Bogans guts it out, then feels the pain Keith Bogans played in pain and then also had to endure the pain of knowing his college basketball career ended short of the goal he had set.
Barnhart says he isn't shopping for coach Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart said it is "patently, absolutely inaccurate" that he has already looking for a possible successor to
UK basketball coach Tubby Smith.
UK's bitter end only adds glow to Smith's feat Forget the crash, remember the ride. Better still, praise the pilot. So Kentucky's 26-game winning streak came
tumbling down Saturday inside the Metrodome, massacred by Marquette, overwhelmed by Dwyane Wade in the Midwest Regional final, one win shy of the Final Four.
Legacy extends beyond victoriesTeam-oriented Cats 'happy with season' No flowery rhetoric. No
overwrought emotion. Heartfelt gratitude for a team that personified enduring values was sufficient. That's how Kentucky Coach Tubby Smith addressed his team after its magical season ended in defeat Saturday night. He just told us, " 'Thank you for the wonderful year we had; we can learn from this,' " Chuck
Hayes told reporters later.
Cats couldn't grab ultimate prize Tubby Smith answered preseason criticism of his men's basketball program at the University of Kentucky by saying
that trophies keep showing up at his office in Memorial Coliseum.
Injury hurt Bogans' defense While Keith Bogans gave a valiant effort in trying to play with a high left ankle sprain, among the questions left
unanswered from the University of Kentucky's loss to Marquette in Saturday's Midwest Regional championship game is, would the Wildcats have been better off not playing the senior swingman at all?
UK talent returns, but will Tubby? Now that the University of Kentucky basketball team's season has fallen three wins short of a national
championship the question about next season isn't whether the Wildcats have enough talent returning to make another long postseason run, it's just who is going to coach them?
'Cats doomed by yellow wave Seldom does it seem that way, and almost never does it seem that way in Kentucky, where basketball is spoken with a
distinctive accent. To those who watched back home in the commonwealth -- and judging by the yellow-fevered crowd at the Metrodome, that was practically everybody --
Baseball
Back-to-back homers in 9th sink Bat Cats Brady Toops and Ryan Fox hit back-to-back home runs in the ninth to score three and pull Arkansas ahead to a 10-9 win at
Kentucky yesterday.
UK loses to Arkansas in baseballUK (10-17, 0-9 Southeastern) had scored three runs in the eighth to lead 9-7 before the
Razorbacks (22-5, 5-4) used back-to-back home runs by Brady Toops and Ryan Fox to score three runs in the ninth. Arkansas had five home runs in all.
(03-30-03)
Basketball
Dream Season is overUK, perfect for so long, falls short of Final Four It was like a dam breaking.
Kentucky basketball's 26-game winning streak had been like a magnificent river, flowing in the same direction, its strength and power beautiful to behold.
Only an amazing feat could end UK's run You knew it would take something special. That even on a bad day, it would take something extraordinary to break the
massive heart of this Kentucky basketball team.
FINAL FORLORNVersatile Marquette puts end to Cats' streak and season Although Mississippi State fans
called out his name every time he scored -- "Rob-bert Jack-son" -- over three seasons, Kentucky center Marquis Estill had claimed not to remember him. Apparently, Jackson, now finishing his career at Marquette, was just another faceless opponent banished to hoop oblivion by UK.
Youngest Smith detouring around UK Recruiting news about Lexington Catholic's Brian Smith arrived last week. Kentucky was conspicuous by its absence. Of course,
Smith is the youngest son of UK Coach Tubby Smith. His two older brothers played for their father, G.G. Smith at Georgia and Saul Smith at UK.
BARNHART BACKS TUBBYKeeping UK coach from NBA is top priority Before the game that ended
Kentucky's storybook season, Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart emphatically declared his intention to extend the Tubby Smith coaching era far into the future.
On his last leg, Bogans still leads UK Call him Captain Courageous. That's how senior Keith Bogans bowed out as a Kentucky basketball player yesterday. Wearing a
protective device to immobilize a freshly sprained left ankle, he gritted through 24 minutes. His 15 points tied Gerald Fitch for team high as the Cats lost 83-69 to Marquette.
By the numbers 4 The number of times a UK player has fouled out of a game this season. Chuck Hayes, who guarded Marquette star Dwyane Wade, fouled out yesterday.
UK fans mourn aloneStunned by Wildcats loss, Big Blue Nation finds little comfort in bleachers full of Marquette loyalists
Coming into the Metrodome yesterday, some University of Kentucky basketball fans already smelled the cafe con leche, tasted the beignets and heard the jazz of New Orleans.
