Drama follows UK into title game

ATLANTA- As his team prepares to face Southeastern Conference regular season champion Florida on Sunday afternoon for the league’s tournament title, Kentucky coach John Calipari finds himself in a bit of a public mess.

It all began Saturday afternoon with the Wildcats comfortably ahead of Alabama late in what would end up a 72-58 semifinal victory.

Despite nearing the conclusion of UK’s second of three games in three days and calls from Kentucky fans to clean out his bench, Calipari continued with his primary six-man rotation of guards Brandon Knight, Doron Lamb, Darius Miller and DeAndre Liggins and forwards Terrence Jones and Josh Harrellson.

He got what could be considered a warning shot across the bow when Liggins landed hard and gingerly limped off the court at the Georgia Dome with a couple of minutes to play.

But Calipari did not see that as the premonition it was, and with less than 40 seconds to go, Lamb went down with an ankle sprain.

If that wasn’t moronic enough, Calipari pointed a finger at his injured player.

“(He) could be doubtful (against the Gators),” Calipari said of Lamb, who scored 15 points in the 72-58 defeat of the Crimson Tide. “I don’t know. He was pretty bad in there, but we’ll see – see how bad he wants to play. And I don’t know.

“One thing I’ve learned with some of these young kids, they have the pain threshold of a fourth grader. So, (by Lamb’s behavior) you (would have) thought he was shot in the second half.”

No coach, most probably didn’t think that. Like me, they probably wondered why a player who will be vital as the very thin Wildcats attempt to beat the SEC’s best and deepest team was on the court in a game that may as well have been over.

That is on you. And on Sunday when the Gators, who have averaged 50.2 second-half points the last four games, run your talented, but fatigued team out of the Dome to capture their fourth conference tournament championship since 2004, it will again be on you.

Let’s hope you don’t once again behave like a fourth grader when searching for blame afterwards.

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GAME 33 PREVIEW

No. 12 FLORIDA GATORS (26-6)

Position: Players, Height/Weight, Year, 2010-11 statistics

G: Erving Walker,
5-8/171, JR, 14.6 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game

G: Kenny Boynton, 6-2/183, SO, 14.3 points per game, 2.5 assists per game

F: Chandler Parsons, 6-10/218, SR, 11.6 points per game, 7.8 rebounds per game

F: Alex Tyus, 6-8/220, SR, 8.8 points per game, 5.6 rebounds per game

C: Vernon Macklin, 6-10/240, SR, 11.5 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game

Head coach: Billy Donovan (357-145 in 15th season at Florida; 392-165 in 17th season as a head coach)

No. 15/16 KENTUCKY WILDCATS (24-8)

Position: Players, Height/Weight, Year, 2010-11 statistics

G: Brandon Knight,
6-3/182, FR, 17.7 points per game, 4.1 assists per game

G: DeAndre Liggins, 6-5/195, FR, 8.5 points per game, 1.3 steals per game

G/F: Darius Miller 6-7/228, JR, 11.2 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game

F: Terrence Jones, 6-8/244, FR, 16.8 points per game, 9.1 rebounds per game

C: Josh Harrellson, 6-10/275, SR, 6.6 points per game, 8.7 rebounds per game

Head coach: John Calipari (59-11 in 2nd season at Kentucky and 504-151 in 22 seasons overall)

When: Sunday, March 13 at 1 p.m.

Where: Georgia Dome (Atlanta, Ga.)

TV/Radio: ABC/Gator Radio Network

Tickets: Visit http://www.gatorzone.com/tickets/, http://www.ticketmaster.com or the box office at the Georgia Dome.

