Florida Gators were not able to overcome a 29-point second half deficit as they were defeated by Kentucky 70-55 Tuesday night at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. It's Kentucky That Looks Like No. 1    Florida arrived here in the Big Blue Nation on Tuesday sporting the nation's No. 1 ranking, a 14-game win streak and a whole lot of firepower and swagger. They left more whipped than a guy at a Dixie Chicks concert. Dis-Rupp-Tive Game    Rupp Arena is a tough place to play and coach, especially if your team is ranked No. 1 or are the Gators. Bluegrass Blues    The next Associated Press poll won't be released until Monday, but for all intents, the Florida Gators' hold on the nation's No. 1 ranking lasted a day and a half. UK Football Future Becomes Clearer    UK football coach Rich Brooks says the Wildcats' defense will change next season and don't expect to see the 4-2-5 again. That's four defenders on the line, two linebackers and five in the secondary. Brooks prefers something akin to three defensive linemen and four linebackers. That leaves four in the secondary. In Defense Of UK, This Game Has Implications     Wildcats Rip Gators At Rupp    Florida came to this Bluegrass town with its first AP No. 1 ranking in school history. It was a short-lived coronation. Wildcats Cool Off Gators    It was billed as the SEC Showdown.  It turned into the Big Blue Blowout. No. 1 Undone!    They didn't storm the court at Rupp Arena.  Of course, they didn't. They never do when Kentucky wins a basketball game, even against the No. 1-ranked Florida team they hammered Tuesday night. UK Defense Shuts Down No. 1 Florida    UK's 'D' Makes Wildcats A Juggernaut    Florida never got a chance to hang the banners, send out the invitations, and invite the neighbors for the celebration. No sooner had the Gators been proclaimed No. 1 in the country for the first time in school history, Kentucky made them look like No. 100. UK Notebook: 'Man, Rupp Was Crazy'    There are big-game atmospheres, and then there was this: Dick Vitale in the house, a Rupp Arena-record crowd and Kentucky facing the nation's No. team. Little wonder Rupp rocked Tuesday night. Rupp tsunami wipes out Gators    Talk about rising to the occasion. It kept rising, too, starting Saturday when both Kentucky and Florida completed their respective conference compulsories undefeated. Then soon the town was buzzing, and Dick "Awesome Baby" Vitale was coming, and the crowd was stoked, and the E-Rupp-tion zone was overheating, chanting "Overrated, overrated, overrated" at the mere sight of any Gator an hour before the game. Small ball turned things in UK's favor    It wasn't supposed to go like this. Who switched the scripts? The SEC hoops version of Armageddon was supposed to pit Kentucky's punishing front line vs. Florida's fancy-pants perimeter game. Win Will Help UK In Long Run ONE AND DONE    Let college basketball history show: When Florida reigned, Kentucky poured. The Cats dropped a cloud-burst of defense, desire and overwhelming momentum on the Gators last night. The result: a 70-55 UK romp over a Southeastern Conference rival installed as the nation's No. 1 team only the day before.      Women's Basketball Cats Travel To Auburn Still Searching For First Road Win of the Season    After a near-upset of No. 16 South Carolina on Sunday in Lexington, the Kentucky women's basketball squad looks to capture their first road win when they travel to Auburn, Ala., on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. ET to face the Auburn Tigers in Beard-Eaves Memorial-Coliseum.  UK vs. Auburn Notes (PDF)      Football UK expects home-grown class of football signees    Joker Phillips' goal when he became recruiting coordinator for the University of Kentucky football team was to get a Wildcats coach inside every high school in the state. Brooks Happy With Recruits Warren Central WR Signs To Play For UK    Warren Central wide receiver/defensive back Leroy Wilson can thank football coach Ricky Wood for being pretty persuasive. (02-04-03)      Basketball Vitale: UK Will Be In Final Four    No. 6 Wildcats Wallop No. 1 Florida, 70-55    Florida hardly lived up to its first-ever No. 1 ranking on Tuesday night. Keith Bogans scored 15 points - all in the first half - as No. 6 Kentucky used overwhelming defense to beat the Gators 70-55, snapping Florida's 14-game winning streak. Kentucky 70 Florida 55    Florida's first No. 1 