PAGE 8C - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2012 Sports DAILY NEWS, BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY COLLEGE BASKETBALL SEC coaches raise questions Cardinals set to face about conference scheduling Some suggest Kentucky struggling Villanova given a favorable slate By MARK LONG By DAN GELSTON Allan Ray, Kyle Lowry – and left it to dirty-work The Associated Press The Associated Press players like Dante Cunningham and Will Sheridan GAINESVILLE, Fla. — VILLANOVA, Pa. — The gym that Jay Wright to fill in the gaps. When the Southeastern Confer- built into one of the toughest in the land for the “It’s like the NBA, you’ve got to have star ence signed a 15-year contract opposition was absolutely the place to be last Feb- power,” Wright said. “When you have those star with ESPN, basketball coaches ruary. Erin Andrews and the ESPN “GameDay” guys, it makes it easier for all the other guys. When applauded the deal because it pro- crew brought the party to campus. Former Villano- you don’t have those star play- vided more coverage, more expo- va great Randy Foye, who ers, it’s more pressure on the sure and more money. played a crucial role in aiding glue guys. They don’t look as Nearly four years later, several Wright with the heavy lifting, UP NEXT good.” of the league’s most tenured had his No. 2 jersey raised to 6 p.m. CST • Today With the glue guys forced coaches have found a problem. the rafters. Louisville • TV: ESPN into go-to roles, the Wildcats Florida’s Billy Donovan, Van- In the main event, the ninth- have had their worst season derbilt’s Kevin Stallings and oth- ranked Wildcats were set to at under Wright since they went ers are questioning the league’s play No. 4 Pittsburgh. 18-17 in 2003-04. Only unbalanced schedule involving It was one of the toughest Wayns, the speedy scorer, Thursday-Saturday games. tickets in town, though Phillies would qualify as the type of The league added the short slugger Ryan Howard snared a front-row seat. player who would find a starting spot among those turnarounds under the new con- On the surface, the day at the Pavilion was a cel- 2005-2009 Wildcats. tract, giving it another night to ebration of all that Wright had accomplished in 10 Wayns has averaged 30.7 points in his last three showcase its teams. Coaches fig- seasons at Villanova. The 2009 Final Four. The games, and is the Big East scoring leader in confer- ured those games would be annual NCAA tournament trips. The top 10 nation- ence play at 20.6. divvied equally between every- al rankings and All-America selections. Forward JayVaughn Pinkston, a highly touted one. Instead, it appears top- Mark Humphrey/AP The Wildcats were worthy of their place as one recruit who was forced to sit out last season when ranked Kentucky is getting a Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings (left) talks Tuesday with an official in the first half against Tennessee in Nashville. Stallings is one of of the Big East’s elite and the king of Philly hoops. the university suspended him after he was charged favorable draw. several SEC coaches voicing concerns about the conference’s Ayear later, though, the Wildcats sit at .500 and with assault, has bounced back to become a double- The Wildcats don’t have a scheduling. are positioned near the bottom of the conference. double threat. But it hasn’t been enough. Thursday-Saturday setup this sea- Things weren’t much better out of conference. In Wayns said the young Wildcats are getting better son, but they play four Saturday most coveted spot as often as pos- where we’ve got to try to figure fact, there were losses to Santa Clara and Saint and, unlike last season, should be playing their best games against teams coming off Joseph’s. basketball at the end of the season. Thursday night tips. sible. out a better way to make it work.” “It’s not Kentucky’s fault,” Although coaches probably Through it all, Wright has praised his team after “We’ve seen it coming,” Wayns said. “We’ve “Whether it’s a coincidence or games for not quitting, and when that attribute is been getting better. We’ve come to practice and not, there needs to a level of bal- Stallings said. “They’re going to exaggerate the impact of the short do what we’re doing; they’re rest, results indicate it hasn’t had a the sole positive, the cracks must run deep. kept a positive attitude and kept getting better. We ance with what everybody else is Villanova (10-10, 3-5 Big East) enters today’s have the same mindset we had at the beginning of doing,” Donovan said. “Right going to play their games when huge negative impact. Mississippi they’re scheduled. So it’s not a State is 5-0 in Saturday games game at Louisville on a two-game winning streak, the year.” now, if our league is trying to cre- its first one since mid-November. The Wildcats It could be too late come March. ate an opportunity to get as many Kentucky issue. It’s an issue with that followed Thursday night the league office, and I under- affairs, although all of those were would have to win six or seven in a row to even Dominic Cheek was expected to carry more of teams in the NCAA tournament think about extending their NCAA tournament as possible, don’t put teams in a stand that television dictates cer- played at home. The Gators are 4- the load. He played for Hall of Fame coach Bob tain things, and that’s fine. 1. The rest of the league is a com- streak to eight seasons. Hurley at St. Anthony’s in Jersey City, N.J., and competitive disadvantage and not “I knew we could struggle. I didn’t think we’d take care of your own.” “The conference office is bined 13-18. was a McDonald’s All-American. He under- responsible to make sure that, The Wildcats are 0-2, including start 1-5,” Wright said. “I thought maybe, 2-4, 3-3, achieved his first two seasons with the Wildcats, Kentucky has played twice on at worst. Then I thought maybe we could click. But one day’s rest since the SEC’s beyond that, things are equitable, a Sunday loss that followed a rare and has mixed in as many mediocre games as solid and I think they need to take a Friday night game. you know it’s possible in this league.” ones this season. schedule tweaks began in January The signs of struggles ahead were clear last sea- 2009. Florida and Mississippi, look and see whether the way “I learned a long time ago not “I knew at the end of last year, when we had a meanwhile, lead the league with things are falling whether things to worry about anything you can’t son. The Panthers stormed into Villanova and good sitdown talk and he said he wanted to be part seven such turnarounds. Alabama, are equitable or not.” control,” Mississippi State coach spoiled that celebratory night, doing what no team of this, I knew he’d be fine,” Wright said. “I knew Auburn, Mississippi State and Coaches argue that the tight Rick Stansbury said. “I just think had done since Jan. 6, 2007 – beat the Wildcats in we were starting his junior year from way behind. Vanderbilt have five apiece. Ten- turnaround between Thursday it needs to be balanced for every- their on-campus home. They lost their last four reg- That’s why I knew there was this possibility we nessee has four. Georgia, South and Saturday games can be a dis- body. There’s some advantages ular-season games, their opener in the Big East wouldn’t be as good this year. If he would have Carolina and Arkansas have three. advantage. Four years ago, they and disadvantages, now. You all tournament, and then blew a late lead in a loss to been a big-time player in his freshman, sophomore No one is blaming the Wild- had little issue with it, saying it research where Kentucky’s at. George Mason in the NCAA tournament. year, now we’re going into his junior year, we’d be cats, though. puts teams in situations similar to What they got. Who they got. Before last season, the Wildcats hadn’t lost more fine. He’s just now starting to feel comfortable in The league caters to the televi- those in the NCAA tournament. When and where they’re playing than eight games in either 2008-09 or 2009-10. The his role now. sion networks, and ESPN’s “I heard the argument, ‘Well, those types of games. You just Wildcats even started last season 16-1 before col- “He was never a problem, he was just kind of “Super Tuesday” lineup typically it’s like that in the NCAA tourna- need to make it balanced for lapsing down the stretch. like doing his thing. Now he’s talking to everybody, draws better than Thursday. And ment. You’ve got to play Thurs- everyone. ... None of us like it. Wright admits, he’s stuck this season. He has no he knows the scouting report, he’s talking on the since Kentucky is clearly the day-Saturday or Friday-Sunday,’ You ask me if I like it? No, it’s seniors on his roster. Maalik Wayns is the only floor. He’s got the confidence of his teammates, his SEC’s star attraction, it’s obvious ” Donovan said.