Notable among those required improvements: negate physical play and learn to crush, not simply beat, opponents.
Check and check. It appears UK has shifted into fifth or sixth gear in the last five games. Its wins have come by 13, 24, 25, 34 and 20 points.

“I was happy with how we played,” Calipari said Saturday.

And it’s happened because every player has been doing their job in every game (see chart, left, for key improvements). That was another thing Calipari had been waiting to see. Two or three players would show up for games, but never five or six. Now, they’re concurrently clicking.

Pretty telling: when asked about Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Calipari not only complimented him but applauded Anthony Davis, then Marquis Teague, then Doron Lamb, then Darius Miller.

“You’re always just in a bind personnel-wise on the floor,” Florida head coach Billy Donovan said.

Donovan, and the rest of the SEC, are in a pick-your-poison mode, especially with every player consistently turning in good games.

Marquis Teague has made the most improvement. The point guard has cut down on his shots and started running the team. Calipari has again turned a talented freshman and made an effective floor general out of him.

“I feel like I’m the leader of the team,” Teague said. “I’m the point guard, I have the ball 85 percent of the time. I know I have to make the right decisions.”

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist continues to come up in big games. As Davis said, there’s just something about the freshman that makes him shine whenever the game means more. It goes beyond the numbers, too. His energy is infectious, and the rest of the team thrives off his presence on the floor.

“He reminds me of Derrick Rose,” Calipari said, “in that he’s tougher on himself than I am on him.”

And Doron Lamb has provided an element of outside shooting that takes UK’s offense to another level. Donovan said after Saturday’s game that teams, including his own, have to leave UK shooters open because they can’t afford to let Davis and Jones be left alone in the post.

“I’m shooting the ball very well,” Lamb said. “I’m getting a lot of open looks. Hopefully I can keep that up.”

So where does UK turn to next? Maybe a game that’s a little closer.

“What we need to do is have a team come out and go nutty on us,” Calipari said, “and have to respond to that and then hold on to win a tight game.”

In UK’s win over eighth-ranked Florida, the Wildcats proved why they are the number one basketball team in the country.

But, the scary thing is, in the 20 point victory over Florida, UK really wasn’t firing on all cylinders. UK didn’t play bad by any means, but just imagine if every player was playing his best… SCARY!

Firstly, Marquis Teague is playing better each game, earning his first double-double with 12 points and 10 assists, Teague is playing the part of a true point guard, taking shots when he needs to (and he has a good shot, so why not?), and taking care of the ball.

In only 19 minutes of play, mostly because of foul trouble in the first half, Terrence Jones pulled down 7 boards and scored 4 points. He also had one blocked shot and 2 turnovers.

Once again, Doron Lamb was on point behind the arc hitting 4-of-5. Add a couple field goals and a couple free throws, and he’s got another 18-point game.

The always consistent Anthony Davis didn’t disappoint with 4 blocks and 16 points. Those in attendance at Rupp also got a souvenir poster modeling Davis’ impressive wingspan.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was a firecracker as always, playing 39 minutes and earning his fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds.  Teague said about Kidd-Gilchist’s play, “(Kidd-Gilchrist) steps up for the big games and he gives it his all. He steps up for every game, but he is a different person when we play better teams. He just steps up to a whole different level.” Louisville ringing any bells? Can’t wait to see what Kidd-Gilchrist will come up with come tournament time.

Finally, off the bench, Darius Miller scored 9 points and had 2 assists. Miller might not be the most consistent player in the world, but he is definitely the glue of this UK team. A team player almost to a fault, Miller makes everyone else better. Swift passes, calming presence and a pretty shot make Miller a catalyst on this team. He doesn’t seem to get a lot of credit, but Miller is flat-out good. He is basically unstoppable when he drives and pulls up for a jumper. I’d like to see a lot more of that. He will be a game changer in March.

Kyle Wiltjer and Eloy Vargas also contributed some solid minutes. In Eloy’s case, only 4 minutes, but he earned a pat on the backside from Coach Cal.

Next up, College Game Day at Vanderbilt. With a loud crowd and a terribly awkward court, it is sure to be a good game.

The Kernel’s Aaron Smith looks into how the Cats continued their dominance against the Gators.

Florida head coach Billy Donovan tried to find as many ways as he could to say, essentially, “THEY ARE SO GOOD!” after his top-10 Florida team lost to a top-ranked UK team by 20 points.

Smith also talks to UK freshman Anthony Davis about his posters that greeted UK fans when they arrived in Rupp Arena.

The poster was modeled after a famous Michael Jordan version — “the greatest basketball player who’s ever played,” said Davis, a Chicago native — and touted the freshman as a national defensive player of the year candidate.

Billy Donovan considers UK to be one of the three elite teams in college basketball.

They’re the three teams considered to be the elite of college basketball. UK, Ohio State, Syracuse — in some order, those three comprise the upper tier.

Sam Rothbauer of the Kernel discusses how the Cats crush Florida 78-58

UK had no trouble guarding the three-point shot it prepared for in its 78-58 win over the University of Florida Tuesday night at Rupp Arena.

Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald-Leader highlights the UK defense and how it shut down Florida’s “prolific three-point attack.”

A contest between Kentucky’s defense and Florida’s offense Tuesday night was… no contest.

The Herald-Leader’s John Clay blogs about twenty notes from Kentucky’s 20-point win over Florida.

4. Marquis Teague had his first double-double with 12 points and a career-high 10 assists. Teague’s previous high in assists was nine against Arkansas.

Eric Crawford of the Louisville Courier-Journal wrote a column detailing the Cats ability to bat around Florida like a beach ball.

I’m pretty sure Davis could induce writer’s block if he wanted. As it is, and as you can see, he’s already altered the column. They gave away Anthony Davis posters before last night’s game. As an added bonus, he gave a couple of Florida players the chance to be in one.

ESPN’s Brian Bennett discusses the Cats ignoring chatter of having played a weak schedule heading into Tuesday’s game against Florida.

It sounds weird to suggest that the No. 1 team in the country, riding a 15-game winning streak, had something to prove.

Eric Lindsey of CoachCal.com talks about the impact of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist on a big stage such as Tuesday night’s game against Florida.

“When he gets the ball in that open court and he takes two strides, he’s about at the NBA line in two strides, laying it in through traffic, tucking the ball,” John Calipari said. “He’s pretty good.”

