xt7wst7ds41r https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7wst7ds41r/data/mets.xml Wildcat News Company 1990 Volume 15 -- Number 15 athletic publications  English Wildcat News Company Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. The Cats' Pause UKAW University of Kentucky Men's Basketball (1990-1991) University of Kansas coaches Pitino, Rick players Mashburn, Jamal University of Kentucky Football (1990) Curry, Bill statistics recruiting schedules Cats' Pause Combs, Oscar The Cats' Pause,  December 8, 1990 text The Cats' Pause,  December 8, 1990 1990 2019 true xt7wst7ds41r section xt7wst7ds41r Hello, Mr. Webber
-pages  Curry looks to '91
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VOLUME 15-NUMBER 15
The Cats' Pause
'SPOTLIGHTING UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE'
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8,1990
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IT'S NICE TO BE 3-0!
Rick Pitino's Wildcats extended their record to 3-0 with a 98-90 win over Notre Dame. Freshman Jamal Mashburn (pictured) scored 14 points in a starting role. For more Kentucky-Notre Dame game coverage, turn to
photo by Mark Zerof The Cats' Pause
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UK ATHLETIC OFFICIALS REACT:
SEC assigns divisions, adopts new football, basketball formats
Cats placed in East; UK's Newton unhappy with addition of eighth league football game
TCP staff report
At long last, the Southeastern Conference presidents came to an agreement on how to divide the new 12-team SEC for football and basketball last week, placing Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and new league member South Carolina in the Eastern Division, with Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and new member Arkansas in the Western Division.
The presidents also adopted new formats for league play in both football and basketball, adding an eighth league game in football, reducing the number of league basketball games from 18 to 16.
An SEC football playoff game will pit the two divisional winners to vie for a Sugar Bowl berth. The SEC basketball tournament will continue, with all 12 league members seeded based on the regular-season standings.
In football, teams will play eight league games per seasonannually playing the other schools in their divisions and two permanent foes from the other division. Teams will rotate home-and-home games with the remaining four schools in the other division.
Annually, Kentucky will play the other five schools in its divisionFlorida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbilt plus its two permanent opponents from the Western DivisonLSU and Mississippi State. The 'Cats will rotate home-and-home series every two years with the remaining four schoolsAlabama, Arkansas, Auburn and Ole Miss.
In basketball, teams will play 16 league
games per seasonhome-and-home series with the other five schools in their division, single games with the six schools from the other division. University of Kentucky athletics director
Athletics director CM. Newton has been critical of the eight-game football schedule.
Bill Curry says he can't control SEC scheduling, so hell approach the move postively.
Rick Pitino is glad to see the schedule reduced, but would like to play Dale Brown twice.
CM. Newton said he was pleased with the two-division setup. "We have two traditional rivals in all sports in Tennessee and Vanderbilt," Newton said. "As long as those rivalries were not disrupted I didn't really care."
Newton, however, was strongly critical of the league presidents for expanding the league football schedule to eight games, for a variety of reasons:
Overall records of SEC football teams, already hurting because of the strength of the league, will only get worse.
"I just hope the presidents who voted for an eight-game schedule are going to be willing to stand by their football coaches when they go 7-4 and 6-5," Newton said. "I really fear that's what is going to happen. I think we're going to beat each ether up pretty badly."
The extra game will make Kentucky's jobtrying to become a football "have" instead of a "have-not'that much harder.
"We were very much opposed to the eight-game schedule and remain so," Newton said. "I've not been convinced that it's the best thing for the conference. I'm sure it's not the best
\SEC DIVISIONAL FORMAT
EASTERN DIVISION
School	Permanent football opponents
Florida	Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Auburn, LSU
Georgia	Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Auburn, Ole Miss
KENTUCKY	Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, LSU, Miss. St.
South Carolina     Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Miss. St.	
