Keith Bogans

LEXINGTON - Better shooting mechanics and more physical play will cure Kentucky senior guard Gerald Fitch's scoring slump. Or at least that's what UK coach Tubby Smith thinks going into today's game at Notre Dame. Fitch was just 3-for-22 from the field, including 2-for-16 from 3-point range, in Kentucky's two previous games - a home-court loss to Georgia and overtime win at Tennessee. "He pulled back on his shot (at Tennessee). Everything he shot was short," Smith said Friday.

Tubby Smith normally is hesitant to put extra pressure on a player, especially during the middle of the summer. However, the Kentucky coach made it clear Monday during the Southeastern Conference teleconference that junior Kelenna Azubuike will be counted on to do more things for the Wildcats this season. "I think he's very capable of doing that," said Smith. "It's time for him to do that this year. In the past, we really haven't needed him to do that. Every player has his role to play on a team, and we've had some pretty outstanding players the last few years.

Before the season started, college basketball analyst Larry Conley thought Florida was the Southeastern Conference's best team. His reasoning was that Florida had the most talented overall returning team and could be even better than coach Billy Donovan's earlier Final Four team. "Of course, I also said Florida last year and was totally wrong. I might be wrong again," said Conley back in November. "Tubby (Smith) has to make a decision about whether he's better going big or small.

LEXINGTON - Last year it was a loving, kind Tubby Smith who watched Kentucky win 26 straight games, climb to No. 1 in the national rankings and go into the NCAA Tournament as the team many considered the one to beat. Even today Smith still believes that if leading scorer Keith Bogans had not injured his ankle in a Midwest Regional semifinal win over Wisconsin, the Wildcats would have won the national title instead of losing to Marquette in the next round. Smith has not been nearly as compassionate with this year's 17-4 team.

LEXINGTON - Joe Crawford keeps insisting he's ready to show everyone why he was such a highly-touted player when he came to Kentucky. The Detroit native was considered a can't-miss prospect by all the national recruiting analysts, and Kentucky coach Tubby Smith thought he not only had a big-time scorer when he signed Crawford, but he also expected him to be a tenacious defender. Crawford hasn't been bad at Kentucky. But he's also not been close to extraordinary. Going into Saturday's game at Louisville, Crawford is averaging 14 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

With the countdown to Saturday's Kentucky-Louisville basketball showdown under way, something that former UK All-American Kenny Walker told me started me thinking (yes, I do actually think at least two or three times per week). "(Kentucky coach) Tubby (Smith) is going through a tough situation with some of the fans right now, but if he can beat Louisville for a third straight year, I wouldn't say it wouldn't make any difference what he does the rest of the year but it sure would be a big feather in his hat," Walker said.

Rather than merely test the NBA draft waters, Kentucky's Kelenna Azubuike has decided going pro is the best choice for him. Azubuike could have tested his draft status and still returned to Kentucky for his senior year if he had not retained an agent. That's a strategy former Wildcats Tayshaun Prince and Keith Bogans both used before finishing their careers at Kentucky and then starting successful NBA careers. But Azubuike surprised almost everyone Thursday by announcing he had already signed with an agent and would not be back at Kentucky.

Kentucky basketball coach Tubby Smith thought he would have a team returning that could contend for a national championship next season. Now Smith might be on the verge of losing a second returning starter to the NBA after freshman center Randolph Morris decided to put his name into the NBA draft pool. Kentucky issued no statement on Morris' status and athletics spokesman Scott Stricklin said Tuesday that he could not confirm or deny the report. However, Morris faxed a letter to Smith Monday stating he was going to enter the draft but not hire an agent, a move that will allow him to retain his college eligibility.

Say what you will about what Josh Carrier has or hasn't done on the court at Kentucky. But his work habits can't be questioned. Kentucky's coaches have recognized that Carrier was doing everything he could to make himself better, and now he is doing even more. He believes that he will get another opportunity to become a consistent contributor for the Wildcats, and he is making sure he's ready when the time comes. "It's a new year, and that's how I've got to look at it," he said.

This could be the year Kelenna Azubuike makes his mark in college basketball by becoming a consistent contributor on what could be a national title contending team at Kentucky. Azubuike, a sophomore, has all the physical tools to be a success. He's a prolific scorer, soars above the rim and understands how to play within Tubby Smith's system. He spent last season mainly watching and learning from players like Keith Bogans and Gerald Fitch, but this year he has a chance to show he really is a rising star.