March 14, 2012
The SEC regular-season champion, Kentucky Wildcats, make their NCAA-record 52nd appearance in the NCAA Tournament, earning an at-large bid as the overall No. 1 seed in the tournament.
The Wildcats just missed the league's automatic bid, dropping a 71-64 game to the Vanderbilt Commodores on Sunday in the SEC Tournament championship.
UK was led offensively by senior Darius Miller who tallied a team-high 16 points against Vandy.
The Wildcats received a pair of double-double performances from Anthony Davis (12p, 10r) and Terrence Jones (12p, 11r). For Davis it was his fourth-straight double-double. He also added three blocks.
Doron Lamb rounded out Kentucky's four double-digit scorers.
Series History
The Wildcats and the Hilltoppers haven't met too many times on the hardwood, only five to be exact. Kentucky owns a 3-2 edge in the series.
The last meeting came during the 2002 season (WKU, 64-52).
A match-up in the NCAA Tournament would mark the third time the two schools have met in the postseason, including 1971 (won by WKU) and 1986 (won by UK).
NCAA Tournament History
- UK is 41-10 in tournament openers and has won 19 of its last 20 second round (previously first-round) tournament games. The Cats won their opener last year against Princeton 59-57.
- Kentucky has earned a 13-5 record in the second round since 1992.
- Since 1992, UK is 99-27 (.786) in postseason play (SEC, NIT and NCAA).
- Kentucky is playing an NCAA Tournament game in Louisville for only the fourth time in school history.
- The Wildcats haven't played an NCAA Tournament game in the Queen City since the 1961 tournament.
- UK is 123-33 all-time in the city of Louisville. However, the Cats are just 1-0 in the KFC Yum! Center.
- Kentucky is making its 11th appearance as a No. 1 seed. The Cats were a one-seed in the 2010 tournament, when they advanced to the Elite Eight before losing to No. 2 seed West Virginia, 73-66.
