Saturday, January 27, 2001
UK looks to recover in Rupp
Wildcats host Vanderbilt after 2 SEC road losses
The Associated Press
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky coach Tubby Smith isn't ready to enter panic mode just yet.
Despite his squad's back-to-back road losses to ranked opponents, Smith said it's more important than ever to remain positive if the Wildcats (10-7, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) hope to make a run at the conference championship.
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VANDERBILT at UK
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• When: 7:30p.m. today.
• Where: Rupp Arena (23,000), Lexington, Ky.
• Records: Kentucky 10-7 (3-2 Southeastern Conference), Vanderbilt 13-5 (3-3).
• Radio: WSAI-AM (1530).
VANDERBILT
Player-Ht-Yr-Avg
A. Williams -6-7-Sr.-9.0
Greg LaPointe -6-10-Sr.-12.9
Sam Howard -6-3-Jr.-9.6
Russell Lakey -6-0-Fr.-5.7
Chuck Moore -6-3-Jr.-10.2
Coach: Kevin Stallings (32-16, second season; 155-79 overall)
KENTUCKY
Player-Ht-Yr-Avg
Tayshaun Prince -6-9-Jr.-13.7
Jason Parker -6-8-Fr.-8.6
Gerald Fitch -6-3-Fr.-5.2
Saul Smith -6-2-Sr.-6.6
Keith Bogans -6-5-So.-16.0
Coach: Tubby Smith (96-30, fourth season; 220-92 overall)
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“It's because they are so young and so fragile — not only fragile psychologically and emotionally but maturi ty-wise,” Smith said during a news conference Friday. “It might be different if we had five or six seniors.
“If I'm not positive and I'm not focused and I'm not being upbeat, I can't expect them to be.”
Kentucky's confidence could be a little shaken following 10-point losses at No.21 Mississippi and No.18 Alabama. Those losses came on the heels of a seven-game winning streak, including an emotional victory over then-No.4 Tennessee.
Of the seven victories, five were at Rupp Arena and the other two came at Kentucky's home away from home, Louisville's Freedom Hall. The two losses, in which the Wildcats shot less than 43 percent from the field and were outrebounded, continued the team's frustrating trend of struggling and sometimes giving up leads down the stretch when playing on the road.
Smith knows with Vanderbilt (13-5, 3-3) looming tonight, his squad can't afford to relax just because it is back at home.
“Vanderbilt is the type of team that will take advantage of your defensive mistakes,” Smith said. “They're coming off a tough home loss to Georgia, but they know how to win on the road, because they have won on the road. We really haven't yet in this league.”
Smith said he's considering adding a 6a.m. practice to UK's daily schedule.
“I noticed over the holidays, when we had plenty of time to go twice a day, guys were pretty well focused,” he said. “Then, as soon as we got back to class, the routine changed and we kind of reverted back to our old ways.
“So we'll probably go back to morning sessions to review things and then come back in the afternoon as well. We
need that type of practice.”
Greg LaPointe, a 6-foot-10 senior, leads Vanderbilt with an average of 12.9 points a game. One other starter, junior guard Chuck Moore at 10.2 points a game, is averaging in double figures.
Vanderbilt has lost two of its last three games. Sandwiched between losses to South Carolina and Georgia, however, was a victory over No.14 Florida in Gainesville.
“They went into Florida and beat Florida, did they not? Granted, Florida has some players down and all, but that's still a feat in itself to go into Gainesville and pull out a victory,” said Saul Smith, UK's only senior.
Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said people shouldn't be fooled by the Wildcats' less-than-stellar record.
“Jason Parker, Keith Bogans, Marvin Stone and Tayshaun Prince all could have gone anyplace in the country,” Stallings said. “They have an enormous amount of talent, and I think all of us in coaching know that Tubby's teams play really hard and are very tough defensively.
“Kentucky historically has been the toughest place to play in this league. It's a difficult environment, and taking a team as youthful as ours into a hostile place like that is a concern.”
Despite Kentucky's up-and-down play, Tubby Smith said he believes his team will be tough to beat as it approaches the postseason.
“I know we can win the SEC,” he said confidently. “And I know we're going to be a very formidable team. We are now.”
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