SportsLine.com Report
March 18, 2000

Round 2: Orangemen send 'Cats home early

Sure, Kentucky was the lower seed against Syracuse Saturday, but the Wildcats just don't lose in the second round, having made it at least to the Regional Finals in seven of the past eight years.

Make it seven of nine, as fourth-seeded Syracuse gutted out a 52-50 victory to bounce fourth-seeded Kentucky from the Midwest Regional in Cleveland. The ouster was the earliest a Kentucky team has been dismissed from the NCAA Tournament since the 1994 team was handed its walking papers by Marquette, also in the second round.

Syracuse long-range specialist Preston Shumpert hit what proved to be the game-winner, a 19-footer, with 37 seconds left. After that it was time to hold on, as Kentucky had two shots to win it, but could not get a clean look.

Still below the foul limit late in the game, Syracuse was able to stall the Wildcats' last possession, fouling a driving Saul Smith on the floor and forcing Kentucky to take the ball out of bounds. From there, Keith Bogans missed a hotly contested 13-footer and a Jules Camara tip attempt fell short and the game was over.

The Orange held on despite playing the final 3:46 without starting center Etan Thomas, who fouled out with nine points. Shumpert led all players in scoring, popping for 12 points to match the totals of Kentucky's Bogans and Jamal Magloire. Syracuse ended the Wildcats' season despite being outshot, 40-35 percent.

For Syracuse, the Sweet 16 trip continues a trend, as the Orange have made it to the third round in even years since 1996 -- the year they advanced to the national title game a dropped a 76-67 decision to Kentucky.

How They Got There

This young Kentucky squad faced the most difficult schedule in the country, and found a rugged early season that had the Wildcat faithful squealing. Four-and-four doesn't get it done in Lexington.

Yes, but 18-4 the rest of the way -- including a share of the SEC championship -- made Tubby Smith and crew feel a little better. That finish -- capped by a resounding win over Florida -- had UK right where Smith had hoped and/or planned to be: Peaking in March.

"We always expect them to be better in March than they are in November," he said. "That's how we build our program and our team, is on playing our best basketball at this time of the year. Certainly you'd hate to peak in November. I think that's what everybody expects, but that's people who don't know much about sports and basketball, who think you can peak that many times."

Zero tolerance

Starting forward Desmond Allison was suspended from the team and in all likelihood has played his last game for the Wildcats. The sophomore from Tampa, Fla., was arrested early Sunday and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

Under the university's stringent "zero-tolerance" policy for alcohol-related offenses, Allison was automatically suspended from practicing or playing with the team while university officials investigate the "merit" of the charges against him. If Allison is convicted of DUI, he loses his scholarship.

Allison, a 6-foot-5 sophomore from Tampa, Fla., started all but two games this season. He averaged 7.8 points and 3.8 rebounds and was considered one of the top defensive players on the team. His absence sends the Cats into the NCAA tournament with just nine players, including two who have played very few minutes.

Starting Lineup

• PG Saul Smith (6-2, 175, Jr.): He has been inconsistent at times as a playmaker and shooter, but considering the enormous pressure he's under as the coach's son for one of the most-analyzed programs in the country, Smith has been fine.
• SG Keith Bogans (6-5, 215, Fr.): It's no coincidence that after a 4-4 start without Bogans in the starting lineup, UK went 18-4 the rest of the way with him as a starter. Although only a freshman, he's one of the strongest and most physical players on the team. He can shoot the 3 or power his way to the goal, and he's not afraid to shoot his way out of a slump.
• C Jamaal Magloire (6-10, 260, Sr.): Might be the most improved player on the team; definitely the most valuable. He leads the Cats in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and defensive intimidation. His decision to bypass the NBA draft last summer and return for his senior season now looks wise indeed.
• SF Tayshaun Prince (6-9, 215, So.): The most versatile Cat, Prince has taken turns sharing the role of go-to guy with Magloire. His long arms are valuable on the glass and defense, but his skinny frame often is a detriment against physical teams.
• PF Jules Camara (6-11, 223, So.): Moves back into starting lineup with the suspension of Desmond Allison. Started the first eight games before losing the job, but then became one of the most important sixth men in the SEC. He's a good shot-blocker (45 on the season) who averages 7 points and 4.8 rebounds a game.

Keys to Success

Although many of his hard-to-please fans still pine for the high-octane days of Rick Pitino's full-court traps and 90-point games, Smith figured out the best way to win with his personnel was to slow the pace, get the ball inside to center Jamaal Magloire, and defend, defend, defend.

When Magloire plays well, UK usually follows. The Cats are rarely out of a game because of their defense. Therefore, when they make shots, it's a pleasant plus.

The Wildcats' starting lineup gets bigger with the Sunday suspension of Allison, but it could make them all the more halfcourt oriented and reduce their margin for error.

The Coach

Some UK fans will never forgive Tubby Smith for not being Rick Pitino. That's their loss. It's hard to argue with Smith's credentials since coming to UK -- one national championship; one Elite Eight finish. It's even more difficult to argue with the way he charts a season, steering his team toward peaking in March. Heading into the 2000 SEC tournament, Smith was 16-1 in March as the UK coach.

The Bench

The Cats are not nearly as deep as Smith would like them to be … and the suspension of Allison makes the bench even less of a factor. J.P. Blevins has been an adequate backup point guard, at times playing the role of sparkplug with his hustle and 3-point shooting. Backup forward/center Marvin Stone is not a good defender, which costs him playing time, and his offense has been hindered lately by a broken thumb.

Offense

The Cats will run when the break is there, but mostly they want to control the tempo with their half-court defense and work from the inside-out on offense.

The Cats are on track to have the lowest shooting percentage (42.2 percent) for a UK team since the 1962-63 squad shot 40.5. UK's previous low 3-point percentage was the 33.4 mark shot by last year's team, but this team made only 28.9-percent in the regular-season.

Defense

It all starts here for the Cats, who led the SEC in fewest points allowed and were second in field-goal percentage defense. Smith preaches a sagging man-to-man defense that is built around always being ready to help your teammate. ... If the Cats have a weakness on defense, it's stopping the 3-point shot. Sometimes the Cats become so conscious of sagging to help off the ball that they can't recover in time to cover spot-up 3-point shooters. ... Magloire, the school's career blocked shots leader, has swatted 54 this season and altered many others.