Tennessee	Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Arkansas
Vanderbilt	Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Ole Miss
WESTERN DIVISION	
School	Permanent football opponents
Alabama	Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, Miss. St., Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Arkansas	Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, Miss. St., South Carolina, Tennessee
Auburn	Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, Ole Miss, Miss. St., Florida, Georgia
LSU	Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Ole Miss, Miss. St., Florida, Kentucky
Ole Miss	Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Miss. St., Georgia, Vanderbilt
Mississippi State   Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, Kentucky, South Carolina	
? NOTE: Teams listed in italics represent annual, non-divisional foes
I EXPLANATION: The SEC has adopted a new eight-game football schedule, effective for the 1992 season. Each team will play all divisional opponents, plus two opponents from the other division, each season. An eighth league opponent will be played, on a home-and-home basis, from the tour remaining non-permanent foes. For example, Kentucky will annually play the other five schools in its divisionFlorida, Georgia, South Carolina, T8nnessee and Vanderbit plus its two permanent opponents from the Western Division-LSU and Mississippi State. UK will rotate between the remaining four schoolsAlabama, Arkansas, Auburn and Ole Misson a home-and-home basis every two years.
In basketball, teams will play a 16-game schedule. Teams will play the other five schools in their division twice, schools in the other division once. For example, UK will play home-and-home series each season with Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. The 'Cats will play Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss and Mississippi State once each.
thing for Kentucky right now."
"That's not to say that we've changed our goals," he added. "Our goal is to be one of the top teams in this league."
The extra conference game means less flexibility in scheduling non-conference opponents. With eight yearly conference games and the annual Indiana game, which is contracted to run through the year 2000, UK has only two spots open each year to other non-conference foes.
"We have to play with the schedule they send us," Newton said.
Even if UK wanted to play a yearly football game with Louisville, and school officials have been slow to warm to such an idea, it no longer appears possible.
"This puts a definite damper on that," Newton said. "We. sit'here with a long-term contract with Indiana. We've got eight monster games in the league and another monster game in Indiana. We don't need another rival. You can only go to the well so many times."
Basketball was treated like a step-child in whole process.
"To be honest, basketball was not much of a consideration in this at all," Newton said. "We tried to make it a consideration."
Still, Newton said, the decision has been made. Kentucky has no other recourse than to play with the cards that have been dealt.
"I don't want to make any presidents mad," Newton said, "but I do think this is something that the presidents four and five years down the road will be faced with. And that is the protection of their coaches. I don't see parity. I see people knocking each other off and I really think the days of having three or four teams that are 8-3 and 9-2 and 11-0, they're gone. I'm not against competition, but I am against competition if we're going to make the coaches scapegoats."- 
Speaking of coaches, Bill Curry and Rick Pitino were less vocal in their comments.
Curry said he thought the idea of divisional play was good. "I've said all along that it's impossible to gauge the long-term effect of expansion," he said. "But I think the divisional setup will add another dimension. It should be a lot of fun for everybody involved."
When questioned about the prospects of lacing another league opponent each year, Curry chose to go with his "stay-positive" approach. "I'd put the eighth game under the category of items that are not in my control," he said. "Since we cannot do anything about it, we'll take it as a positive and go from there."
Pitino, who has been campaigning for the league to reduce its basketball schedule to 16 or 14 games for some time, said he was pleased with all but one aspect of the move. "I'm sorry to see LSU go (from our division)." he said. "It's a natural and good rivalry for us. On the other hand, we can build a rivalry with South Carolina, which has an excellent basketball tradition." H77i& (>at&' &cui&e>
OSCAR L. COMBS
CATS' PAUSE EDITOR/PUBLISHER
Rrrrring, rrrrring! Is that you, Chris Webber?
Ring, ring, ring.
Hello, is this Chris Webber's home?
May I speak with Chris?
Hello, Chris, I understand you're going to visit the University of Kentucky campus this weekend, that you've narrowed your choices of a future college to Michigan State, Michigan, Duke and Kentucky.
You still there, Chris?
Just wondering if you caught the game on television Saturday between Kentucky and Notre Dame and what was your reaction, but first I thought you might want to know what folks are saying down in the Bluegrass State about this young bunch of Wildcats.
You see, the live television ban pro-hbiting Kentucky from the airwaves is history so folks around the nation can now see college ballPitino syle that only Kentuckians witnessed a season ago.
And despite the fact Kentucky won't be allowed to play in the NCAA tournament next March, Wildcat players have formed their own tournament. It's a rather long one. It started last week against Penn and goes for 28 games. The entire regular season, Chris.
