Alabama

LEXINGTON - Earlier this week Kentucky coach John Calipari noted that his Wildcats would face two dramatically different styles of games against Arkansas and Alabama. The Razorbacks tried their normal fast-paced approach Tuesday and lost 86-63 to No. 2 Kentucky (18-1, 4-0 Southeastern Conference). Now Alabama will try a much different approach in Saturday's game in Rupp Arena. Calipari said he expected Alabama “is going to in the half-court going to absolutely physically defend the 3. ¿More of an old-school way of playing, and this is all good stuff for my young team.” The Kentucky coach expects the game “to be a war” and again emphasized after Tuesday's win that he felt Alabama along with SEC rivals Florida, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State are all potential NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen teams.

It's been just more than four months since a massive tornado tore through the western Alabama city of Tuscaloosa, killing dozens. In all, more than 240 died in Alabama in the tornado outbreak April 27. While a short period of time has passed, much work is left to be done, and Wilmore-based GO InterNational is seeking 10-12 volunteers for a mission trip scheduled for Oct. 16-23. “Homeland Missions is a new field for us,” GO president Bert Jones said. “GO has typically been international, but we really believe the Lord is leading us in this direction for the last year or so.” Jones said stateside missions can reach another segment of people who cannot afford international trips.

The Centre College women's golf team finished third Monday in the 22-team Southern Shootout at Birmingham, Ala. Centre's Allison Hancock shot 72-76 - 148 at Highland Park Golf Club to tie for ninth place in the 36-hole tournament. Alyssa Brown (77-72 - 149) of Centre tied for 14th place, Whitney Miller (78-74 - 152) tied for 25th, Kathleen Kennedy (76-78 - 154) tied for 33rd and Michaela Manley (83-79 - 162) tied for 65th in the field of 124 players. The Colonels shot 603 to finish 16 strokes behind first-place Lee.

The Jessamine County Beef Cattlemen Association is well known for raising money to help out local charities. Last year, the group raised more than $15,000 for Jessamine charities, and this year, the association has more cookouts planned that will benefit more local groups. But on May 21 and 22, the association’s fundraising efforts will branch out from the local scene as members are on a mission to raise money for tornado victims in Alabama and flood victims in western Kentucky.

LEXINGTON - Anthony Davis plays above the rim. He just had a hard time finding it Saturday. Davis had a rare lackluster performance that included a missed slam dunk and just one field goal on nine attempts in the first half of a 77-71 triumph over Alabama at Rupp Arena. It was that kind of day for Davis and Alabama's scheme was to frustrate Davis in the post and limit his domination. “That was our number one plan,” Alabama forward JaMychal Green said afterward. The plan limited Davis to just 11 points, with seven of those coming from the free-throw line.

Even though he had indicated he wanted to go to a school where basketball was the main focus and one capable of contending for a national championship, shooting guard Trevor Lacey turned down a chance to sign with Kentucky or Kansas to remain close to his Huntsville, Ala., home and play for Alabama. The 6-3 Lacey averaged 31.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 2.6 assists per game last year while leading Butler High School to another state championship. He was named Alabama’s Mr. Basketball twice and helped his team win three state titles.

Maybe Kentucky players thought they were ready to play on the road. Or maybe the easy home-court wins over Auburn and LSU were merely fool’s gold and gave the Cats a false sense of security going into Tuesday’s game at Alabama. However, Kentucky looked anything but ready when it fell behind 52-32 before storming back, only to make two crucial mistakes late and lose 68-66. It was a potential crushing blow for the Cats, who had played poorly in their Southeastern Conference opener when they lost at Georgia.

Line: Alabama by 17. Series: Alabama leads 34-2-1. Last meeting: Alabama 17-14. Television: WKYT-TV Channel 27 What's at stake Alabama will try to match Florida for style points a week after the top-ranked Gators pummeled Kentucky 41-7. The Wildcats are hoping to prove their inept play in the first quarter against the Gators ? when they fell behind 31-0 ? was a fluke. Key matchup Kentucky's offensive line vs. Alabama's defensive line: The Wildcats were harassed and harried against the Gators, and now must find a way to contend with arguably the top defensive line in the nation, led by All-American nose tackle Terrence Cody.

Kentucky's home game with Alabama Oct. 9 has been selected for live regional telecast by Jefferson-Pilot Sports as its "SEC Game of the Week. " Kickoff will be now be at 12:30 p.m. at Commonwealth Stadium. This will be Kentucky's third live network telecast of the season, as the Louisville and Florida games were on ESPN.

LEXINGTON - As soon as he saw Kentucky's 2003 schedule, Jon Sumrall knew one game was going to be extra special for him. That game is Saturday when the Wildcats play Alabama in Tuscaloosa, which is only a short drive from his hometown of Huntsville, Ala. "I remember looking when the schedule came out and seeing the date September 13," said Sumrall. "I've known that date for a long time because it will be sort of a homecoming for me. "Almost everybody I know has called.