Notable: The Gators and Wildcats went 1-1 against each other this year, with each team winning on its home court. … UF is 3-4 all-time in SEC Tournament finals, but 3-1 under coach Billy Donovan, who is 13-19 all-time against UK. … The Gators are 1-2 all-time against Kentucky in the SEC Tournament finals with the last meeting coming exactly six years ago today. There, UF won, 70-53, in the Georgia Dome. … UK is 11-3 all-time against Florida in the SEC Tournament and 89-33 overall versus UF. … The Gators have won nine of the last 14 in the series, but UK has won the last four games away from Gainesville. … Florida is 19-7 at the Georgia Dome since it opened in 1992, including a 12-2 mark in the most recent 14 games. … The Gators have won two SEC Tournaments (2005 and 2007) and one NCAA Tournament title (2007) in the Georgia Dome. … UF won three straight SEC Tournament championships from 2005-07. … Saturday’s victory against Vanderbilt gave Florida 26 wins for the fifth time in school history. The other four times have resulted in Final Four appearances. … Among active players, UF’s 6-foot-10 senior swingman Chandler Parsons is the only player in Division I basketball with at least 1,300 points, 800 rebounds, 300 assists and 125 steals in his career. The 2010-11 SEC player of the year, Parsons has scored in double figures in both conference tournament games so far this week. … How respected is Parsons around the league? In the last 14 seasons the lowest an SEC player of the year had finished on the conference’s scoring list was 11th (Alabama’s Erwin Dudley in 2002). The versatile Parsons finished 25th this year. … Starting guards Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker are combining to average 40 ppg so far in the SEC Tournament. … Florida freshman center Patric Young grabbed a career-high eight rebounds in Saturday afternoon’s semifinal victory against 24th-ranked Vanderbilt. … UF shoots .464 from the floor, while UK shoots .462. … Kentucky is the only team in the league to have two players finish in the top five in scoring (Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones) and rebounding (Jones and Josh Harrellson). And Knight’s 4.2 assists-per-game ranked second to Vandy’s Brad Tinsley (4.5 apg). … Among schools from the ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 10 and SEC with a minimum of 10 wins away from home, Florida has the nation’s second-best record (12-3) and winning percentage (.800). Only Kansas (15-1, .938) has done better. … Prediction for the game: Florida 78, Kentucky 64 with Boynton earning MVP honors. That will propel UF to a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

PAST EXAMS AND GATOR(GR)ADES

Game 1: Florida 77, UNC Wilmington 60. Gator Player of the Game: Scottie Wilbekin (3 points, 5 assists, 4 steals); Opposing Player of the Game: Chad Tomko (15 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: B– . Record: 1-0.

Game 2: Ohio State 93, Florida 75. Gator Player of the Game: Vernon Macklin (12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block); Opposing Players of the Game: David Lighty (26 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal) and Jared Sullinger (26 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: C. Record: 1-1.

Game 3: Florida 105, North Carolina A&T 55. Gator Player of the Game: Will Yeguete (7 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals); Opposing Player of the Game: Thomas Coleman (8 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A– . Record: 2-1.

Game 4: Florida 61, Morehead State 55. Gator Player of the Game: Chandler Parsons (13 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals); Opposing Player of the Game: Kenneth Faried (20 points, 18 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocked shots. Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: C– . Record: 3-1.

Game 5: Florida 79, Florida Atlantic 63. Gator Players of the Game: Alex Tyus (19 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist) and Kenny Boynton (21 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound); Opposing Player of the Game: Greg Gantt (17 points, 2 assists, 1 steal). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: B-. Record: 4-1.

Game 6: Florida 55, Florida State 51. Gator Player of the Game: Erik Murphy (10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 blocked shot); Opposing Player of the Game: Michael Snaer (15 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A-. Record: 5-1.

Game 7: Central Florida 57, Florida 54. Gator Player of the Game: Vernon Macklin (20 points on 10-of-11 shooting, 8 rebounds); Opposing Player of the Game: Marcus Jordan (18 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: C-. Record: 5-2.

Game 8: Florida 67, American 48. Gator Player of the Game: Chandler Parsons (13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals); Opposing Player of the Game: Troy Brewer (17 points, 2 rebounds). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A-. Record: 6-2.

Game 9: Florida 65, Kent State 52. Gator Players of the Game: Alex Tyus (20 points on 10-of-15 shooting, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist) and Vernon Macklin (19 points on 9-of-12 shooting, 8 rebounds, 3 blocked shots, 1 steal, 1 assist); Opposing Player of the Game: Carlton Guyton (14 points, 4-of-6 on three-pointers, 3 rebounds, 3 assists). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A-. Record: 7-2.