You see, Donovan has played three of the perceived elite teams — Ohio State, Syracuse and UK — in college basketball this year, all on the road, all losses.

He wouldn’t give a favorite out of that trio, but he also didn’t hold back from gushing over UK’s abilities.

“In terms of star power, in terms of talent, one through six or seven, Kentucky has the most of anybody,” Donovan said. “They have clearly six guys who will be first-round draft picks.”

Even more than the collection of individual talent — although there’s plenty of that — Donovan liked UK’s mentality. He called it a team’s “disposition,” something innate in a championship-caliber team.

“I don’t know how to describe it,” Donovan said. “A lot of their guys — Davis, Kidd-Gilchrist, Miller — just the way those guys carry themselves, I’m impressed with that.”

He saw pretty much all of them, at one point or another, take a chunk out of Florida’s hopes of victory.

Marquis Teague had an active day, scoring 12 points and dishing 10 assists. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist recorded a double-double, too, with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

“He steps up for every game,” Teague said of Kidd-Gilchrist, “but he is a different person when we play better teams.”

Anthony Davis, playing in front of 24,000 posters of his own face, scored 16 points.

Doron Lamb had a second red-hot shooting night, finishing with 18 points.

All players accounted for, UK played like it was in a different league for the fourth straight game.

“They murdered us,” Florida guard Bradley Beal said, according to a UK release.

UK’s been doing a lot of that lately. Opposing coaches keep going through their checklist of ideas for how to slow down UK, how to negate the variety of strengths it possesses.

None have worked so far.

Florida’s methods certainly didn’t, either. Entering the game, the Gators were supposed to have a good chance of upsetting the Cats with a barrage of 3-pointers.

That didn’t happen. UK set a goal of limiting Florida to eight 3-pointers. Do that, and they might score in the 60s, UK head coach John Calipari said, a beatable number. The Cats did better, as the Gators made a season-low six 3-pointers and shot a season-low 22.2 percent.

UK not only held them in check, but one-upped them, making 9 of 15.

Teague held back from saying UK was unbeatable when it was hitting shots. He didn’t want to go that far with it, only saying it made it “really tough.”

Lamb wasn’t as shy.

“Nah, no way,” he said of opponents’ chances if the Cats are knocking down shots. “It’s impossible.”

That’s about what people are saying when it comes to the chances of taking down UK.

Not only in the league.

In the nation, too.

“Indescribable, really,” Davis said. “I was laughing. I think ESPN was holding a camera on Marquis (Teague) and Doron (Lamb) sitting down, and Marquis was holding the poster and the camera was on it.”

The poster was modeled after a famous Michael Jordan version — “the greatest basketball player who’s ever played,” said Davis, a Chicago native — and touted the freshman as a national defensive player of the year candidate.

But Davis said he wasn’t looking as sharp as he wanted.

“They threw it on me. I was going to get a hair cut, and they said, come to the gym, you got a photo shoot,” Davis said. “I was like, ‘what?’”

Still, Davis (and pretty much every UK fan) liked the finished product. Rupp Arena workers started laying the posters on seats at 8 a.m., according to the Courier-Journal’s Kyle Tucker, and it seemed well worth it.

Even if he hadn’t gotten one for himself by the time he came out for post-game interviews after the game.

“Zero,” Davis said of how many he had scored. “But I guarantee they have some for me.”

UPDATE: I’ve received a ton of inquiries about whether they’re available for purchase. I talked to UK Athletics Tuesday afternoon, and they said they are not.

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“That’s not the way we play,” Florida guard Bradley Beal said. “We played terrible. They murdered us.”

The Gators came out storming with six points in the first four minutes before a mid-range jumper fell for sophomore forward Doron Lamb. That six-point lead was the largest lead the Gators would have all game.

A Florida turnover led to a fast-break layup by freshman point guard Marquis Teague, creating momentum to bring the Cats into the game, trailing 6-4 with 15:05 left to play in the half.

But the game was still slow to start, with several early foul calls and turnovers by both teams.

“We started off really slow,” freshman forward Anthony Davis said, “but we always knew we were in it.”

Florida had five turnovers and UK had four, all in the first seven minutes of the game.

Freshman forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was the spark for the Cats, scoring 10 points in the first half and snagging nine rebounds. Kidd-Gilchrist earned his fifth career double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

“He steps up for every game, but he is a different person when we play better teams,” Teague said. “He just steps up to a whole different level.”

UK went to the locker room with its largest lead of the half, leading 38-26.

While the three-point baskets were anticipated from UF coming into the game, the Cats out-scored the Gators behind the arc, shooting 50 percent in the first half while the Gators shot 22.2 percent.

“They know that we are a three-point shooting team and they took our best strength away from us,” Beal said. “We have to find other ways to be able to put the ball in the basket and we didn’t do that.”

Teague recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists, and Calipari said he continues to improve.

“He had one play where he broke down, kind of stopped on a play, they had a three in the corner right in front of our bench,” Calipari said. “Short of that, he’s terrific. You can’t dribble around him.”

Coming into the second half, the Cats splashed back-to-back threes while on the other end Davis blocked back-to-back shots. UK expanded the lead 44-30 to start the half.

“(Teague) got (Lamb) those shots,” Calipari said. “That gave us some breathing room, up 12.”

UK continued to penetrate and take the game away from Florida and finished shooting 52.7 percent from the field and 60 percent from long-range, all while holding the Gators to six threes.

“The main focus is to keep winning games,” Lamb said. “The more you win, the better it is.”

Florida coach Billy Donovan is in a unique position to compare the trio. He’s played all three, all on the road, all losses.

He didn’t rank them in order — if I had to take a guess at reading his mind, I think he thinks UK and Syracuse are right there with each other — but he had plenty of good things to say about each.

• Ohio State, he said, doesn’t have the length of UK or Syracuse. But their “three-headed monster” of Jared Sullinger, Aaron Craft and William Buford is as good as it gets, Donovan said.
• Syracuse has “every bit as much length and more depth (than UK), so they’re an interesting team.” He also said the Orange’s trademark 2-3 zone would be a “unique” look for UK.
• As for UK, well — “in terms of star power, in terms of talent, one through six or seven, Kentucky has the most of anybody,” Donovan said, who later added that the Cats have six first-round picks.
• So Donovan likes each of the teams, and he said a matchup of any combination of the three would make for a riveting championship game. “I don’t know who exactly would be better,” Donovan said. “The tournament’s a one-shot deal. Anything can happen on one game. But clearly, if UK went all the way, it wouldn’t be surprising.”

