Who would've guessed?
Unbeaten Auburn brings better ranking to Rupp Arena
Posted: Tuesday January 19, 1999 06:14 PM
Few would have predicted at the start of the season that Wednesday's matchup in Lexington between No. 6 Auburn and seventh-ranked Kentucky would be an important game. But Cliff Ellis' undefeated Tigers are the nation's surprise team, making this game the most anticipated one for Auburn in decades.
Six-foot-7 juco transfer Chris Porter has received most of the credit for Auburn's success, but this game represents a chance for Porter's teammates to get some props of their own. Auburn's point guard, 6-2 junior Doc Robinson, leads the SEC in assists. And if Robinson can outplay Kentucky's Wayne Turner, Robinson would establish himself as the league's top point guard.
Senior forward Bryant Smith is Auburn's top defensive stopper. He'll be matched up against Scott Padgett, the Wildcats' top scorer. And 7-foot junior Mamadou N'diaye is only one block away from breaking Charles Barkley's school record for career rejections.
Postseason hopes
Louisville coach Denny Crum predicted publicly last month that his Cardinals "will" have a postseason. For that to happen, Crum will need some help from the NCAA's four-man appeals committee, which heard from the school's president and athletics director during a four-hour meeting in Phoenix on Friday.
Last September, Louisville was placed on three years' probation and banned from postseason play for one year. In making the decision, the NCAA infractions committee overruled its own enforcement staff, which had argued that the violations committed by assistant coach Scooter McCray were not major. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are certainly playing like an NCAA tournament team. After Sunday's win at DePaul, they're 5-0 in Conference USA. They also beat Kentucky in December.
The appeals committee is expected to announce its ruling by the end of the month.
Big Brad
Brad Millard stands 7-3, weighs 345 pounds and goes by the nickname Big Continent. Two years ago he became a folk hero of sorts when he led St. Mary's College into the NCAA tournament.
But Big Continent has been adrift since then.
Millard has twice broken a bone in his left foot and hasn't played a college basketball game since November 1997. Millard was cleared on Jan. 6 to resume light jogging and shooting, but he still can't run or participate in scrimmages, and recent X-rays indicate that his injury is healing slowly. Millard is scheduled to visit the doctor again this week, and the best-case scenario has him returning to the Gaels in time for their conference tournament at the end of February.
Sports Illustrated writer-reporter Seth Davis covers the college basketball beat and appears regularly on CNN/Sports Illustrated.
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