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LARRY VAUGHT, SPORTS EDITOR (859) 936-0353 | FAX (859) 236-9566 SPORTS DEPT. (859) 236-2551 or (800) 428-0409, extension 137 or 246 | To report a score, use extension 305. B FRIDAY SPORTS MARCH 16, 2012 KENTUCKY 81, WESTERN KENTUCKY 66 Kentucky cruises by WKU But Cats Jones, need to Lamb play better lead UK

By COLIN FLY Larry Vaught Sports Editor AP Sports Writer [email protected] LOUISVILLE — and fig- LOUISVILLE — On a ured Kentucky’s freshmen scale of one to 10, freshman might have the jitters. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist — Good thing the sopho- who is always blunt honest mores already have plenty of — only gave Kentucky NCAA tournament experi- about an eight for the way it ence to share. played in ursday’s 81-66 Jones had 22 points and win over Western Kentucky. 10 rebounds, Lamb scored If the Cats want to keep 16 and top-seeded Kentucky advancing in the NCAA began its quest for an eighth Tournament, Kidd-Gilchrist national title with an 81-66 and his teammates have to victory over Western Ken- do better, and they know it. tucky on Thursday night. “Last year we got better “For this to be the first every game in the NCAA NCAA game for us, fresh- Tournament and made the men are usually — well I Final Four,” said UK senior know I was last year — just a . “at’s what little nervous about all the we have to do again. You pressure put on us, and it can’t stay the same in this wasn’t even as much pres- tournament or you get beat. sure last year as it is this You have to play better year,” Jones said. “I just every game.” wanted to tell everybody to When will that happen, have fun and run. We just especially after UK was less got going from there.” than its best in the South- On a day when Syracuse eastern Conference Tourna- nearly became the first No. 1 ment to end the season? seed ever to lose to a 16, the “Real soon,” Kidd- Wildcats (33-2) clearly rel- Gilchrist said. “ere’s ished their growing role as more to come. We’ve got to favorites. Freshman and play with more confidence player of the year candidate on offense and defense. I added 16 am going to get going more points, nine rebounds and and I support all my team- seven blocks for Kentucky, mates and know they will which was never seriously too.” threatened. Even Western coach Ray “I’ve got a good team and Harper, who knew his team good players,” said Kentucky was overmatched, knew the coach , who way Kentucky played in this never mentioned the Or- game would not lead to an ange’s struggles against eighth national champi- UNC-Asheville to his team. onship for the Wildcats. “Let’s worry about us play- “If they want to advance ing as well as we can play; if and win a national champi- that’s not good enough, then onship, they're going to it’s done.” have to shoot the ball better Jones surprised many from the perimeter,” Harper when he came back to Ken- said. “Doron Lamb may tucky after his freshman have been the only one. year, and he has struggled at Terrence (Jones) made a 3. times this season with a fin- ey're going to have to ger injury and a diminished find somebody else that can role because of coach Cali- make a shot from the pari’s third No. 1 recruiting perimeter. ey're talented. class. But the sophomores ey're extremely talented.” — Jones and Lamb — led ey are, but UK was 3- the way on a team that’s for-10 from 3-point range built a reputation this sea- after going 1-for-8, 5-for-17 son as being one of the best and 6-for-28 in the SEC defensive teams in the na- tourney. at’s 15-for-63 for tion. 24 percent, not exactly a na- “Last year, they went tional championship num- through a lot. We made it to ber. Clay Jackson/[email protected] the Final Four. We had a lot Kentucky’s Terrence Jones (3) slams home two of his game-high 22 points in the second half Thursday in the Wildcats’ 81-66 win over Western See VIEWS, on B10 Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Louisville. Kentucy plays Iowa State on Saturday. See UK, on B10 Polson ‘honored’ Wildcats must be by recognition ready for Cyclones

By LARRY VAUGHT By LARRY VAUGHT those bold words if it plays like [email protected] it did during what coach Fred [email protected] Hoiberg called his team’s LOUISVILLE — Jarrod LOUISVILLE — Iowa State “best 10 minutes of the sea- Polson has had a lot of hon- senior guard Chris Allen says son” that put Connecticut in a ors during his ca- as soon as the game ended, he hole early and took care of all reer, but the Kentucky was “ready for Kentucky” and the pre-NCAA hype about a sophomore is not quite sure anxious to play the No. 1 Wild- Kentucky-Connecticut re- how to react to his latest cats on Saturday night. match of last year’s Final Four recognition. but I got some tweets today “It feels great. I can’t wait to game. Cosmopolitan magazine about it. I ended up seeing the next game. I wish we “at is all everybody has named him of the “24 it. Someone tweeted a pic- played now,” said Allen after been talking about. We are Hottest Guys of March Mad- ture of it.” Iowa State’s 77-64 win over walking up and down the ness 2012” this week. e texts he got included Connecticut. “If we do what street and hear Kentucky this, “I am really honored and several from Jessamine we have to do, this is probably Kentucky that. I have total re- privileged, I think,” said Pol- County. going to be one of the tough- spect for them, but at the son after Kentucky’s win “A few people have texted est roads to get to the NCAA same time I am a competitor,” me. My mom did. She is all ursday over Western Ken- finals in history. If we come Allen said. “I am going to go proud, but not too many tucky in the NCAA Tourna- out like we did against out there and compete. If you others have made a big deal AP Photo/John Bazemore UConn, it’s going to be a long are not motivated by that type ment South Regional. “I Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg said his team has been tested don’t even know what it is, game for Kentucky.” See POLSON, on B10 enough that they are up for the challenge of the top-ranked Wildcats. Iowa State might back up See CYCLONES, on B4

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