Spotlight

General News
SEC showdown pits Gators against Wildcats

Lexington, KY (Sports Network) - The third-ranked Kentucky Wildcats close out the regular season this afternoon with an SEC clash against the Florida Gators, who need a victory to help their NCAA Tournament prospects.

Losses in the last two games have dropped Florida to 20-10 overall and 9-6 in conference, and the club is considered "on the bubble" as the SEC Tournament approaches. The two losses during the current slide have come by a total of six points, including a 64-60 setback at home to Vanderbilt on Tuesday. There is no question that a win over Kentucky on the road this afternoon would do wonders for the Gators' resume'.

The Wildcats clinched at least a share of their 44th SEC title with an 80-68 victory over Georgia on Wednesday, and they earned the outright title by virtue of Vanderbilt's loss yesterday. At 28-2 overall, including 13-2 versus league foes, it seems that Kentucky is a lock to receive a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The squad has dominated the SEC Tournament over the years and will be the favorite to win that event for sure.

Kentucky beat Florida by a 77-89 final on January 12th, and the Wildcats own a commanding 87-32 series advantage over the Gators.

Florida is generating 71.7 ppg this season while allowing 64.7 ppg to opponents. There are five double-digit scorers in the fold, and Kenny Boynton leads the way with 13.5 ppg despite his 36.8 percent shooting. Erving Walker, the team's second-leading scorer, provides 12.7 ppg despite his abysmal 34.8 percent field goal efficiency. On a positive note, Walker has dished out 151 assists, more than double his turnover total, and he tops the club with 45 steals as well. Chandler Parsons (12.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg), Alex Tyus (11.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg) and Vernon Macklin (10.7 ppg) are solid contributors as well. Macklin posted 21 points and nine rebounds from his center position against Vanderbilt on Tuesday, but he was the only Gator to reach double figures in scoring. Florida shot just 36.5 percent from the field and went ice cold down the stretch.

Not only are John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins two of the best players in all of college basketball, but the freshmen may be the top two picks in the next NBA Draft if they decide to leave Kentucky after only one season. Wall is a dynamic point guard who is averaging 17.0 ppg to go along with 6.2 apg, 4.1 rpg and 54 steals. Cousins, a beast on the low block, brings 15.9 ppg and 10.1 rpg to the mix to complement his team-high 54 blocked shots. While Cousins is shooting 54.5 percent from the floor, Patrick Patterson (15.0 ppg, 10.1 rpg) is even more efficient at 58.8 percent. Rounding out a foursome of double- digit scorers is Eric Bledsoe with 10.3 ppg. The Wildcats are netting 79.9 ppg while holding opponents to 65.6 ppg on 38.2 percent shooting. Against Georgia on Wednesday, Wall scored 24 points and handed out six assists. Patterson tallied 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Darnell Dodson posted 11 points. The Wildcats shot 54.5 percent from the field in that clash and overcame a 38-28 rebounding deficit.


Albums

  • Best Names for Sports AthletesBest Names for Sports Athletes
  • Best Coaches in Sports - 2009Best Coaches in Sports - 2009
  • Sports Greatest Championship PerformancesSports Greatest Championship Performances
  • Mock Draft: 2009 NBA DraftMock Draft: 2009 NBA Draft
  • Worst Pro Sports FranchisesWorst Pro Sports Franchises
  • Ranking Americas Top Sports EventsRanking America's Top Sports Events
  • 2010 Top College Basketball Recruits2010 Top College Basketball Recruits
  • Greatest Pro Sports Franchises of All-TimeGreatest Pro Sports Franchises of All-Time
  • Top 15 Sports Movies of All-TimeTop 15 Sports Movies of All-Time
  • Top 20 Greatest College Basketball Programs of All-TimeTop 20 Greatest College Basketball Programs of All
  • Top 20 Greatest College Basketball PlayersTop 20 Greatest College Basketball Players
  • Top 15 Greatest College Basketball Teams of All-TimeTop 15 Greatest College Basketball Teams of All-Ti
  • Most Hated & Loved Current Sports AnnouncersMost Hated & Loved Current Sports Announcers
  • College Basketballs 25 Best RivalriesCollege Basketball's 25 Best Rivalries
  • Worst Hair in Sports HistoryWorst Hair in Sports History

View More Albums

Video Gallery

  • Basketball Legend LeBron JamesBasketball Legend LeBron James
  • Chris Paul LegendChris Paul Legend
  • Legend - Chris BoshLegend - Chris Bosh

View More Videos

Forums

Comments

Comment Script
Post this page to: del.icio.us Yahoo! MyWeb Digg reddit Furl Blinklist Spurl

Comments

Name
E-mail (Will not appear online)
Homepage
Title
Comment
;-) :-) :-D :-( :-o >-( B-) :oops: :-[] :-P
To prevent automated Bots form spamming, please enter the text you see in the image below in the appropriate input box. Your comment will only be submitted if the strings match. Please ensure that your browser supports and accepts cookies, or your comment cannot be verified correctly.