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Sandy Bell, Marc Hill and DeWayne Peevy have been promoted to executive directors of athletics for student services, internal operations and external operations, respectively.

The move will fill the roles left by the departure of Rob Mullens and Mark Coyle, who took athletic director positions at Oregon and Boise State, respectively. It will also fill the void left by former Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Internal Operations Lisa Patterson, who went to Oregon as well to take a position as senior associate director of athletics.

“We have structurally changed our senior leadership position based on the assembled group of talent we currently have on our staff,” Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart said. “Some have been awarded special recognition for their work. I want to reward those who have laid the foundation for our success.”

1. John Calipari says defense is the most crucial characteristic of championship teams. UK has it, and it was on full display against Florida, the SEC’s best offensive team. Here’s how the Gators performed compared to their season averages:

• Scored 58 points (averaged 80.1 per game).
• Shot 34.9 percent (averaged 47.2 percent).
• Made six 3-pointers (averaged a nation-leading 10.5 per game), and that was only after some makes late in the second half. The Gators started 2-for-15 from behind the arc.
• Shot 22.2 percent on 3-pointers (averaged 40.2 percent). Its previous low was 25 percent, and it had only made less than 30 percent in a game twice.

Yes, Florida missed some open looks. But UK played its customarily tremendous defense, especially in the stretch from the middle of the first half to the middle of the second half when it took an even ballgame and stretched out a 20-point lead.

2. Which team was supposed to be the one pouring in threes? All the talk leading up to the game centered on how Florida could pull off the upset under a barrage of treys, but it was the Wildcats who hit their open looks. UK shot 60 percent on 3-pointers, and Doron Lamb had his second hot-shooting game in a row, making 4 of 5.

3. This game again showed how balanced UK is. In the first half, Anthony Davis and Terrence Jones had a combined eight points and five rebounds — and UK led a top-10 Florida team by 12 at halftime. The Cats looked shaken in the opening minutes, almost as if it had forgotten what a good SEC team that had comparable skill looked like. But, quickly enough, UK showed that the upper tier of the SEC provided as much of a challenge as the bottom rung of the league has over the first 10 games.

Not much at all.

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David Schuh: UK 77, UF 68

Florida is a very good team. They have a big frontcourt, quick guards, and athleticism across the board. They shoot just over 26 three-pointers per game, and will likely increase that total tonight. However, this game is in Rupp Arena and these Cats are in dominant form. A tight game for the first 30 minutes, the UK defense will be the difference down the stretch.

Cody Porter: UK 74, UF 69

Florida is bringing something to Rupp Arena that the Cats have yet to witness in more than opposing player – talent! The verdict on how good the UK defense is will be handed down when they have to match up against the numerous skilled guards that the Gators have. Freshman guard Bradley Beal and sophomore forward Patric Young should make the biggest impact and will determine how close the game can be.

Les Johns: UK 69, UF 66

This is one of the many dangerous matchups for the Cats in the stretch run of the SEC schedule. Stopping the 3-point shot will be crucial for the Cats. If the Gators are cold from long-distance, the Cats will win by a large margin. If the Gators hit more than 10 3-pointers, the Cats will likely take their first conference loss.

• NBA veterans Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups gave John Wall some advice as he tries to lead a struggling team.

• Rajon Rondo’s return from a wrist injury has sparked the Celtics to back-to-back wins.

• Patrick Patterson had 12 points and 7 rebounds in only 23 minutes in Houston’s win over Phoenix on Friday night.

• The Bleacher Report argues that Jodie Meeks should start over former National Player of the Year, Evan Turner.

• The night after posting career highs with 26 points and 7 assists, Pistons guard Brandon Knight broke his nose Saturday against New Orleans. He has been fitted for a mask and won’t miss any game time.

• Demarcus Cousins has been on a tear of late, highlighted by a 28 point, 19 rebound performance Monday night against New Orleans.

“Now, you just know that they’re going to take 30,” Calipari said.

Maybe not 30. Florida averages 26 threes per game and has eclipsed 30 four times, none since Dec. 17. But they’re going to be in that range. They’ve attempted at least 21 threes in every game and made less than 25 percent of them only twice.

Let’s take a look at a play they ran against Vanderbilt, a game in which they made 11 of 24 on the way to a 73-65 win.

Florida’s Ervin Walker handles the ball on the perimeter. To begin the play, the Gators have four players outside the arc. That’s not atypical for the guard-oriented team.

Walker receives two screens on the perimeter, which makes switching through the screens difficult.

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Walker loops around his teammates, and you can already see Vanderbilt’s three defenders getting out of position. The Commodore in the middle is starting to switch all the way over on Walker, but so is the closest defender.

“Their 3-point shooting comes as a result of the things they do before that,” Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said. “They get you into a scrambling rotation.”

With two Vandy defenders trailing Walker, Florida’s Erik Murphy (top left player) has popped open. He’s a 6-foot-11 forward, but he’s not afraid to step outside. He’s attempted 24 threes on the year and has made 75 percent of them.

“With Murphy now, they spread the floor out,” Calipari said. “A year ago, you could predict the 4 or 5 would be close to the rim and you could guard the post. With Murphy able to shoot the 3 that way, it makes it even harder to guard.”

This is one of those times. Walker comes to an abrupt stop, pivots and fires a pass to Murphy, who is waiting behind the arc. He’s got plenty of space.

“I don’t think you can be totally one-dimensional,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said. “But when we’re open, I want guys shooting it.”

Nobody’s afraid to shoot it on Florida’s team, which has attempted 599 threes on the year in 23 games.

aMurphy rises and buries the three, one of 11 Florida made in beating Vanderbilt.

Calipari said it’s impossible to completely stop the three — Florida will take its shots no matter what — but the key is to heavily contest 3-point attempts.

“Look, you cannot stop a team from shooting threes,” Calipari said. “They’re going to get them. You just want to make sure they’re guarded.”

UK has been able to do just that this year, holding opponents to 31.6 percent 3-point shooting. Only four teams have made more than 40 percent of their 3-pointers in a game.

Florida could do that. If it does, Calipari said, UK just has to move on to the next game.

And shore up its 3-point defense.

