Get on this early as i think it will go down. I don't think ky will want to get into a running match with Florida. Ky only averaging 69.8 points on the road. Florida is playing good D at home, only allowing an average of 62.8 pts per game. Ky offense has been in a funk as of late. However, they do play solid D. My numbers showing score should be about 80-68. Solid play on the under. Contrary opinions welcome. Also, like Florida -6.5.
florida/ky under 158
- Thread starter topspinner
- Start date
UK appears ready for change
Prince, Bogans may not start in lineup overhaul
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Rusty Hampton
The Courier-Journal
Smith
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- With his team off to a shaky start in the Southeastern Conference, University of Kentucky basketball coach Tubby Smith might really stir things up tonight when the Wildcats play at Florida on ESPN.
Smith said yesterday to look for three new starters for the No. 10-ranked Cats (13-5, 3-3), but his players indicated that number might be four.
Either way, changes will be made when the Cats play the No. 5 Gators (15-3, 4-2) at the O'Connell Center at 9 p.m.
''It's a message that we need more energy, and also to help other people look at the game a little different and appreciate the opportunity that they have to be a starter,'' Smith said.
Smith said center Marquis Estill and forwards Erik Daniels and Chuck Hayes probably will start. Estill would replace Jules Camara, who has had one rebound and no points in each of the past two games. KENTUCKY AT FLORIDA
WHEN: 9 tonight.
WHERE: O'Connell Center.
TV: ESPN.
Smith wouldn't say if team leaders Tayshaun Prince and Keith Bogans would be benched.
Prince, a senior forward and last season's SEC Player of the Year, has started 84 consecutive games in which he's played, missing a home game during his sophomore season while serving a one-game academic suspension. Bogans, a junior guard and forward, has started the past 55 games.
''I don't want to say who would sit,'' Smith said.
After Smith's news conference, several players were made available to the media. Prince and Bogans, who always have accommodated interview requests, were not available for the first time this season.
One player who did talk, starting shooting guard Gerald Fitch, said he was late to Sunday morning's film session and because of that he doesn't expect to start.
That could open a spot for Rashaad Carruth, whose three-point shooting has thrilled UK fans as much as Smith's reluctance to play the freshman has angered them.
Carruth said point guard Cliff Hawkins was the only regular starter running with the first team during Sunday's practice. The others were Carruth, Estill, Hayes and Daniels.
Carruth is UK's top three-point shooter, hitting 15 of 34 attempts (44.1 percent). His three-pointer helped ignite a late comeback during Saturday's home game against Alabama, but he played just eight minutes against the Tide. Fans booed when Smith removed him with 2:20 remaining. The Cats lost 64-61, dropping their SEC record to 3-3 for the first time since 1989-90.
Smith snapped at a reporter after the game when questioned about Carruth's playing time, but yesterday he calmly explained that Carruth needed to take care of business off the court if he expected to see more minutes on it.
''We're not going to tolerate guys being late to class,'' Smith said.
Carruth acknowledged the transgressions.
''I haven't shown up for one or two classes, and that kind of set me back,'' he said. ''But I'm past that now. . . . I've questioned myself a couple of times about that, but that's in the past.''
Asked if he expects to start tonight, Carruth said: ''I have no idea. I'm not getting my hopes up. I just want to play.''
Carruth, Hayes, Daniels and Estill combined to make 12 of 21 shots and scored 28 point against Alabama. The starters, meanwhile, were 12 of 41, including 7 of 25 for Prince and Bogans.
Prince leads the team in scoring with a 16.5 average, and Bogans is next at 12.3. In SEC games, however, Prince's average is 13.8 points and Bogans' is 7.7, fourth on the team. In league play, Prince is shooting 40.8 percent and Bogans is at an icy 33.3 percent.
Hayes said he was ''seriously surprised,'' when Smith told him Sunday he might start against Florida.
''I know Coach is loyal to the veterans and wanted them to get their rhythm going, but he called my number and told me to get ready,'' Hayes said. ''. . . It shows that hard work does pay at times, that Coach does observe how you do on and off the court, how you handle yourself in certain situations. If he does put me in there, I'll be ready.''
So, Hayes first career start could come in what injured senior point guard J.P. Blevins calls the most hostile arena the Cats visit.
Florida is in a funk of its own, having lost its past two games, including an 84-79 setback to Georgia in its previous home game. But a sellout crowd of 12,000-plus is expected, and UK has lost three games in a row at the O'Connell Center.
''It's the hardest place to play all season,'' said Blevins, who is expected to return from a broken wrist for Saturday's home game against South Carolina. ''. . . You've got a great team on top of noise, and it's by far the loudest place we'll play. You can't hear anything.''
UK lost last season at Florida in the final game of the regular season but still claimed a share of the Eastern Division title with the Gators. The Cats were 4-2 in the league at this point last season, then won 8 of 10.
''Keith was playing well, and Tayshaun was playing unbelievably well,'' Smith said, explaining last year's surge. ''That was one of the things that really helped a lot. He (Prince) was playing with a lot more confidence, and they weren't really marked men at that point in time.''
With opposing teams ganging up to stop Bogans and Prince, Smith appears ready to make some changes. Fitch said if Smith is trying to send a message, it worked -- at least during Sunday's practice.
''I think Keith had the best practice I've ever seen him have since I've been at this school,'' Fitch said. ''. . . He went back to the old Keith.''
Carruth, meanwhile, said the new starting unit wasn't bad in practice, either.
''We looked pretty good,'' he said, smiling.
Maybe this will help.
Prince, Bogans may not start in lineup overhaul
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Rusty Hampton
The Courier-Journal
Smith
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- With his team off to a shaky start in the Southeastern Conference, University of Kentucky basketball coach Tubby Smith might really stir things up tonight when the Wildcats play at Florida on ESPN.