No, Kentucky isn't loaded with the talent of say, a UNLV or an Arizona, but it does have a strong foundation for the future. As soon as Rick Pitino can land another strong, talented inside player to go with freshmen Jamal Mashburn and Gimel Martinez, and a couple other recruits, watch out. It'll be tap city for those who have enjoyed UK's three-year absence from the NCAAs.
You still there, Chris? There are a couple other things you might want to hear.
Christmas may still be three weeks away but you couldn't tell it the way Kentucky basketball fans have been rejoicing since the Wildcats have stormed out of the gate with a perfect 3-0 record, including a pair of impressive victories away from friendly Rupp Arena.
Excuse me, Chris, but I gotta tell you this one story. This fella Pitino, he loves Italian food and he's got more business deals going than Donald Trumpcar washes, restaurants, his own personalized basketball, golf clubsyou name it and he's got a piece of the action.
And you'd think that type fella would have a pretty long Christmas list, right? Wrong!
I hear his list is so short that it doesn't go any farther than one, No. 1, as in the nation's No. 1 high school basketball senior. Have any idea who that would be Chris?
No kiddin,' Chris? Really?
Well, you could make this a mighty fine Christmas for the Pitino family, not to speak of about two million or so Kentuckians at the same time. They take their basketball pretty seriously down here. It's almost like life and death.
Ole Ricko has about everything down here in the Bluegrass and he's just plain tired of most toys other men dream of. All he wants for Christmas is one big,
talented basketball player to complete the puzzle that will take UK to the promised land of the NCAA tournament in 1992. If he gets just one more great frontcourt player, you'll see Kentucky playing right up to April Fool's Day and this will be no joke.
Hey, Chris, you gotta love this coach. Hey, he's a player's coach. Early to bed and early to rise. Plays basketball every morning at six o'clock. Always looking for a new challenge. No mountain is too tall, no sea is too deep.
Rick's already been to the Final Four, did that a few years age with Billy Donovan and a bunch of mirrors at Providence. That was pretty exciting but there were some non-believers. Some claimed it was luck. Wish I had such good luck.
After that he went to that big court in the sky, you know, the NBA and Michael Jordan country. He toyed around with the New York Knicks and the Big Apple. Got tired of the big city life after reintroducing Pat Ewing and Madison Square Garden to the NBA playoffs. The challenge had all worn off.
Having conquered the NBA, Rick wanted a real challenge. You gotta admit when he announced his intentions to take over the UK program and rebuild it, there were many skeptics. The NCAA did a masterful job of demolishing the UK program. Not much was left after LeRon Ellis and Chris Mills jumped ship, except some kids with hearts bigger than lions.
Hey, Chris, hang on, I won't be much longer.
In just over a year, Pitino has the 'Cats on track, back to the big-time. Everyone said there was no way UK could avoid a second straight losing season, an unprecedented string in Kentucky history. After all, Kentucky enjoyed over a half-century of non-losing seasons before Fid-die Sutton failed in his last try as the NCAA dangled the rope from the old oak tree.
But Pitino must have been raising rabbits in his kitchen because he somehow whipped up a 14-14 mark. It was almost 15-13, had the 'Cats not stumbled in the season finale at Notre Dame in March.
Perhaps that's why this Notre Dame game was so important to not only Pitino but the Wildcat players. Already this season, UK has beaten a team on a neutral court that it lost to last season. That's progress, Chris. If you don't believe me, ask this character named Rick Pitino.
Kentucky's victory over Notre Dame, no doubt, will push the Wildcats into the nation's Top 25 for the first time in three years as evidence begins to surface that the Big Blue program is alive and well once again.
Still there, Chris?
The 'Cats' exciting 98-90 victory over the Irish also had dozens of national sports reporters and a crowd of almost 40,000 buzzing about the exciting basketball magic second-year coach Rick Pitino
has weaved into Big Blue Country.
Did you read any of the press clippings, Chris?
And throughout the nationally-televised game by ABC-TV, color analyst Jim Valvano did not try to hide his enthusiasm for the Pitino-style game, so much so, that he predicted the Wildcats would be the team of the 1990s. In two years, Valvano said, Kentucky would be back in the thick of the race for NCAA laurels.
Still listening, Chris? What do you think? Sounds like a strong endorsement by Mr. Valvano?
