By Chris Duncan
The Associated Press

Some other team will be cutting down the nets Kentucky left untouched after it won the Southeastern Conference tournament in New Orleans two weeks ago.

Marquette's 83-69 win over the Wildcats in Saturday's Midwest Regional final marred, but didn't ruin, the season for coach Tubby Smith.

"The expectations are pretty high for us here every year," Smith said Monday. "But this group overachieved in just about every area."

A team without a sure-fire NBA prospect, the Wildcats went 32-4 and won 26 straight games during their 100th season.

The streak included an unbeaten run through the Southeastern Conference regular season and SEC tournament, a feat not accomplished by any team since Kentucky did it in the 1950s.

"Going undefeated in this league? That's pretty good," Smith said. "But we went 19-0 - we won the tournament, too. That's amazing."

The season garnered Smith several national coaching awards. He'll pick up another one at this week's Final Four.

Smith said he has no intention of leaving Lexington before next season.

"I'm planning on being here," said Smith, who signed a six-year, $1.5 million per year contract in May 2001. "This is as good a job as there is in the country."

Smith said duplicating this season's success in 2003-04 will hinge on finding a strong inside presence.

He expects to lose both 6-foot-11 senior Jules Camara and 6-9 Marquis Estill, a senior who was a partial qualifier his freshman year, meaning he can earn another year of eligibility if he graduates this year.

If Estill follows Camara, Kentucky's tallest returning player is 6-9 Bernard Cote, who played only 114 minutes all season.

Erik Daniels, at 6-7, and Chuck Hayes, at 6-6, round out the returning frontcourt. Daniels averaged 9.5 points and five rebounds, and Hayes started all 36 games, averaging 8.6 points and 6.8 rebounds.

"Erik and Chuck are going to have to step up their play, but we're going to have to bring in a big man," Smith said. "Then we'll be OK."

Smith said the lack of a proven post man could mean more minutes for incoming freshmen Bobby Perry, from Durham, N.C., and Canadian-born Sheray Thomas.

"Bobby's about 6-7, and he can play the swing or the power forward. Sheray is a power forward who carries some bulk," Smith said. "They're definitely guys who can help pick up the slack."

The Wildcats also lose Keith Bogans, who reached No. 4 on the school's all-time scoring list, but Smith isn't worried about any dropoff in leadership.

Guards Gerald Fitch and Cliff Hawkins and junior-college transfer Antwain Barbour will join Daniels in Kentucky's senior class. Fitch started 35 games and Hawkins averaged 22 minutes in his role as the first man off the bench.

Counting Hayes, who will be a junior, the quintet has 191 combined starts.

"I was very impressed with Gerald and Chuck and Cliff and Erik," Smith said. "I like what we have coming back next year."

The Wildcats were ranked a modest 17th in the preseason Associated Press poll.

They lived up to the low expectations early, losing three of their first nine. The last was a humbling 18-point loss to former coach Rick Pitino and Louisville.

Kentucky won three non-conference games the following week, then barely beat Tennessee in their Southeastern Conference opener. The Wildcats showed glimpses of the defense that was to become their trademark in a 62-55 win over South Carolina.

Then came the Vanderbilt game on Jan. 14. The Wildcats trailed by eight at halftime, then held the Commodores to four field goals in the second half of a 74-52 victory.

"We were upset with how we played at halftime," Bogans said after the game. "We wanted to come out with more intensity on defense. After playing that way, nothing less will be acceptable."

They stuck to that commitment the rest of the regular season. Only three of 20 opponents reached 50 percent shooting and eight failed to shoot even 40 percent.

And Kentucky beat them all.

"When you're in the midst of a winning streak like this, you think you're going to win every game," Smith said. "In the midst of it, nothing is a surprise."

The Wildcats clinched their 42nd SEC regular-season championship, then, with every reason to relax, beat third-ranked Florida 69-67 in Gainesville.

"That's the one that stands out, because you're going to Florida, the pressure's on," Smith said. "The kids rose to Florida's level. That impressed me so much."

They marched to their 24th SEC tournament championship the same way they won their last 20 regular-season games - with defense. Their three opponents - Vanderbilt, Auburn and Mississippi State - averaged 59 points on 36 percent shooting.

"We played against some pretty good teams and against some pretty good players," Smith said. "But this team was truly the epitome of a team. When one guy was down, another guy would pick us up. All year."

The Wildcats were the No. 1 team heading into the NCAA tournament and cruised to the Sweet 16.

They finally showed some cracks in a 63-57 win over Wisconsin. Bogans suffered a high ankle sprain and was far from recovered for the Marquette game.

It showed. Bogans was one of several Wildcats who couldn't handle Dwyane Wade, who had 29 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds.

For the first time, Smith saw an opponent do what his team did all season.

"Every button they pushed, it worked," he said. "That's what we had been able to do. We'd bring somebody off the bench, we'd get in the groove."

Until that game, Smith had never had a season go so smoothly.

"That's the first team I've ever had where we didn't have one bad practice," Smith said. "We never had any issue with any guy not willing to do what it takes."