Oct. 21, 2004

By Derek Poore Kentucky Kernel

LEXINGTON, Ken. (U-WIRE) -- All last season, UK women's basketball was seeking that first silver lining, that first upset.

One could argue they did it at home against Louisville. Down more than 15 points in the second half, UK stormed back to an overtime win. At Vanderbilt, to open Southeastern Conference play, UK kept the No. 22 Commodores within single digits but was unable to overcome that lead, losing 65-57.

They tried against then-No. 1 Tennessee, when Pat Summitt came to face her old assistant for the first time. The Vols led by only five points before pulling away to win 81-72.

Tennessee landed in the Final Four.

Perhaps the closest UK came to hitting upset pay dirt was when No. 14 Louisiana State came to Lexington Jan. 18. The Tigers needed a late basket to seal a one-point victory, 70-69.

The Tigers, too, made the Final Four.

But UK never beat a ranked team.

This year, head coach Mickie DeMoss hopes to pull out those close games.

"Anytime you can pull an upset you have to have some breaks along the way, then finish strong down the stretch," DeMoss said. "We feel like that is what we were not able to do last year."

UK suffered lapses in its play near the end of those close games last season, and DeMoss said those final moments are crucial.

"We came really close to LSU and Tennessee, two Final Four teams, and just could not finish out the last three minutes of the game."

Looking at the schedule, plenty of teams catch the upset eye. Vanderbilt comes to Memorial Coliseum on a Thursday in late January.

By then, UK and its newcomers will have had time to adjust to DeMoss's style and the SEC. The rest of the team will be seeking revenge for losing to Vandy in Nashville twice, once in Memorial Gymnasium and again in the first round of the SEC Tournament at the Gaylord Entertainment Center.

Georgia comes to Rupp Arena to face the Cats in their SEC opener and the Bulldogs should be in the top 25. UK's game at Auburn Feb. 13 is another one to watch.

With a top freshman class, the team can adhere to legendary UCLA coach John Wooden's old formula: take talent over experience.

While Wooden's format can be disputed (see: Tubby Smith's last two seasons), it is a way for UK to sneak up on teams.

The SEC is ridiculously tough. The talent, size and speed of the freshman class can definitely make a difference.

UK will have to make up for the prolific shooting of Jenny Pfeiffer, who left UK over the summer, then skipped to Louisville for a few weeks, then left the Cardinals, too.

The Wildcats will also have to use a stingy defense again to stay competitive with the more talented teams of the SEC.

But if DeMoss, who was famous at Tennessee for recruiting players that won six NCAA titles and made Olympic teams, offers up more freshman classes like her first, UK may soon be on the brighter side of the talent line.

(C) 2004 Kentucky Kernel via U-WIRE