UK senior duo ready for final Rupp game

Posted: Thursday, March 1, 2012 7:00 pm

By COLIN FLY
AP Sports Writer
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Darius Miller says he’ll avoid crying at Kentucky’s senior night while fellow honoree Eloy Vargas notes the Wildcats expect to keep playing five more weeks.
With Kentucky’s annual exodus of NBA talent it also may be the last time the Rupp Arena crowd sees talented freshmen Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marquis Teague in person.
Sophomores Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones could also make themselves eligible for June’s draft.
Those decisions will come later.
First, No. 1 Kentucky (28-1, 14-0 Southeastern Conference) faces Georgia (13-15, 4-10) tonight when Miller and Vargas will earn starting nods.
“This is where the fun begins now,” said Vargas, a 6-foot-11 forward who will start for the first time in his career against the Bulldogs. “You don’t know what’s going to happen. This is going to be a long season. We’ve got like five more weeks left.”
The Wildcats are squarely focused on their goal of winning the school’s eighth national championship and if they beat the Bulldogs and Florida on Sunday will become just the third team to cap a perfect regular season in league play since 1956.
But the questions of who will go beyond Miller and Vargas and who will stay will remain for several more weeks.
Kidd-Gilchrist caused a stir in the fan base when he said he was staying and graduating from Kentucky following the Wildcats’ win over Vanderbilt on Saturday. Kidd-Gilchrist hasn’t been made available to reporters since the comments, but did post afterward on Twitter: “I’m going to do what’s ever best for me.”
“It’s always good to graduate,” Miller said. “In Michael’s case, he’s in a very unique situation where he can change his family’s life but at the same time he could stay here and have a great time. I know it has to be a tough decision for him. Either way I support him and think either decision would be great, whatever he wants to do.”
It’s been a long road for Miller, who endured the coaching change when Billy Gillispie was fired in 2009 and John Calipari took over the program.
Miller has had 40 different teammates over his four seasons.
Published in The Messenger 3.1.12