UK drives its way back to Big Dance

UK drives its way back to Big Dance

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday Show had begun, but at the home of University of Kentucky coach John Calipari, he and his team were not glued to the television hanging over the mantel.

They were still on the bus from the Lexington airport after going into overtime to win the Southeastern Conference title in Nashville, Tenn.

They didn't hear when announcers named them the No. 1 seed in the East Region, but they did get there in time to hear that they're heading for New Orleans for a first-round matchup against No. 16-seed East Tennessee State on Thursday.

And after their dramatic SEC victory earlier in the day, nobody needed a TV broadcast to know that UK has arrived again as a serious player in college basketball's Big Dance.


“I feel like the way it is now is the way it is supposed to be at Kentucky,” junior Patrick Patterson said.

The University of Louisville is back too, for a fourth straight season, with a daunting assignment. As the No. 9 seed in the South Region, the Cardinals will face No. 8 seed California in the first round in Jacksonville, Fla., with a possible matchup against top-seeded Duke in the second.

Murray State will carry a school-record 30 wins into the tournament. The Racers, champions of the Ohio Valley Conference and No. 13 seed in the West Region, will face No. 4 seed Vanderbilt on Thursday in San Jose, Calif. It will be the 14th tournament appearance for Murray State.

Back at the Calipari home, the coach was the first to arrive. His wife, Ellen, saw him first and greeted him with a kiss. It was like a return from any ordinary business trip — except that about a dozen media representatives were in the living room waiting for him.

Calipari had to duck through them to take his suitcase back to the bedroom, then joined the players to watch the bracket announcements.

Quick cheers

They missed the Midwest Region, but quickly found out their own destination. There were cheers when the Wildcats found out their opponent and destination, quickly followed by shouts of “WHOA,” when they saw that the University of Texas could be a second-round opponent. Texas was ranked No. 1 briefly this season before limping to the finish.
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The No. 8 seed Longhorns will face No. 9 Wake Forest in the first round. Also in UK's region are No. 2 seed West Virginia, Big East member Marquette, and Wisconsin, seeded No. 4, out of the Big Ten. The No. 3 seed in the East is New Mexico.

“It's a tough road,” said Patterson, who will play in his first NCAA Tournament. “But they're all tough. I'm just glad to be in this position. The last two Selection Sundays I've been hurt or our name wasn't called, and that's no fun.”

Patterson missed the 2008 tournament — when No. 11-seed UK lost in the first round to Marquette — with an injury. The Cats failed to make the field last year.

UK has not been higher than a No. 8 seed since 2005.
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Calipari sat in a chair in the middle of the room, just about in the lap of freshman center DeMarcus Cousins. The Wildcats put on new blue T-shirts bearing the slogan “Refuse to Lose,” on top of the SEC championship T-shirts they had worn into the house.

After the announcements, sitting back in a recliner in Calipari's basement, Cousins said the team still feels it has plenty to prove.

“I know a lot of people are mad about us being a No. 1 seed or whatever,” Cousins said. “But we just keep winning. We've got a big target on our back and there are some mad people. But it feels good.”

Pitino speaks today

There was no public event for UofL. Cardinals coach Rick Pitino will hold a news conference today.

For the Cardinals, coming off back-to-back Elite Eight seasons and the loss of NBA Draft lottery picks Terrence Williams and Earl Clark, getting back to the tournament had been a battle after disappointing nonconference losses to Charlotte and Western Carolina in December.

“I'm most pleased for our seniors, including our senior co-captains (Jerry Smith, Edgar Sosa) who have been to four straight NCAA Tournaments, which is a great achievement,” Pitino said in a statement released by the school.

Murray State held a special “Dance Party” event, and coach Billy Kennedy praised Vanderbilt, his opponent from the SEC.
'A good team'

“They are a well-coached and very deep team,” he said. “They have been in the top 20 all season, and it will be a tough task. You have to beat good teams in the tournament. They are a good team and we are a good team. We are looking forward to it.”

UK fans also were looking forward to it outside the Calipari home Sunday night. Cars passed on Richmond Road and honked their horns. A few fans gathered outside the front gates with cameras and signs.

Inside sat the SEC Tournament championship trophy, but nobody seemed to pay much attention to it. Everyone already was talking about bigger things.

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