November 2004 WildcatZone.Com News Archive

(11-30-04)

      Football

      Basketball 

          Women

  • Wildcats Face Northwestern in Big 10/SEC Battle   Coming off a 1-2 finish in the Paradise Jam that included three hard-fought and competitive games, the Kentucky women’s basketball team looks to get back on the winning track when it travels to Evanston, Ill., to face Big 10 opponent Northwestern Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. EST 
  • UK Hoops Face Louisville in Annual “Battle of the Bluegrass”    The Kentucky women’s basketball team will take on intrastate rival Louisville on Sunday, Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. ET in Freedom Hall in the annual “Battle of the Bluegrass.” Kids under 18 get in FREE. For ticket information, call the UL ticket office at 502-852-5151.

          Men

  • UK  92  --  TTU  63 (Final)
  • Kentucky vs. Tennessee Tech Pre-Game Press Conference Quotes     Head Coach Tubby Smith    On the Georgia State game… “We’re trying to make the necessary adjustments after the game the other night. I thought there were a lot of things we needed to address. Guarding the three-point shot is something we’ve tried to work hard on and something we’ll have to do a better job with against a good Tennessee Tech team. In the game against Georgia State, Michael Perry and his staff did a good job of running things at us we hadn’t seen. They gave us some looks to work on and exposed some of the areas we needed to improve in, like taking care of the basketball. After being very good with our ball handling in the first half, the second half, we were pretty shaky with our turnovers.  
  • Saul knows what to expect from dad's team    Saul Smith, now in his first season as an assistant coach at Tennessee Tech, will return to Rupp Arena tonight for the first time as the visitor, and he figures to be taking a lot more than he dishes out.
  • Dewalt to participate in drills this week     After their conversation yesterday, football freshman Lonnell Dewalt and Kentucky Coach Tubby Smith will explore the possibility of the player joining the basketball team. 
  • Wildcats have one more UNC tuneup     With a showdown against North Carolina looming later this week, Kentucky basketball coach Tubby Smith wants his team to focus on the matter at hand: playing Tennessee Tech. 
  • Azubuike looking for cure for shot     Kentucky will play North Carolina this Saturday with hopes that its offensive wizard can find a cure for the spell that has jinxed his jump shot.
  • Father, son meet as opponents     The son learned as much as he could from his father when he tagged along with him to work at the gym.  
  • Routs not fooling Smith, Cats   It seems to be a basketball paradox. Kentucky dominates its early-season opposition. Coach Tubby Smith finds no difficulty in convincing his players of their shortcomings.
  • IF THOMAS REDSHIRTS, CATS WOULD HAVE ROSTER SPOT OPEN   After their conversation yesterday, football freshman Lonnell Dewalt and Kentucky Coach Tubby Smith will explore the possibility of the player joining the basketball team.
  • LINEUPS, STATISTICS    Tennessee Tech Probable starters No. Name Pos. Ht. Yr. 3 Ben Jacobson F 6-7 Sr. 34 Willie Jenkins F 6-6 Sr. 21 Derek Stribling F 6-6 Jr.

(11-29-04)

      Football

      Basketball 

          Men

  • Kentucky Prepares for Tennessee Tech and Former Assistant Sutton     Just four days after earning a 77-59 win over Georgia State, Kentucky returns to Rupp Arena to face former UK assistant Mike Sutton’s Tennessee Tech squad. This marks the second meeting between UK’s Tubby Smith and his former assistant. UK defeated the Golden Eagles, 108-81, in Rupp Arena last November.

 

(11-28-04)

      Basketball 

          Women

  • Without Potts, Wildcats can't keep up with 17th-ranked Knights     Michelle Campbell scored 17 points to lead No. 17 Rutgers to a 75-60 win over Kentucky in the Paradise Jam tournament yesterday. 
  • No. 17 Rutgers Too Much For Cats   Rutgers forward Michelle Campbell scored 17 points and pulled down 12 rebounds as the No. 17/18 Scarlet Knights defeated Kentucky 75-60 in the championship game of the Paradise Jam Saturday in the UVI Sports and Fitness Center in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.

          Men

  • It's Coach Smith vs. Coach Smith this week    EX-UK GUARD SAUL SMITH HAS FOUND HIS NICHE AS AN ASSISTANT AT TENNESSEE TECH, UK'S NEXT OPPONENT    A phone call yesterday morning caught former Kentucky point guard Saul Smith in a hotel room in Boone, N.C. He was planning ahead.

