Last season's roll began in Nashville (Kentucky vs Vandy)

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Last season's roll began in Nashville




By Victoria Sun
Post staff reporter

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The site of today's game between the University of Kentucky men's basketball team and Vanderbilt is where the formula was uncorked last season.
Inside quaint Memorial Gym, it of the unusual raised floor and team benches situated on opposite baselines, is where UK coach Tubby Smith rallied his team from an eight-point halftime deficit en route to a 74-52 blowout in which the Wildcats held the Commodores to just four second-half field goals.

That day the Wildcats listened and learned from Smith what it would take for them to be successful the rest of the season -- stifling defense.

From that point on, UK convincingly won its next 20 games by employing the same defensive tenacity that stymied Vanderbilt and propelled the Wildcats into the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

"That was the starting point for our success last year," UK senior forward Erik Daniels said.

Expecting the same type of total domination from this year's team would be unfair and unrealistic.

Success hasn't come easy for the Wildcats this season, who at 14-2 and 4-1 in the Southeastern Conference have still given Smith reasons for concern.

"I envisioned us being better and I envisioned us not making some of the same mistakes we make over and over," Smith said of his expectations before the season started. "I think we should better."

Turnovers, blown leads, defensive lapses and not taking care of the basketball in late-game situations are the bulk of the recurring problems that have Smith longing at times for last year's group.

Recently, Smith caught himself watching game films of last season when the Wildcats led teams by 30 points and wondering how it could be done again.

"We're just not that good to put people away," Smith said. "It's as simple as that. We're good enough to win. (Last year), it was just unbelievable and I got a little bit spoiled. You keep thinking about why can't you do this (again)?"

The answer, in Smith's opinion, is twofold.

For starters, the bottom-feeders of the SEC such as Vanderbilt (13-4, 2-4) and South Carolina (18-2, 5-1) who is a half-game ahead of UK in the SEC East, have drastically improved.

Secondly, the Wildcats don't have a dominant shot-blocking center like they did last season.

UK's dominance last season was predicated on an intimidating defense. This year's team features plenty of athleticism and quickness but lacks a true enforcer inside.

"We've got at lot of weapons, but there are also some things we don't have and that's the guy who can control the middle, dominate the paint at both ends," Smith said. "Erik kind of dominates and Chuck kind of dominates in certain situations. But it's not the same when you have a Marquis Estill in the middle or a Jules Camara who can really intimidate you with his shot-blocking ability."

At this point in the season, Smith is still searching for a regular rotation of players to come off the bench, something he thinks might not be possible.

Smith likened this year's team to a puzzle that must be pieced together each game. Outside of the steady starting five, finding a reliable sub has been impossible.

UK's saving grace has been the fact that in almost every victory, a different reserve player has come through in some fashion.

The winning may be ugly instead of easy for these Wildcats, but there's no shame in that. Just ask the struggling Commodores, who have lost four of their last five.

"It's kind of a pivotal point in our season," Vanderbilt senior forward Scott Hundley said. "I think this game is going to weigh heavy on how we do the rest of the season."

The last time UK lost a regular-season SEC road game was at Memorial Gym on Feb. 27, 2002.

[cr708]

Ok boys let's get busy for Super Saturday. 2-1 last night. F the Celtics. I love KU and am looking at Duke/UCLA/Stanford/Indiana.