Katherine C. Grigsby and M. Brett Wood were married April 27 at the farm of the bride's grandparents, Bob and Kathy Allen, in Danville. The bride is the daughter of Michael and Amy Lewis of Orlando, Fla. She is a graduate of Orangewood Christian Academy, Samford University and The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Health Professions where she earned a degree in clinical nutrition. She is employed as a clinical dietitian at Vaughn Regional Medical Center in Selma, Ala. The groom is the son of Michael and Pamela Wood of Dothan, Ala. He is a graduate of Morgan Academy, Auburn University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry where he completed a residency in orthodontics and a masters of clinical science.

What do Kentucky fans and coach John Calipari have in common? Easy. They are all disappointed with the Wildcats' loss Tuesday at Alabama. “To be honest, I'm disappointed, but my disappointment is more with me than it is with the individual players on this team,” Calipari posted Thursday on www.coachcal.com. “Over the years, we have always taken great pride in getting guys to accept roles, to play for their teammates and to play to win versus playing not to lose. Our teams have always played tough both mentally and physically.

When Alabama coach Anthony Grant watches Kentucky on film, he sees an opponent that will be a major challenge for his team Tuesday night. “They're an explosive offensive team, very talented and a diverse defensive team, so it'll be a great challenge for our guys,” said Grant. He says Kentucky's balance is what makes the Wildcats explosive on offense. “You look at it and they've got five guys averaging double-figure points for them, which is impressive. Their field-goal percentage is outstanding.

The Centre College women's golf team finished third Monday in the 22-team Southern Shootout at Birmingham, Ala. Centre's Allison Hancock shot 72-76 - 148 at Highland Park Golf Club to tie for ninth place in the 36-hole tournament. Alyssa Brown (77-72 - 149) of Centre tied for 14th place, Whitney Miller (78-74 - 152) tied for 25th, Kathleen Kennedy (76-78 - 154) tied for 33rd and Michaela Manley (83-79 - 162) tied for 65th in the field of 124 players. The Colonels shot 603 to finish 16 strokes behind first-place Lee.

HOOVER, Ala. - He considers Kentucky coach Joker Phillips on the hot seat going into this year after posting a combined 11-14 mark his first two years as the Wildcats' head coach, but former coach and longtime radio sports analyst Max Howell isn't sure what the answer is for Phillips to succeed. Howell was at the Southeastern Conference football media days doing his three-hour afternoon show with co-host Rachel Baribeau and spent time talking to coaches, players and media members. The Alabama native played at Troy State and coached future NFL star Emmitt Smith in high school before coaching at both Florida State and Mississippi.

LEXINGTON - He's now scored in double figures in six straight games and seems to be back almost fully recovered from the dislocated finger he suffered in mid-December that left him in pain as well as searching for points and rebounds. Still, sophomore Terrence Jones has yet to silence his critics. That's what happens when you turn down a chance to go to the NBA to come back to Kentucky vowing to become the top pick in the 2012 draft. He was also named Southeastern Conference preseason player of the year based on his sensational freshman season at UK. Overall, he's averaging 11.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

LEXINGTON - How can you not love watching Michael Kidd-Gilchrist play - unless you are playing or coaching against him. In the first 67 seconds of Saturday's 77-71 win over Alabama, he hit the deck grabbing a defensive rebound and then was knocked down again getting an offensive board. Next, the stole the ball from former UK¿recruit Trevor Lacey, drove the length of the court and maneuvered around Lacey to score. A minute later he was fouled powering his way along the baseline and hit two free throws.

LEXINGTON - Before Saturday's game, Kentucky had played so few close games that the Wildcats had attempted just 13 free throws in the final three minutes of games where the margin was six points or less. In Saturday's 77-71 win over Alabama, Kentucky went 10-for-12 at the foul line in the final three minutes - UK did not score a field goal the final 6 minutes, 57 seconds and got its final 15 points at the foul line - to stay unbeaten in Southeastern Conference play with its fifth straight league win. Kentucky coach John Calipari was at a loss to explain how his team hit 22 of its last 27 foul shots after starting the game 5-for-13 at the foul line.

LEXINGTON - Anthony Davis plays above the rim. He just had a hard time finding it Saturday. Davis had a rare lackluster performance that included a missed slam dunk and just one field goal on nine attempts in the first half of a 77-71 triumph over Alabama at Rupp Arena. It was that kind of day for Davis and Alabama's scheme was to frustrate Davis in the post and limit his domination. “That was our number one plan,” Alabama forward JaMychal Green said afterward. The plan limited Davis to just 11 points, with seven of those coming from the free-throw line.

LEXINGTON - Earlier this week Kentucky coach John Calipari noted that his Wildcats would face two dramatically different styles of games against Arkansas and Alabama. The Razorbacks tried their normal fast-paced approach Tuesday and lost 86-63 to No. 2 Kentucky (18-1, 4-0 Southeastern Conference). Now Alabama will try a much different approach in Saturday's game in Rupp Arena. Calipari said he expected Alabama “is going to in the half-court going to absolutely physically defend the 3. ¿More of an old-school way of playing, and this is all good stuff for my young team.” The Kentucky coach expects the game “to be a war” and again emphasized after Tuesday's win that he felt Alabama along with SEC rivals Florida, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State are all potential NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen teams.