The Eagles are golden Marquette's Dwyane Wade threw down a reverse dunk, hung on the rim, pointed toward the crowd and posed while he was up
there. Most everything the Golden Eagles did yesterday was picture-perfect in their 83-69 victory over the University of Kentucky in the NCAA Midwest Regional final
UK is beaten as it had defeated so many: badly In the end, there wasn't even a reason for the University of Kentucky to foul. That's how ugly the scoreboard
looked yesterday in the NCAA
Marquette Upsets Kentucky to Make Final 4Marquette, led by Dwyane Wade's dazzling performance,
emphatically ended Kentucky's 26-game winning streak with a 83-69 victory Saturday to earn a trip to the Final Four in New Orleans.
Wildcats have no answer for Wade Kentucky sophomore forward Chuck Hayes developed into a defensive stopper for the Wildcats this season.
Marquette trips KentuckyMarquette did what no team had done in three months, and what many people thought was impossible. Dwyane Wade and the Golden Eagles upset
Kentucky 83-69 Saturday, ending the top-seeded Wildcats' 26-game winning streak and sending them to the Final Four. Wade finished with his first career triple-double, totaling 29 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
Marquette Raises a Sore Point for Kentucky
Could Kentucky
have defeated Marquette if Keith Bogans had been healthy? The Golden Eagles will not give it a second thought after their stunning 83-69 victory.
No surprises at Kentucky's first spring practice With cold weather, a sloppy field and a new offense and defense to put in, Kentucky Coach Rich Brooks called the
results of UK's first spring practice yesterday "predictable."
Back from injury, Cats' White hopes to prove himself Durrell White doesn't have the fondest memories of Nutter Field, but the Kentucky freshman linebacker can't
think of any other place he'd rather be right now.
Baseball
Bat Cats Lose Heartbreaker, 10-9, to ArkansasThe Arkansas Razorbacks finished a sweep of the Kentucky baseball team (10-17, 0-9 SEC),
dealing the Bat Cats a heartbreaking, 10-9, loss Sunday afternoon, March 30th, at Cliff Hagan Stadium. Down 9-7 in the ninth, UA (22-5, 5-4 SEC) used back-to-back homeruns from Brady Toops and Ryan Fox to score three runs for the victory, two of five Razorback blasts in the game.
(03-29-03)
Basketball
Wildcats Eliminated From NCAA TournamentMarquette did what no team had done in three months, and what many people thought was
impossible. Dwyane Wade and the Golden Eagles upset Kentucky 83-69 Saturday, ending the top-seeded Wildcats' 26-game winning streak and sending them to the Final Four. Cheered on by a sea of yellow-clad followers, Marquette defeated the Wildcats, earning the school's third regional title and first since
1977, when Al McGuire coached it to a national title.
If you could, you'd cheer for WadeMARQUETTE 'LOTTERY PICK' IMPRESSES WITH LEADERSHIP
Kentucky, you would like Dwyane Wade. You really would. Were the Marquette University star not the single biggest impediment -- well, he and Keith Bogans' now very-famous left ankle -- between your Kentucky Wildcats and the Final Four, you'd root for him today.
All for one for UKCats' team approach will be paramount if leader Bogans can't play It's time to
win one for the Gipper. Or as Kentucky Coach Tubby Smith quipped, "Win one for the skipper." Braced for the absence of leading scorer and team leader Keith Bogans, Kentucky spoke of digging deep into its motivational toolbox for today's Midwest Regional final against Marquette.
Ex-Creeker Horn downplays emotions against hometown Cats A Lexington native has been plotting a Kentucky defeat for today. The Oliver Stones among UK fans don't
want to know that the plotter's brother once lived in Wildcat Lodge.
THE MATCHUPS Advantage: Even. Advantage: Kentucky. Advantage: Marquette. Advantage: Kentucky. Marquette At 6-10, 245 pounds, junior Scott Merritt is powerful
enough to bang but also has a soft touch: see his 9-for-11 free-throw shooting in the win over Pitt. At the other forward, Todd Townsend is a role player who has scored only six points total in three NCAA Tournament games
LINEUPS, STATISTICS Marquette Probable starters No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 1 Todd Townsend F 6-7 215 So. 5 Scott Merritt F 6-10 245 Jr. 55 Robert Jackson F 6-10
260 Sr.
Marquette center knows UK too well One Marquette player knows what it's like to play against Kentucky. It was not an experience to build self-esteem. "They
dominated back then," said Robert Jackson, who played three games against UK while at Mississippi State. "They dominate now. Same old Kentucky."
Only fitting Crean restored MarquetteCollege game's hottest coach was drawn to sport by McGuire's 1977 Warriors
Al McGuire introduced him to the sport. McGuire, he liked. It was 1977. Tom Crean was an 11-year-old in Mount Pleasant, Mich., and McGuire's Marquette Warriors were winning an NCAA championship.
Bogans on the Bubble Though he says he wants to play today against Marquette, the high ankle sprain he suffered Thursday night in the Wildcats'
victory over Wisconsin makes his status uncertain.