      Football

  • For 20 years, Wildcats endure same ending     Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer was - in a word - relieved.
  • Wildcats Fall Short in Final Seconds Against Vols    Gerald Riggs ran 12 yards for a touchdown with 38 seconds remaining and No. 15 Tennessee rallied to beat Kentucky 37-31 Saturday.
  • Another almost for Cats    Ultimately, the University of Kentucky football team's 37-31 season-ending loss at Tennessee yesterday will go down as another giant fish tale — one that got away despite the Wildcats' best efforts.
  • Vols go around the block   TD at :38 kills hopes of another Dewalt denial   The scenario yesterday went as follows: Kentucky 31, Tennessee 29, three minutes and 31 seconds on the Neyland Stadium clock, Tennessee with the ball on its own 40-yard line.
  • Offense by committee produces for UK   The University of Kentucky's offense took on a new look in the absence of coordinator Ron Hudson, who resigned last week.
  • It's a familiar ending, but an unfamiliar tale    UK TOOK ITS BEST SHOT AT TENNESSEE    Only the ending seemed the same. Painfully the same, to be sure. For the past 20 years, the Kentucky Wildcats have been playing the Tennessee Volunteers in football, and for 20 straight years now, the Kentucky Wildcats have been losing games to the Tennessee Volunteers in football. Most by a lot. Some by a little. A few, as was yesterday's, by heartbreak; Tennessee scoring with 38 seconds remaining for a 37-31 win.
  • Boyd's swan song has bittersweet ending    'I REALLY BELIEVED WE WERE GOING TO DO IT'    The final time Shane Boyd led Kentucky onto a football field, he got it right. Mostly. After five years of frustration and second guessing -- Talk show consensus: Shane Boyd, he couldn't throw soap into the bathtub; he's no quarterback -- the UK QB fired with pin-point accuracy all around the gargantuan football edifice known as Neyland Stadium
  • Seniors take pains to set example    Kentucky had several seniors finish their careers with a bang yesterday. Quarterback Shane Boyd had one of his best games as a Wildcat, passing for 218 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Vincent "Sweet Pea" Burns, Ellery Moore and Earven Flowers fought through injuries to contribute to the Cats' near win.
  • UPSET DENIED    Tennessee scores TD with :38 left for the win   Gerald Riggs scored on a 12-yard run with 38 seconds left in the game to lift Tennessee over Kentucky 37-31 in Neyland Stadium.

(11-27-04)

      Basketball 

          Women

  • Wildcats Fall To South Dakota State in Final Seconds   A driving lay-up by South Dakota State’s Shannon Schlagel with 4 seconds remaining in the game propelled the Jackrabbits past the Kentucky women’s basketball team, 57-55, Friday in the second day of the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
  • Cats lose on layup with 0:04 remaining   A driving layup by South Dakota State's Shannon Schlagel with four seconds left propelled the Jackrabbits past the Kentucky women's basketball team 57-55 yesterday in the second day of the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
  • UK falls to South Dakota State 57-55   Shannon Schlagel's layup with four seconds remaining lifted the Jackrabbits (4-1) over the Wildcats (3-1) in a different Paradise Jam tourney in St. Thomas.

          Men

  • No. 8 Kentucky Steamrolls Georgia State     Chuck Hayes and Kelenna Azubuike each had 16 points and nine rebounds Friday night, leading No. 8 Kentucky past Georgia State 77-59.
  • Hayes sparks 77-59 UK romp   Hayes narrowly missed his third straight double-double to start the season, but he played perhaps his best all-around game as the No.8-ranked Wildcats rolled past Georgia State last night in Rupp Arena.
  • UK win an inside job    Cats feed post players while shooters struggle    We knew about tryptophans, that chemical in turkey that reduces Thanksgiving eaters to drowsy couch potatoes. Kentucky's 77-59 victory over Georgia State last night suggested those gobblers contain "trey-tophans," which apparently take the life out of a team's three-point attack.
  • Cruise control for 'Cats    There was plenty of time for University of Kentucky head coach Tubby Smith to experiment with his lineup during the eighth-ranked Wildcats' game against Georgia State Friday night at Rupp Arena. The results were what Smith expected before the season started.
  • UK 3-FOR-8 FROM LINE AFTER TIMEOUTS   The new rule giving television timeouts priority over free-throw attempts got multiple applications in Kentucky's victory over Georgia State last night.

      Football

  • UT 37  --  UT  31  (Final)  TN scores TD with 38 seconds left to win game
  • Brooks: A win would be huge    VOLS ALREADY HAVE SEC TITLE GAME BERTH    Today marks the 100th football meeting between Tennessee and Kentucky, and there's even less at stake than usual in the lopsided series.
  • Underdog Cats face understudy   Kentucky must make Tennessee move the ball through the air. While the Wildcats have not stopped anybody on the ground, they'd like to keep tailbacks Cedric Houston and Gerald Riggs in check and force quarterback Rick Clausen to beat them.
  • GAMES WITHIN THE GAME   Breaking down today's UK-Tennessee matchup   Kentucky receivers coach/recruiting coordinator Joker Phillips is a top candidate to succeed Ron Hudson as UK's offensive coordinator. Phillips will assist head coach Rich Brooks and offensive line coach Paul Dunn in calling the plays today. While playing Tennessee in Knoxville isn't the ideal setting for an audition, you have to think it will improve Phillips' odds if the Kentucky offense can show more today than it has during the previous 10 games
  • In Kentucky, it's either score or be scorned   For any ailments you have from watching/playing/trying to ignore football in this state, we have found the remedy. Offense.
  • MCBRIDE LAID FOUNDATION FOR UTES' FUTURE SUCCESS    Utah is all but in the Bowl Championship Series after going undefeated during the regular season. And while UK assistant Ron McBride is miles away from the place he used to call home, he's all smiles when he thinks about the Ute program that he practically built from the ground up.

