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SEC EAST PREVIEW KENTUCKY % BY KYLE ALMOND THE GAMECOCK When Keith Bogans and Tayshaun Prince decided at the last minute to pass on the NBA, Kentucky’s national title hopes went through the roof. The returning superstars should give the Wildcats one of the best 1-2 punches in college basketball and a great shot at winning back-to-back SEC titles. “It was a tremendous boost to our pro gram,” said Kentucky head coach Tubby Smith, who signed a four-year contract ex tension diming the offseason. “They bring so much to the ball club, not only talent wise, but they also help teach the younger players as well.” The NCAA has recently started allow ing players to test the NBA waters by working out and getting a feel for where they might get drafted while leaving them the option of coming back to college. Bogans and Prince took advantage of the opportunity, then brought big smiles to the Wildcat faithful by staying inLexington. With those two returning, the expecta tions are as high as ever for the Wildcats. They were chosen to repeat as conference champs at the SEC Media Days, and they’re ranked No. 4 in the na tion by the Associated Press. Kentucky is still the team to beat in the conference, and Florida head coach Billy Donovan can’t argue with that. “My personal feeling is that Kentucky is the best team in the country,” Donovan said. “I think that they have great depth, they’ve got great size and they’ve got two great players in Bogans and Prince.” Backcourt Bogans can pile on the points from the shooting guard position (17 points per game). He’s one of the most versatile scorers in the nation. With the graduation of Smith’s son Saul, point guard could be an issue for the Wildcats. Smith is expecting senior J.P. Blevins to step up and sophomore Cliff Hawkins to provide depth. Frontcourt Prince was SEC Player of the Year this past season and is a now a Preseason All American and a legitimate candidate for the Naismith Award. At 6-foot-10, he can post up and shoot the three. Sophomore phenomenon Jason Parker tore his ACL and is out for the season, but there’s plenty of talent to fill in the mid dle. Jules Camara is back after missing last season because of a suspension, and the near 7-footer has been turning heads in the preseason with his athleticism. Marvin Stone and Marquis Estill are big bodies who can bang with anyone in side. Outlook The Wildcats have been SEC champs eight out of the last 10 seasons. They al ways seem to be in the national title hunt, too. This year should be no different. Opposing teams thought they were get ting a break when Bogans and Prince de clared early for the NBA. Now, they’ll have to work harder than ever if they want to beat this team. TENNESSEET BY PRESTON BAINES THE GAMECOCK The Tennessee Volunteers come into the 2001-02 season as one of the most successful programs in the SEC the past four years. UT won 20 or more games in its last four seasons, including last season’s 22-11 record. But this year the Vols have made a change at the helm. Soon after last season’s opening-round loss to Charlotte in the NCAA tournament, UT forced out coach Jerry Green, who had a 79-36 record, to make way for Buzz Peterson, former Tulsa coach and North Carolina basketball player. Aimougn reierson couiq oe more known for being one of Michael Jordan’s best friends, he has also seen success as a coach. Peterson is 105-50 through four sea sons at Appalachian State and a 26-11 sea son at Tulsa. Peterson inherits a talented Vols squad, but six players that were expected to be on board this season have been kicked off the team or injured. Team unity was thought to have been the main problem for UT’s teams under Green, and fixing that is a main goal for Peterson. “Discipline to me is only doing the right thing when nobody is around,” Peterson said. ‘Tve talked to our team about that so much. I believe in team unity, and I believe in doing things off the floor whether it’s going to visit hospitals, going to church or playing wiffle ball.” The star for the Vols is Vincent Yarbrough. The junior forward is one of the top players in the country. Yarbrough is a great athlete at 6-foot-7 and can shoot better than most in the conference. Frontcourt Tennessee has one of the best starting frontcourts in the conference. Along with Yarbrough, UT has two other players that are hard to stop. Juniors Marcus Haislip and Ron Slay are both strong players in the post who can shoot the long-range shot as well. Slay had a long streak of games in double figures snapped last year when the Vols faced the Gamecocks on Jan. 13. Depth could be a problem behind the big three for UT. Backcourt UT was hit hard in the offseason with losses to the backcourt. In addition to the graduation of Tony Harris, guards Harris Walker and Terence Woods got kicked off the team. Jon Higgins, one of the SEC’s most pro lific three-point shooters, will try to make up for the Vols’ shortcomings at guard. Senior Del Baker will also have to use his experience to be a team leader. Senior Jenis Grindstaff and junior transfer Thaydeus Holden will also pro vide an extra punch in the backcourt. Outlook Tennessee has one of the most talent ed starting fives in the SEC. But after that, there are some question marks. UT will be relying on many freshmen to lead the team, and that usually only works well with Duke. Tennessee might not make the NCAA tournament for the fifth straight year. VITAL STATISTICS KEY PLAYER PRINCE Senior Forward HEAD COACH Tubby Smith LAST YEAR’S RECORD 24-10,12-4 SEC AGAINST USC LAST YEAR at Kentucky: W 69-63; at USC: W 94-61 TOP PLAYERS FTayshaun Prince, G Keith Bogans, G JP Blevins PROJECTED FINISH BY SPORTS STAFF First place, SEC East VITAL STATISTICS KEY PLAYER YARBROUGH Junior Forward HEAD COACH Buzz Peterson LAST YEAR’S RECORD 22-11,8-8 SEC - - AGAINST USC LASTYEAR at UT, W 79-71, at USC W OT 68-67 TOP PLAYERS FVincentYarbrough, G Marcus Haislip, F Ron Slay PROJECTED FINISH BY SPORTS STAFF Fourth, SEC East