Enquirer news services

The Kentucky men's basketball team was picked to finish third in the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division, and fourth overall in the race for the league championship, according to a media vote at Wednesday's SEC Basketball Media Day in Birmingham, Ala.

Media members picked the Wildcats, who were co-Eastern Division champs last season, to finish behind Florida and Georgia. UK has not finished lower than second in the SEC East since the league split into divisional play in 1992.

"I'm more concerned about where we actually finish, not where some may pick us to finish," said coach Tubby Smith, who has won three SEC championships and three SEC Tournament titles in five seasons.

Overall, the Wildcats were picked behind Alabama, Florida and Georgia in the battle for the SEC crown. The Crimson Tide captured the title last season with a 12-4 conference record.

Kentucky's annual Blue-White game will be played at 7 p.m. Saturday in Memorial Coliseum.

Tickets are $5, and proceeds will benefit the Boys and Girls Club. Tickets are on sale at the Memorial Coliseum ticket office - 9a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday - or online at ukathletics.com.

Seats also can be purchased by calling 859-257-1818 or 800-928-CATS.

INDIANA: One of the IU fans suing the school over the firing of Bob Knight says the college has tried to have the coach persuade them to drop the lawsuit.

University administrators have sought Knight's assistance as a condition of a financial settlement in his lawsuit over his September 2000 dismissal, said Robert Nemanich, a 1984 IU graduate.

"They wanted Knight to convince us to dismiss our lawsuit," Nemanich told The Indianapolis Star for a story Tuesday. "They put a condition on the settlement. It looked to me like a form of extortion."

University spokeswoman Jane Jankowski, however, said Nemanich's comments were "an inaccurate characterization of the negotiations that are ongoing with Knight's attorney."