Gardner-Webb-Kentucky Preview
November 07, 2007 | Men's Basketball
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Last season, Billy Gillispie's Texas
A&M team finished second in the country in field-goal
percentage defense. It didn't take him long to bring those kind of
results with him to Kentucky.
The 20th-ranked Wildcats hope to stifle another opponent Wednesday
night when they host Gardner-Webb in the second round of the 2K
Sports College Hoops Classic.
Gillispie, who turns 48 on Wednesday, was hired as the 21st coach
in Kentucky history with a mandate to restore college basketball's
winningest program to its previous heights. The Wildcats have won
seven national titles, but none since 1997-98 in Tubby Smith's
first season.
Gillispie replaced Smith with a reputation as a defensive-minded
coach, as his Texas A&M team limited opponents to 37.5 percent
shooting last season. In the coach's debut with Kentucky, the
Wildcats held Central Arkansas to 20 percent shooting (10-of-50)
from the field - the lowest percentage yielded by the Wildcats
since 1995 - in a 67-40 win on Tuesday.
"Their 20 percent wasn't enough us," Gillispie said. "It was more
them. We set pretty high standards."
Part of the coach's standards is his policy of starting whichever
players he feels are most deserving. Leading returning scorer Joe
Crawford wasn't deserving enough in Gillispie's mind, and came off
the bench Tuesday for a team-high 20 points.
"It's tough," Crawford said. "Of course I felt like I should be out
there, but I still need to work hard. He has a way and his way
works. We all have to buy in."
Mark Coury provided most of the post presence with 13 points and 10
rebounds. Star freshman Patrick Patterson had a rough debut with
just four points and four fouls in 13 minutes.
"We're going to throw it in there, no matter who's in there,"
Gillispie said. "The dominant post player for us in our first two
games has been Mark."
Gardner-Webb, which has four starters back from a team that went
9-21 a season ago, opened its season by advancing with a 69-55 win
over Alabama A&M. Newcomer Aaron Linn, a junior college
transfer, led the way with 24 points.
The Bulldogs overcame a poor second half in which they shot 28
percent (9-of-32) and finished with 21 turnovers. They know they'll
need to be sharper against the Wildcats.
"We told our kids to be watching Kentucky more than anybody,"
Gardner-Webb coach Rick Scruggs said. "It's just a great atmosphere
and great arena. The last two years we've played North Carolina,
and now we get the chance to play Kentucky - two of the greatest
schools to ever play the game. It's a real honor to be here and be
able to play those guys."
Gardner-Webb has never faced Kentucky. The winner advances to New
York for the semifinals on Nov. 15.
