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WKU Is Pleasant Surprise, Sutton Says
UL Came Out A Winner After All In Raleigh
Surprises 'n things. Western Kentucky University's men's basketball team finally "joined" the women's team in America's top 20 last week. The Lady Toppers climbed to No. 5 in the AP Poll while Coach Clem Haskins' Hilltoppers debuted at No. 19.
UK coach Eddie Sutton was asked what he thought the biggest surprise of the college season was (so far) and responded, "I haven't seen them, but I'd have to say the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. I'm very happy for coach Clem Haskins, because they weren't picked to win their league. But Western's been a pleasant surprise."
Comment: Just a thought mind you, but Sutton (and UK) could be seeing the Hilltoppers next month. The NCAA Southeast Regional is in Atlanta at the Omni. Anyone recall what happened the last time Kentucky and Western got together for a game of hoop in Georgia?
Bob Watkins
Cats' Pause Columnist
All aces for UK in Raleigh
UK's basketball team came up with aces all round Feb. 2 when the Wildcats visited Raleigh, N.C. for a national TV date. And never mind the 54-51 score. Didn't mean a thing.
First, the team got a few valuable lessons that should help Coach Eddie Sutton's team immensely when the NCAA Tournament rolls around next month.
Secondand you can bet the family dog that it is priority one in Cliff Hagan's office today, UK enjoyed a nice profit from the trip. Although the financial considerations are not as wonderful as some of us thought (blush), UK's take wasn't bad.
Kentucky's share of the game from NBC-Television was $125,000. That amount is cut into 12 shares, one each to the other nine Southeastern Conference member schools, one to the SEC league office and UK kept two shares.
Total? About $22,400.
However, if CBS-Television bankrolls on the same scale, then UK would receive a share of LSU's earnings from its TV game with Georgetown as well.
However one views it, UK wins  realizing more than $30,000 for a Sunday afternoon of hoop to go with TV exposure which is a wonderful recruiting tool that defies measurement. '
 From a (team) tactical standpoint, UK's out-of-conference respite afforded Sutton an excellent chance to see how his club stacks up against a talented Atlantic Coast Conference team, a chance to see where UK needs work.
The Wildcats' defense is sound, but that old bugaboo from last season popped up again, poor perimeter shooting. Roger Harden and Ed Davender were six of 20, Winston Bennett five of 18. Result? Kenny Walkerman with the 19+ average-got 11 shots inside and made three.
 The game showed UK's most glaring weakness once more  its bench. Only two reserves played  Richard Madison and Cedric Jenkins  and neither was effective.
 From an individual standout, UK's performance on this national TV date seriously impaired Walker's chances of being named college player of the year.
Walker is not a player to dominate a game when his mates shoot poorly. They did and he didn't.
MEDIA HYPE. Complete with halftime feature on coach Sutton, NBC and analyst Al McGuire did a nice job "promoting" Kentucky.
 First, not a single question was asked about the NCAA's investigation of UK's basketball program.
 Second, McGuire went gaga over Walker at every opportunity. And Dick Enberg threw in an "Oh My" or two as well.
But mostly Kentucky's latest national TV date did these things:
1. Affirmed that UKunder new managementremains one of the nation's foremost college basketball programs.
2. Impressed potential high school recruiting prospects that team playboth offense and defenseis paramount at Kentucky.
3. Impressed potential recruitsparticularly big menthat there are opportunities to play at UK.
4. Affirmed that this team is talented enough, well coached enough, that it needs no excuses (fatique, poor officiating etc.) to explain away a loss to a good non-league foe on the road on a given Sunday in the middle of the season.
In fact, two days after the NC State game Sutton said "We've looked at the game film twice now and graded it. We played a whale of a game. Our defense was as good as it's been in any game this year. The only thing we did wrong was we couldn't shoot it in the ocean."
He added that "you're playing great defense when you hold a team to 54 points and outrebound them by six. But it's hard to win anywhere when you shoot 33.4 percent." Cheers 'n jeers
CHEERS to NBC's McGuire for hyping Kenny Walker's talents although UK's prize did not get a full opportunity to display them.
JEERS to UK Network radio broadcasters Cawood Ledford and Ralph Hacker for making excuses for UK's loss. Curious that nobody mentions fatigue etc. before a game.
The Wildcats played hard and well against a larger and deeper team on its own
4
Clem Haskins
court and, except for poor shooting, they might have won anyway.
UK needed no excuses. When UK officials approved the game, they knew full well the Wildcats had LSU and Auburn in front of N.C. State. Fatigue and spotty officiating were apparently considered fair tradeoffs for a Sunday TV game on the road.
In return UK cashed a check, the team got national exposure, and Sutton got a look at how his club performs in a hostile arena and where it needs work.
CHEERS To Sutton's remarks to McGuire during NBC's (benign) halftime feature.
1. On his view of the Kentucky job, Sutton said: "As long as I'm satisfied that I'm doing my best as coach I can take the criticism."
2. On 'chewing out' his players: "I tell 'em, when I get on you it's nothing personal. I'm just trying to get you to be the best player you can be."
Comment: Isn't Sutton media-wise? Potential recruits and their Moms and dads love those kind of ail-American remarks.
Dale Brown/TV scores one
CBS-Television came up with a dandy idea when LSU basketball coach Dale Brown agreed to wear a microphone and allow viewers into his huddle during the last few frantic moments of the Tigers' 74-72 loss to Georgetown Feb. 2.
One must credit Brown for his daring-do because we were allowed to listen in on not only strategy, but confusion and indecision among the coaches. However, the Tigers got their assignments on time and one of them was emphatic  Jose Vargas was not. to take the game's final shot.
Of course, Vargas did and missed, LSU's Don Redden fouled Michael Jackson and the rest is history.
But Vargas' shot reminded me of something a former high school coach said once after his club lost a close one. "A coach can tell the kids what to do and how to do it, but if they don't execute, there's nothing you can do about it."
And the coach takes the rap too. I can hear a fan's second guess now: "Why on earth did Brown let Vargas take that last shot?"
Footnote: Georgetown Coach John Thompson showed some class after his team's victory, crediting LSU for playing a fine game. And ironicallywhen compared to "tired" Kentucky at North Carolina State, Thompson said that two days is enough rest for a team (during the season). Any longer than that and a club can become stale.
Missing...
Whatever happened to footballers Ben Zaranka ('50) and Dick Shatto ('53)? Whatever happened to basketballers Don Whitehead ('44) and Joe Hagan ('38)?
Sweet 16, sweet indeed
The Kentucky boys State Tournament at Rupp Arena Mar. 19-22 is more popular than ever before.-
"We use the demand for lower arena tickets as an indicator of how popular the tournament is each year," Billy Wise, associate commissioner for the Kentucky High School Athletics Association said Monday. "And in years past we've sold all of our tickets by Christmas. But this year they were all sold in November. The demand far exceeds anything we've ever had before."
Upper arena tickets are still available, but they're selling fast as well. According to KHSAA information director Julian Tackett, "We're sold out of one center section of the upper arena and half of the other one is sold too."
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