Eagles in turnover turnaround Marquette's 30 turnovers in its Conference USA Tournament loss to Alabama Birmingham are an afterthought these days. Point guard Travis
Diener would like to keep it that way.
Season hinges on injury For four seasons Keith Bogans has been Cal Ripken in sneakers for the University of Kentucky's basketball program. If there has been one
UK player Lou Gehrig would have applauded, it is Bogans.
Crean, Marquette in an embrace Tom Crean sat in the corner of a small office next to a locker room in the Metrodome, unable to stop smiling. It was midnight, but
he didn't want to leave.
Marquette in the NCAAs Here is a look at how Marquette has fared in the NCAA Tournament:
'97, '98 Wildcats also dealt with key personnel losses If members of the University of Kentucky
basketball team need some help in figuring out how to handle playing without standout senior swingman Keith Bogans today, then perhaps they can lean on manager Allen Edwards for advice.
Diener makes Golden Eagles fly He looks more like a choirboy than a basketball player and could have
been the perfect candidate to play the lead role in "White Men Can't Jump."
'Cats look to Hayes for stops Chuck Hayes just chuckles. No one knows who Chuck Hayes is,
because he isn't one of the big offensive threats for top-ranked University of Kentucky. He's just one of many role players.
For UK, sum greater than its parts
The University of
Kentucky basketball team all season has been successful because collectively the Wildcats have been better than their individual parts.
Bogans waits on ankleA day before Kentucky played for the chance to go to the Final Four, the Wildcats still didn't know if star guard Keith Bogans
would be available. Whether Bogans will play through a sprained ankle in Saturday's Midwest Regional final against Marquette will be a game-time decision.
With Bogans in limbo, UK turns to Fitch With Keith Bogans either out or seeing only limited action today, Kentucky probably will need someone to step up and take the tough shots Bogans otherwise would. The best
candidate might not seem to be a player who needs lights on to sleep and is terrified of air travel. But Gerald Fitch is fearless on the floor.
UK needs Bogans against Marquette Cliff Hawkins has kept at hand the Bourbon Street beads with which Kentucky fans showered the Wildcats after their Southeastern Conference Tournament
championship in New Orleans. He pulls them out periodically to remind his teammates of where they want to return next week, for the Final Four.
'Cats can't count on Bogans bouncing back One by one the Kentucky players and coaching staff filed into the Metrodome locker room after their Friday afternoon practice. The heavy metal
door clicked shut. A security guard stood nearby.
Football
Tilghman running back commits to Kentucky The University of Kentucky football program chalked up its second recruit for 2004 when Paducah Tilghman running back
Joe Casey verbally committed to UK yesterday.
Wildcats' cramming begins early this year When the University of Kentucky football team registered for classes last semester, there was one course the players
probably didn't realize they'd be taking.
Casey commits to Cats Joe Casey, considered the top junior running back in Kentucky by most recruiting analysts,
has decided to play his college football at the University of Kentucky.
Baseball
Bats Cats' SEC woes continue as Hogs roll 9-2 The Kentucky baseball team fell to visiting Arkansas yesterday 9-2 in the opener of a three-game series at Cliff
Hagan Stadium. The Cats (10-15, 0-7 SEC) managed just two runs on seven hits as UK had a two-game winning streak snapped.
(03-28-03)
Basketball
Bogans hopes to play against Marquette Keith Bogans is hoping he can play against Marquette Saturday, but he still wasn't sure Friday whether his
sprained ankle would allow him to or not.
Marquette believes it can beat UK Marquette coach Tom Crean thinks Kentucky's 26-game win streak and unbeaten run through Southeastern Conference
play is a feat that should be remembered for years.
Wildcats march to Tubby's pace As a child, one of the few luxuries he enjoyed was a long soak in the water he had drawn for the bathtub in a house without
indoor plumbing. "Tubby" as a nickname was born of that respite from the hardships of being a sharecropper's son.
Kentucky game brings back memories With each step forward in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, Marquette University moves closer to its glorious past.
Upsetting finish spoils upset bid With a minute to play, Wisconsin had everything an aspiring bracket-breaker could desire. The Badgers were within a long-distance shot of the No. 1 team in the
land and the Metrodome had been transformed into the Kohl Center North, with the 15,000 or so UW loyalists being joined in their full-throated roar by the strangest of bedfellows.
Badgers feel the love, if only by default It's too bad about our Badgers, our cheeseheads. Hey, Wisconsin is as close to a men's Sweet 16 as our state may get for long time. We took advantage
of the opportunity to whoop it up.
Cats stand tall It had the feel of an upset, there was no mistaking that. There was Kentucky star Keith Bogans, one of the primary authors of the Wildcats' 25-game winning streak, languishing
on the bench for the entire second half. There was a red sea of fans from the bottom of the Metrodome to the top. And then there were the Wisconsin Badgers themselves, hanging around much, much longer than anyone figured they would against the top-ranked basketball team in the nation.