basketball ranking took place with the Gators headed for the wrong place at the wrong time. A day after they ascended to the top spot, the Gators ran into the transformed Kentucky Wildcats, who took their trademark lockdown mode to a new level Tuesday night. UK Stakes Claim, Destroy No. 1 Florida    Florida waltzed into Rupp Arena the newly anointed top team in all of college basketball. The Gators left a humiliated group after Kentucky turned them into pretenders with a 70-55 blitzing at Rupp Arena. Kentucky Programs Back On The Rise    Quite frankly, the proud people of Kentucky have had it up to here listening to Dicky V and others gush about the Tar Heels, the Dukies and the magic of North Carolina's Tobacco Road. Kentucky Enjoys Low-Key Season    Listen carefully. Can you hear that sound? For a change, there's silence coming out of the University of Kentucky locker room. No fussing, no mess, just basketball. It's a wonderful sound if you're a fan of Tubby Smith's Wildcats, who are 16-3 overall, 6-0 in the SEC and turmoil-free heading into tonight's showdown with new No. 1 Florida at a sold-out Rupp Arena. Big Game Vs. Wildcats All That Matters    It's not March.   The SEC title is not on the line. NCAA Tournament seedings will not be determined by the outcome.    But when No. 1 Florida plays No. 6 Kentucky at 9 p.m. tonight at Rupp Arena, nothing else about the game can be minimized. No. 1 Gators Prep For Hoops Bluebloods    They are calling it one of the biggest regular-season games in school history. Gators' Top Ranking Gets Severe Test At UK    It took a while -- precisely 83 seasons -- to reach the top. Now the challenge for the Florida Gators becomes trying to maintain their No. 1 national ranking, which was bestowed upon them Monday for the first time in school history. No Time To Savor No. 1 Debut    They've seen the No. 1 basketball teams come and go, one by one falling victim to their own success. Arizona. Duke. Alabama. Kentucky-Florida Pre-Game Notes    The Kentucky Wildcats enter tonight's game winners of 10 straight games, including a perfect 6-0 mark in SEC play UK Gunning For No. 1    When the nation's top-ranked team plays in Rupp Arena, it's usually Kentucky. Not this time. Noisy Welcome Planned For Gators    KENTUCKY HAS ONLY BEATEN the No. 1 team four times in 13 meetings but defeated Indiana 69-58 in 1979 in the only other meeting in Rupp. Gators No. 1, But Heads Not In Clouds    The Associated Press' voters have spoken, and Billy Donovan loves how inaudible they seem.  Especially when compared to that proverbial precinct his team visits tonight in Lexington. Kentucky-Florida Scouting Report    The Cats and Gators have been paired up for the last game of the regular season in each of the past three seasons, each of which determined the SEC East champion. SEC's Best: No. 6 Cats vs. No. 1 Gators    Only once -- in 1979 to be exact -- has an opponent come to Rupp Arena ranked No. 1 in the nation. Maybe rarer still: when such a ranking in any game is an afterthought. Donovan's troops are latest to make charge at Cats' summit     Challengers come, challengers go. But, always, there is Kentucky. Now it is Florida scaling the mountain that is SEC hoops. Now it is Billy Donovan's Florida poised to go eye-ball to eye-ball with the SEC Sasquatch. Young Gators say they won't be intimidated by Rupp-roar    Only once -- in 1979 to be exact -- has an opponent come to Rupp Arena ranked No. 1 in the nation. Maybe rarer still: when such a ranking in any game is an afterthought. Tonight    No. 1 Florida at No. 6 Kentucky When: 9 p.m. Records: Florida 18-2 (7-0 SEC); Kentucky 16-3 (6-0) Series: UK leads 78-24 Last season: UK swept, 70-68 in Gainesville (Jan. 29), 70-67 in Lexington (March 2) UK vs. No. 1    Billy Donovan's game-by-game results as a head coach versus Kentucky: Team Result Date Site Marshall L 116-75 Dec. 27, 1994 Lexington SCORES AND SCHEDULES    Florida (18-2, 7-0 SEC) Date Opponent Score Nov. 19 LOUISIANA TECH 76-55 W Nov. 21 E. ILLINIOS 99-65 W Nov. 24 COASTAL CAROLINA 88-45 W LINEUPS    Florida Probable starters No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 15 Matt Bonner F 6-10 240 Sr. 44 Matt Walsh F 6-6 205 Fr. 24 David Lee F 6-9 240 So. DONOVAN SAYS NO. 1 COMES BY DEFAULT    Florida, which began playing basketball in 1915, achieved its first No. 1 ranking yesterday. A short reign could follow the long wait, Coach Billy Donovan said. Cats