2000-01 record: 24-10; 12-4 in SEC (t1st in East) Final Ranking: No. 8 ESPN/USA Today Postseason: Lost to USC 80-76 in third round of NCAA Tournament. RETURNING LEADERS Points: Bogans 17.0 ppg | Rebounds: Prince 6.5 rpg | Assists: Prince 2.9 apg | FG %: Estill 60.3% | 3pt %: Fitch 40.8% | FT %: Prince 84.3% 00-01 Stats: Kentucky | SEC

		Tuesday, Nov. 6 Kentucky has a shot to win the whole thing. Very seldom do you have a conference with two teams with potential to win the NCAA championship -- the SEC does and Kentucky is one of them. The Wildcats are very deep. Even without Jason Parker, they're still going to be awfully good. As good as Parker was, they've got enough players inside to make up for his loss. Marquis Estill, Jules Camara and Marvin Stone are all very solid guys inside. Freshman Chuck Hayes is also very athletic and very quick inside, and will probably more than make up for what Parker's absence. Estill may have given up his scholarship, but he hasn't given up his play -- he's been awfully tough in practice. Word is, Jules Camara has grown to over 7-feet and that he's been awesome in practice. With returning SEC player of the year Tayshaun Prince and Keith Bogans (who decided against leaving for the NBA) returning, Kentucky has a chance to be really good. A very solid team that can go about 10-deep, the Wildcats have a chance to be as good as anybody in the country.

Outlook
Tubby Smith has been relaxed, upbeat, even borderline bubbly this preseason. Among the reasons: He signed a four-year contract extension upping his pay to about $1.5 million annually during the summer; he no longer has to listen to fans carping about playing his son, Saul, too much; and his fifth Kentucky team is loaded.

Whatever pressure he feels is obviously outweighed by the pleasure of coaching a team bursting with talent.

Once Tayshaun Prince and Keith Bogans pulled their names out of the 2001 NBA draft, the Wildcats became serious national title contenders. And even with a season-ending knee injury to center Jason Parker and some uncertainty at point guard, Kentucky's roster matches up with anyone's.

Prince and Bogans might be the best 1-2 tandem in America, combining for 33.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game last year. Forward-center Jules Camara has a bigger upside than either, a breathtaking 6-11 athlete who returns after being suspended last year for a DUI. Fearless Gerald Fitch refuses to be budged out of the lineup at shooting guard, where he wreaked havoc a year ago with his rebounding and defense.

And that's not even the half of it. Literally. Kentucky almost undoubtedly will put the nation's best second string on the floor.

If senior J.P. Blevins and sophomore Cliff Hawkins combine to share the point productively and disappointing Marvin Stone matures in the middle, there could be no stopping this team before it hits Atlanta.

What we like: Smith keeps recruiting All-Americans -- and keeps getting them to play passionate defense. Last year opponents shot 40.5 percent against the Cats, and that was the highest in Smith's four years at Kentucky.

What we don't like: With Parker's injury, a major load falls on Stone and backup Marquis Estill inside. Neither has shown much consistency as collegians. The best athlete for the job is Camara, but at barely 220 pounds he might be too thin for the kind of interior banging Smith likes to see from his postmen.

The bottom line: Kentucky has lost nine games the past two seasons in November and December, to the irritation of the fan base. The state would collapse if that happens this year -- but don't bet on it, even with a December slate that includes North Carolina, Duke, Indiana and Louisville (coached by someone UK fans are vaguely familiar with). This team shouldn't leave the Top Ten all year, and might push for No. 1.

Key Players Returning
Player	Yr.	Pos.	Ht./Wt.	Comment
Keith Bogans	Jr.	G	6-5/205	PTS: 17.0 | REB: 4.6 | AST: 2.4
Tayshaun Prince	Sr.	F	6-9/215	PTS: 16.9 | REB: 6.5 | AST: 2.9
Jason Parker	So.	C/F	6-8/253	PTS: 8.6 | REB: 4.7 | AST: 0.6
Marquis Estill	Jr.	F	6-9/240	PTS: 7.2 | REB: 3.8 | AST: 0.6
Gerald Fitch	So.	G	6-3/188	PTS: 6.8 | REB: 4.4 | AST: 1.9
Marvin Stone	Jr.	C/F	6-10/253	PTS: 6.0 | REB: 4.6 | AST: 0.6

Key Losses
Player	Pos.	Ht./Wt.	Comment
Saul Smith	G	6-2/175	PTS: 6.8 | REB: 2.1 | AST: 3.8

Kentucky Signings
Player	Pos.	Ht.	High School/College
Adam Chiles	G	6-1	Louisville, Ky./Ballard H.S.
Josh Carrier	G	6-3	Bowling Green, Ky./Bowling Green H.S.
Rashaad Carruth	G	6-3	College Park, Ga./Oak Hill Academy
Chuck Hayes	F	6-7	Modesto, Calif./Modesto Christian