Wednesday, February 28, 2001
Rupp finale for Saul Smith
Senior focused on Auburn, not farewell
The Associated Press
LEXINGTON — Kentucky senior Saul Smith has always been a team player. So it's no surprise he'd much rather talk about how the 15th-ranked Wildcats can clinch a share of the Southeastern Conference championship and the No.1 seed in the conference tournament with a victory today over Auburn than about the fact it will be his final game in Rupp Arena.
“We have a really big challenge ahead of us,” the 6-foot-2, 175-pound point guard said. “There's a lot at stake. It's for the SEC title, and we want to go out and win.”
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AUBURN at UK
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• When: 8 p.m. today.
• Where: Rupp Arena (23,000), Lexington.
• Records: Auburn 16-11 (6-8 Southeastern Conference), Kentucky 18-8 (11-3).
• TV: Ch.64.
• Radio: WSAI-AM (1530).
AUBURN
Player-Ht-Yr-Avg
Kyle Davis -6-10-Fr.-4.2
Marquis Daniels-6-6-So.-16.6
Jamison Brewer -6-4-So.-8.4
Scott Pohlman -6-2-Sr.-13.3
Adam Harrington-6-5-So.-15.3
Coach: Cliff Ellis (136-80, seventh season; 484-292 overall)
KENTUCKY
Player-Ht-Yr-Avg
Tayshaun Prince -6-9-Jr.-16.3
Jason Parker -6-8-Fr.-8.0
Gerald Fitch -6-3-Fr.-6.0
Saul Smith -6-2-Sr.-6.9
Keith Bogans -6-5-So.-16.2
Coach: Tubby Smith (104-30, fourth season; 228-92 overall)
BY THE NUMBERS
• 73-17: UK's lead in the series.
• 66-63: Score of Auburn's win in the teams' last meeting, Jan.11, 2000, at Auburn, Ala.
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Kentucky (18-8, 11-3 SEC) leads the Eastern Division by one game over No.6 Florida and will complete regular-season play with a nationally televised showdown with the Gators Sunday in Gainesville.
Should the Wildcats tie Florida for the East title, they would receive the top seed in next week's SEC tournament because of their better division record.
In the race for the overall title, Kentucky holds a one-game advantage over Florida and No.14 Mississippi, which must travel to LSU today and play host to No.20 Alabama Saturday. Should the race end in a tie, each team would share the championship.
“We don't want to share the title with anybody,” Smith said. “We're kind of selfish in that way. We want it to be ours, and the only way we can do that is to go out there focused and ready to play.
“We really feel like we've put in the hard work and grown a lot as a team just to put ourselves in this position. But you can't sit here and talk about how you deserve this and deserve that. You have to play good basketball and get the job done.”
Smith, who ranks ninth on the Wildcats' career assists list with 334, said he's sure to get caught up in the moment as he is introduced in front of the home crowd for the last time.
“I haven't really thought about how it's going to be as much as how I'm going to react,” he said.
“I'm going to try to control my emotions. I can't get overwhelmed, because I've still got a game to play.”
Saul's father, Kentucky coach Tubby Smith, could get a lump in his throat and a knot in his stomach as well.
“On any senior night, you kind of reflect back about how far a young man has come, how much you're going to miss him and what he's meant to your program,” Tubby Smith said. “It will be an emotional night, because there are a lot of things riding on this game, too.”
Auburn (16-11, 6-8) has lost two of its last three games, including a 64-62 heartbreaker at the hands of Mississippi on Saturday. The win during that stretch came over Alabama in overtime.
The Tigers have made a habit of losing close games this season. Nine of their 11 losses have been decided in the final 10 seconds of regulation, with three of those going into overtime or double overtime.
Sophomore guard Marquis Daniels leads the Tigers with 16.6 points and 7.1 rebounds a game. Guards Adam Harrington and Scott Pohlman are averaging 15.3 and 13.3 points, respective ly, and guard Jamison Brewer leads the SEC with 6.2 assists a game.
“Auburn can beat you in many ways,” Tubby Smith said. “They have some guys that are performing extremely well this year.”
Kentucky should have plenty of motivation to bounce back from Sunday's 82-78 loss at Arkansas, which snapped an eight-game winning streak.
“It's the last home game, so I'm sure everybody's going to be very pumped up, including the fans,” junior swingman Tayshaun Prince said.
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Rupp finale for Saul Smith