looking out for No. 1    The University of Kentucky men's basketball players gave Florida a nice little pat on the back yesterday for its new No. 1 ranking. Then they winked. As if the Wildcats needed more motivation for tonight's showdown, they got it when Florida moved to the top of The Associated Press poll. Cards jump over Cats, move into AP's top five    The University of Louisville men's basketball team is in the nation's top five for the first time since Valentine's Day, 1994. South Carolina AD apologizes for fans' behavior    South Carolina athletic director Mike McGee phoned University of Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart yesterday to apologize for the behavior of fans at the Carolina Center during Saturday's basketball game between the schools.      Football UK coaches by the numbers    Kentucky Football Notebook    Signing day is Wed. Feb. 5 and the signing list and biographies will be updated during the day on this page.    Junior wide receiver/kick returner Derek Abney will be honored by the Walter Camp Football Foundation as a member of its annual All-America team this weekend in New Haven, Conn. Brooks plans new look for Kentucky    A theme developed as Rich Brooks introduced his first University of Kentucky staff yesterday at Wildcat Den, a theme that suggests that big changes are in store for UK football. UK's new staff gets pay bump    University of Kentucky's assistant football coaches will be paid a total of $1.252 million annually, a 40 percent increase over the salaries of the former staff. (02-03-03)      Basketball 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.    Pre-Game Press Conference Quotes Cards jump to 5th in latest AP poll, Cats 6th    The now top-ranked Florida Gators visit Rupp Arena tomorrow night; U of L received 4 first-place votes; IU dropped out of the poll. Duke Walk-On Honors Former UK Recruit    It doesn't matter that you usually don't see Andy Means' face the 20 times a year Duke's men's basketball team is on national television. Kentucky-Florida Matchup SEC Unbeatens Face Off    On Sunday, Larry Conley was enjoying a rare day off at his home in Dunwoody. Still, one of college basketball's busiest TV analysts could hardly contain his excitement about Tuesday's SEC showdown between No. 4 Florida and No. 7 Kentucky at Rupp Arena (9 p.m., ESPN). Does Florida Have Game For No. 1?    Florida coach Billy Donovan knows Rule 1 of BPC -- basketball political correctness: Never, never, never detract from your opponent. RECORD BOOK SHOWS UK COACH OUTSHINES FLORIDA COUNTERPART    In that irresistible game of what if, the consensus has always been that if Kentucky found itself without a basketball coach, the first call would go to the head coach in Gainesville. UK big men get passing grade    For all the talk this season about the University of Kentucky's defense, South Carolina men's basketball coach Dave Odom was blown away by the Wildcats' efficient, if not flashy, offense.      Women's Basketball Kentucky at Auburn    When: 8 p.m. Thursday Records: UK 9-9 (2-4 SEC); Auburn 14-5 (2-4) Radio: WLXG-AM 1300 Turnovers doom Cats in 49-46 loss    The last three times the Kentucky women have taken on South Carolina in Memorial Coliseum, the game has come down to a last-second shot. Women's SEC standings    SEC All Tennessee 7-0 18-3 Georgia 5-0 14-4 Louisiana State 5-1 17-1 Mississippi State 4-2 15-4 South Carolina 4-3 16-4 Arkansas 3-3 17-4 Vanderbilt 3-4 13-7      Football Kentucky Football Press Conference    Head Coach Rich Brooks and all the new assistant coaches were on hand Monday for a press conference. They talked about the expectations of the upcoming season Wildcats Lose Englemon To Michigan    Brandent Englemon, a 6-foot, 185-pound defensive back from Covington Holmes (Ky.) High School, has decided he will attend Michigan instead of honoring his verbal commitment to Kentucky. (02-02-03)      Basketball UK Blitzes USC, Ready For Florida    Just days before a titanic regular-season showdown with Florida, the stage was set up perfectly for Kentucky to overlook South Carolina and lay an egg in Columbia. USC Losing Streak Reaches Six    Nine minutes of poor basketball cost South Carolina dearly Saturday. That's all a Top 10 team like Kentucky needs. Wildcats' sticks, stones too much for Gamecocks    Kentucky (16-3, 6-0 SEC) into Tuesday night's showdown against No.4 Florida playing its best basketball of