Game 10: Florida 57, Kansas State 44. Gator Players of the Game: Kenny Boynton (15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, 1 assist, helped limit Pullen to 6-of-17 shooting); Opposing Player of the Game: Jacob Pullen (19 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A-. Record: 8-2.

Game 11: Jacksonville 71, Florida 68 (OT). Gator Player of the Game: Erving Walker (game-high 21 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound); Opposing Player of the Game: Keith McDougald (team-high 18 points – 15 in the second half/overtime, 2 steals, 1 rebound). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: D+. Record: 8-3.

Game 12: Florida 66, Radford 55. Gator Player of the Game: Erving Walker (game-high 20 points, including 5-of-7 on 3s, 3 assists, 2 steals); Opposing Player of the Game: Johnathan Edwards (team-high 15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 assist). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: C-. Record: 9-3.

Game 13: Florida 71, Xavier 67. Gator Player of the Game: Kenny Boynton (16 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal); Opposing Player of the Game: Tu Holloway (game-high 26 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A. Record: 10-3.

Game 14: Florida 84, Rhode Island 59. Gator Player of the Game: Chandler Parsons (18 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 blocked shot); Opposing Player of the Game: Delroy James (game-high 23 points, 6 rebounds). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A. Record: 11-3.

Game 15: Florida 77, Mississippi 71. Gator Player of the Game: Erving Walker (20 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, becomes 47th Gator to record 1,000 career points); Opposing Player of the Game: Chris Warren (20 points, 3 assists, 3 turnovers, 2 rebounds, 1 blocked shot). Buddy’s Gator(Gr)ade: B+. Record: 12-3 (1-0 in the SEC).

Game 16: Florida 81, Tennessee 75 (OT). Gator Player of the Game: Alex Tyus (18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocked shots, 1 steal); Opposing Players of the Game: Cameron Tatum (game-high 21 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 blocked shot, 1 steal) and Tobias Harris (18 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocked shots). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A-. Record: 13-3 (2-0).

Game 17: South Carolina 72, Florida 69 Gator Player of the Game: Patric Young (career-high 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 blocked shot, 1 steal, 2-for-2 FTs in 19 minutes); Opposing Player of the Game: Bruce Ellington (game-high 23 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 4-for-4 on FTs, 1 turnover in 30 minutes). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: D+. Record: 13-4 (2-1).

Game 18: Florida 45, Auburn 40 Gator Player of the Game: No award given; Opposing Player of the Game: Earnest Ross (11 points, 3-of-4 three-pointers, 3 rebounds, game-high 3 steals). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: D. Record: 14-4 (3-1).

Game 19: Florida 75, Arkansas 43 Gator Players of the Game: Kenny Boynton (20 points, 4-of-7 three-pointers, 4 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, held Razorbacks’ leading scorer, Rotnei Clark, shotless) and Chandler Parsons (career-high 15 rebounds, 5 points, game-high 5 assists); Opposing Player of the Game: Delvon Johnson (12 points, team-high 7 rebounds, 1 blocked shot). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A. Record: 15-4 (4-1).

Game 20: Florida 104, Georgia 91 (2 OT) Gator Players of the Game: Vernon Macklin (career-high 23 points, 10-of-15 from floor, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal), Kenny Boynton (game-high 24 points, 12-of-12 FTs, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals) and Erving Walker (game-high 24 points, game-tying 3 at end of first OT, 5 assists, 4 rebounds); Opposing Player of the Game: Trey Thompkins (20 points, game-high 13 rebounds, game-high 3 blocked shots). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A-. Record: 16-4 (5-1).

Game 21: Mississippi State 71, Florida 64 Gator Player of the Game: Erving Walker (team-high 18 points, 5 rebounds, team-high 4 assists, 2 turnovers); Opposing Player of the Game: Dee Bost (game-high 24 points, game-high 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 turnover). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: C. Record: 16-5 (5-2).