Big game from Estill helps Kentucky hold off Wisconsin Nothing but candy bar wrappers, ankle tape and a couple of straggling players was left in the Kentucky locker room Thursday night, and
yet the room was filled by the echo of a message etched on a dry-erase board for all to see:
No cheese; hoops on rise When I think of Marquette basketball, I remember trying to call Al McGuire one day in his hotel room. The phone rang, and someone answered, "Eddie's Laundry.''
Tubby ready for next step HOW seriously could we take the Kentucky Wildcats in the midst of March Madness if persuasive hints weren't being dropped on all the right doorsteps that their coach is leaning
sharply toward turning pro after the season, win or lose? Especially when the DNA of Tubby Smith's confidants can be traced to the whispering.
Midwest Notebook The Metrodome turned into a sea of Badger red for the Wisconsin-Kentucky Midwest Regional semifinal yesterday evening, won by Kentucky, 63-57.
Badgers leave it all on the court The Wisconsin Badgers executed their game plan to near-perfection for the first 39 minutes of Thursday night's showdown with the No.
1-seeded Kentucky Wildcats.
Badgers' upset bid falls short In the end, the Wisconsin Badgers were unable to pull off the biggest possible upset of the tournament against the No. 1 seed in the Midwest
and the No.1 team in the nation, the Kentucky Wildcats. Ultimately, the Badgers could not match the Wildcats' strength in the post, depth or sheer poise down the stretch as UW fell to Kentucky 63-57.
Mighty Kentucky Digs Down Deep Kentucky's 63-57 win over Wisconsin Thursday night doesn't have the same lustrous shine as the Wildcats' SEC
championship. It won't make grown people shake their heads in awe, the way Kentucky's 26-game winning streak does.
Seniorhood Rules, So N.B.A. Can Wait There has been great college basketball this month, but the best news to come out of the national
collegiate men's basketball tournament is that seniorhood is still vital. Maryland, the defending national champion, starts three seniors and plays four; Kentucky, a team that began the tournament with the nation's longest winning streak, has three seniors who play critical roles.
Penney buys nothing vs. Hayes No. 1-rated Kentucky and Wisconsin were 13 minutes into Thursday night's Midwest Regional semifinal at the Metrodome. The Badgers had succeeded in getting the game
played at their what's-the-hurry
Arizona's Wildcats are better now than Kentucky's Wildcats We are now
deep enough into March Madness to start getting a genuine feel for who has the legitimate wherewithal to be the last team standing at the Final Four and who is merely playing the foil in this championship season.
Lesson learned- No. 1 Kentucky can be beaten It must have been about the time Kentucky's Marquis Estill missed a wide-open dunk in the first half that the idea occurred, like one of those
cartoon thought bubbles, that maybe the Wildcats weren't so invincible after all.
Wildcats dig deep to hold off Badgers Twenty-six and one. One to the Final Four. Yet of the now 26 games in this amazing Wildcat winning streak, surely No. 26, surely
last night's Midwest Region semifinal, was the most impressive in its toughness, its fortitude.
Bogans' injury a blow to title hopes This was Keith Bogans' second half: He limped in from the locker room some four minutes and 12 seconds after play had started. He
sat glumly on the bench.
Slowed, not stoppedBogans hurt, but Estill carries Cats to win, 63-57 Kentucky took its quality season
to new heights last night. Necessity was the mother of this delightful invention. To beat Wisconsin 63-57, the Cats had to do it without its leading scorer. Keith Bogans sprained an ankle late in the first half and watched the second half from the bench.
Alive and limpingEstill and Hayes carry Cats past Wisconsin, 63-57 Halftime was a time to be counted
upon or counted out. Kentucky was locked in a surprisingly competitive game with Wisconsin. A high ankle sprain had removed Keith Bogans -- "the heart and soul of this team," trainer David Kindy said -- from the action.
With Bogans out, Estill carried the loadHAYES SHUTS DOWN HOT-HANDED KIRK PENNEY
With Marquis Estill dominating inside, Kentucky didn't need leading scorer Keith Bogans in the second half against Wisconsin last night.
Badgered but not beaten University of Kentucky guard Keith Bogans went down, but the Wildcats weren't ready to go out of the NCAA Tournament. The
top-seeded Cats got a career night from senior center Marquis Estill and overcame the loss of Bogans to a sprained left ankle in the first half.
Cats to ice an ankle, cross fingers The University of Kentucky basketball team doesn't want to continue to win without Keith Bogans, but the Wildcats are glad to know they
can.
Defensive slip-ups draw towel flip-up An irritated Chuck Hayes went to the University of Kentucky bench in the closing minutes of the Wildcats' 63-56 win over Wisconsin
last night, took his towel and threw it in the air.