(11-26-04)

      Basketball 

          Women

  • Wildcats Lose Heartbreaker in Paradise Jam     South Dakota State's Shannon Schlagel's layup with four seconds left handed the Jackrabbits a 57-55 win over the Kentucky Wildcats Friday at the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. Sara Potts was the leading scorer for the Cats for the fourth straight game with 24 points.
  • Wildcats Hold Slim 34-30 Lead at Halftime    Sara Potts tied her career high with for three-pointers in a half with four and leads UK with 16 points as the Wildcats lead South Dakota State 34-30 in the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands.
  • Potts' 27 help UK women rally for victory    Sara Potts scored 27 points as the University of Kentucky erased a 17-point first-half deficit to upend Oregon State 73-70 yesterday in the Paradise Jam women's basketball tournament

          Men

  • UK  77  --  GSU  59  (Final)
  • Pre-Game Press Conference Quotes     Head Coach Tubby Smith   On Saturday’s Coppin State game… “We played a good Coppin State team that was without two starters and their leading scorer. After looking at the tape, I saw there were things we needed to improve on. Coppin State has a team that will be playing for their conference championship at the end of the season. I like the way our guys played, and I like the way we competed. I thought our freshmen did a good job. Kelenna (Azubuike) and Chuck (Hayes) struggled offensively, but they made up with their leadership. That’s something you’ll see continuously this year. Chuck does it in other areas as far as getting on the boards and getting to the free-throw line. Kelenna needs to be patient. I thought he missed a couple of shots that threw him off. We need to pass the ball better and make the extra pass.”  
  • Another foe with disruption in mind     Georgia State basketball coach Michael Perry was excited when he saw that Ball State hung with eighth-ranked Kentucky until midway through the second half Tuesday night
  • Smith's old friend is new foe    FINAL FOUR BUDDIES TUBBY, GSU COACH PERRY GO BACK TO LATE '70S    From the small-world department: The head coaches in tonight's Kentucky game were in the same Indianapolis hotel room in 1997 when Georgia State declared its big-time basketball ambitions by hiring Lefty Dreisell as coach.
  • China trip an eye-opener for Perry    Tubby Smith's words floated through the air like a waft of smoke before evaporating. "Bobby Perry is the most improved player on the team," the University of Kentucky basketball coach said at the team's preseason media day.
  • Doubts creep in on 'Cats    The distress signals came in the form of traveling calls, charges, an air ball and two shots that hit the backboard. For about 25 minutes during the University of Kentucky's 20-point victory against Ball State Tuesday night at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, the Wildcats didn't look like the eighth-ranked team in the country.

      Football

(11-25-04)

      Basketball 

          Women

  • Potts Leads Wildcats to Comeback Win    Senior Sara Potts scored 27 points as the Kentucky Wildcats came back from a 44-30 halftime deficit to defeat the Oregon State Beavers 73-70 Thursday in the Paradise Jam at the University of the Virgin Islands 
  • Cats take on Oregon State in Virgin Islands tourney   Kentucky will meet first-time opponent Oregon State at 6 tonight in the opening round of the Paradise Jam at the University of Virgin Islands Sport and Fitness Center in St. Thomas.

          Men

  • Tubby's basting the turkey    By the way University of Kentucky head coach Tubby Smith expressed mock indignation over a reporter's question, you would have thought the guilty party had challenged Smith's game management. But the topic was much more serious.
  • Hayes excels, but there's a hitch   SENIOR KEEPS WORKING ON JUMPER RELEASE  POINT    As flaws go, it's about as disturbing as a freckle on Catherine Zeta-Jones' forearm. That's about how easily Kentucky basketball accepts the mechanical error in Chuck Hayes' jump shot. Coaches being coaches, Tubby Smith and company keep trying to get Hayes to shed the habit of shooting on the way down rather than at the peak of his jump.
  • What's wrong with Azubuike?    For a player who thought this would be his year to shine, Kelenna Azubuike is not off to the kind of start he wanted. 
  • UK has a 3-headed center    Finding a true center in college basketball is becoming more and more rare. Even tall players prefer to be known as power forwards and almost every player, regardless of size, wants to be known as someone who can run the court and shoot the outside jump shot. 

      Football

  • DON'T EXPECT MUCH CHANGE ON OFFENSE   Rich Brooks is in the market for an offensive coordinator. Countless people figure to put their two cents in on which direction Brooks should go, but the bottom line is who Brooks thinks is the best fit.
  • Brooks not about to re-invent the wheel for Vols   DON'T EXPECT MUCH CHANGE ON OFFENSE   Rich Brooks is in the market for an offensive coordinator. Countless people figure to put their two cents in on which direction Brooks should go, but the bottom line is who Brooks thinks is the best fit.
  • Brooks is still here but on thin ice    What we should be thankful for: That in football, UK did the right and admirable thing in keeping Rich Brooks for another year.

(11-24-04)