Game 22: Florida 65, Vanderbilt 61 (OT) Gator Player of the Game: Chandler Parsons (team-high 18 points, game-high 11 rebounds with 4 offensive, 3 steals, 2 assists, 1 turnover in 39 minutes); Opposing Player of the Game: John Jenkins (game-high 22 points, 6 rebounds 1 steal, 1 turnover in 42 minutes). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: B. Record: 17-5 (6-2).

Game 23: Florida 70, Kentucky 68 Gator Player of the Game: Chandler Parsons (team-high 17 points, game-high 12 rebounds with 3 offensive, 5 assists, 1 blocked shot, no turnovers in 37 minutes); Opposing Player of the Game: Brandon Knight (game-high 24 points, 4-of-5 three-pointers, 6-for-6 FTs, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 blocked shot, 4 turnovers in 36 minutes). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A. Record: 18-5 (7-2).

Game 24: Florida 79, South Carolina 60 Gator Players of the Game: Chandler Parsons (14 points, game-high 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal) and Erving Walker (season- and game-high 25 points on just 9 shots – making seven, including 4-of-5 three-pointers, 3 assists, 2 steals, just 1 turnover in 36 minutes) ; Opposing Player of the Game: Bruce Ellington (team-high 14 points, 5 rebounds, co-team-high 3 assists, co-team-high 2 steals). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A-. Record: 19-5 (8-2).

Game 25: Florida 61, Tennessee 60 Gator Players of the Game: Erving Walker (team-high 16 points – including 9-for-9 from the foul line, 3 assists, 1 rebound) and Alex Tyus (10 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals); Opposing Player of the Game: Scotty Hopson (game-high 22 points, 3-of-3 on three-pointers, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: B. Record: 20-5 (9-2).

Game 26: Florida 68, LSU 61 Gator Player of the Game: Erving Walker (co-team-high 17 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal); Opposing Player of the Game: Ralston Turner (game-high 18 points, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 rebound). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: C+. Record: 21-5 (10-2).

Game 27: Florida 71, Georgia 62 Gator Player of the Game: Chandler Parsons (16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 blocked shot, 0 turnovers); Opposing Player of the Game: Travis Leslie (game-high 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting and 4-of-4 foul shooting, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: B. Record: 22-5 (11-2).

Game 28: Kentucky 76, Florida 68 Gator Players of the Game: Chandler Parsons (15 points, team-high 8 rebounds, game-high 1 turnover in 37 minutes) and Kenny Boynton (team-high 21 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 turnover in 29 minutes); Opposing Player of the Game: Darius Miller (game-high 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting and 4-of-5 foul shooting, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocked shots, 1 turnover in 35 minutes). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: B-. Record: 22-6 (11-3).

Game 29: Florida 78, Alabama 51 Gator Players of the Game: Chandler Parsons (season-high 19 points, game-high 11 rebounds, 3 assists), Vernon Macklin (19 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists) and Alex Tyus (12 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 blocked shot); Opposing Player of the Game: Trevor Releford (team-high 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, 3 rebounds, 4 assists). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A. Record: 23-6 (12-3).

Game 30: Florida 86, Vanderbilt 76 Gator Players of the Game: Alex Tyus (13 points, game-high 10 rebounds, 3 assists) and Kenny Boynton (17 points, 4-of-9 three-pointers, 2 steals); Opposing Players of the Game: Festus Ezeli (16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocked shots) and John Jenkins (game-high 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting, 1 rebound, 1 steal). Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A-. Record: 24-6 (13-3).

SEC TOURNAMENT

Game 31: Florida 85, Tennessee 74 Gator Player of the Game: Kenny Boynton (team-high 22 points, 10-of-10 FTs, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal); Opposing Player of the Game: Tobias Harris (game-high 25 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal, 0 turnovers in 33 minutes) Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: A-. Record: 25-6.

Game 32: Florida 77, Vanderbilt 66 Gator Player of the Game: Kenny Boynton (game-high 24 points, 5-of-9 three-pointers, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 blocked shots, 1 steal, stellar defense on John Jenkins); Opposing Players of the Game: Jeffery Taylor (team-high 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals) and Festus Ezeli (17 points, 7-of-9 FGs, 9 rebounds) Patton’s Gator(Gr)ade: B+. Record: 26-6.