“”(If) we come out and we don’t do a good job of guarding the three and they beat us,” Calipari said, “we’re like, ‘OK. Well, there’s an area that we could get beat by in the tournament.’”

And then maybe it wouldn’t happen when that time came around.

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Photo by Quianna Lige | Staff

Florida guard Bradley Beal said over the weekend that he and his team wouldn’t be intimidated coming into Rupp Arena, wouldn’t be daunted by facing No. 1 UK.

“We have the swag where we’re going to compete hard and try to get the win,” Beal said, according to The Gainesville Sun. “We’re not going in there with any doubts just because they are Kentucky.”

But UK’s got swag to match.

“Confidence in your own style of play,” Terrence Jones said when defining it for a group of reporters who may or may not have actually known what the word means. “I think we have a lot of it, too.”

UK will need plenty as it embarks on the portion of the SEC schedule that actually poses a challenge.
The opening SEC slate featured nine games against seven opponents. Those teams are a combined 19-38 in conference play.

The upcoming slate features seven games against five opponents. Those teams are a combined 22-18. Take away Georgia, and that record moves to 21-11.

So yeah, it’s about to get tougher.

It’s also a chance for UK to prove its recent dominance has been more a product of its own play and not its opponents’ vast inferiority. The Cats are No. 1 for a reason, to be sure. It can solidify that thinking over this next stretch.

To do so, UK will have to find a balance in its mentality. Calipari said he would talk to his team about staying humble through its achievements.

“There’s an easy transition from a swagger to arrogance,” Calipari said, “and that’s where you get beat.”

This statement led to the questions about swag. Of all the intangibles that could be talked about with this game — leadership, heart, even Calipari’s favorite will to win — it’s a word that also doubles as a description for clothes.
I sometimes wonder what players like Jones really think as they have to stand against a wall and talk about the merits of such things.

Regardless, Calipari wants his team to have swagger, but not too much. It’s the old confident-not-cocky mantra of finding that fine line between two inexact characteristics.

To do so, UK needs to remember what got it to where it is now — a 23-1 record , a No. 1 ranking — and what started the designations as best team in the country.

Which also becomes one of the things we talk about when a team has so much going for it. After beating its last three opponents by a combined 83 points, have the Cats peaked too early? It is, after all, early February.

Calipari said he believes in the theory that a team can peak too soon.

“I’ve seen teams come out of the gate and I’m like, ‘There’s no way they can sustain this,’” Calipari said. “There’s too much road between now and the end of the season.”

UK still has plenty of road left. Seven regular-season games, then (for the situation that matters most) three SEC Tournament and six NCAA Tournament games.

But Calipari doesn’t think this team has maxed out yet. He noted defensive breakdowns against South Carolina as opportunities for improvement. And with a team full of young players, their individual talent will continue to increase over the next two months, which pushes up the ceiling for the whole team.

Another easy way to guard against UK getting complacent? That tougher upcoming schedule. The Cats can’t relax if it wants to finish out the season at optimal strength, starting with conference second-place Florida.

Note, though, that optimal strength is not defined only by wins and losses. If UK wins out and finishes the regular season on a 22-game winning streak, fine. If UK drops one or two, but keeps getting better, regains that tinge of vulnerability that drives them even further, fine.

“If they really, truly want to do something unique and special, every one of these experiences is building toward March,” Calipari said. “Everything. Our whole season is about that.”

The Gators as a whole shoot 40.2 percent from behind the arc, led by junior guard Kenny Boynton, who averages 17.6 points per game and 43.8 percent from long range.

“You just know that they’re going to take 30, however you guard it,” head coach John Calipari said. “Let’s make sure they’re guarded.”

The Gators lead the SEC with 10.5 3-point makes per game. They’ve attempted at least 20 in every game and have made less than 25 percent in only two games.

“If they make a lot of them (Calipari) said it’d be a hard game for us,” sophomore forward Terrence Jones said. “We’re just gonna have to play with our heads like we have the last couple games.”

Florida head coach Billy Donovan said the Gators would take shots when they had the chance.

“I don’t think you can be totally one-dimensional,” Donovan said. “But when we’re open, I want guys shooting it.”

UK has had success guarding the perimeter this season, holding opponents to 31.6 percent shooting on the season.

Players see the long-range game as an acceptable strategy.

“It’s an OK way to play,” Jones said. “You can live or die by it.”

Match Boynton up with sophomore Doron Lamb’s shooting game, and behind-the-arc play could take over.

Lamb shoots 47.8 percent from the perimeter and averages 13.5 points per game.

But the Cats don’t think they’ll fall into matching Florida three-for-three.

“I think Coach does a really good job of making us run our offense,” Jones said.

Calipari said this Florida team went through a similar stretch as the Cats, lacking physical play in a few games of the season.

“They went through that stretch (when) they weren’t physical enough and (Donovan) had those killer practices,” Calipari said, “and now all of the sudden it’s changed the dynamic of their team.”

In the bulk of their schedule, the Cats aren’t shying away from tough SEC teams as conference play comes to a close and the rest of their season gets more competitive.

“We feel every team we play is real good, which makes us step it up,” Jones said. “I think that’s what we’re gonna have to depend on this next game.”

photo via @ukcoachcalipari

Posters of Anthony Davis will be placed on every seat in Rupp Arena before Tuesday’s game against Florida, head coach John Calipari tweeted Monday.

The posters bill Davis as a “national defensive player of the year candidate” and feature the 6-10 forward with his long arms outstretched.

Personally, I think the posters look very sharp. They could also dream a bit bigger if they want, as Davis is vaulting himself into the player of the year — not just defensive — discussion.

UPDATE: As TCP’s Matt May pointed out, this poster closely resembles Michael Jordan’s “Wings” poster.

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• Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist were named to a midseason 20-player watch list for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, given to the national player of the year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Davis is averaging 13.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Kidd-Gilchrist is averaging 12.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
• Davis was named SEC Player of the Week after two dominating performances against Tennessee and South Carolina. He averaged 20 points, 8 rebounds, 7.5 blocks and two assists, and made 15 of 17 shots  (88.2 percent) in the two games.
• John Calipari said Davis and Kidd-Gilchrist are “finally getting their dues.” He said that their numbers may not be as staggering as other players’ around the country because of how much UK shares the ball, but that shouldn’t impact how his players are perceived. “These kids deserve the accolades.”
• Davis is now leading the SEC in field-goal percentage, making 66.3 percent of his shots. That’s good for third in the country, and if he maintained that rate, it would break Michael Bradley’s school record of 65.7 percent, set in the 1998-99 season.
• UK remained No. 1 in the nation in both polls. The Cats received all 31 first-place votes in the coaches poll and 63 of 65 first-place votes in the AP poll.
• On the SEC teleconference, John Calipari said he would talk to his team about staying humble through their success. “There’s an easy transition from a swagger to arrogance, and that’s where you get beat,” Calipari said.