      Basketball 

  • No. 8 Kentucky Finishes Off Ball State, 73-53     Patrick Sparks got Kentucky started and Shagari Alleyne's dunks finished off Ball State.
  • UK shakes off pesky Ball State    It was a mutual agreement between friends, a shared decision that kept point guard Patrick Sparks and center Shagari Alleyne after practices last season to work on lobs and dunks and shooting. 
  • Big Cat, big catalyst   Alleyne's play fires up crowd, unsettles Cardinals    Chuck Hayes saw king-size symmetry in Kentucky's 73-53 victory over Ball State here last night. "Probably the biggest guy on the team gave us the biggest spark," Hayes said.
  • Second-Half Surge Lifts No. 8 Kentucky Past Ball State     Sophomore Peyton Stovall scored 14 points and handed out a game-high four assists to lead three Cardinals in double-figure scoring, but eighth-ranked Kentucky used a 26-8 run over an 11-minute span in the second half to escape U.S. Bank Arena with a 73-53 victory Tuesday night.
  • Alleyne grows as Kentucky threat     Standing at mid-court during a timeout, University of Kentucky senior Chuck Hayes leaped into the air to give 7-foot-3 Shagari Alleyne a celebratory chest bump as the Wildcats started pulling away from Ball State
  • Cats tower over Ball St., 73-53    The towering 7-foot-3 center turned the space above the rim into his own private playground last night at U.S. Bank Arena, delivering a career-high 10 points in the University of Kentucky basketball team's 73-53 victory over Ball State.
  • 'Best shooter I've ever played with'    HAYES, COACHES CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE SPARK SPARKS PROVIDES FOR KENTUCKY    The rust is officially off. What we saw in twin exhibitions and a breeze of a season opener was bits and pieces, little more than a tantalizing tease. Last night, second half, this was the real Patrick Sparks.
  • UK answers wakeup call    Two days before Thanksgiving, the University of Kentucky was theoretically supposed to feast on Ball State at U.S. Bank Arena on Tuesday night. Eventually it did. During a game in which a lot went wrong for UK early on, a late run propelled the Wildcats to a 73-53 victory against the Cardinals, who did not get worn down until about midway through the second half.
  • Ball State coach sings praises of Smith   Ball State's Tim Buckley continued what's become a habit of opposing coaches: Suggesting that Kentucky fans do not appreciate how Tubby Smith directs the Cats.

      Football

  • Hudson gone, but Barnhart says Brooks to return     Rather than continue to have his job status questioned and performance questioned, Kentucky offensive coordinator Ron Hudson decided to call it quits Monday.  
  • UT warry of Kentucky's dreadful offense     It has been a long season for the Kentucky offense.    The Wildcats have scored just 14.2 points per game, ranking 115th out of the 117 Division 1-A schools in America.  
  • Brooks lists reasons to hope against Vols    COACH SAYS OF ENDING 20-YEAR TREND: 'IT'S POSSIBLE'    Now that Kentucky Coach Rich Brooks doesn't have to worry about saving his job anymore, he can turn his focus on salvaging the Wildcats' 2004 season.
  • College Football Notebook     Joker Phillips, Chris Hatcher and Larry Fedora are among the coaches expected to be considered for the University of Kentucky football team's offensive coordinator position.

(11-23-04)

      Basketball 

  • UK 73  --  Ball State 53  (Final)
  • More pressure in Cats' future    UK flashed it against Coppin St. in opener    Among the Kentucky fan questions set on speed dial over the years: Will Richie get to play tonight? Translation: Will we get to cheer our lovable local hero (and future governor?)?
  • UK's Alleyne  is making  huge strides in the middle    University of Kentucky center Shagari Alleyne might be the only player not surprised by his sudden emergence.
  • Today's opponent    Ball state Location: Muncie, Ind. Enrollment: 18,043 Founded: 1918 Nickname: Cardinals School colors: Cardinal and white Conference: Mid-American
  • Wildcats face serious test   Two of the three teams the University of Kentucky has beaten in two exhibition games and its season opener were missing key players because of injuries, eligibility issues and one player's self-imposed religious hiatus.
  • LINEUPS, STATISTICS   Kentucky Probable starters No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 44 Chuck Hayes F 6-6 242 Sr. 24 Kelenna Azubuike F 6-5 208 Jr. 33 Randolph Morris C 6-10 266 Fr.

      Football

  • Kentucky Football Notebook - Nov. 23    Junior tailbacks Arliss Beach and Draak Davis are the game captains for this week's contest at Tennessee, Coach Rich Brooks has announced ... Freshman linebacker Wesley Woodyard will miss the Tennessee game after undergoing surgery to repair an ankle ligament ... The UK Alumni Association invites all Wildcat fans to take part in the Big Blue Tailgate Party in Knoxville prior to the Kentucky-Tennessee football game.
  • UK offensive coordinator Ron Hudson quits   After weeks of speculation, the two biggest questions surrounding the future of the Kentucky football program were finally answered yesterday.
  • Hudson resigns as Cats' coordinator    In a move Rich Brooks called tantamount to taking one for the team, embattled offensive coordinator Ron Hudson resigned yesterday, clearing the way for Brooks to maintain his job security as the University of Kentucky's head football coach.
  • Path of least tumult     South Carolina fans have the imminent arrival of Steve Spurrier to fire the imagination.
  • OFFENSIVE WOES   UK's NCAA Division I national ranking in several offensive categories (out of 117 teams): Rushing 99 Passing 103 Passing efficiency 111

      Newsworthy Cats from the Past

  • 'TAY' smart to stay out of trouble    Amid all the thrown popcorn, beer and punches, Kentucky forward Chuck Hayes noticed something missing in the brawl at the end of the Indiana Pacers-Detroit Pistons game.