One last thing, Chris, I don't know if you followed Kentucky that closely last season or not, but Kentucky was embarrassed, sorta, by Kansas about this time last winter. The score was something like 150 zillion to 80 or something like that. Folks around these parts are still trying to pinch themselves into thinking it was a bad nightmare.
But, Chris, it really did happen, the worst blowout you'd ever want to see, unless you wore the losing team's uniform. Embarrassed? Ever see 15 grown men walk out a gym with brown sacks over the head? That's what they should have done. The little Italian was breathing fire from the nostrils.
To say there were some bruised egos would be stating it mildly. In this day and time when you beat someone by 50 or more on your home court and you know you have to pay the visit back to the other team, well, you know what I mean.
This weekend, when you visit Kentucky, the Wildcats will be rolling out, er, I think, the welcome mat for the Kansas Jayhawks. Hey, Chris, do I see a smile creeping across your face? Say you wouldn't mind being involved in something like this?
Well, you can bet some 23,000-plus fans are licking their chops for this one. And oh yes, I don't know if any of the fans will be able to spot you, but if they do, don't be surprised if they plead with you about making sure Rick Pitino has a very Merry Chrismas.
Sorry I've taken so much of your time and I hope I haven't taken you away from your homework tonight, but thought you might enjoy having this little chat about the Kentucky program. Who knows, someday this brief history lesson might come in handy if you should decide to make Big Blue Country your own Kentucky home.
UK NO LONGER STEPCHILD
Two years ago Kentucky was the stepchild, and not a very dear one, at the Big Four Classic. Other schools' officials and fans snickered here and there, made un-tactful jokes, even did a little "kicking while the dog was down" routine, but the shoe was on the other foot Saturday.
Writers and broadcasters were saying nice things about the Kentucky program, how exciting the style of play the Wildcats employ and how the players
seemed to be so happy and loose on the court. And about how this Kentucky team was the only team among the four participants to leave Indianapolis with a perfect record.
Of course the media always loves an underdog, even if it is Kentucky.
On the other hand, the kicks were directed to the likes of Louisville where there simmers rumors of unrest and at Notre Dame where Digger Phelps' coaching ability continues to be the topic of great debate.
Even Indiana and Bobby Knight were subjected to taunts of why they aren't undefeated even though they rest peacefully in the nation's Top 10 and have a bright future ahead.
If you readers recall, I predicted in this very space some two years ago that what goes around, comes around. When Kentucky hit hard times, there were those detractors who laughed, giggled and devoured the Wildcats' shortcomings. Does misery love company? You'd better believe it and some UK fens are no different, but they should be.
Now hard times are beckoning U of L, what with the academic woes, Prop 48 and other rumors of malcontent.
I'd like for Kentucky followers to be not so forgetful about UK's past misfortunes and remember how Wildcat fans felt. Kentucky followers should find no glee in U of L's problems right now. Treat others as you'd have them treat you. Sure, some U of L followers took satisfaction, but not all of them. I even remember some rooting for UK in the Big Four two years ago when it wasn't fashionable for anyone to cheer for UK.
Hopefully, U of L rides out the rough seas and won't have to go through anything like UK has the past couple years. No one should take pleasure from another person's faults. U of L has enjoyed a great tradition over the years and hopefully will correct whatever needs to be corrected. Then, when UK puts a big loss on the Cardinals, it will really mean something.
UK AND THE HEELS
After Kentucky's return battle with Kansas on Saturday, it will be back to the road for one of the 'Cats' toughest assignments of the season, going into the Dean Dome for a confrontation with the North Carolina Tar Heels on Monday with ESPN covering the action.
It's quite possible the all-time victory lead will be on the line when the 'Cats ride into town. No big deal, says UNC's Dean Smith, but his team's followers might not be in total agreement.
With Kentucky on probation and going nowhere in the post-season, it's a given Carolina will take the lead sometime this winter and this could be the game. But you can rest assured it will be a real battle over the next five or 10 years.