Estill was too large a task Among mankind's truly bad ideas: The Maginot Line. The Edsel. New Coke. Guarding Marquis Estill one-on-one.
Cats lean on each other This game wasn't over after two possessions. This game was no time to wave in the subs. This game wasn't another one of those Southeastern Conference
lollipops the University of Kentucky feasted on all winter.
UK's sum is greater than its parts The Kentucky Wildcats walked out of the Metrodome Thursday night, win No. 26 in a row in the record
books.
UK adjusts to stop Penney Kentucky's much-discussed defense did exactly what it had to do in the second half of Thursday night's 63-57
Midwest Region semifinal win over Wisconsin: Stop hot-shooting Badger guard Kirk Penney.
Cats prepare for high-octane Golden Eagles If Kentucky is to reach the Final Four for the first time since winning the 1998 national
championship, the Wildcat defense will need find a way to slow down the high-scoring trio of Marquette's Dwyane Wade, Robert Jackson and Travis Diener.
Daniels atones with key tip-in In the span of about
two minutes, Erik Daniels went from feeling like the goat to making one of the biggest plays of the game for the University of Kentucky basketball team in its 63-57 win against Wisconsin on Thursday night.
Hayes was UK's stopper The question was posed to everyone. But it really wasn't. At least Chuck Hayes didn't think so.
Bogans is UK's Top 'Cat even on the sideline On a lesser team, Keith Bogans would be
finished now, his collegiate career prematurely ended with more than 23 minutes left to play in the Sweet Sixteen.
Estill offsets Bogans' injury The University of Kentucky basketball team had avoided adversity for
almost this entire season, but even when hit with a mega-dose of it Thursday night, the Wildcats showed not even that was going to be enough to send them home from the NCAA Tournament.
Wildcats clip Wisconsin Kentucky overcomes injury to Bogans to defeat Badgers 63-57 in Sweet 16.
Star Bogans injured in Wildcats’s 26th straight winKeith Bogans stood in front of the bench and
cupped his hands together, silently pleading for his Kentucky teammates to pull through without him. As they have all during a remarkable winning streak, the Wildcats showed their balance and power Thursday night and gave the injured Bogans his wish.
Estill the one- Kentucky tops Badgers After scoring 28 points, grabbing six rebounds and dishing two assists; after annihilating the Wisconsin interior defense, silencing a rabid throng of Badger fans and propelling
his team into the Elite Eight for the first time in four years, Marquis Estill sat in the Kentucky locker room emitting all the emotion of a dial tone.
Baseball
Arkansas Deals Kentucky 9-2 LossThe University of Kentucky baseball team managed only two runs on seven hits, falling 9-2 to the Arkansas Razorbacks at
Cliff Hagan Stadium, snapping a two-game winning streak for the Bat Cats
(03-27-03)
Basketball
Wildcats Withstand Wisconsin To Advance To Elite EightWith Keith Bogans watching helplessly from the bench in the second half, Kentucky
turned to the power of Marquis Estill to ward off Wisconsin. Estill scored a career-high 28 points Thursday night and the Wildcats ran their winning streak to 26 games, holding off the scrappy Badgers 63-57 in the Midwest Regional semifinals. Top-seeded Kentucky (32-3) will try for another trip to the Final
Four on Saturday when it meets the Pittsburgh-Marquette winner.
Kentucky wins 26th straight to reach region final Top-seeded Kentucky, playing without star Keith Bogans in the second half, held on to beat Wisconsin 63-57 and advance to the Midwest Region final on
Thursday at the Metrodome.
BURLISON- Closer look at Midwest semifinals The Kentucky Wildcats, after winning their 23rd consecutive game in the Southeastern Conference tourney title game vs. Mississippi State in New
Orleans on March 16, didn’t bother with the usual net-cutting festivities that follow those affairs.
Badgers' goal- Beat press The Wisconsin Badgers used buses for their four-hour trip to the Metrodome, a cramped but relaxing ride
UK Notebook- 4th round or bust Most pundits predict Kentucky will reach the Final Four and be the favorite to win the NCAA title. Yet there's a big reason the Wildcats aren't looking
ahead: They haven't been past the Sweet 16.
Coaches- Wildcats vulnerable in post Bo Ryan fakes outrage when asked if his Wisconsin team should slow the pace of its game tonight against Kentucky.
Estill no household name, but it will be As the Kentucky center took his assigned spot at the news conference podium yesterday, the NCAA moderator reached deep
into his bag of pronunciations and pulled out a butcher's knife.
Wildcats' will is their wayMatchup with Wisconsin a contrast in styles Kentucky thrives on
converting turnovers into baskets. Wisconsin turns over the ball less often than all but one Division I team. Kentucky speeds the tempo to wear down opponents. With six players logging more than 90 percent of the minutes, Wisconsin slows tempo to conserve energy.
