Time: 03-08-2012 23:10 User: jpatterson PubDate: 03-09-2012 Zone: IN Edition: 1 Page Name: C6 Color: CyanMagentaYellowBlack

C6 | FRIDAY,MARCH 9, 2012 | THE COURIER-JOURNAL SPORTS | courier-journal.com/sports IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL Feds look into point shaving by Ward

Associated Press month. Auburnsuspended said in astatement Thursday. tioned about whether Ward tried “The NCAA takes any allega- guardVarez Ward “Because of the nature of the alle- to get them to participate in the Federal authorities are inves- tion of point shaving very seri- amid allegations gation, Auburn is not in aposition alleged point shaving. tigating suspended Auburn point ously because sports wagering he was involved in to make any further comment on Ward, aTexas transfer,has av- guard Varez Ward for alleged threatens two of our core princi- apoint shaving the situation.” eraged 9.0 points agame and point shaving involving in at least ples —the well-being of student- plot in two games. The report said aplayer re- leads the Tigers in assists. two games this season, Yahoo athletes and the very integrity of AP ported concerns to an assistant Ward scored three points and Sports reported Thursday. intercollegiate sport,” the NCAA coach in late February. had six turnovers in the 68-50 loss The report cited anonymous said in awritten statement Auburn coach Tony Barbee to Alabama, playing 17 minutes. sources and said the FBI began Thursday. “As allegations of but Denson returned for the next has said only that Ward and Den- Vegas Insider said Alabama was an investigation in late February point shaving, if proven, are also game. Denson was questioned son violated team rules. Ward favored by five points. centering on losses to Alabama potential federal crimes, the and cleared of involvement in didn’tplay in the final three Ward lasted only 19 seconds on Feb. 7and Arkansas on Jan. 25. NCAA will defer action until any point shaving, the report said. games of the regular season or after coming off the bench in the NCAA officials say they are process with the FBI has conclud- “Auburn officials were made travel with the team to New Or- 56-53 defeat against Arkansas be- “very concerned” by the allega- ed.” aware of arumor regarding an al- leans for the Southeastern Con- fore crumpling to the floor.Bar- tions and have been in contact Ward and guard Chris Denson legation two weeks ago and im- ference tournament. bee later said Ward took aknee to with the school and federal inves- were both suspended before a mediately reported it to the FBI, Yahoo Sports reported that the right leg and ruptured his tigators since the issue arose last Feb. 25 game against Arkansas, the NCAA and the SEC,” Auburn other Auburn players were ques- quadriceps tendon on adunk.

SEC ROUNDUP SEC TOURNAMENT KENTUCKY VS. LSU »1P. M. TODAY» WAVE-3 Defense leads Tide Cats expect aphysical past Gamecocks