the season. A clash worth paying for    The significance of Tuesday can be signified by this: Larry Conley and Tom Hammond will be there. The color analyst and his play-by-play partner, respectively, will both be at Rupp Arena, sitting side by side. Florida at Kentucky    When: 9 p.m. Tuesday Records: Florida 18-2 (7-0 SEC); Kentucky 16-3 (6-0) TV: ESPN Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1 Cats' big men fry Gamecocks    Kentucky's big men turned the sparkling new Carolina Center into an 18,000-seat testament to wasted space yesterday. Everything outside the shadow of the baskets shrunk to insignificance as the Cats overpowered South Carolina 87-69. Super Bowl II: UK-Gators pits offense, defense    Not one but two familiar commentators will be in Rupp Arena Tuesday when Kentucky plays Florida in a long-anticipated showdown of Southeastern Conference heavyweights. Cats must contain nation's No. 2 scorer to extend home streak to 5     No. 16 South Carolina at UK When: 2 p.m. Records: South Carolina 15-4 (3-3 SEC); UK 9-8 (2-3) Radio: WXLG-AM 1300 The Lady Wildcats face the nation's No. 2 leading scorer as No. 16 South Carolina takes on UK in Memorial Coliseum today in the first of two meetings with the Gamecocks this season. Shuttle disaster forces choices on TV     Kentucky fans who watched the South Carolina game on WKYT yesterday had to share the TV screen with CBS News coverage of the space shuttle tragedy. Fans' barbs at Bogans adds fuel to his fire     Kentucky's 87-69 victory over South Carolina yesterday served as a cautionary note to student sections throughout the Southeastern Conference.      Women's Basketball Kentucky Edged Out By No. 16 South Carolina, 49-46    Kelly Morrone hit two free throws with 14.6 seconds left as No. 16 South Carolina beat Kentucky 49-46 on Sunday. The Wildcats (9-9, 2-4 SEC) had a chance to send the game into overtime, but SeSe Helm missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, as the Gamecocks won their second in a row. The Gamecocks (16-4, 4-3), shot just 26 percent from the field (14-of-54), but knocked down six 3-pointers and forced Kentucky into 23 turnovers      Football making every cat count     So just who will sign with the University of Kentucky on Wednesday, the first day of the national signing period for high school recruits? The UK coaching staff might not find out for sure until Wednesday. (02-01-03)      Basketball No. 7 Men's Basketball Slams South Carolina, 87-69    Marquis Estill scored 16 of his 18 points in the first half as No. 7 Kentucky beat South Carolina 87-69 Saturday for its 10th straight victory. The Wildcats (16-3, 6-0 Southeastern Conference) used a 21-4 run midway through the opening period to break the game open. Table set for feast, but are Cats hungry?    Right place. Wrong time. South Carolina's woebegone offense should be chum for the sharks on Kentucky's man-eating defense today in Columbia. Today    No. 7 Kentucky at South Carolina When: 1 p.m. Records: Kentucky 15-3 (5-0 SEC), South Carolina 7-9 (1-5) Series: UK leads 30-5 Last meeting: UK won 62-55 on Jan. 11 in Lexington Scores, schedules    Kentucky Probable starters No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 44 Chuck Hayes F 6-6 247 So. 14 Erik Daniels F 6-8 214 Jr. 50 Marquis Estill C 6-9 236 Sr. smith's secret: there is none    Perhaps with tongue firmly in cheek, Tubby Smith sounded shocked -- shocked! -- when a reporter suggested that good coaching contributed to Kentucky's high-riding season. Cats' mean 'D' will test punchless Gamecocks    Pity South Carolina basketball coach Dave Odom. His Gamecocks have lost five straight, are the Southeastern Conference's worst three-point shooters and feature a starting point guard who has yet to score in league play.      Women's Basketball Cats Play Host To No. 16 South Carolina    The Kentucky women's basketball team returns to Memorial Coliseum on Sunday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. ET against 16th-ranked South Carolina. Sunday is `Take A Kid to the Game' day. All kids ages 18 and under are admitted free. All other adult tickets are two dollars       Our Privacy statement can be read here...   Disclaimer:  This site solely owned by WildcatZone.Com and is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Kentucky, the Southeastern Conference, or the NCAA copyright (c) 1997-2006, WildcatZone.Com (except where otherwise indicated)