UK's run has been an inside job The Cats (31-3) enter most games looking to establish Marquis Estill in the post, and that will be the case
again tonight at 7:10 when they play a much smaller Wisconsin team (24-7) in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament's Midwest Regional at the Metrodome.
Wildcats came in under the radar this season Everyone knows that preseason predictions are among the most error-prone exercises in sports. Some
favorites always flop, and some of the overlooked always rise.
Barnhart planning to ensure Tubby feels appreciated University of Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart said yesterday he wants to make sure basketball coach
Tubby Smith knows how much he's appreciated, and that likely will entail a contract extension.
Bogans-Penney matchup a key Keith Bogans said he hasn't asked UK coach Tubby Smith for the assignment of guarding Wisconsin guard and leading
scorer Kirk Penney. At least not yet.
Badgers' Penney happy to assume leadership role Wisconsin guard Kirk Penney is sure to be a focal point for the University of Kentucky basketball team tonight. But
Penney is keeping an eye on his own team.
Common cause for state rivals Junior guard Gerald Fitch said the thigh bruise he suffered in Sunday's
game against Utah when he collided with 6-foot-10 Utah center Tim Frost in the opening seconds as Frost was setting a pick is still bothering him.
Wisconsin's Penney has Final Four experience Wisconsin's basketball team has something on its roster
that the University of Kentucky doesn't -- a player who has participated in a Final Four.
Small Badgers team poses challenge for versatile Wildcats Among the many things that has made this
University of Kentucky basketball team so successful is its versatility. That versatility will come in handy tonight, perhaps more so than it has at any time all season.
Kentucky ready to flexAs if the remarkable collective commitment of the Kentucky Wildcats has not created enough of an advantage in the NCAA
Tournament, there is this other factor in favor of the top-ranked team in the nation.
Can collision be halted? They spent much of the past several months as the teams considered most likely to play for an NCAA basketball championship.
They have each won national titles in the past six tournaments.
Kentucky’s still pick to capture titleTHE BLUE-AND-WHITE clad Kentucky fans are everywhere. It’s almost as if they put their home
court advantage on wheels and take it with them. Mexico wouldn’t be too far out of the way for these people.
Kentucky’s defense tough to crackNo need for the Wisconsin Badgers to board a plane. They just jumped on
the bus for a four-hour trip to the Metrodome, a cramped but relaxing ride featuring flowing conversation.
Volleyball
UK Volleyball Assistant Named Head Coach at Morehead StateUniversity of Kentucky volleyball assistant coach Jaime Gordon has resigned
his position effective Monday, March 31, 2003, to become the head volleyball coach at Morehead State University. Gordon has served two stints as an assistant at UK and leaves after a combined six seasons with the program.
(03-26-03)
Basketball
Having Estill healthy has been a key for Cats For the first time during his University of Kentucky basketball career, Marquis Estill has had no complaints about his knees this season.
Hawkins understands what it takes for UK to win Kentucky has already won the Southeastern Conference regular-season championship and tournament. It has reached the 30-victory plateau,
won 25 straight games and climbed to No. 1 in the national rankings.
Conley believes Cats' journey not easy Since Larry Conley is paid for his opinions about college basketball, he doesn't mind picking who he thinks will win the NCAA Midwest Region.
Oak Hill coach proud of UK alum Steve Smith applauds from afar. The coach of Oak Hill (Va.) Academy said his former players, Jules Camara and Cliff Hawkins, have make Kentucky better by
accepting being benched.
DUI turning point for UK's Camara Jules Camara, one of Kentucky's all-time blocks leaders, was at this moment blocking only the door.
Midwest foes like their hoops with a little harm
Welcome to the Black and Blue Region. With its Fab Four of Arizona, Duke, Kansas and even Notre Dame, the West Region is the Hollywood Boulevard of this NCAA Tournament. With Butler and Auburn, the East is Cinderella Central. The South advises not to mess with Texas.
Azubuike biding his time on benchUK fan favorite knows defense his only hurdle Talk about a tough adjustment. Kentucky freshman Kelenna Azubuike has gone from averaging 30-plus points to sitting 30-plus minutes.
UK's serene scene-stealer
Gerald Fitch stood outside the University of Kentucky locker room wearing a broad grin after the Wildcats won at Georgia near the end of the regular season.
About Wisconsin Earned at-large bid after winning second straight Big Ten regular-season
championship. Beat Weber State in first-round of NCAA Tournament, 81-74, and Tulsa, 61-60, in second round.
'Cats prepare for 'swing' He once coached a team that averaged 98 points per game so Wisconsin
basketball coach Bo Ryan wants its known that his methodical team isn't into holding the ball just to run time off the clock. To Ryan, it's all about getting a good shot.