(11-22-04)

      Basketball 

  • UK Travels to Cincinnati for Neutral-Site Game Against Ball State    The Kentucky Wildcats will travel north to Cincinnati for their annual neutral site game at in the Queen City. The game will be Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ET at US Bank Arena against the Ball State Cardinals, who return four starters from a year ago. Coach Tubby Smith and selected players talked to the media Monday afternoon.
  • A net diversion in hoops heaven    Call it their Wildcat Weekend.   By their own admissions, the global tennis stars/divas/sensational sisterhood that is Venus and Serena Williams knew next to nothing about the local religion that is Kentucky basketball. 
  • Venus the new goddess of Big Blue love    Ashley Judd had better watch out. The self-proclaimed No.1 fan of the University of Kentucky basketball team might have some competition.  
  • New dynamic duo drives UK    Patrick Sparks can't quite explain it - he and Rajon Rondo just know how to play together.
  • UK again rules boards by a huge margin   Three times in a row Jennifer Humphrey missed her layup. All three times, the junior came down with the rebound and put it back up.
  • Wildcats guards build chemistry   Perhaps University of Kentucky junior guard Patrick Sparks forgot that the intended recipient of his alley-oop pass was freshman backcourt mate Rajon Rondo, not 6-foot-5 leaper Kelenna Azubuike or former Wildcat Kenny "Sky" Walker.
  • Rondo's play says plenty    Since he's no longer allowed to talk to the media, Kentucky freshman guard Rajon Rondo let his play speak for him.

      Football

(11-21-04)

      Basketball 

  • UK 84  --  FAMU  55 (Final)
  • UK Hoops Downs Florida A&M, 84-55     Mickie DeMoss' team won their second game in as many outings, 84-55 of Florida A&M this afternoon at Memorial Coliseum. Sara Potts lead the way with 21 points followed by Jennifer Humphrey with 12 points and Sade Buley with 10 points. 
  • Wildcats Pounce Rattlers   Senior guard Sara Potts led a trio of Kentucky players that scored in double-figures and junior forward Jennifer Humphrey tallied the fourth double-double of her career as the Wildcats rolled over Florida A&M, 84-55, Sunday in Memorial Coliseum.
  • SILENT BUT GOLDEN   UK freshmen make statement without saying a word   Looking for some Rajon Rondo quotes about his first real-deal college game? No dice. Craving a morsel from Randolph Morris? No luck.
  • Rondo a force as UK rips Coppin State 77-46   For a stretch early in the second half, the Rupp Arena announcer could have been replaced with a recording that repeated Rajon Rondo's name every few seconds.
  • Sparks' debut with Wildcats is a happy one     After a season on the sideline, the University of Kentucky's Patrick Sparks celebrated his return to the basketball court. 
  • Kentucky coach bringing in star freshmen slowly     Kentucky freshman Rajon Rondo can dunk off one foot. He can dunk off two feet. He's only 6-foot-1, but he can throw down an alley-oop. 
  • UK defense steals show in debut     If there were any doubt about the mettle of a Kentucky club filled with four freshmen and a junior transfer, the No. 9 Wildcats crushed it in a 77-46 defeat of Coppin State at Rupp Arena Saturday afternoon.
  • Cats call the roll   UK shows off its new cast in season-opening rout   It's a given that Kentucky will rely on veterans Chuck Hayes and Kelenna Azubuike this season. But the opening 77-46 victory over Coppin State yesterday proved the Cats are not dependent on the twosome as scorers.
  • These are some scary Cats    New Kentucky debuted yesterday with Patrick Sparks flipping a lob pass, underhanded, between two defenders. Rajon Rondo climbed after it.
  • Long lost brothers?   We knew Kentucky set the recruiting goal of finding a replacement for senior Chuck Hayes. But who knew that a Hayes look-a-like, a player with an uncanny resemblance to the UK star, loomed on the basketball horizon?
  • DeMoss looks for defensive intensity vs. Florida A&M   The Kentucky women didn't have long to celebrate their first win of the season on Friday night, instead they had to start preparing for another opponent -- with a completely different playing style -- right away.
  • Big-time foes have benefits for Coppin    The money is nice. Coppin State athletic director and basketball coach Ron "Fang" Mitchell will be the first to admit that playing one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation while raising about $400,000 for the school's athletic department sure beats other forms of fund-raising such as schmoozing with boosters
  • KENTUCKY CONNECTS ON 10 THREE-POINTERS IN ROUT OF COPPIN STATE   Practice may not have made perfect, but Kentucky's extra shooting sessions made a difference in yesterday's season-opening victory over Coppin State.

      Football

(11-20-04)