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A well-executed fast break ended with a made layup, as the crowd cheered from the steel bleachers.  Justin Harris watched this game from the sideline, as he anxiously waited for his team’s turn to take the court. The gymnasium was full of excitement Saturday, as the wheelchair basketball tournament was narrowed down for Sunday’s championship games.

Harris is a shooting guard for his team called Hill on Wheels.  He never really envisioned being here today, based on the tough start to his life.  Harris was born with Spina Bifida, which is a developmental spine disorder that affects the use of his legs.  He has operated out of a wheelchair his entire life, but was still able to play basketball in his hometown of Louisville.  One day, Harris was given a random opportunity to jump-start a new adventure.

“I was scrimmaging and playing pick-up basketball, when a guy came out and said they were starting up a team in Lexington,” said Harris.  “I was young at the time, and I was kind of nervous about it.  But, I told myself I might as well give it a shot.”

Nine years later, Harris is still part of the squad and continues to represent Hill on Wheels.  His team is sponsored by Lexington’s Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Center, as they join 33 other teams from the National Wheelchair Basketball Association  in the annual Bluegrass Invitational Tournament. This wheelchair basketball event is held each year at the Seaton Center on UK’s campus.  It is organized by the Lexington Division of Parks and Recreation, and the University of Kentucky Campus Recreation Department.

Teams from the Championship Division and Division III of the NWBA are in attendance, competing for separate titles.  Tournament Director Evelyn Bologna has been in charge 14 years, and takes great pride in putting this talent on display.

“I enjoy seeing the progression of the sport,” said Bologna.  “It’s amazing to see the athleticism of the players.”

The rules for wheelchair basketball are similar to those at the NCAA level, but with a few minor modifications.  The court dimensions and goal heights are the same, but there is no double dribble violation.  A player can only take two pushes of his/her chair before they pass, shoot, or dribble.  A shot clock is also used to ensure a quality pace to the game.

The enthusiasm for being involved with this sport is evident throughout the gymnasium.   It is not difficult to find someone who embraces their role in wheelchair basketball.  Keith Wallace is the head coach for the Chicago Fire, which took home the Division III championship last year.  Wallace majored in therapeutic recreation while at college.  After graduation he found work with the Special Olympics, and soon realized that his future would involve helping people with physical disabilities.

“I found that this was my passion and I enjoyed doing it,” said Wallace.  “I then dedicated my life to it.”

Lucky for you, neither does the Blue Nation Blog. During the next few months of the NFL offseason, we at the BNB will take a look into free agency, the draft in April and begin projecting how we expect the 2012 season to unfold.

So without further adieu, here are Ethan Levine’s power rankings on day one of the offseason. The following are my short list of team’s that I think have the best chance hoisting the  Lombardi Trophy next year.

1. Green Bay Packers- Despite the playoff flop at home against the Giants, I still believe the Packers are the most talented team in football. Aaron Rodgers has proven to be the premiere quarterback of the league, perhaps only equaled by Drew Brees and Tom Brady. And a great quarterback goes a long way in this league. If the Packers can strengthen their defense and Aaron Rodgers continues to improve in this offseason, the Pack have the weapons to be the favorites once again in 2012.
2. San Francisco 49ers- I am a major buyer in what head coach John Harbaugh and his 49ers are selling. This team completely shuts down the run (went 12 consecutive games in 2011 without allowing a rushing touchdown) and forces a lot of turnovers. Likewise, former No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith (side note: Smith was drafted first in 2005, the same year Green Bay selected Aaron Rodgers at No. 24 overall) lets his running game do the work and manages the game without giving away the ball. All the forced turnovers without giving them back makes for a lot of wins, and with playmakers like running back Frank Gore and tight end Vernon Davis, the 49ers may be one play-making receiver away from winning a title.
3. New York Giants- The Giants 2011 championship was eerily similar to their 2007 title. Having to defeats the Dallas Cowboys on the last day of the season to even make the playoffs at 9-7, the Giants once again hit their stride late and took the NFC by storm. The Giants became the first ever team to win a Super Bowl with seven losses Sunday night, and showed exactly why they can be contenders for years to come. For one, they get great pressure on the quarterback from their front four, including sack masters Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Jason Pierre-Paul. And, lest we forget, with two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning at the helm, how deadly this offense can truly be. Manning showed Sunday night that he truly is an elite quarterback, and I think the Giants may dominate the NFC East for the next 1-2 years while the rest of the division rebuilds.
4. New England Patriots- The Patriots played a gritty game Sunday night, despite being outdone by Eli Manning’s clutch gene. This team is talented, with a three-headed monster in the backfield, two incredible tight ends, and the NFL’s leader in receptions this season at wide receiver in Wes Welker. Tom Brady is still a star in the league, and this offense will be tough to stop next season. New England’s problems lie on the defensive end of the ball. The defense was the worst in the NFL in 2011, and if the Patriots cannot revamp their defense in 2012 I am unsure of New England’s title chances at best. But, with Brady and Belichick in charge you can never count the Pats out, so I put them No. 4 on my list.
5. New Orleans Saints- Yes, that’s right. I have four NFC teams in my top five to begin the offseason, but I believe the NFC is a top-heavy conference. I struggled to decide between the Saints and the Baltimore Ravens in this spot, but I chose to give the nod to the Saints because of their record-setting quarterback, Drew Brees. Brees is an elite quarterback in this league and has complete command of the Saints offense. Like the Patriots, it’s the Saints defense that will have to improve back to the level they played at in their 2009 championship season, if the Saints are to stand a chance. Baltimore does play great defense, but cannot consistently receive support from the Ravens’ offense. Although Joe Flacco played well against New England in the AFC championship game, against heavy criticism, I’d rather give this spot to Brees, a rare and special signal caller, than to a game manager in Flacco.