UK athletics director C. M. Newton,
Please see, OSCAR COMBS, page 26 Qtecemlmr-8, /^O
Sean Woods shook off eight first-half turnovers to help the 'Cats beat UC's press in the second half, photo by Mark Zerof
Kentucky's Reggie Hanson grabs this rebound after UC's Curtis Bostic misses a gimmee.
photo by Mark Zerof
KENTUCKY 75, CINCINNATI 71
Kentucky coach Rick Pitino stays courtside to applaud and claim their first road victory of the season Pitino's his team after the Wildcats held on to edge Cincinnati   club won just one road game all last year.
photo by Mark Zerof
UK-Cincinnati play-by-play			
TIME	KENTUCKY	SCORE CINCINNATI	
19:14-1 Mashburn 8 ft.		2-0	
18:36	I I	2-2	Banks 3 ft. follow
18:05 | Pelphrey 22 ft.		5-2	
17:06	j Mashburn FTA, FT	6-2	
16:54		64	Starks tip-in
16:13	J Woods layup	8-4	
15:49 I Mashburn layup follow		10-4	
14:34	I	10-6	Robinson FT, FT
14:10	Hanson 22 ft.	13-6	
12:51	.   .... ;	13-9	Robinson layup, FT
11:44	Farmer 23 ft.	16-9	
11:18		16-10	Robinson FT, FTA
11:11		16-12	Jackson FT, FT
11:06	Hanson layup	18-12	
10:10		18-14	Starks 4 ft. follow
8:57		18-16	Jones 8 ft.
8:36	Feldhaus FT, FTA	19-16	
8:28 |		19-18	Banks FT, FT
8:05	Mashburn 16 ft.	21-18	
7:25	Hanson alley-oop layup	23-18	
7:17		23-20	Robinson 6 ft.
6:55	Brassow 20 ft.	26-20	
6:30		26-22	Banks 18 ft.
6:14 I Hanson FTA, FT		27-22	
5:53		27-23	Banks FT, FTA
5:08	Pelphrey 22 ft.	30-23	
4:29		30-24	Bostic FTA, FT
3:42		30-26	Banks FT, FT
3:31		30-27	Gibson FT, FTA
3:20	Martinez iayup	32-27	
3:01		32-29	Starks 6 ft.
2:47	Pelphrey 22 ft.	35-29	
1:57		35-31	Jones 6 ft. follow
I 0:35		35-33	Banks FT, FT
HALF		35-33	
			
119:57	Hanson 4 ft.	37-33	
i18:54	Woods 7 ft.	39-33	
18:37		39-35	Starks 6 ft.
18:16	Mashburn 4 ft.	41-35	
16:13		41-37	Starks FT, FT
16:03	Mashburn 24 ft.	44-37	
15:26		44-39	Banks dunk
14:35	Brassow 22 ft.	47-39	
14:11	Mashburn layup	49-39	
13:39	Hanson layup, FT	52-39	
13:36		52-41	Banks 10 ft.
13:09	Brassow 22 ft.	55-41	
12:01		55-44	Jackson 22 ft.
11:17		5546	Robinson FT, FT
10:35		55-48	Robinson layup follow
9:29		55-50	Jackson 18 ft.
9:20	Farmer 12 ft.	57-50	
7:54		57-52	Robinson 8 ft.
7:42	Mashburn layup	59-52	
7:13		59-54	Banks 16 ft.
6:34		59-55	Robinson FT, FTA
6:25 i Hanson 7 ft., FT		62-55	
6:00		62-57	Robinson FT, FT
5:55	Brassow 22 ft.	65-57	
5:14		65-59	Jones 10 ft.
4:57	Pelphrey layup	67-59	
4:36		67-60	Banks FT, FTA
4:19		67-63	Jones layup, FT
4:01	Mashburn 6 ft. follow	69-63	
3:46		69-66	Jones 22 ft.
2:48		69-68	Jones FT, FT
1:59	Hanson FT, FT	71-68	
0:52		71-69	Banks FT, FTA
I 0:29: Hanson layup		73-69	
I 0:10	Farmer FT, FT	75-69	
0:04		75-71	Robinson tip-in
FINAL		75-71	
Li TCP chart			
 &7i& (oat&' (&u/xe
CINCY
ys UK
R  E C  A  P
by
Russell Rice
CINCINNATI - The University of Kentucky basketball Wildcats, departing from coach Rick Pitino's pressing defensive tactics, but still firing from long range, overcame a disadvantage in height, speed and leaping ability to gun down Cincinnati, a 3'/2-point favorite, before more than 13,000 Bearcat fans in Myrl Shoemaker Center on the UC campus.
