The Associated Press

LOUISVILLE - It's a former Kentucky player, not a former coach, who's getting all the attention heading into today's renewal of the Wildcats' rivalry with Louisville.

Marvin Stone, now the Cardinals' starting center, was dismissed from Kentucky last Dec. 27. Two days later, former Wildcats' coach Rick Pitino made his much-hyped return to Rupp Arena as the coach of rival Louisville.

Stone transferred to play for Pitino two weeks later, and now the spotlight has shifted to him as the Cardinals (6-1) prepare to play No. 14 Kentucky (6-2) at Freedom Hall.

"I'm taking this game like all the other games," said the 6-foot-10 Stone. "What happened in the past is in the past. That's not what I'm thinking about."

Pitino said Thursday he hadn't talked to Stone about what might be going through his mind.

Pitino should know. He coached Kentucky from 1989-97, winning the 1996 NCAA title, but felt stung by fans who turned fiercely against him after he took the Louisville job in March 2001.

Last December, he left Lexington emotionally drained after fans relentlessly booed him and the Wildcats beat his Cardinals 82-62.

Pitino isn't worried about how Stone will handle the similar situation - although Stone will dodge the hostile crowd Pitino endured.

"He's such a level-headed kid, he doesn't get very emotional about too many things," Pitino said. "I want him to be emotional, certainly, but I don't want to hear him to say, 'I've got to carry this team.' He doesn't have to do that in order for us to win."

The Wildcats can't wait to see their old teammate, particularly 6-9 senior Marquis Estill, who'll match up with Stone down low.

Estill and Stone remain close friends - but haven't talked this week.

"I've never really played against such a great friend. But I'm comfortable with it. I'm ready for him," said Estill, who's shooting 66 percent from the field, which ranks sixth in the nation.

"Just playing Louisville is always big. Them having Marvin makes it even bigger," said Kentucky senior guard Keith Bogans.

Kentucky coach Tubby Smith said Stone and Estill probably will cancel each other out.

He said the game will be determined more by which team sets the tempo.

Louisville has topped 100 points in two of its last three games and gradually has improved at Pitino's trademark full-court pressing, fast-breaking style.

"They really push the ball up the court. They play the way Rick Pitino's teams usually do," said Smith, who was Pitino's assistant at Kentucky from 1989-91.

But Smith said the Wildcats aren't afraid to run with the Cardinals.

"We don't press and trap as much as they would, but we like to get the ball up and down the court," Smith said. "If a team likes to run, we like to run also if the opportunity presents itself.

"We can play a lot of different styles. That's one of the versatilities of this team."

Kentucky will have its full complement of 15 players for the first time this season.

Junior guard Antwain Barbour is ready to play after breaking his hand in practice Dec. 1.

Last week against Indiana, junior point guard Cliff Hawkins returned after a semester-long academic suspension.

Hawkins had four points, five assists, five rebounds and two steals in Kentucky's 70-64 win at Freedom Hall.

"Antwain has looked good the last couple of days," Smith said. "If he can do what Cliff did last week, as far as bringing us that energy and hustle, that would be a big help."

Pitino is worried not only about Kentucky's added depth but also its rebounding.

The Cardinals have outrebounded their opponents by an average of 10 boards per game, but their schedule to this point has been stacked with undersized teams.

The Wildcats, meanwhile, have played four ranked teams and beaten three of them. Of the four, only North Carolina outrebounded them.

"They're so good on the glass, they're scary," Pitino said. "They rebound with four players, sometimes five."

Kentucky has won the last three meetings in the series by an average of 17 points, but Bogans said Louisville will offer a tougher test than it did a year ago.

"They've got more guys who can put the ball in the basket and they've got some more size with Marvin down there now, so it's a totally different look than we had last year," said Bogans, who leads Kentucky with 19 points a game.

The Wildcats were heavily favored two seasons ago but escaped Freedom Hall with a 64-62 win.

Unlike the Indiana-Kentucky game, which has an equal number of fans split down the middle, few Wildcats' fans ever make it inside Louisville's home arena for the game with the annual Cardinals.

But Smith has confidence that his team, with eight upperclassmen, will be able to handle the intensity of the crowd.

"I don't anticipate us getting rattled," Smith said. "I'll be interested to see how our kids respond.

"But I think we'll respond the right way."

No. 14 UK at Louisville

Tipoff: Noon today, Freedom Hall (18,865), Louisville.

Records: UK 6-2, Louisville 6-1.

Radio: WSAI-AM (1530).

TV: ESPN.

Series: UK leads 23-10.

Line: UofL by 2 1/2.

KENTUCKY

Player	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Chuck Hayes	So.	6-6	7.5
Jules Camara	Sr.	6-11	8.8
Marquis Estill	Sr.	6-9	12.6
Keith Bogans	Sr.	6-5	19.0
Gerald Fitch	Jr.	6-3	13.5

Coach: Tubby Smith (138-45, sixth season; 262-107 overall).

LOUISVILLE

Player	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Ellis Myles	Jr.	6-8	8.6
Erik Brown	Sr.	6-5	4.2
Marvin Stone	Sr.	6-10	20.0
Francisco Garcia	Fr.	6-7	10.0
Reece Gaines	Sr.	6-6	19.6

Coach: Rick Pitino (25-14, second season; 377-138 overall).