      Basketball 

  • UK 77  - CS  46 (Final)
  • Kentucky opens with an easy win     After a season on the sideline, Kentucky's Patrick Sparks celebrated his return to the basketball court.
  • No. 9 Cats Thump Coppin State 77-46    New guards Patrick Sparks and Rajon Rondo combined for 21 points and led a strong defensive effort to help the ninth-ranked Wildcats beat Coppin State 77-46 on Saturday.
  • Wildcats Dominate Butler in Season Opener    Senior Sara Potts scored a team-high 22 points and the Kentucky women’s basketball team won its seventh consecutive season opener, 82-44, Friday in front of an electrifying 5,218 fans in Memorial Coliseum.
  • UK DOMINATES BOARDS, SHOOTING, DEFENSE    She wouldn't admit it at the time, but near the end of last season, Sara Potts was exhausted. The forward was playing 40 minutes a game. She was the only consistent scorer for the Kentucky women game in and game out.
  • Name mi fg-a 3-pt ft-a rb a pf tp    Butler (44) Brenden 32 1-3 0-1 1-2 4 2 3 3 Freeman 31 4-9 0-1 4-6 6 1 1 12 Urquhart 17 4-7 0-0 0-1 0 0 5 8 Closser 32 3-7 2-5 1-2 1 0 2 9
  • Coaches think Kentucky-Coppin State matchup should help both teams     Coppin State and Kentucky both had their reasons for scheduling the other to open their respective basketball seasons
  • Cats ready to get their feet wet    SMITH SAYS SCHEDULE IS SET UP THE RIGHT WAY   Kentucky's players might prefer to jump immediately and repeatedly into college basketball's competitive deep end. But UK Coach Tubby Smith likes the way this year's schedule allows the Cats to ease slowly into shallow water before wading into more challenging currents.
  • Today's opponent    Coppin State Location: Baltimore, Md. Enrollment: 3,900 Founded: 1900 Nickname: Eagles School colors: Royal blue and gold Home arena (capacity): Coppin Center (1,720)
  • LINEUPS, STATISTICS    Kentucky Probable starters No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 44 Chuck Hayes F 6-6 242 Sr. 24 Kelenna Azubuike F 6-5 208 Jr. 33 Randolph Morris C 6-10 266 Fr.
  • For Carrier, practice doesn't make perfect   At Memorial Coliseum, he apparently shoots the lights out. At Rupp Arena, he shoots as if the lights were out. Such is the disparity in Josh Carrier's shooting accuracy. The Kentucky senior has been the team's best shooter in practice, UK Coach Tubby Smith says. But in the two exhibition games, he missed all five of his attempts.

      Football

  • U of L, Marshall or something else here    University of Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart said yesterday that he is in an evaluation process regarding the future of head football coach Rich Brooks and his staff.
  • UK officials evaluating Brooks' status     University of Kentucky President Lee Todd and athletic director Mitch Barnhart gave the first indications yesterday that football coach Rich Brooks' job could be in jeopardy.  
  • Todd: Wait and see on any changes to Kentucky football staff     Any decisions about Kentucky's football coaching staff won't come until after an ongoing evaluation of the program by the university's athletic director is finished, University of Kentucky President Lee Todd said Friday.

(11-19-04)

      Basketball 

  • UK  82  --  Butler  44   (Final)
  • Kentucky braces for season opener    With a team of mostly freshmen and newcomers, Coach Mickie DeMoss doesn't know exactly what to expect in Kentucky's season opener tonight at Memorial Coliseum.
  • Kentucky players favor Ashley over Dickie V    Would you rather have Ashley Judd or Dick Vitale at a University of Kentucky basketball game?  \
  • Ready or not, hoops is here    In what will definitely help cure the football blues, the University of Kentucky men's basketball team opens its season tomorrow [today] against Coppin State at Rupp Arena. The contest will end eight months worth of wait for Kentucky followers across the state.
  • Tubby silences freshmen on eve of opener     All of them have played in front of the raucous Rupp Arena fans. Three of them have experienced the hoopla of the McDonald's High School All-American game. And two of them have already broken in to Tubby Smith's starting lineup.
  • He's off-court All-American    While many UK players happily insulate themselves in Wildcat Lodge, Chuck Hayes goes out of his way to involve himself in his community, often dropping by unannounced at Lexington-area middle schools.
  • Cats seek right blend of old, new   'GROWING TOGETHER' KEY TO SUCCESS   All-America candidate Chuck Hayes, three McDonald's All-Americans in the freshman class and, to borrow a phrase from two years ago, unparalleled tradition assure Kentucky of outsized expectations this season.
  • P.R. CAMPAIGN GETS IN HIGH GEAR FOR CATS FORWARD    Although the political season just ended, the politicking will continue. Kentucky plans to launch a campaign next week to make Chuck Hayes an All-American.

      Newsworthy Cats from the Past

  • Chiles kicked off team at Murray    Murray State University men's basketball coach Mick Cronin dismissed senior guard Adam Chiles from the team yesterday after a weekend arrest on drug- and alcohol-related charges.

(11-18-04)

  • UK Athletics fights Claude Bassett suit    $50 MILLION CASE BY EX-COACH HAS NO MERIT, ATTORNEYS SAY    The University of Kentucky Athletics Association wants a federal judge to dismiss a $50 million lawsuit filed by former football assistant coach Claude Bassett.
  • NCAA, NBA must cooperate to fix our sport     Basketball season cannot begin with absent-minded amusement this time. There are issues, tangible issues, game-threatening issues, and every hoops kingdom cannot become so self-absorbed that joy and anticipation smother the current quandary.