The victory, which came on Wednesday after the Wildcats had opened their 1990-91 season four days earlier with a win over Pennsylvania in Rupp Arena, was only UK's second road win since defeating Tennessee 66-65 at Knoxville in January of 1989.
The other road victory was a 78-74 win over a floundering Florida team at Gainesville last February.
"This is a great win for Kentucky," Pitino said of UK's first appearance in Cincinnati since UK won the famous Stall Game, 24-11, in 1983. "They're a lot more athletic than we are. The only advantage we had was shooting."
SHOOTING WAS KEY FOR UK
The Wildcats hit 28 of 58 shots from the field, including 10 of 24 three-pointers, while the Bearcats struggled offensively, hitting only 21 of 67 for 37 percent, including only two of eight from three-point range.
However. Cincinnati, which trailed the entire game, kept things close by forcing UK into 22 turnovers. The Bearcats' 11 steals in the first half, when they missed 13 of their first 15 shots while UK was six of 12 from the three-point range, allowed them to stay within striking distance (35-33) at the intermission.
Cincinnati's trapping defense forced UK point guard Sean Woods into committing eight of those UK first-half turnovers. He had none in the second.
"I was trying to dribble through," Woods said. "They were sagging. You can't attack that. All you do is run into more men. Coach gave me a little tip. Relax. Don't try to beat it every time. In the second half, I made the quick pass."
Pitino made an adjustment on Kentucky's press offense at halftime. Instead of bringing the ball up the court near the sideline into the teeth of the UC trapsas was the case early, Pitino instructed his guards to stay in the middle of the court in the second half. The 'Cats turned the ball over just six times in the final 20 minutes, none of the errors coming against the UC press.
Using a 20-8 run to open the second half, which was capped with a long three-pointer from starting shooting guard Jeff Brassow, the Wildcats went ahead 55-41 only 6V2 minutes into the second period. With 2:48 left, UC's Herb Jones scored eight straight points to cut the lead to 69-68.
Kentucky was leading 71-69 when Reggie Hanson drove around substitute Curtis Bostic to give UK a four-point lead with 28 seconds left.
The Wildcats were spreading the court out on offense at the time, using valuable seconds off the 45-second shot clock, but were still looking to attack the basket.
"We knew what to do," Pitino said. "We knew not to freeze the ball. Move the ball to score and don't let them foul you and get back into the game. We knew to cut back-door at the right time. Last year we were trying to learn what to do while we were out there.
FAST BREAK
TCP staff reports
BEWARE OF THE BEARCATS
Kentucky coach Rick Pitino predicts a bright future for Bob Huggins and his Bearcats.
"Cincinnati has just as much athleticism as any team on our schedule," Pitino said at his weekly press conference, one day before the UK-UC clash. "If you were to compare them, you'd compare them to Louisville: a lot of athletic talent. They have people 6-5 and 6-6 that can perform acts of a player 6-8 or 6-9.
"Cincinnati's greatest asset is they have mature players. With players in their junior and senior year, you have the potential to be an outstanding team. The potential to do some serious damage in the NCAA (tournament) is there."
The Bearcats are expected to give Metro favorite Southern Miss its biggest challenge for the conference title, along with Memphis State and Louisville.
WHERE'S THE TV GUIDE, HONEY?
After a year scrambled due to NCAA sanctions, Kentucky returned to live television (ESPN). Not since its loss at Syracuse in 1989 had the 'Cats been on national televison. The loss to the Orangemen was televised by CBS.
Pitino believes the eye of the camera is a vital recruiting tool. "TV introduces to the junior high and high school kids what big-time basketball is all about. We need to get in that arena once again. I go to a high school gym, I can't believe how many people imitate Dick Vitale. He does a lot for a program."
TIMEOUT: JAMAL MASHBURN
In his first two games, Kentucky freshman starter Jamai Mashburn has totalled 30 points while playing more than 25 minutes a contest.
UC presented a tough test for Mashbum underneath. It's something he can expect every night in the Southeastern Conference.