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That’s because those were the last two opponents he’s seen, which came in the span of two days over the weekend. The Gamecocks lost to Florida by eight on Thursday and lost to UK by 34 on Saturday.

So how does he see the two teams stack up?

He pointed out strengths on different sides of the ball.

“Florida is very good, extremely talented on the offensive end,” Horn said. “Very hard to guard because of their ability to pass and shoot. … Kentucky is extremely talented, dynamic on the defensive end because of their length and athleticism.”

Horn said both teams have made noticeable strides since conference play began. He pointed out Florida’s Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton as have dramatically improved their decision-making with the ball, and said UK was a much better team overall than the one it played to open the SEC slate (a 15-point UK win at home).

“Because they’re a young team, they’ll continue to get better,” Horn said.

Tuesday’s matchup will pit the top two teams in the SEC. UK is 9-0 in conference play and Florida is 7-1.

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The Cats forced 24 turnovers and had 30 more field-goal attempts than the Tigers, but were outscored by 20 points at the free-throw line.

LSU held the Cats to their lowest point total of the season in the loss.

Junior guard A’dia Mathis led the Cats’ efforts with 12 points and five assists.

The Cats remain in sole possession of first-place in the SEC with a 10-1 record, with a game at second-place Tennessee (8-2 SEC) looming next Monday.

TopDrawerSoccer.com has ranked UK’s class sixth while AllWhiteKit.com has named the recruiting class one of the top five in the nation.

Kentucky – Volume does not equal quality but the Wildcats are bringing in some very strong prospects among their long list of commitments. Sockers trio Kylie Morgan, Kelli Hubly and Courtney Raetzman are among the best.

“It’s been a long time coming waiting for this class to come on campus,” Lipsitz said of his highly ranked class. “It’s a class that obviously on paper looks like they will have a huge impact on the future of this program. We also know that is only on paper and what really matters is what happens when they all get here. I am very confident in the impact they will have on and off the field.”

“Do you care about that?” Calipari asked, turning to Davis.

Davis shook his head no. Calipari cut in.

“Yes he does.”

That’s probably more accurate. Davis said his dad usually kids him whenever he falls just short, as he did against South Carolina with 22 points, eight rebounds and eight blocks.

“Unfortunately I didn’t get it,” Davis said, “but there’s always another game.”

It looked, for a while, like this would be the game. Davis was on pace at halftime, with 18 points, six rebounds and five blocks.

He kept up the pace, and late in the second half, Davis was sitting two rebounds and two blocks away from achievement. He was also on the bench. Calipari and his staff went back and forth on whether Davis should go back in, be given a few minutes to see if he could get closer.

The staff ultimately won out. Davis checked back in, a move Calipari later called “unfortunate.” He didn’t get any more blocks or rebounds, but did flip over a South Carolina player going for one.

Immediately, Calipari turned around to his staff and mouthed, “that’s why we don’t do that.”

Davis may not have reached the triple-double, but the night was still full of accomplishments. He broke Shaquille O’Neal’s SEC freshman blocks record of 115, a record that took Shaq 32 games to get.

His 22-point, eight-rebound, eight-block performance led South Carolina head coach Darrin Horn to call him “arguably the best player in the nation.”

The other coach involved in that game wasn’t arguing with him.

“I would say he’s playing that way,” Calipari said.

Davis might be. He’s at the top of the player of the year ballot for ESPN’s Jason King. He was No. 3 last week in the CBS player of the week poll.

Keep turning in games like the one Saturday, and he might climb even higher.

All the way to the top, even.

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I didn’t want to write about how amazingly awesome UK was, how they’re the clear No. 1 team in America. I wanted to wait to see how UK handles its upcoming seven-game stretch that includes all the top teams in the SEC.

But after that game against South Carolina, how could I write anything different?

“Yes,” head coach John Calipari responded, point blank and without hesitation, when asked if this was UK’s best game.

It absolutely was. UK more than doubled up on South Carolina by halftime, leading 52-25. With nine minutes left in an SEC road game, UK had one starter on the floor.

The Cats finished with a 34-point win, which followed a 24-point win on the road (LSU) and a 25-point win at home (Tennessee).

“We played well at LSU, but not like this,” Calipari said. “This was the best we’ve played.”

I know, it’s not the SEC elite UK is thrashing. But it’s still the SEC, and those are rather large numbers.

And it was the rather large numbers posted by Anthony Davis (22 points on 9-for-10 shooting, eight rebounds, eight blocks) and Terrence Jones (16 points on 5-for-10 shooting, six rebounds, one block) propelled the victory.

With a frontcourt of that caliber playing at a level of that magnitude, UK takes on another dimension. South Carolina was undersized, but it was more than the stats that left an impression. It was the way the pair played, viciously attacking the basket (on offense) and opponent’s shots (on defense).

As separate entities, Davis and Jones make for one of the most imposing post combinations. One or the other will inevitably go off, and not many teams have an answer for either.

But when they play well collectively, it’s an even more dire situation for opponents. If few teams have an answer for either, almost zero teams have an answer for both.

The pair had each scored 15 or more points in the same game only twice before, against St. John’s and Arkansas-Little Rock.

Against South Carolina, they combined for 38 points, 14 rebounds and nine blocks.

When both imposed their will on this game, it gave UK a look of being close to unbeatable.

“It’s simple,” South Carolina head coach Darrin Horn said. “They looked like the No. 1 team in the country.”

And if they looked like they were the No. 1 team in the country, that means they could have beaten anyone ranked No. 2 or below. Being dominated was not exclusive to South Carolina.

“It didn’t matter who we played,” Calipari said. “Someone was getting beat by 30 today. Just because of how good we played.”

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UK pounced on South Carolina from tip-off to the final buzzer for a 86-52 victory at Colonial Life Arena Saturday night.

But to UK head coach John Calipari and his Cats, the game felt like it was played at Rupp Arena.

“It felt like a home game,” freshman forward Anthony Davis said, “so much blue in the crowd.”

Even before tip-off, “Go Big Blue” chants erupted throughout Colonial Life Arena and a sea of blue flowed into the vacant seats.

“I’m not used to seeing that,” sophomore forward Terrence Jones said. “That was crazy (Saturday).”

UK scored early and often throughout the half, depriving the Gamecocks of any opportunity to close the lead. The Cats led by as manyas 21 after 15 minutes of play.

“We played well at LSU, but not like this,” Calipari said. “This is the best we’ve played.”

