Rajon Rondo

If there is one college basketball player I would like to watch on a daily basis, it would have to be LSU sophomore Glen Davis. Known as "Big Baby" because of his enormous girth and sometimes childish emotions, he plays basketball with a passion and enjoyment few others do. "I doubt if anyone does enjoy playing more than me," said Davis. "College basketball is a great thing. It's very exciting and intense. You have to have a passion for the game. I don't know that it will get any better than this even at the next level (NBA)

LEXINGTON - Finally, Kentucky had one of those "feel-good" games that even left coach Tubby Smith with no major complaints. The Wildcats routed Mississippi 80-40 here Wednesday night thanks to a stifling defense that limited the Rebels to 22 percent shooting and an offense that Le-Mastered the visitors with 50 percent shooting from the field, 18 assists and 14 straight made free throws in the first 24 minutes. It was obvious that senior walk-on Preston LeMaster should have been the happiest Cat after going 4-for-5 from 3-point range and scoring a career-high 12 points - he only had 15 previous points at UK. However, the player who had the best "feel-good" game was sophomore guard Rajon Rondo.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky coach Tubby Smith has tinkered with his starting lineup the last two games. However, one change he didn't make may turn out to be the best decision of all for the Wildcats. While Smith put talented sophomores Rajon Rondo, Randolph Morris and Joe Crawford on the bench, he left senior guard Patrick Sparks in the starting lineup. Sparks has responded by scoring 37 points, handing out nine assists and making four steals in a team-high 65 minutes of play. He was sensational in the second half at South Carolina Saturday, when he scored 24 points and went 6-for-8 from 3-point range to fulfill the pregame prophecy South Carolina coach Dave Odom had when he warned that Sparks normally had his best games away from Rupp Arena.

LEXINGTON - Rajon Rondo insisted not starting for the first time in his collegiate career was "not a big deal" because his team still won. Yet his play Wednesday during Kentucky's 68-61 victory over Georgia and demeanor after the game indicated being taken out of the starting lineup might be more of a "big deal" than he wanted to admit. Rondo had made 57 straight starts before losing his spot to senior Brandon Stockton as part of coach Tubby Smith's experiment with a new grading system in practice to determine the starting lineup.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Given a chance to pull off a dramatic rally and get a needed Southeastern Conference road victory, Kentucky failed. Rajon Rondo, who had two game-winning shots earlier this season, missed two free throws with 24.7 seconds left after being intentionally fouled following a steal. The Wildcats trailed 84-81 at the time and if Rondo had made both free throws, the Cats could have taken the lead with a score. Instead, Rondo next missed an open 3-point shot from the top of the key after Vanderbilt forced Patrick Sparks to give up the basketball.

LEXINGTON - Kansas coach Bill Self acknowledges that he owes part of his coaching success to Tubby Smith because of what Smith did as Tulsa's coach before Self made a name for himself as Tulsa's coach. However, Self also knows what to expect when he plays Smith's Kentucky Wildcats. "They are going to guard you, and they are really going to pressure you," Self said. "They are going to make it difficult to get easy baskets. They will fly around. UK at Kansas Noon Sat. TV: ESPN Radio: WRNZ-FM (105.

LEXINGTON - Ramel Bradley wasn't quite sure what to do to begin the second half. He played so well the first half here against Central Florida Tuesday that Kentucky coach Tubby Smith decided to start the sophomore guard the second half. However, that was the first time in the 57 games he's played in at Kentucky that he began a half on the court instead of the bench. "I liked starting a lot, but I also think I went out there thinking about it too much," said Bradley after Kentucky's 59-57 victory.

CINCINNATI - With just over 12 minutes left in Friday's game, Ohio had a 54-45 lead over No. 18 Kentucky and had everything going its way. The Bobcats were outshooting and outplaying the sluggish Wildcats. Then Ohio did the one thing it never should have done - it started playing not to lose instead of continuing to try and win. It was nothing blatant, just a lot of tentative plays that allowed coach Tubby Smith's Wildcats to eventually pull out a 71-63 win in the type of grind it out game that UK will likely face often when it starts Southeastern Conference play in less than two weeks.

LOUISVILLE - Patrick Sparks might be known as a scorer, but he insists he doesn't have to score to help Kentucky win. "I can do a lot more than just shoot," said Sparks, a senior guard. He proved that here Friday when No. 19 Kentucky held off Iona 73-67 at Freedom Hall. Sparks made his point despite having only one field goal. Because coach Tubby Smith put him back at point guard as he had the previous game against Louisville, Sparks' role has changed. With Rajon Rondo now playing the two guard, Sparks' primary responsibility is to run the offense.

LEXINGTON - Louisville coach Rick Pitino understands why Kentucky wants to establish more of an inside game. However, he also thinks letting point guard Rajon Rondo keep the ball is a worthwhile option. "What would you rather do - go inside to some of the big men or have Rondo penetrate?" Pitino said Saturday after UK beat his Cardinals 73-61. "I think I'd rather have Rondo penetrate. "Very few players can get exactly where they want to go regardless of what defense you play, and he's one of those people.