"They were giving of elbows and pushing us when we jumped up," Mashburn, not yet a year removed from his prep days in the Bronx, said. "They got dirty under there.
"A little holding. A little shoving...throwing you off balance. But they are a real good team, though."
In Kentucky's opener before a friendly crowd, Mashburn was free of butterflies. And against Cincinnati, his first college test away from Rupp Arena, Mashburn said he wasn't a bit nervous.
"I just go out to play," he said. "That's what coach wants us to do, go out and play hard. There is a lot of thinking going on out
on the court as far as where to go. where to be at and stuff like that. So you don't really have a chance to get nervous because Rick is always on your back.
THE TURNOVER BUG
During the first 20 minutes, a much quicker Cincinnati team created havoc in UK's offensive scheme. UK turned the ball over !6 times in the first period.
What did Rick Pitino say at halftime?
"He was really upset about the turnovers and their second shots." Mashburn answered. "In the second half we kept the ball a little more and we reduced their second shots by boxing out."
Kentucky kept its cool in the second half, committing only six miscues.
MORE THAN JUST STATS
UK players did know first-hand about one particular UC player. Junior College All-America transfer Herb Jones had played in pickup games this summer in Lexington. Jones is friends with some of the 'Cats.
Eric Davis and Chris Sabo, members of the World Champion Cincinnati Reds, were in attendance.
From the hard-to-believe department: Kentucky has a friend at Cincinnati radio station WLW in talk show host Andy Furman. While a handful of callers were saying the Bearcats were the better team, Furman differed, praising Rick Pitino's coaching and the Wildcats' defense.
Pitino's Bombinos remain alive. In two games they've drilled 20 of 54 treys for 37 percent.
Kentucky now leads the series with the Bearcats, 26-10. UK-UC first played in 1904.
That never works out."
Louis Banks, Cincinnati's All-Metro Conference forward, then missed his 15th shot in 20 tries. With UK awarded the ball out of bounds under the Bearcat basket, Richie Farmer was fouled after taking the in-bounds pass.
Farmer, who had missed two free throws just before intermission, calmly sank the two that iced the game.
NO PRESS? NO SWEAT
The Wildcats surprised Cincinnati by departing completely from their trademark full-court pressing defense.
"That is the first time as a coach I did not press," Pitino said.
Instead, the Wildcats elected to sag into a sticky, active, half-court defensemostly man-to-manand give Cincinnati the outside shot.
The reasons?
Pitino said because of the Bearcats' athletic ability, poor outside shooting and the fact that UC is itself a full-court pressing team, he was afraid UK's press would allow UC to get too many easy baskets in transition.
"At every position except Reggie (Hanson), they were more athletic and jumped higher," Pitino said. "At every position except (Sean) Woods, they were quicker and could get up and down the floor faster. So I went in thinking I might use a half-court defense. And we played outstanding. We had to make sure they shot from the perimeter."
A key to UK's defense was Brassow, who drew the assignment on Banks. The Wildcat
DATE: NOV. 28, 1990
VISTORS (Last name first)
SITE: CINCINNATI
KENTUCKY (2-0)	Fg	3-pt	Ft	Reb	PI	TP	A	To	Blk S	Mln
Mashourn. Jamal	8-16	1-4	1-2	5-2 7	3	18	2	2	1 0	28:33
Pelphrey, John	4-6	3-4	0-0	0-7 7	4	11	T	4	0 0	25:50
Hanson, Reggie	7-9 .	1-1	5-6	1-5 6	3	20	2	4	1 2	35:19
Wooos, Sean	2-5	0-0	0-0	0-3 3	4	4	3	8	0 2	31:55
Brassow, Jeff	4-12	4-10	0-0	3-1 4	5	12	3	0	0 0	33:54
Feldhaus, Deron	0-6	0X3	1-2	1-1 2	4	1	4	2	1 0	25.37
Farmer, Richie	2-3	1-2	2-4	0-1 1	1	7	1	2	0 0	14:11
Martinez, Gimel	1-1	OO	0-2	0-1 1	1	2	0	0	0 0	4:41
Team Rebounds				2-7 9						
Totals	28-58	10-24	9-16	12-28 40	25	75	16   22   3 4			200
Total FG%: 28-58, 48.3% 1st half: 13-