The Cats took an early lead with two made free throws by sophomore guard Doron Lamb followed by a steal and dunk by Jones.

“They played outstanding,” USC head coach Darrin Horn said. “They looked like the No. 1 team in the country.”

Lamb tallied his first eight points in less than three minutes of play and finished the game in double figures, along with Jones, Davis and freshman forward Kyle Wiltjer, with 18 points and four rebounds.

“From Kyle (Wiltjer) to Eloy (Vargas), to the other six, every guy played pretty well,” Calipari said.

UK stripped the ball from South Carolina throughout the first half and freshman forward Anthony Davis recorded six blocks in the first 20 minutes. Davis surpassed Shaquille O’Neal to own the SEC freshmen single-season blocks record with 116 blocks.

With just under 14 minutes to play in the first half, two consecutive alley oops by Davis created momentum for the Cats as they led 21-10 with 13:41 to play.

UK continued to hammer South Carolina tossing lobs to Davis and Jones, who both scored in double figures before heading to the locker room for halftime.

“I just think everybody began the game with a lot of energy,” Jones said. “And it just carried over on offense from the defensive side.”

Davis ended the half with 18 points, six rebounds and five blocks while Jones tallied 16 points and three rebounds. Davis ended the game with 22 points, eight rebound and eight blocks. Jones finished with 16 points and six rebounds.

While the Gamecocks kept trying to put a run together to shorten the point margin, they trailed 52-25 at their home court. The Cats’ point margin was 27, making it their largest lead until the second half.

As the game resumed, UK went on a 7-0 run to increase its lead at 25-59 after nearly two minutes of play.

“They seem to have a much better understanding of what they’re trying to do and who can do what,” Horn said. “They move the basketball extremely well. Their execution is better.”

From then on the Cats took the game away, allowing USC five points in over eight minutes of second-half play. South Carolina went nearly five scoreless minutes before making a three-point basket which made the score 71-33 with 9:41 left in the game.

UK scored on nearly every offensive possession it had and limited USC’s possessions by maintaining strength on the boards from Gamecock missed shots.

UK snagged 41 rebounds to end the game, but its defense ultimately shut out the Gamecocks’ penetration.

“I don’t think they get near enough credit for the kind of defensive team that they are,” Horn said. “They’re extremely good on the basketball. They’re very big on the perimeter.”

But Calipari said any of the remaining SEC teams to play in the league (Florida, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Mississippi and Georgia) have a chance to beat the Cats as conference play comes to an end.

“All those teams can beat us,” Calipari said. “Every one of them.”

In Colonial Life Arena, 16,527 fans attended the game, but blue outnumbered red.

It wasn’t just visually that Cats fans dominated. It was sonically, as well. The Gamecocks received more boos than cheers when they came onto their own floor for pre-game warmups.

And when South Carolina head coach Darrin Horn appeared on the video screen to remind fans what happened UK was playing at Colonial Life Arena when it was ranked No. 1, the legion of UK supporters swelled in a “Go Big Blue!” chant that nearly drowned it out.

“This today, when I walked out, I was like what in the world?” head coach John Calipari said.

Horn said after the game that the unexpected ratio didn’t have “anything to do” with the outcome of the game. He’s spent plenty of time in Kentucky, and he knows this type of stuff is what UK fans are known to do.

That’s true. UK is known to travel well. It has fans at nearly every game, even the ones where they shouldn’t be (like at Indiana earlier this year).

But against South Carolina, even Calipari noted the ratio as being “unusual.”

“Usually it’s a third of the building (in blue),” Calipari said. “Today it was half.”

The players noticed it, too.

“I’m not used to seeing that,” Terrence Jones said. “That was crazy today.”

Said Anthony Davis, “It felt like a home game, with so much blue in the crowd.”

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11 a.m. – South Florida at #14 Georgetown College – ESPNU

You can start your day early with this Big East matchup or continue to gear up for the main events by watching College Gameday on ESPN.

Noon – #2 Syracuse at St. John’s – ESPN

Many have Syracuse pegged as a No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday.  I think they will be tested down the stretch and come out with several late-season losses. This should not be one of them.

2 p.m. – #3 Ohio State at #19 Wisconsin – ESPN

This should be a strong test for the Buckeyes and possibly the best game of the day.

4 p.m. #5 North Carolina at Maryland – ESPN

The Terrapins (13-8, 3-4) have lost four of their last five games.  I don’t expect them to give the Tar Heels much of a game.

4 p.m.  Rutgers at Louisville – SNY

This game is on SNY, which is channel 639 on Directv.  Rutgers is 12-11 overall and 4-6 in the Big East.  If you can find this game, I wouldn’t really recommend watching it, as the Cards should roll.

6 p.m. – #1 Kentucky at South Carolina – ESPN

The Cats are playing their best basketball season of the year and many are saying Gamecock coach Darrin Horn may be on the hot seat. South Carolina has just one conference win. I don’t expect them to pick up their second today. The Kentucky Kernel will have coverage of this game Saturday evening.

9 p.m. – #8 Kansas at #4 Missouri  – ESPN

What a line-up for ESPN — they have the top five teams in the nation in action, including two matchups of top-20 teams.  You won’t really need your remote control today to see a bunch of good basketball action.

If any of these match-ups get out of hand and you want to find another game to watch, a great composite college basketball television schedule put together by Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union is here:  CBB Composite TV Schedule

With the Cats win  and the Tennessee Volunteers loss at home to South Carolina Thursday, the Cats moved to a 2-game lead (in the loss column) in the race for the SEC regular-season championship.

The Tigers (14-8, 4-5 SEC) have lost four of their last five contests.

UK head coach Matthew Mitchell met with the media Friday to talk about recent developments in the SEC and the Cats impending trip to Baton Rouge.

• Mitchell believes the team will stay focused on preparing for LSU, despite the UT loss and what it means in reference to the regular-season SEC title.  “The kids are certainly aware of what happened last night, but I feel good about them staying focused on what they need to do,” said Mitchell.  “It really is not relevant to our preparation whatsoever, until we play Tennessee again.  That would be the next time we need to think about them.”

• Mitchell does not think his team has reached their peak.  “We missed 50 shots last night.  It is very hard to think you played a complete game when you miss that many shots,” Michell said.

