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\A VIEWPOINT
SH Latlcrs To The Editor
Take Any Notes, Denny?
Dear Sir:
I would like to congratulate coach Sutton and the 'Cats on their big win against UL. What really promted me to write was a letter in the 12-27-86 issue of The Cats' Pause from Robert Dishman of Jeffersonville, Ind. I would think that he feels like an idiot after what he wrote about Denny Crum showing Eddie Sutton how to coach. I thought coach Sutton did a great job of preparing is team for the game. The 'Cats put on a clinic and Crum should have been taking notes. No doubt who has the best team and the best coach. Hey Dishman, 85-51 ON LOUISVILLE'S COURT.
A lot of people have been saying, "wait till next year," but I think with the addition of Mike Scott, Cedric Jenkins making a complete recovery and the continued improvement of the front line, the 'Cats will be contenders this year.
I would also like to say that I think Rex Chapman is one of the best guards in the country right now. It will be a pleasure watching him play the next four years. A lot of good things have been written about him, but in my opinion, the bottom line is(he's a) tremendous clutch player. When the going gets tough, give him the ball and get out of his way. I love to watch Rex play, but I don't want to leave out the rest of the guys. Their all doing a great job and their all heroes to me and a lot of people around the state.
Finally, I would like to say that coach Sutton is doing a fantastic job. He not only knows the game very well, but he also seems to have a great relationship with his players and I think that's very important. And most important I think is that he always has his team ready to play.
Thank you for allowing me to express my opinions, keep up the good work at Tfie Cats' Pause and Go Big Blue!
Steve Leachman Robards, Kentucky
Recruiting News
Dear Sir:
I would like to make a couple of comments.
Number One: Are you going to give game profiles of UK's recruits like you did Chapman and Hanson last year? I'm sure I am not the only fan that is interested in seeing how these kids progress this year. It would only take one page and I'm sure we could do with one less page of pictures.
Number Two: I used to live in the mountains of Kentucky between Hazard and Hind-man. If Crum thinks Louisville will ever have the support of the state he is crazy. If Cawood was correct UK just set a crowd record of over 20,000 for the Georgia game. I bet this really gripes Crum when he can't even claim the largest crowd in his own gym.
Richard Richie Milan, Indiana
Like Fine Wine, SEC Just Gets Better
Wimp Says 13-5 Slate Will Capture Title -1-
CM. Newton expected this to be an "up" year for Southeastern Conference basketball despite the absence of Kenny Walker of Kentucky, Chuck Person of Auburn and Buck Johnson of Alabama.
"When you lose a name player from two or three teams people say the whole league will be down," said the Vanderbilt coach. "But if you looked at all the athletes the league had coming back, it was obvious this would be an up year.
"Every team in the league except Kentucky is improved and Kentucky still has a good team. This is just a great
	
	Larry Vaught Cats' Pause Columnist
	
league."
"The SEC is much stronger than even I thought it would be this year," said Kentucky Coach Eddie Sutton. "The Big Ten has been the best overall basketball league but the SEC is really a great league now.
"This league is tough, tough, tough. If you study films you will see that it doesn't have any weak sisters. Teams in this league all have excellent coaching. There is not a weak coach in the league and it shows."
Balance is the key word in the SEC this year.
Six visiting teams posted wins in the first full week of conference play.
"I can remember years when it seemed like the visiting
Auburn's Sonny Smith
teams didn't win that many all season," said Auburn Coach Sonny Smith.
"The Southeastern Conference has so many good teams this year that if the home team does not play well it will lose," said Kentucky assistant Doug Barnes. "We feel like the SEC is stronger than last year. You don't have the great individual players but overall from top to bottom the teams are stronger because of the big number of returning players."
Maybe that balance is why Alabama won at Georgia, Georgia won at Kentucky, Kentucky won at Auburn, Tennessee won at Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt won at LSU and Florida won at Georgia to open SEC play.
"If a team doesn't play well, it will get beat at home or away this year," said Barnes. "Most teams in this league are not strong enough to win on an off-night because of the great balance. The team that does win the championship will be the one that is able to win a couple of games when it doesn't play well."
"Last year we could look at some games and know we would win," said UK Coach Eddie Sutton, who guided the
Wildcats to a 17-1 league mark last year. "This year we can't do that because there are more quality teams in the league."
"Alabama is the team I thought would win the league and should be favored," said Newton. "Auburn and Kentucky both have solid teams again and Florida will be right up there. LSU has dropped a little bit but by mid-year they will be tough again. Mississippi and Mississippi State are both better, too."
Most coaches expect the league champion to have four or even five losses this season.
"I think a 13-5 record will win or tie for the league championship," said Alabama Coach Wimp Sanderson. "Kentucky, Florida, Auburn and Tennessee look like the top clubs to me but anybody can win in this league."
"The SEC may not have the great individual players like it did last year but overall the teams are better," said Sutton. "You go could 14-4 and win the league or 13-5 might even be good enough to win."
The three-point goal will also influence the SEC race, especially since most teams have strong outside games this season.
"With the three-point shot, you are never out of a game," said Smith. "The shot will have a big impact on our league this year."
"I think the three-point goal has had a real impact on races in every league, not just the SEC," said Newton.
But Newton, who would like to see the three-point line moved from 19-9 to the international distance of 20-5, doesn't think the three-point shot will change recruiting in the SEC.
"You always try to get great shooters," said the veteran Vandy coach. "You can't teach shooting. It may change recruiting in some certain situations but you still can't play a guy just because he's a great shooter.
"It's a myth that a guy can play just because he's a great shooter. You can't just line up and shoot and win in this league."
At least not with the balance the league has this season. Chapman Looking For Help
FRESHMAN guard Rex Chapman is glad Mike Scott, Paul Andrews and Cedric Jenkins all should soon be available for game action.
"It will be nice to have more bodies to use," said Chapman. "Even in practice you would get wore out with so few players. This way we can do more in practice and in games we can take a rest so we have more quality minutes on the floor."
It's hard to imagine Chapman's quality improving, though, no matter how many players Sutton has available. The freshman guard has been amazing, especially since his best outings came at Louisville, Auburn and Indiana. Who else could average 25.3 points per game at those three places?
Chairman Of The Boards
A COMBINATION of factors turned junior forward Richard Madison into UK's best rebounder.
"Richard has just matured as a player and person," said Barnes.
Madison had 15 rebounds against Boston University before pulling off a career-high 17 against Louisville. He also had 11 rebounds at Auburn and is leading the Cats in rebounding.
"We moved Richard inside where he is able to rebound more," said Barnes. "But he is also working much harder than he ever has.
"He's taking great pride in the fact that rebounding is one area we need help and he can do the job for us. He's working hard on the boards to help us win. And we really need that from him to win."
Vandy's Newton Stalks Paintsville's Pelphrey
VANDERBILT still hopes to sign 6-7 John Pelphrey of Paintsville, one of the top Mr. Basketball candidates in Kentucky.
"He's a nice player and would fit in nicely with our program," said Newton. "We have really recruited him hard and expected him to sign early. He changed his mind about signing early but we still want him."
Newton already has Kentuckians Barry Goheen, Scott Draud, Frank Kornet, Chip Rupp and Derrick Wilcox on his roster.