Associated Press breakopenatightgameandeven- Round 2with Tigers tually build a37-26 halftime lead. NEW ORLEANS — Trevor Lac- South Carolina had 17 turn- ey scored 15 points, JaMychal overs. LSU tried muscling Star UK freshman Green added 12 and Alabama »LSU 70, Arkansas 54: John- Anthony Davis playedlockdowndefenseinthefi- ny O’Bryant scored 12 of his 18 UK in Januaryloss was the victim of nal six minutes to beat South Car- points in the second half and several hard olina63-57intheopeningroundof grabbed 11 rebounds, helping the By Kyle Tucker fouls, ablow to the Southeastern Conference Tigers pull away. [email protected] the face and a tournament on Thursday. Storm Warren scored 14 for The Courier-Journal flagrant foul in The fifth-seeded Crimson LSU (18-13), which had ended its the Tide led for most of the game, but regular season with athree-game NEWORLEANS,La. — Return- regular-season South Carolina tied it at 51 on the skid but rediscovered its offense ing to Louisiana to take on LSU in game against second of back-to-back 3-pointers in time to open the postseason today’sSoutheastern Conference LSU but had 16 by Brenton Williams with 6:38 re- with aconvincing victory.Andre quarterfinals must feel for the points and 10 maining. Alabama (21-10)then Stringer hit three of four 3-point- top-ranked University of Ken- rebounds. held 12th-seeded South Carolina ers and finished with11 points for tucky Wildcats alittle like com- COURIER-JOURNAL (10-21) scoreless for more than the Tigers, who shot 50 percent ing back to where they grew up. FILE PHOTO five minutes and did enough on (25of50),tyingtheirsecond-high- The last time the teams met, offense to ease past the Game- est percentage all season. LSU about an hour down the road in cocks. went 6of12from 3-point range. Baton Rouge on Jan. 28, it turned Lacey was efficient for the B.J. Young scored13 points for out to be aturning point for UK. Crimson Tide and clutch in the fi- Arkansas (18-14), which has lost Coach John Calipari’steam fin- nal minutes, scoring seven points six of seven and finished with its ally heeded what he’d been plead- in the final 3:04 to put the game lowest point total of the season. ing for weeks. The Cats took a away.Hemade 4of5shots from »Mississippi 68, Auburn54: team’sbest punch —almost liter- the field —including a3-pointer Nick Williams scored acareer- ally —and answered with a —and was 6of6from the free- high 22 points in the Rebels’ vic- knockout blow of their own. throw line. tory. The Tigers trailed by just two more of the same —minus the apologizing for his foul on Davis Green added seven rebounds Williams, whose previous ca- points with 2:39 to go in the first cheap shots, the Tigers say —in in the first meeting, expects the and two blocked shots. reer-high was 21, was 9-of-14 half, using abruising approach to today’srematch. LSU (18-13)has SEC Player of the Year to be out South Carolina lost 11 of 12 shooting and drained four 3- try to disrupt ayoung UK squad, plenty of big bodies to throw at for revenge today. games to end the season. Ala- pointers. Murphy Holloway add- but the Cats clobbered LSU the the Cats, most notably former “Iknow he’snever going to for- bama won for the fifth time in six ed 13 points and 13 rebounds for rest of the way and won by 24. For McDonald’sAll American John- get that play,” said White, who de- games and advances to play Flori- the Rebels (19-12), who have won more than amonth leading up to ny O’Bryant III, a6-9, 262-pound scribed his flagrant foul on Davis da in the quarterfinals on Friday. four straight. that game, Calipari had harped on bruiser who lit up Arkansas for18 as out of character and some- Williams and Damien Leonard Frankie Sullivan scored 15 his team’sneed to “negate phys- points and 11 rebounds in just 22 thing he wishes he could take led South Carolina with 13 points points for Auburn (15-16), which ical play” with atough, aggres- minutes of the Tigers’ 70-54 first- back. “Iknow he’sready to try to each. lost for the fourth time in five sive effort of its own. round win Thursday in the New block my shot all over that court.” Alabama used an 8-0 run mid- games. That day against the Tigers, Orleans Arena. Of course, the Tigers might way through the first half to Kentucky got 27 points, nine re- “He was abeast,” Calipari have an even more powerful mo- bounds, three blocks and two said. “He was as good as any big tivator: desperation. They won steals from sophomore forward guy Iwatched all day.” five of six games after losing to SEC TOURNAMENT Terrence Jones, whose season to LSU shot 50 percent, including Kentucky and seemed to be mak- that point had been something of 6of12from 3-point range, and ing apush for an NCAA Tourna- Thursday-Sunday at New Orleans Arena; seedsinparentheses before school adisappointment. held the Razorbacks to 35.8 per- ment at-large invitation —then (1) Kentucky “It was great,” Calipari said cent shooting. The Tigers lost their final three regular-sea- afterward. “That’sthe guy Iwant. blocked six shots and dominated son games. LSU probably has to 1p.m. today That’sthe guy people want to see. the boards 41-28. Forward Storm win the SEC Tournament now,or (8) LSU 70 That’sthe guy people want to play Warren (6-7, 230) and center Jus- at the very least topple the top- 1p.m. Thursday LSU with and coach.” tin Hamilton (7-0, 260) combined ranked Wildcats, to go dancing. (9) Arkansas 54 Perhaps more notably that af- for 24 points, 14 rebounds and “The only thing Itold them, I 1p.m. Saturday ternoon, LSU attempted to pum- four blocks. said, ‘Weput ourselves in this sit- (4) Florida mel star freshman Anthony “One of their advantages will uation; it’sour responsibility to 3:30 p.m. today Davis and his wiry,6-foot-11,220- be that they can physically bump get out of it, and if you want to (5) Alabama 63 pound frame into submission. He us alittle bit, but we’ve seen alot continue to play,it’sonyou,’ ” 3:30 p.m. Thursday Alabama was the victim of several hard of that,” Calipari said. “This team Tigers coach Trent Johnson said. (12) S. Carolina 57 fouls, one blow to the face and an has made strides all year.Now If LSU is to have apuncher’s egregious flagrant foul when the the question is can we keep chance, it’ll have to deliver even (2) Tennessee 1p.m. Sunday Tigers’ Malcolm White yanked going?” stronger shots than it did in its 7:30 p.m. today Davis down hard from behind on The Cats’ coach said he thinks last meeting with Kentucky. (7) Mississippi 68 afast break. the first game of aconference “We’re looking to fight from 7:30 p.m. Thursday Mississippi Davis stayed down for along tournament is the toughest —cit- beginning to end,” Warren said. (10) Auburn54 time and White was ejected. But ing UK’sopening SEC game last “We’ll just play aphysical 3:30 a.m. Saturday as he did all day,Davis eventually year,when Mississippi trailed by game,” O’Bryant said. “Ifeel like (3) Vanderbilt picked himself off the court and two points with 1:47 to go —espe- we’ve got nothing to lose and ev- kept playing. He finished with 16 cially coming off abye. Calipari’s erything to gain. Once the ball 10 p.m. today points, 10 rebounds, three blocks team has also cruised through goes up (today), anything can (6) Mississippi St. and two steals. league play,beating everyone happen, anybody can win, so 10 p.m. Thursday (11) Georgia “By getting up, he shows that comfortably,sothere’sthe poten- we’re ready.We’ll tip the ball up he has the courage to do what he tial look-ahead factor. and get at them.” Times Eastern (EST Thursday-Saturday; EDT Sunday) and subject to change. needs to do,” Calipari said that But at least one LSU player ex- TV:First two rounds WAVE-3, semifinals and final ABC-11. day. pects the Cats to be plenty moti- Kyle Tucker can be reached at (502) The Wildcats (30-1) can expect vated. White, who wrote aletter 582-4361

