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1999 The Year of the Cat
STAFF WRITER No one said defending the national championship was easy.  UK's 1996-'97 men's basketball team, which lost to Arizona in the championship game in Indianapolis, can tell you that. And things won't be any easier for this year's squad. Final Four Most Valuable Player Jeff Sheppard gone. NBA Draft pick Nazr Mohammed gone. Utility man Allen Edwards and dead-eye sixth man Cameron Mills gone. "Obviously, we lost a lot last year," head coach Tubby Smith said. "Those guys were part of one of the winningest eras in Kentucky basketball history. It's going to be tough to replace those guys." Nine returning starters and an impressive freshmen class have just that task, a task that this year's team has done nicely, despite the departures, Smith said. "Last year we came in with a new staff and a new philosophy," he said. "We were trying to teach old players new tricks. Now the guys know what drills to run, they know what's expected of them and they get the job done." If one man's words aren't enough convincing, the Cats will have the chance to prove themselves against one of the toughest schedules facing them in recent memory. November starts off in typical slow fashion (Eastern Kentucky, Mercer and Wright State) until the Cats have the chance to play Xavier and either Maryland or UCLA in the Puerto Rico Shootout. Then there's December, which includes the traditional Louisville and Indiana matches, as well as road games against new-comers Kansas and Duke. Maryland comes to town Dec. 12 for possibly their second square off in less than a month. "We know we're a target for other teams," forward Heshimu Evans said. "When you win the national championship, it's only right that teams are going to want to beat you." Oh, and UK will continue to compete in the Southeastern Conference, which posted a 7-4 record in last year's NCAA Tournament. In fact, in the past five years the SEC has compiled the most wins (49) and the highest winning percentage (.710) in the tournament of any other conference in the country. Should they find themselves in the final game, the Cats have the chance to win their third title in four years and be the first team to repeat as champions since Duke in '91 and '92 . Senior forward Scott Padgett thinks one aspect improves their chances. "I feel like we'll be a better defensive team this year than last," he said. "The sky is the limit for us." [ KENTUCKY KERNEL ] Comments or questions about KyKernel.com: andreas@gson.com ©1998 Kernel Press, Inc. All Rights Reserved -- Contact Information |