Smith said yesterday to look for three new starters for the No. 10-ranked Cats (13-5, 3-3), but his players indicated that number might be four.
Either way, changes will be made when the Cats play the No. 5 Gators (15-3, 4-2) at the O'Connell Center at 9 p.m.
''It's a message that we need more energy, and also to help other people look at the game a little different and appreciate the opportunity that they have to be a starter,'' Smith said.
Smith said center Marquis Estill and forwards Erik Daniels and Chuck Hayes probably will start. Estill would replace Jules Camara, who has had one rebound and no points in each of the past two games. KENTUCKY AT FLORIDA
WHEN: 9 tonight.
WHERE: O'Connell Center.
TV: ESPN.
Smith wouldn't say if team leaders Tayshaun Prince and Keith Bogans would be benched.
Prince, a senior forward and last season's SEC Player of the Year, has started 84 consecutive games in which he's played, missing a home game during his sophomore season while serving a one-game academic suspension. Bogans, a junior guard and forward, has started the past 55 games.
''I don't want to say who would sit,'' Smith said.
After Smith's news conference, several players were made available to the media. Prince and Bogans, who always have accommodated interview requests, were not available for the first time this season.
One player who did talk, starting shooting guard Gerald Fitch, said he was late to Sunday morning's film session and because of that he doesn't expect to start.
That could open a spot for Rashaad Carruth, whose three-point shooting has thrilled UK fans as much as Smith's reluctance to play the freshman has angered them.
Carruth said point guard Cliff Hawkins was the only regular starter running with the first team during Sunday's practice. The others were Carruth, Estill, Hayes and Daniels.
Carruth is UK's top three-point shooter, hitting 15 of 34 attempts (44.1 percent). His three-pointer helped ignite a late comeback during Saturday's home game against Alabama, but he played just eight minutes against the Tide. Fans booed when Smith removed him with 2:20 remaining. The Cats lost 64-61, dropping their SEC record to 3-3 for the first time since 1989-90.
Smith snapped at a reporter after the game when questioned about Carruth's playing time, but yesterday he calmly explained that Carruth needed to take care of business off the court if he expected to see more minutes on it.
''We're not going to tolerate guys being late to class,'' Smith said.
Carruth acknowledged the transgressions.
''I haven't shown up for one or two classes, and that kind of set me back,'' he said. ''But I'm past that now. . . . I've questioned myself a couple of times about that, but that's in the past.''
Asked if he expects to start tonight, Carruth said: ''I have no idea. I'm not getting my hopes up. I just want to play.''
Carruth, Hayes, Daniels and Estill combined to make 12 of 21 shots and scored 28 point against Alabama. The starters, meanwhile, were 12 of 41, including 7 of 25 for Prince and Bogans.
Prince leads the team in scoring with a 16.5 average, and Bogans is next at 12.3. In SEC games, however, Prince's average is 13.8 points and Bogans' is 7.7, fourth on the team. In league play, Prince is shooting 40.8 percent and Bogans is at an icy 33.3 percent.
Hayes said he was ''seriously surprised,'' when Smith told him Sunday he might start against Florida.
''I know Coach is loyal to the veterans and wanted them to get their rhythm going, but he called my number and told me to get ready,'' Hayes said. ''. . . It shows that hard work does pay at times, that Coach does observe how you do on and off the court, how you handle yourself in certain situations. If he does put me in there, I'll be ready.''
So, Hayes first career start could come in what injured senior point guard J.P. Blevins calls the most hostile arena the Cats visit.
Florida is in a funk of its own, having lost its past two games, including an 84-79 setback to Georgia in its previous home game. But a sellout crowd of 12,000-plus is expected, and UK has lost three games in a row at the O'Connell Center.
''It's the hardest place to play all season,'' said Blevins, who is expected to return from a broken wrist for Saturday's home game against South Carolina. ''. . . You've got a great team on top of noise, and it's by far the loudest place we'll play. You can't hear anything.''
UK lost last season at Florida in the final game of the regular season but still claimed a share of the Eastern Division title with the Gators. The Cats were 4-2 in the league at this point last season, then won 8 of 10.
''Keith was playing well, and Tayshaun was playing unbelievably well,'' Smith said, explaining last year's surge. ''That was one of the things that really helped a lot. He (Prince) was playing with a lot more confidence, and they weren't really marked men at that point in time.''
With opposing teams ganging up to stop Bogans and Prince, Smith appears ready to make some changes. Fitch said if Smith is trying to send a message, it worked -- at least during Sunday's practice.
''I think Keith had the best practice I've ever seen him have since I've been at this school,'' Fitch said. ''. . . He went back to the old Keith.''
Carruth, meanwhile, said the new starting unit wasn't bad in practice, either.
''We looked pretty good,'' he said, smiling.
Maybe this will help.
its about time tubby changed something. hayes, estil and daniels
have really played good ball lately, the one bright spot.
good to we got good freshmen coming up.
prince however needs to make his shot happen he too good
and not playing up to it.
as for the game - just dont see losing 4 conference games this early, and for that dont see florida losing 3.
this game will be tight. tough defense.
would have to take the points.
total opened 157-158 - UNDER
all this said UK has been a nightmare for me this year.
not only have a lost money on them, i bleed blue and they suck right know. will not wager on or against until they show.
have really played good ball lately, the one bright spot.
good to we got good freshmen coming up.
prince however needs to make his shot happen he too good
and not playing up to it.
as for the game - just dont see losing 4 conference games this early, and for that dont see florida losing 3.
this game will be tight. tough defense.
would have to take the points.
total opened 157-158 - UNDER
all this said UK has been a nightmare for me this year.
not only have a lost money on them, i bleed blue and they suck right know. will not wager on or against until they show.