College News

Vols set sights on Aztecs in first-round action


Tennessee has won both prior meetings with SDSU.
font: 10px Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;} .TSN1a {font: 12px Verdana,Helvetica,Arial; font-weight: bold;} .TSN1b {color:#a50400; font: 10px Verdana,Helvetica,Arial; font-weight: bold;} .TSN1c {font: 10px Verdana,Helvetica,Arial; font-weight: bold;} .TSN1d {font: 16px Verdana,Helvetica,Arial; font-weight: bold;} .TSN2 {color:#000000; font: 10px Verdana,Helvetica,Arial; font-weight: bold; background:#CCCCCC;} .TSN2 a {color:#000000; text-decoration:none;} .TSN2 a:hover {color:#999999;} .TSN3 {color:#FFFFFF; font: 10px Verdana,Helvetica,Arial; background:#000066;} .TSN4 {color:#FFCC99; font: 11px Verdana,Helvetica,Arial; font-weight: bold; background:#000000;} .TSN5 {font: 10px Verdana,Helvetica,Arial; background:#CCCCCC;} .TSN6 {color:#FFCC99; font: 11px Verdana,Helvetica,Arial; font-weight: bold; background:#660000;} .TSN7 {color:#FFFFFF; font: 10px Verdana,Helvetica,Arial; font-weight: bold;} .TSN7 a {color:#000000; text-decoration:none;} .TSN7 a:hover {color:#999999;} .TSN8 {color:#FFFFFF; font: 10px Verdana,Helvetica,Arial; font-weight: bold; background:#CCCCCC;} .TSN8 a {color:#000000; text-decoration:none;} .TSN8 a:hover {color:#999999;} .TSN9 {color:#FFFFFF; font: 10px Verdana,Helvetica,Arial; font-weight: bold; background:#999999;} .TSN9 a {color:#000000; text-decoration:none;} .TSN9 a:hover {color:#999999;} .TSN10 {color:#FFFFFF; font: 10px Verdana,Helvetica,Arial; font-weight: bold; background:#CCCCCC;} .TSN10 a {color:#000000; text-decoration:none;} .TSN10 a:hover {color:#999999;} -->

Vols set sights on Aztecs in first-round action

Tennessee has won both prior meetings with SDSU.
Providence, RI (Sports Network) - In search of their first-ever NCAA Tournament win, the 11th-seeded San Diego State Aztecs take aim at the sixth-seeded Tennessee Volunteers in the first round at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. The survivor of this Midwest Regional pairing will tangle with either Georgetown or Ohio University in the second round on Saturday.

The Aztecs have won nine of their last 10 games and included in that run is a victory over UNLV in the Mountain West Tournament title game on Saturday. It marked the third MWC Championship for SDSU, which is making its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2006. The Aztecs however, have yet to advance past the first round, although they came close in an 87-83 loss to Indiana in their last appearance.

On the flip side, the Vols received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after they were thrashed by Kentucky, 74-45, in the semifinals of the SEC Championship on Saturday. That loss obviously hurt the team's seeding, as Tennessee is sixth despite 25 wins, including triumphs over Kansas and Kentucky, two No.1 seeds in this event. The Vols are making their 18th NCAA Tournament appearance and fifth straight. Tennessee is 13-18 all-time in the event, including a 9-7 mark in the first round. ... Continue

Headlines

Recent Articles

  • Best College Fight Song

    Cast your vote now to determine which university has the best fight song. Voting in the five round tournament runs through Thursday, September 24. Full Article

  • Gators top coaches' preseason poll

    The defending national champion Florida Gators sit atop the preseason USA Today coaches' football poll. Florida, with Tim Tebow back at quarterback, r Full Article

  • Mountain West Conference: Stars align in 20

    The MWC has improved year-by-year against BCS clubs going from 4-9 straight up three years ago to 7-11 in '07 and finally, a very impressive 10-6 mark Full Article

More Articles

 

Welcome to the New Prep Ticket

Enter your zip code to see all the great PrepTicket content in your area.

Go Now

Your Ticket to Sports Action!