UK NOTEBOOK Calipari says Wildcats must put NBAdraft on the backburner By Kyle Tucker “To basically tell the kids: You Davis billboard Any Wildcats fans in New Or- ty.Since they had no game Thurs- [email protected] together,collectively,have a leans —and there are clearly day,they were out with Calipari’s The Courier-Journal chance to do something special. Anthony Davis is everywhere. thousands, considering the Big blessing. Worry about this,” Calipari said. The Kentucky freshman who re- Blue horde on Bourbon Street as “We did apractice, we did a NEW ORLEANS, La. — The Uni- “There’snoreason to be talking, cently was named the SEC Player early as Wednesday —can find shoot-around; we did (video) tape, versity of Kentucky men’sbas- thinking (about the NBA). Just do of the Year,Freshman of the Year the Davis billboard on South Clai- then Isaid, ‘Go spend acouple ketball team has as many as six yourthing. …There’stimetowor- and Defensive Player of the Year, borne Ave. off the Pontchartrain hours with your family,’ ”the players who’d be strong candi- ry.” as well as Sporting News’ College Expressway overpass on the west coach said, noting that many play- dates to be selected in the next Calipari said because the dead- Basketball Player of the Year,is side of the Superdome. ers have relatives visiting for the NBA draft if all the underclass- line to declare for the draft was sprawled across abillboard in “Iwas mad, because Iwanted tournament. “Now what we’re do- men choose to turn pro after this moved up this year,giving play- New Orleans. to be up there myself,” Calipari ing right now,Itold them, ‘You’ve season. But with the postseason ers only asmall window to make The image used is the same as joked. “No, Ithought it was got acouple hours before the (pre- under way,coach John Calipari their decisions, he is afraid they’ll the one on the “wingspan” poster great.” game) meal, because after the doesn’twant them distracted by be focused on that. He’d rather of Davis that UK distributed last meal, it’sall basketball.’ They’ve such thoughts. they be dialed in for arun at UK’s month. The billboard was paid for Cats get night on town got family here. Iwant them to en- In attempt to be proactive and eighth national title. by the school’sathletic marketing Davis and most of his team- joy their families and all that relieve stress over that impend- “I’m trying to take that off department to promote Davis for mates were spotted on Bourbon stuff. ing decision, he brought in Billy their plate,” he said, “which is the remaining National Player of Street around 10 p.m. Wednesday. “But then if we’re lucky Hunter,executive director of the why Idid what Idid.” the Year awards and “as some- They posed for pictures and enough to win, it’sanother noon NBA Players Association, to thing to further excite our fans signed autographs as UK fans game and not alot of time for any- speak to the team Wednesday be- about this great city and some spotted the towering Davis above thing else. So this will be the last fore it left Lexington for the SEC great basketball,” media relations the crowd and swarmed the play- couple hours they’ll be able to Tournament. director DeWayne Peevy said. ers, who were escorted by securi- spend with their family.”