Last powerhouse semi? As the regular season wound down and March Madness approached, visions of an all-Wildcats national championship game were dancing in
the heads of many college hoops fans. But the dream Kentucky-Arizona final won't happen. Debate began on Selection Sunday on whether Final Four teams should be reseeded after the completion of the regional tournaments.
Kentucky’s Smith raised to succeedThe roots of Kentucky’s present-day success in basketball reach
deep into southern Maryland soil, where Coach Tubby Smith learned life’s lessons on the five-acre farm that provided for him and his 16 brothers and sisters.
Women's Basketball
Florida Assistant Joins DeMoss' Coaching StaffMatthew Mitchell, one of the most energetic and enthusiastic recruiters in the business,
comes to Kentucky as an assistant coach after three seasons at Florida, Coach Mickie DeMoss announced Tuesday. Mitchell is the first addition to DeMoss' coaching staff since her hiring on March 18.
Football
Brooks looking forward to spring practiceRich Brooks places a high value on conditioning, but he's ready to
place the University of Kentucky football team's conditioning on the back burner for now.
Kentucky Football Press Conference QuotesHead Coach Rich Brooks spoke to the media Tuesday afternoon about the upcoming spring practice
season. He talked about his excitement getting back into college football and his expectations of the team.
Fat Cats off to running start Rich Brooks hasn't called a play or even seen his team in pads yet, but the new University of Kentucky football coach already knows
one area where he needs to make strides.
Brooks says he's eager to see Cats in action University of Kentucky football coach Rich Brooks said he welcomed his players back from spring break by scheduling a 6 a.m.
conditioning workout. The first-year Wildcats coach isn't the one doing the running, but he admitted that he was tired of the routine.
UK tackle dismissed First-year University of Kentucky football coach Rick Brooks announced Tuesday that
sophomore offensive tackle Jeremy Darveau, who was expected to be a key backup this season, has been dismissed from the team for academic reasons.
UK football player gets special invite Six players have been invited to the upcoming NFL draft -- Dewayne
Robertson, and five other big, muscular guys who just might be called upon to catch him.
Baseball
Bat Cats Complete Two-Game Sweep of Kent StateKentucky pounded out 17 hits and equaled a season-high 14 runs in a 14-1 win over the Kent
State Golden Flashes Wednesday afternoon at Cliff Hagan Stadium. With the win, UK completed a two-game sweep over the Flashes. Senior Russ Rutherford was 3-for-4, with a single, double, triple and four RBI.
Scott Wade Goes The Distance For Bat Cats In 3-2 WinKentucky centerfielder Casey Gilvin popped up in front of home plate to lead off the
bottom of the ninth inning, but never stopped running, reaching second base when Kent State catcher Pat O'Brien was unable to make the routine catch. Spencer Graeter drilled a single through the left side of a drawn in infield to give the Bat Cats a 3-2 win over the visiting Golden Flashes.
(03-25-03)
Basketball
Wisconsin coach won't put Cats on hold One thing Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan insists his team won't do intentionally against Kentucky is hold the basketball.
Wildcats the real deal this year When asked what he thought about the caliber of the Kentucky Wildcats in Monday afternoon's national press conference, UW head coach Bo Ryan
couldn't even sugarcoat his answer. "I had a few nightmares last night after watching their game against Utah," the second-year head coach responded. "They do a real good job of making sure that you do not get comfortable."
Kentucky the clear favorite in Midwest regional Welcome to the Midwest Region of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, home of the thoroughbreds from Kentucky. The
tradition-rich Wildcats are front-runners in a field of blue-collar teams that do not have a blue-blood pedigree.
Like U.S. troops, Wildcats keep pressing forward Click, click, click. Miracle of television, a remote control. Difficult to not draw parallels between Kentucky's
muscular march to New Orleans and U.S. Forces' pugnacious march to Baghdad. Tubby Smith's team in opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament and Saddam Hussein's personal final four -- Similarities have been precision bombing and shock and awe. In their own theaters of operation, Tubby's Wildcats were
unflappable, unstoppable and overpowering.
Sweet Sixteen- Make that 15 teams and 1 Kentucky Sweet Sixteen roll call . . .The No. 1 seeds? All present and accounted for, although Arizona may still be hyperventilating. The No. 1
team? Kentucky won by 31 and 20 points.
KENTUCKY- MONSTERS OF THE MIDWEST As Kentucky rolls through the NCAA Tourney, the Wildcats are impressing players with their ability and coaches with their aptitude.
IUPUI's Josh Murray warned Kentucky is "the truth," and Utah coach Rick Majerus anointed them a Final Four team.
Kentucky rolling toward title Say hello to the Sweet 16, where there's a little bit of everything. There's predictability: Each of the No. 1 seeds from the NCAA
tournament's four regions is left standing.
