Darius Miller

Darius Miller knows what to expect when Kentucky opens play in the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. “We’re going to get everybody’s best shot and we’ve got to be willing to give them our best shot, too,” Miller said last weekend. “If we come out and stay focused, we should be all right.” Miller was fine with Kentucky’s placement in the tourney as a No. 4 seed in the East Region. The Wildcats (25-8) could potentially meet West Virginia in the second round with a win over Princeton.

Darius Miller is eager to see how much Kentucky has progressed since its last road game. Miller will get that chance when the Wildcats take on Arkansas tonight in Fayetteville, the team’s first contest away from home since an 81-77 loss at Vandy on Feb. 12. Since the setback to the Commodores, Kentucky reeled off two straight victories, including a 90-59 blowout over South Carolina in its last outing last Saturday at Rupp Arena. “We feel like we are prepared,” said Miller, who scored a career-high 22 points in the team’s rout of the Gamecocks.

ATLANTA - This was a Kentucky win for the old guys. Juniors DeAndre Liggins and Darius Miller along with senior Josh Harrellson combined for 38 points, 23 rebounds and eight assists here Saturday in Kentucky’s 72-58 Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinal win over Alabama. When the Wildcats lost 68-66 at Alabama in January, the same trio combined for 19 points, 14 rebounds and four assists. “The three veterans stepped up the last game (against Mississippi)

ATLANTA - Indiana managed to score 90 points against Kentucky and shoot 52 percent from the field Friday and did things to the UK defense other teams have not done. Vanderbilt's 74 points in a nine-point loss to UK were the most points the Cats had allowed. Indiana had 18 field goals in each half and during the season the Wildcats limited five teams to 18 or fewer field goals in a game and held nine more teams to either 19 or 20 field goals. “We lead the nation in field goal percentage defense all year.

HOOVER, Ala. - There's nothing more entertaining than a high-scoring basketball game, especially for University of Kentucky fans who love fast break basketball. However, UK¿coach John Calipari is a believer in defense and was not thrilled with the high-scoring Blue-White Game Wednesday that produced a 126-104 win for the more experienced Blue squad led by Terrence Jones, Darius Miller and Doron Lamb. “We could win games scoring that many points, but I couldn't stand it. I am a defensive coach.

NEW ORLEANS - Former Kentucky assistant coach Joe Dean Jr. is now a college basketball TV analyst working the Southeastern Conference Tournament. Dean, who is also the athletics director at Birmingham-Southern, has seen No. 1 Kentucky play several times already this season and says there is no doubt UK not only is the favorite to win this tournament, but also the national championship. He shared these insights on John Calipari's team: Question: Do you have any worries about Kentucky's long win streak working against UK¿in the NCAA Tournament?

LEXINGTON - Based on what Kentucky coach John Calipari has heard from NBA contacts, he feels confident four of his players off the national championship teams “are locks” to be first-round picks in the NBA draft later this month. “I have been on the phones with different people as they work out with different teams, and I am trying to see if I can figure out how this is going to play out. The good news is all six will be drafted. It's just a matter of where they will all be drafted,” Calipari said.

STARKVILLE, Miss. - When Kentucky needed them most, senior Darius Miller and freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist delivered for the Wildcats in Tuesday's 73-64 win over Mississippi State that kept the Wildcats unbeaten in Southeastern Conference play. Kentucky trailed 41-28 at halftime when Calipari moved Kidd-Gilchrist to guard State guard Dee Bost, who had 16 points at halftime. He also told Miller he wanted him to shoot more after he was 0-for-2 in the first half. Bost scored just five points in the second half and Kidd-Gilchrist and Miller combined to score 17 points during a game-winning 20-4 run to close the game.

ATLANTA - As Alabama forward Chris Hines left the Georgia Dome court Friday, he let out a big scream and then said, “Can’t wait,” as he walked by the Kentucky and Mississippi players waiting to play to determine who would play the Crimson Tide in the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals Saturday. “That is me. I am emotional. Sometimes I have to set the bar for the team and let them know what I think and expect,” said Hines. “It was more for our guys than anything at Kentucky or Mississippi.

NEWARK, N.J. — Darius Miller hasn’t forgotten Kentucky’s upset over Ohio State on Friday night. The Kentucky junior also knows the Wildcats can’t dwell on the team’s most recent accomplishment heading into today’s East Regional final against North Carolina. “We all tried to get over it this morning,” Miller said Saturday. “We know we have an extremely talented team that’s going to be ready to play tomorrow and we’ve got to move on.” Miller knows the stakes will indeed be high when the two teams meet for the second time this season.