• Junior All-SEC guard A’dia Mathies struggled from the floor Thursday, shooting 2-for-14 from the field.  “I was really proud of A’dia Mathies last night because there were times in the game where I could tell she was frustrated.  She needs to keep shooting because that is what opens things up,” said Mitchell.   “Really happy to look at the stat sheet and see she shot 14 times.  I’m not worried that she only made two.  Those nights aren’t going to happen much.”

“We missed 50 shots last night.  It is very hard to think you played a complete game when you miss that many shots,” Michell said.

Freshman guard Bria Goss also met with a couple of reporters after Mitchell spoke Friday.

• Goss spoke at length about her friendship with men’s basketball freshman and fellow Hoosier Marquis Teague.

• Goss said you have to trust your teammates to play the style of defense the Cats play, and that trust is gained by the hours of practice together.

• She feels like the Cats have a target on their backs now and that they need to stay focused in order to continue to win and achieve their goals.

“I don’t think he’ll play this year, not at this late of date,” Calipari said. “There’s no reason to use up a year of eligibility for that. I’m just now seeing him on the treadmill. I think he’s a ways away.”

The decision has been largely expected ever since Hood’s injury in the summer. Heading into the year, however, Hood held out hope that he might be able to make a full recovery in time to get on the court for a substantial amount of time.

It doesn’t appear that will be the case for Hood, who will continue to help the team in practice and on the sidelines in whatever way he can.

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1. Dominance — UK has crushed its last two opponents, LSU and Tennessee, by a combined 50 points, giving rise to numerous articles about how the Cats are the clear-cut No. 1 team. I wouldn’t disagree with that — but I would say that it’s advisable to wait another three weeks. UK still hasn’t played Vanderbilt, at home or away; Florida, at home or away; or Mississippi State on the road. Its SEC schedule is about to ramp up, and we’ll get a better sense of how truly elite UK is at the end of that stretch.

For now, UK will play the next opponent given to it on the schedule, and that somebody is South Carolina. The Gamecocks are 1-6 in SEC play but seemingly on the upswing. They beat Alabama at home, lost to Ole Miss by four on the road and lost to Florida by eight on the road. Still, UK has mismatches across the board — including on the boards.

South Carolina’s leading rebounder averages 5.3 per game, a number that three Cats top. The Gamecocks are the SEC’s worst defensive rebounding team and UK is the SEC’s best offensive rebounding team. The Cats should be able to exploit their size advantage and dominate the inside.

Right now, UK is moving at the right pace.

“Probably about where they should be. I’m not going to tell you we’re behind, but I’m certainly not going to tell you we’re ahead,” coach John Calipari said in assessing how his team is progressing. “It’s February, and we’re playing like a February team.”

If UK can turn in another imposing performance on the road, they will be rolling as they head into a significant three weeks.

And look more like a March team on the way.

2. Shooting — USC allows opponents to make 44.5 percent of its field goal attempts, the worst rate in the SEC. UK makes 48.5 percent of its shots, the best rate in the SEC. The Gamecocks are especially porous when defending the 3-point line, as opponents make 39.1 percent of their shots from behind the arc. For UK’s top perimeter threats, Doron Lamb and Darius Miller, this could be a game to bounce back from a tough shooting night against Tennessee, when they combined to shoot 1-7 on threes.

3. Teague’s improvement — It doesn’t seem that long ago when nearly everyone had some degree of criticism for Marquis Teague, but Teague’s recent production has been more than solid, as shown by comparing his first eight SEC games to John Wall’s and Brandon Knight’s:

Teague: Averaging 4.13 assists and 2.38 turnovers in his first eight SEC games.

Wall: Averaging 5.88 assists and 3.88 turnovers in his first eight SEC games.

Knight: Averaging 3.5 assists and 3.25 turnovers in his first eight SEC games.

Granted, Teague doesn’t have to score nearly as often as the other two — his 8.75 points per game average in the same span pale compared to Wall’s 15 and Knight’s 16.1 — but that just allows him to focus on running an offense.

Teague will need to continue his solid play as UK makes its way into the SEC homestretch. Another good game on the road against South Carolina will be a good step.

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Freshman guard Bria Goss shoots the ball during the first half of UK Hoops vs. Ole Miss at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky., on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012. Photo by Tessa Lighty | Staff

When 18 seconds remained, the UK Hoops team held an 82-41 advantage over the Ole Miss Rebels.

As the teams huddled for a final timeout, it was announced that the Tennessee Lady Vols had  lost to the South Carolina Gamecocks 64-60, meaning that the Cats would hold a two-game advantage in the SEC standings, moving them one step closer to their goal of a conference title.

The 7,429 UK fans in attendance exploded in cheers, but the team huddled around UK head coach Matthew Mitchell seemed oblivious, despite obviously hearing the announcement and the crowd eruption.

Up 41 points with 18 seconds to go, the team stayed focused on coach Mitchell.

The UK Hoops team continued their mission toward an SEC regular-season title by forcing 36 Ole Miss turnovers in an 82-41 victory at Memorial Coliseum Thursday night.

“We have goals and we have standards, and we are here to show everyone what we can really do,” sophomore guard Bria Goss said. “We want to take advantage of this opportunity we have.”

The stats from the game are overwhelming. The Cats forced the most turnovers in an SEC game this season with 36, leading to 39 points off turnovers.

“Kentucky is a very good basketball team,” Ole Miss head coach Renee Ladner said. “Their team is on a mission. They’re definitely the hardest team to play against because of their relentless pressure and their ability to sub so deep. They wear you down.”

The Cats missed more shots than Ole Miss attempted by having more than 26 turnovers and winning the rebounding battle 45-38.

“We had tremendous energy and commitment from the players,” Mitchell said. “They just stayed after it and kept hustling. Even when we were struggling scoring, I was not upset. They hustled from the opening buzzer to the final one. It was a product of their attitude and commitment in this particular game and it was impressive.”

The Cats were led in scoring by Goss, who scored 19 points, hitting 5-11 from the field and 8-10 from the free throw line.

Three others scored in double-figures for the Cats — sophomore guard Kastine Evans with 12, and sophomore forward Samarie Walker and junior guard A’dia Mathies both with 11.

The Cats take their 10-0 SEC record on the road to play LSU in Baton Rouge Sunday afternoon.

“We’re aren’t overlooking anyone. Anybody can be beat,” Walker said. “We are focusing on winning a championship. That is our ultimate goal.”