Kentucky Lineup Change

[len caprisecca]

FITCH OUT FOR KENTUCKY

[wayne1218]

INJURY??

[len caprisecca]

NOT SURE

YET WAYNE

[diceman]

fitch

yes it is an injury

[rxpert]

Lexington article

Fitch out & Odom slowing it down..."Under"
i will also take S.C. but line looks adjusted downward to 6.5

[rxpert]

Lexington article inside

Posted on Sat, Feb. 07, 2004

Barbour gets call
Senior will assume Fitch's spot against Gamecocks
By Jerry Tipton
HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER

Kentucky Coach Tubby Smith was not coy about Gerald Fitch's status. UK will be without its leading scorer against South Carolina today and for an indefinite period into the future.

Given Carolina's effective pressure defense, Smith's immediate concern was not replacing Fitch's points nor his near monopoly on UK's perimeter scoring.

"What we lose most is ball handling," Smith said. "Against a team like South Carolina, that looks to press and trap and play full-court, you lose an extra ball handler."

Smith noted that Fitch has doubled as UK's backup point guard. And new backup Brandon Stockton has missed several practices this week because of illness. "That kind of plays right into South Carolina's hands," Smith said.

The UK coach did not mention that point guard Cliff Hawkins is sick. "A little cold," Hawkins said between sniffles.

Antwain Barbour, who will start in Fitch's shooting guard spot, expressed eagerness to take on South Carolina's presses and traps. "That's fun," he said. "That's why we play the game: To go up against teams like that."

South Carolina's defense hasn't been fun for most opponents. As of Feb. 2, the Gamecocks led the nation by holding opponents to 36.1-percent shooting and ranked seventh by allowing only 57.2 points per game.

"One of the things they do that very few other teams can do: They can outrun their mistakes," Vanderbilt Coach Kevin Stallings said.

The Gamecocks have held nine opponents to no better than 35-percent shooting. In 22 games, only seven opponents have shot better than 40 percent.

"We're a moving team," guard Josh Gonner said. "We can't stand still."

But Coach Dave Odom noted a recent lapse. Alabama shot 46.7 percent (including 16-for-31 from three-point range) at South Carolina on Wednesday. That followed 46.4-percent shooting by Ole Miss last weekend. The two games caused Odom to wonder aloud about opponents adjusting to South Carolina's variety of pressure defenses and traps.

"We have to rethink, even restructure," Odom said.

Of course, Kentucky plays best in a full-court game bursting with transition opportunities. And even without Fitch, the Cats' skilled frontcourt of Chuck Hayes and Erik Daniels makes for an ideal answer to pressure: five players who can handle and pass the ball.

"It could be a benefit," Smith said. "I hope it helps."

The question is: Will South Carolina apply its signature defensive pressure? Odom spoke of "subtle tweaking" and not "wholesale changes."

But before leaving Columbia, Odom spoke of the same strategy most UK opponents use: Slowing the pace, milking the shot clock and making it a halfcourt game.

"Tempo will be very important," the South Carolina coach said. "I don't envision us taking early shots in a possession."

Odom spoke of getting the ball inside and making Kentucky defend the basket area. "We'd like to shorten the game as much as we can," he said.

Meanwhile, Smith gave Fitch's absence a positive spin. Perhaps it can awaken Barbour, whose all-around game has been mostly dormant since he broke his hand early last season.

"It may be a blessing in disguise. ... ," the UK coach said. "It should be a real positive re-enforcement (for Barbour)."

Fitch sprained a ligament on his right index finger, Smith said. Allen Iverson missed two games last month because of a similar injury. Fitch could be out "two weeks or a few days," Smith said.

Despite Kentucky's announcement, Odom still was cautious about Fitch missing the game.

"Should he in fact not play on Saturday, I would feel badly for him ... " the South Carolina coach said in a prepared statement. "Still, I know the Kentucky team is deep and well-coached, and during Gerald's absence, they will pull together and continue having a great season."

Barbour welcomed the chance to start. "I feel good," he said before quickly adding, "but I don't feel that good because of the way I got the start."

The almost guarantee of extended minutes might break Barbour out of his tentative shell. "It's very relaxing," he said. "Now you don't have to worry about when you're coming out."

Barbour insisted he won't try to replace Fitch as a perimeter shooter. Fitch made all seven of UK's baskets from outside the paint against North Carolina and six of seven against Marshall. "I'm not going to set out there and be a pure shooter," Barbour said. "I'm just going to do the things I do."