      Basketball 

  • DeMoss aims to bring 'great players' to UK     Mickie DeMoss has no false illusions about what will determine her fate at the University of Kentucky.
  • Big Blue-chippers     Rashaad Carruth.    The once-volatile guard is gone, but mention his name and know that past transgressions haven't dissipated from the collective Wildcat memory. Carruth - in a 2001-02 freshman season fraught with potential - was openly unhappy and unwilling to share coach Tubby Smith's vision. 
  • Men's Basketball Press Conference Quotes     The 2004-05 season kicks off for the men's basketball team on Saturday afternoon against Coppin State. Coach Tubby Smith and selected players talked about the upcoming game and the season.
  • Wildcats still not shooting well outside     One area that Kentucky figured to improve this basketball season was its 3-point shooting.  
  • UK Hoops Opens Regular-Season Play This Weekend    Kentucky opens its 31st season of women’s basketball Friday when the Wildcats play host to the Butler Bulldogs at 7 p.m. ET and the Florida A&M Rattlers on Sunday, Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. ET. Both games will be played in Memorial Coliseum. Free UK Hoops schedule magnets will be given away Friday to the first 1,000 fans and free UK Hoops coloring books will be given away Sunday to the first 500 children.
  • UK's Crawford continues to adjust     Take a few servings of competitive spirit, a healthy dose of will to win, and let it marinate in a town of Detroit Pistons basketball known for its no-nonsense defense and you end up with highly recruited Kentucky freshman guard Joe Crawford.
  • Sitting but not sidelined   COPPIN COACH FANG MITCHELL MIGHT HAVE LOST A BIT OF HIS BITE, BUT HE'LL COACH VS. UK    A visiting coach who owns a historic giant-killer victory and arguably the sport's best nickname will be part of Kentucky's opening game. But in a way, he won't.
  • Fearless 'Fang' casts Coppin in his image    On Saturday, Ron "Fang" Mitchell, still in recovery, will lead his Coppin State basketball team into Rupp Arena for the season opener against the University of Kentucky. He wouldn't miss it.
  • TV conflict moves UK game back an hour     Tipoff for the University of Kentucky's Nov. 26 basketball game against Georgia State in Rupp Arena has been changed to 8 p.m.
  • TUBBY SMITH, Kentucky basketball coach     Orlando "Tubby" Smith is a winner. In 12 seasons as a college head basketball coach, Smith has an overall record of 315-114, winning one national championship, with Kentucky in 1998. He is also one of only six coaches to guide three schools -- Tulsa, Georgia and Kentucky -- to the Sweet Sixteen. 

      Football

  • Wildcats coach Brooks welcomes break    With a disappointing season winding down, it might seem that a bye week wouldn't be useful for Kentucky. But coach Rich Brooks welcomes the break and thinks it will help his injury-riddled team as the Wildcats (2-8, 1-6) prepare to play Tennessee on Nov. 27.
  • Begley named all-district     Kicker Taylor Begley is one of seven University of Kentucky football players named to the Academic All-District IV Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America in the first round of Academic All-America voting.
  • Barnhart is the boss, so he can alter staff    BUT A.D. MUST SHARE IN FOOTBALL BLAME    In a perfect world, the head football coach would have the last word on his or her staff. Ah, but the sports world is far from a perfect world. We regret the redundancy, but big-time money has birthed an alternative reality. Big-time college sports is really big-time college business. And the business world is far from a perfect world.
  • Ohio lineman picks UK     Kentucky added another offensive lineman to its 2005 football recruiting class when 6-8, 315-pound Zach Hennis of Plain City, Ohio, verbally committed to the Wildcats Tuesday night.
  • Cats get commitment from pick up 6-foot-8 offensive lineman from Ohio    University of Kentucky football coach Rich Brooks said he wanted taller linemen, and it appears his desires have been answered. Zach Hennis, a 6-foot-8, 310-pound offensive lineman, committed to UK Tuesday night.

(11-17-04)

      Basketball 

  • With Azubuike, UK always has a shot    JUNIOR HAS EMERGED AS TEAM'S OUTSIDE THREAT    To say Kelenna Azubuike was Kentucky's hottest shooter in exhibition play is an understatement. He was UK's only shooter of consequence from the perimeter.
  • Forward who committed to Wildcats signs with Missouri   The University of Kentucky men's basketball team struck out on yet another prospect yesterday when Leo Criswell signed with Missouri.
  • FORWARD WANTED TO BE A CAT BUT SIGNS WITH MISSOURI INSTEAD  Another recruiting prospect eluded Kentucky basketball's grasp yesterday. It's debatable who was more disappointed: UK or the prospect.
  • Wildcats lose out on 6-9 prospect    A late push by the University of Kentucky wasn't enough to convince Leo Criswell's mom to let her son become a Wildcat. Criswell, a 6-foot-9 senior forward at Coastal Christian Academy in Virginia Beach, Va., signed a national letter of intent Tuesday to attend Missouri.
  • Knee injury costs Perry her season    Kentucky forward Afton Perry will sit out this season after tearing two ligaments in her right knee during the team's final exhibition game last week.

      Football

  • Brooks, Barnhart discuss program    KENTUCKY COACH CALLS MEETING 'PRETTY ROUTINE'    Kentucky Coach Rich Brooks and Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart met yesterday in what Brooks termed "a meeting of the state of the football program."

      Newsworthy Cats from the Past

  • Williams still plans to get his degree    Mike Williams, the University of Kentucky safety and three-year starter who was dismissed from the team Nov.5, said yesterday that he'll remain in school and try to graduate with a degree in sociology by next summer.