UK-DUKE the sequel?Arizona-Gonzaga thriller a big shot away from classic Imagine if you could
merge the two signature events of the best month of the year. If the Academy Awards could meet March Madness (and, yes, I'm going to play fast and loose with these categories), the Oscar would go to:
For Smith, next game only one that mattersCoach wants Cats to focus no further than Badgers
For Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament, it's two games down and one to go. Yes, only one game lies ahead: the next one. That's the mind-set UK Coach Tubby Smith said he wants as the Cats proceed to the Midwest Region semifinals Thursday in Minneapolis. He wants Kentucky to forget two easy victories in Nashville
last weekend, forget its 25-game winning streak and forget the growing assumption of a national championship. Instead, he aims for concentration on the next opponent: Big Ten regular-season champion...
Wildcats get a day of rest No team has a quicker turnaround time to play in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 than the University of
Kentucky, but UK coach Tubby Smith said Monday he doesn't mind.
Tubby keeps 'Cats looking forward and not backward If there is any doubt whether the University of Kentucky's winning streak -- which
stands at 25 games -- has become a distraction, perhaps this statistic from UK's first two NCAA Tournament games should erase that doubt: The Wildcats never trailed in either game.
Kentucky still waiting for a challenge Not long ago, Kentucky guard Keith Bogans said his team’s practices are harder than its
games. That hasn’t changed in the NCAA tournament.
Focused defense key to victory With just over 12 minutes to play in the game, Kentucky coach Tubby Smith had seen enough.
UK set to face Badgers in semis Kentucky thinks it not only got a win over Utah here Sunday, but that it also got a feel for what it might take to beat Wisconsin in its next game.
Kentucky's 25th straight win comes against familiar foe The preliminaries are over. Now, Kentucky can get down to business. The top-seeded Wildcats cruised into the round of 16 for the ninth
time in 11 years, routing Utah 74-54 Sunday at the Midwest Regional.
At Kentucky, the defense never rests Midway through the first half in the Gaylord Entertainment Center Sunday, Utah's Richard Chaney found momentary order amid chaos.
Rupp South gives Cats needed push onwardUTES SAY UK FANS KEY TO SECOND-HALF SURGE
It's not like Kentucky doesn't have enough advantages. The UK defense is so stifling, our nation's sporting press is all but writing odes to it.
This season, Sweet 16 only the beginning So here we are again. Same Cat place, same Cat channel. Kentucky's third straight Sweet 16. Only this year, different
team, different feeling. Much different.
next game Wisconsin vs. Kentucky When: 7:10 p.m. Thursday Where: Minneapolis Records: Wisconsin (24-7); Kentucky (31-3) TV: CBS-27 Radio: WLAP-AM 630; WBUL-FM
98.1
BLUE STREAK HITS 25Kentucky thumps Utah 74-54 to reach Sweet 16 Kentucky and Utah continued their
NCAA Tournament rivalry last night. As expected, it again resembled a showdown between a steamroller and bottle of milk.
Utah's Jackson goes down fighting, gains Cats' respect Like Avis, No. 2 tried harder. Utah's No. 2, backup guard Marc Jackson, scrapped and literally scratched in
an effort to beat Kentucky last night. Though the Utes lost, Jackson won UK's admiration.
Ticket information Tickets for the Midwest Regional in Minneapolis will go on sale to the general public today at both the University of Kentucky athletics ticket
office and the H.H.H Metrodome in Minneapolis.
UK coasts past Utes as usual Sweaty Utah coach Rick Majerus walked out of his team's locker room, scratched the few remaining strands of hair on the back
of his head and praised his basketball team for giving everything it had.
UK again shows why it may be The Team Arizona won one of those crazy games where one shot could have beaten Lute Olson's Wildcats. But it didn't fall. In double overtime.
Hawkins is soaring at just the right time A more offensive-minded University of Kentucky point guard Cliff Hawkins scored 13 points against Utah last night and Indiana
University-Purdue University at Indianapolis on Friday.
Not much Majerus, Utah could do Utah coach Rick Majerus is known as a master strategist, an Einstein of X's and O's. But he didn't have enough time, personnel or tricks to
stop the University of Kentucky.
Estill shows he's not Frost-bitten The first time Marquis Estill caught the ball in the post Sunday night against Utah, he waited for Utes'
center Tim Frost to get some help.
UK whips favorite foe Perhaps some comments from Utah coach Rick Majerus following his basketball
team's loss to the University of Kentucky on Sunday may provide the Wildcats with a little extra motivation, but his team actually did UK a huge favor in presenting a blueprint for what they'll likely face in the next two games.
UK tickets go on sale today Tickets for the Midwest Regional in Minneapolis will go on sale today at
both the University of Kentucky Athletics ticket office and the Metrodome
Wisconsin saves season, next for UK Before the Wisconsin Badgers head to Minneapolis for the Midwest
Regional semifinals, weary Freddie Owens needs some shut-eye.
