"Ever since the season started, we haven't really gotten respect.
We
haven't been seen as a great club with a marquee name," Kentucky's
Allen
Edwards said. "In the Southeastern Conference tournament and the
NCAA
tournament, we've been playing really good ball and basically
blowing
teams out.
"If (other teams) don't take it as a message, they might be next."
Saint Louis got the message, loud and clear. Kentucky (31-4) scored
the
first 10 points of the game, then destroyed the Billikens (22-11)
with a
five-minute stretch later in the half that was a thing of beauty.
After
Saint Louis cut the deficit to 19-11 on Ryan Luechtefeld's baseline
jumper, Kentucky reeled off the next 19 points, displaying all
of its
myriad weapons.
Like the 3-pointer? Three different players -- Allen Edwards,
Jeff
Sheppard and Wayne Turner -- connected from outside the arc. Are
dunks
your thing? Nazr Mohammed and Michael Bradley wound up with rim-rocking
slams when teammates threaded dazzling passes to them under the
basket.
A fan of in-your-face defense? There were plenty of examples.
Kentucky
had six steals and six blocks in the first half. By the end of
the spurt
-- the game just 13 minutes old -- Kentucky had a 38-11 lead.
"If they keep playing like that, we already know one of the teams
that's
going to be in the Final Four," Luechtefeld said. "I haven't seen
the
other four (top-seeded) teams play. But they can't be any better
than
Kentucky was today and the last few weeks."
The Wildcats stretched their lead to 30 points late in the first
half
before settling for a 46-18 lead at halftime.
Sheppard led the Wildcats with 18 points and all five starters
were in
double figures. Larry Hughes, the Billikens' fabulous freshman,
was held
to 11 points, 10 below his season average. Hughes made just 4-of-17
from
the field. Chris Heinrich paced Saint Louis with a career-high
16
points.
"If you're not coaching against them, it's a pleasure to watch
them
play," Saint Louis coach Charlie Spoonhour said.
(2) Kentucky 88, (10) Saint Louis 61
SAINT LOUIS (61)
fg ft tp
-- -- --
Luechtefeld 2-7 4-4 9
Baniak 0-7 3-4 3
Walker 2-7 0-0 5
Hughes 4-17 3-4 11
Cobbin 1-3 0-0 3
Redden 1-3 0-0 2
Heinrich 5-10 6-10 16
Frazier 3-8 0-0 6
Robertson 1-2 2-2 4
Simmons 1-1 0-0 2
---------------------------------
Totals 20-65 18-24 61
KENTUCKY (88)
fg ft tp
-- -- --
Padgett 3-7 3-4 10
Mohammed 5-11 1-4 11
Edwards 5-7 4-4 17
Turner 4-5 2-4 11
Sheppard 7-11 1-2 18
Evans 2-3 0-0 4
Smith 1-4 0-0 3
Magliore 1-1 2-2 4
Bradley 2-2 1-1 5
Mills 0-1 2-2 2
Anthony 1-2 0-0 3
Hogan 0-1 0-0 0
Masiello 0-1 0-0 0
---------------------------------
Totals 31-56 16-23 88
Halftime-Kentucky 46, Saint Louis 18. 3-Point goals-Saint Louis
3-14 (Luechtefeld 1-2, Cobbin 1-2, Walker 1-5, Frazier 0-2,
Hughes 0-3), Kentucky 10-22 (Edwards 3-4, Sheppard 3-6, Turner
1-2, Smith 1-2, Anthony 1-2, Padgett 1-3, Evans 0-1, Masiello
0-1, Mills 0-1). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Saint Louis 41
(Heinrich 10), Kentucky 34 (Mohammed 8). Assists-Saint Louis 11
(Hughes 3), Kentucky 22 (Turner 9). Total fouls-Saint Louis 17,
Kentucky 18. A-19,423.