UK frosh too tough for Cards

Posted: Monday, January 2, 2012 7:03 pm

By COLIN FLY
AP Sports Writer
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist hesitantly accepted a leadership role at first as the youngest member on No. 3 Kentucky’s prospect-laden roster. Comfortable with his status, there’s no telling just how far he can carry the Wildcats.
“I’m very shy, but I’m getting better,” the 18-year-old forward said. “I just relax on the basketball court.”
Kidd-Gilchrist had season-highs with 24 points and 19 rebounds to lead Kentucky in a rough-and-tumble 69-62 victory over No. 4 Louisville on Saturday to extend the nation’s longest home winning streak.
“This is what I live for right here. Why? Because I’ve always been that way,” Kidd-Gilchrist said of the physical play that at times turned it into more like a free throw shooting contest with 52 fouls called. “I’m built for this.”
And Kentucky (13-1) seems built for a long NCAA tournament run after fellow freshman Anthony Davis added 18 points, all in the second half, as well as 10 rebounds and six blocks in the annual in-state rivalry game.
The Cardinals (12-2) only led at 2-0, but gave Kentucky all it could handle after rallying from an early 15-point deficit before tying it in the second half thanks to Russ Smith, who had a career-high 30 points.
“I’ve never coached a team that is willing to give the effort that this team gives,” Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. “Unfortunately there are no moral victories. We struggled shooting.”
Kidd-Gilchrist’s hustle and Davis’ emergence following first-half foul problems proved to be the difference with rapper Jay-Z, actress Ashley Judd and nearly a dozen NBA scouts watching.
With all the luminaries on hand, no one at Rupp Arena was more important to Kidd-Gilchrist than his mother, Cindy Richardson, who attended after being released from the hospital for an unspecified illness last week.
Kidd-Gilchrist said it meant a lot to see her at Rupp Arena after her hospital stay.
Kentucky has won 44 straight at home, including 43 in a row at Rupp Arena, for the nation’s longest streak ahead of Duke’s 43. This one will be remembered after the teams came in with the highest combined ranking in history.
With the game tied at 40 early in the second half, Louisville had a chance to take its second lead but Peyton Siva never hit the rim on an 18-foot jumper.
Kentucky went on a 7-0 run from there, with Kidd-Gilchrist hitting one of two free throws and making a layup on another trip before Davis got to the line and made four free throws over two possessions to make it 47-40.
Published in The Messenger 1.2.12