LEXINGTON, Ky. - After all the buildup, Sunday's
Kentucky-South Carolina showdown might have been only a warm-up. These same teams could meet again Sunday, perhaps with a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament at stake.
South Carolina clinched its first Southeastern Conference title Sunday with its 72-66 beating of UK in Rupp Arena, but talk immediately turned to another rematch.
''More than likely, we'll face them again,'' UK forward Jared Prickett said. ''I think we have to let this (loss) benefit the team, like last year when we learned from the Mississippi State game.''
UK had swept through the SEC regular season at 16-0 last year but was upset by Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament finals. The Wildcats rebounded to claim their sixth national championship.
The SEC Tournament begins Thursday in Memphis. UK has a first-round bye and will open at 7:30 p.m. Friday against the winner of Thursday's game between Auburn (15-14, 6-10 SEC) and Tennessee (11-15, 4-12).
UK beat Tennessee 74-40 in Lexington on Jan. 4 and 74-64 last Tuesday in Knoxville. UK beat Auburn 75-53 in Lexington on Jan.Ç18.
Should UK win, the
highest-seeded team in its side of the draw is Western Division champion Mississippi (19-7, 11-5). Ole Miss beat UK 73-69 in Oxford on Jan. 11.
The highest seeded team South Carolina could see in its side of the draw is Arkansas, which went 8-8 in SEC play (15-11 overall).
''SEC (Tournament) seeding isn't a big deal,'' South Carolina coach Eddie Fogler said. ''The main thing we answered today was, 'Could we win the league outright?'Ç''
The next question: Could South Carolina leapfrog UK for an NCAA top seed, possibly in the Southeast Region? Another victory against UK could ensure that.
''We think we've positioned ourselves for a No. 1 (NCAA) seed,'' Gamecock guard BJ McKie said. ''But we know we'll need the confidence we played with today in order to succeed in Memphis.''
Two stats in UK's favor, should it see that rematch: UK is 14-1 in SEC Tournament play in Rick Pitino's tenure. And UK hasn't been beaten by the same team three times in one winter since Tennessee did it in the 1978-79 season.
No one is posturing UK as the favorite anymore. Fogler said, ''The best team won today,'' and Pitino echoed that.
''They're 2-0 against us,'' UK senior guard Anthony Epps said. ''I guess that sums it up.''
PITINO: SOUTH CAROLINA WIN 'NO FLUKE'
