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UF eyes division title, tourney bye

Today's game is key for both the Gators and host Kentucky.

By ANTONYA ENGLISH, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 2, 2002

TAMPA -- There's a reason that being No. 1 is so important, according to a popular rap song: "Because two is not a winner and three nobody remembers."

Florida might want to get a copy of that CD for its pregame listening pleasure.

The eighth-ranked Gators (21-6, 10-5 SEC) play at No. 11 Kentucky (19-8, 9-6) at noon today with the Southeastern Conference East Division title on the line.

If Florida wins, it also earns a first-round bye in next week's SEC tournament in Atlanta. A Florida loss would give Georgia the East title, dropping the Gators to third and forcing them to play in Thursday's opening round.

Only one school, Arkansas in 2000, has won the tournament after playing in the opening round.

The chance to win its third consecutive conference title and earn an extra day off the court makes this game monumental for Florida.

"It's going to be big," freshman forward David Lee said. "Having the ability to play those two (tournament) afternoon games back-to-back and getting a little more rest is going to be huge. Every SEC team is so talented it can only come down to preparation and getting your legs and stuff late in the game. With us getting more rest and us getting this No. 1 seed, then we will be off to a good start."

Kentucky also needs a victory, despite the fact the best it can do is secure a No. 2 seed. Senior forward Tayshaun Prince will be honored at Senior Day at storied Rupp Arena, and the Wildcats will be looking to regroup from Wednesday's 86-73 loss at Vanderbilt.

"We're coming off a very tough loss to a good Vanderbilt team, a team that's playing pretty well right now and so is Florida, so it'll be a real challenge for us," Kentucky coach Tubby Smith said. "It's Senior Day so it's a big game for us, but it's a big game in a lot of ways. Not just Senior Day, but playing for the bye in the SEC tournament."

It has been an up-and-down season for the Gators. They were 16-2 before losing three straight midway through the conference schedule. They are 6-2 down the stretch, 2-2 in the past four games.

Kentucky has endured a season of turmoil. Sophomore forward Jason Parker tore his anterior cruciate ligament before Midnight Madness in October, ending his season before it started. In late December, former forward/center Marvin Stone was dismissed from the team after he failed to return from the holiday break. That same day, point guard J.P. Blevins, a senior co-captain, had surgery to repair a fractured bone in his right wrist.

Last week, Smith suspended sophomores Gerald Fitch and Cory Sears for "behavior detrimental to the team" after they allegedly fought on the team plane after a game.

Then Fitch and Erik Daniels were suspended for Wednesday's game for allegedly trying to enter a Lexington nightclub using fake ID's. They have been reinstated, however.

"It's been a tough season," Prince said. "We've had to play without the inside presence of Jason Parker, who I felt could've really helped us. We've had an up-and-down season and it's been difficult to stay balanced and do a lot of positive things on the basketball court, but I think I've gotten through it."

Florida and Kentucky were thought by prognosticators to be favorites for the league title, but it hasn't worked out that way. Florida coach Billy Donovan said that's an indication of the toughness of the league rather than subpar performances.

"I don't think that anyone has underachieved," Donovan said. "I think that the league is so good. I think that people overhype Kentucky and Florida, and probably a lot of teams in this country, to start the year with all the preseason expectations and everything else.

"Our team is drastically different than a lot of preseason magazines that rated us who probably had Kwame Brown and Teddy Dupay on our roster. With those two guys not there, we probably moved back to the pack. Kentucky loses Jason Parker, loses Marvin Stone and they have moved back to the pack."

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