(11-16-04)

      Basketball 

  • UK Hoops Ink Two Kentucky Standouts     Kentucky women’s basketball coach Mickie DeMoss announced today the signing of two Kentucky high school standouts in 5-8 guard Kasi (pronounced KAY-see) Galloway from Knott Co. Central in Hindman, Ky. and 6-1 forward/center Jenne (pronounced ja-NAY) Jackson of North Hardin High School in Radcliff, Ky.
  • Cats anxious to start season     It has been six long years for Kentucky fans, and they have felt every minute of it.
  • Ah, winter: Come on in, the hoops are fine    WILL MR. BASKETBALL PLEASE STAND UP    Believe it or not, there are places where winter is dreaded. Where it is so bleak, it is more unwelcome than the school principal on Senior Skip Day.
  • New role fits Azubuike fine    Kelenna Azubuike, his eyes wandering and his voice projecting barely above a whisper, hardly comes across as one of the University of Kentucky's two most important leaders. Then again, he's never been one to do his best work with much of a fuss.
  • Recovering Coppin St. coach will be at UK    Coppin State Coach Ron "Fang" Mitchell will accompany his team to Kentucky for the season-opening game on Saturday. Mitchell's status had been in doubt after doctors removed his thymus gland on Oct. 19. He has been recuperating at home since being released from the hospital on Oct. 24.
  • UK wooing Virginia recruit, coach says    Leo Criswell, a 6-foot-8 forward who took an official visit to the University of Kentucky over the weekend, could sign with the Wildcats today, according to his high school coach.
  • Wildcats zero in on 6-9 Criswell    The University of Kentucky's search to find a forward from the class of 2005 could end shortly. Leo Criswell, a 6-foot-9 forward from Kansas City, Mo., flew here over the weekend for an official visit and has been offered a scholarship to attend UK next fall. He is expected to make a decision by Wednesday, the last day of the fall signing period.

      Football

  • Kentucky Football Notebook - November 16    In the first round of Academic All-America voting, seven Kentucky Wildcats have been elected to the Academic All-District IV Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
  • Wildcats comeback historic    4TH-QUARTER RALLY BEST SINCE 1949    If you thought it was just a 14-point comeback, your sense of history should have thought: A 14-POINT COMEBACK?! UK's rally over Vanderbilt was the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in modern UK history, the school said yesterday after researching records.

      Newsworthy Cats from the Past

  • 2 Minute Drill | Former UK star Winston Bennett    Winston Bennett, the former University of Kentucky basketball star and assistant coach, has been out of the spotlight since being fired almost a year ago as Kentucky State's coach after the university determined that he punched player Ricky Green during a practice.

(11-15-04)

      Basketball 

  • SEC has 'Cat match fever    It is the school with the tradition and the legions of fans that includes photogenic Hollywood actress Ashley Judd.
  • Perimeter shooting should be improved     Tubby Smith's knack for flexible lineups likely means four point guards won't be a problem 
  • Tubby's toy box overflows     During a brief interruption in the University of Kentucky's first exhibition game, freshman guard Ramel Bradley took a quick inventory of his teammates on the court.  
  • 'COMPLIMENTARY' IS NO COMPLIMENT    Hayes wants All-America; S.I. dubs him 'Glue Guy'    Two pre-season awards announced last week might give Kentucky fans a different perception of Chuck Hayes and a reason to re-think the term “complementary player.”
  • Track records show Smith, Pitino get it done    If college basketball had a Yoda, not a Vitale, he would flap his handlebar ears and utter one line. A proven coach must prove again.

      Football

  • Kentucky Football Notebook - November 15    Kentucky vs. Tennessee game selected by JP Sports. Game time will be 12:30 p.m.    Kentucky’s fourth-quarter rally in Saturday’s win over Vanderbilt marks the largest fourth-quarter comeback in school history for records available since 1949
  • Brooks declines comment on his, staff's job status    A bye week before your last game of the season seems like needless prolonging on the surface, but Kentucky Coach Rich Brooks says he'll take it.
  • Wildcats snap SEC losing skid    In a career full of ugly looking passes, it fit right in for University of Kentucky quarterback Shane Boyd. "It hung up there for a long time. It was wounded and waggly," receiver Glenn Holt said.

      Baseball

(11-14-04)

      Basketball 

  • Freshmen holding key to successful season for Cats     As a senior, Chuck Hayes is familiar with Kentucky's proud basketball tradition, and yes, he's aware that the Wildcats only have two returning starters.
  • Expectations? You betcha  In our fair commonwealth, so long has it been since one of our teams made an appearance, only those with well-seasoned memories remember it.   
  • BIG GAME HUNTING: A GUIDE TO UK HOOPS     The day before UK's first exhibition game of this 2004-05 basketball season, the wise old sage that is Chuck Hayes was asked about the new Cats on the block, those fab freshmen. 
  • All eyes are on Tubby's team     When you talk KENTUCKY basketball, you start with the Wildcats' fans.

      Football

  • Cats Edge Vandy 14-13 on Senior Day    Kentucky's Shane Boyd threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Glenn Holt with 1:39 left, lifting the Wildcats past Vanderbilt 14-13 on Saturday.
  • A win from out of the blue    Normally, the end-over-end pass that hangs in the air for an eternity isn't caught by a University of Kentucky receiver. Not for a touchdown that wins the game.
  • THEY REFUSE TO FAIL FOR EACH OTHER'S SAKE    When it came to the reason behind UK's comeback 14-13 Senior Day win over Vanderbilt yesterday, Antoine Huffman put it best. "We have a bad record," said UK's junior defensive back yesterday, "but we're all we have right now."
  • Cats deserve time to savor winning feeling    Let your memory relax for the next two weeks. The despair pile remains intact and is as disgusting as ever, but there is no new garbage.
  • UK seniors 'duck' out   TD pass with 1:39 left wins it   When Shane Boyd sailed a pass toward the end zone late in the fourth quarter of Kentucky's game with Vanderbilt yesterday, there was nothing that suggested anything good was about to happen.
  • Mike Williams gone but not forgotten by