By LARRY VAUGHT

NASHVILLE — Tennessee senior Wayne Chism has gone head to head — or maybe blow for blow — with Kentucky freshman DeMarcus Cousins twice this year.

Statistically, neither player has an advantage. Both teams have won one game while. Cousins was 6-for-16 from the field and averaged 10 points and 7.5 rebounds in the two games. Chism was 9-for-27 from the field and averaged 10 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

“He played the same in both places. It’s just at his place no calls were made (by the officials). It was ESPN GameDay and a late game and everybody was hyped and the refs let you play,” said Chism.

“In the second game, he played a good game and I played a good game, too. We were both battling. At the same time, he made a lot of free throws in our game (7-for-9) and he didn’t make a lot (1-for-8) at his house, but he did a great job both times I thought.”

The two could match up again here in the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals. The Vols would have to win two games — and they will be favored in both — while UK would have to beat either Alabama or South Carolina Friday to make Saturday’s semifinal round.

“It’s always Kentucky-Tennessee that fans want to see,” Chism said here Wednesday before practice for the Vols’ opening game against LSU. “The season is split 1-1 and usually Kentucky will take the season 2-0. But we battled our tails off so it would not be that way and beat them at our place.

“Still, everybody wants to see us play again. We match up with them the best, I think, of anybody in the league. Georgia might match up with them, too. But I know Kentucky and Tennessee fans would both love to see us play again and I hope they get their wish.”

So what is the best way to attack Cousins, who has a league-leading 18 double-doubles this year and has already made several postseason All-American teams?

“He loves to spin. You just can’t let him feel your body. If he feels your body, he knows how to move. He can actually take you off the bounce, too, because he has great hands,” Chism said.

“His good play has not surprised me. You could tell when he came in that he was good and was going to be good in this league. He has proved that with the way he is playing. I think Patrick (Patterson) took him under his wing and taught him everything in the book, and Cousins listened.”

Cousins, though, has averaged only 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in the last two games — well below his season averages of 15.6 points and 10 rebounds per game.

The league-wide theory seems to be that the best way to stop Cousins is to get inside his head and upset him.

Chism smiled and agreed.

“You can tell when freshmen get upset about the coaches or refs, especially the refs. When Cousins wants a foul and don’t get it, he gets frustrated and upset. It’s easy to see,” Chism said. “Sometimes he’ll get frustrated with the bumping and banging. He don’t like all that.

“He has to learn to deal with it. Now he is not letting it get to him any more and is just playing ball. I get upset, too, but you can’t let it change the way you play. You just have to move on to the next play. That’s what experienced players do.”

The Tennessee senior says Patterson is the perfect role model for Cousins to watch.

“I have enjoyed competing against Patterson so much. He is a great player and taught me so much and I probably taught him something, too,” Chism said.

“The way we play against each other is out of respect. Even though we talk crazy in a game, it was fun and was a matter of respect. I respect his game and he’s a great player. Cousins can keep learning from him.”

Chism also thinks UK coach John Calipari has been good for Cousins and UK’s other freshmen.

“He’s really coached his team great, especially with three or four freshmen out there,” Chism said. “It’s tough to get young guys to all play well at the same time, but the way he has coached those guys has been great. You can see how much he works with Cousins and how patient he is with him. Every coach might not have been that way, but he’s really been good for Cousins.”

By LARRY VAUGHT

NASHVILLE — Senior Tasmin Mitchell has played on a Final Four team at LSU as well as last year’s Southeastern Conference championship team. He’s gone against some of the nation’s top players and teams during his career.

LSU’s leading scorer offered these observations on Kentucky, which comes into the SEC Tournament here with a 29-2 record and No. 2 national ranking.

Question: How does Kentucky match up with the top teams you have seen in the SEC?
Mitchell: “Their record shows they are a pretty good team. They have everything. They are tall, physical and have great talent and play [...] Continue Reading…

The 2009 and 2010 Kentucky football seniors put their physical abilities on display Wednesday morning at the annual “Pro Day” workouts for professional scouts

Representatives of 15 National Football League teams, along with the combine scouts for the entire NFL and United Football League, put the Wildcats through their paces.  The 2009 seniors, the first UK class to go to four-straight bowl games, were tested in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, agility drills, various position-specific drills and the 225-pound bench press.  The upcoming seniors for the 2010 season were tested in the 40-yard dash.

Five of the ’09 seniors, fullback John [...] Continue Reading…

By LARRY VAUGHT

For all the vaughtsviews.com readers who are going to be in Nashville, let’s try to get together at 11 a.m. EST Friday — two hours before the Cats open Southeastern Conference Tournament play against either South Carolina or Alabama.

Nashville Sarah White, who provided some great eating, lodging and entertainment suggestions here for Nashville, noted that the SEC FanFare will open at 11 a.m. EST.

“Why don’t we meet there wherever the food is? I can wear my silly hat.  We can see how this goes. Then we can make it an annual event. At that point maybe we [...] Continue Reading…

Vaught’s note: Amanda Lemond is a producer for the noon and 5:30 p.m. newscasts on WLEX-TV in Lexington. She is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University with a major in speech communications and is married to sportscaster Ryan Lemond. She describes herself as a “true blue fan” and says Tony Delk remains her favorite all-time Cat.

By AMANDA LEMOND

You’ll remember the moment Pat Pat decided to wear Blue. All was right in the TRUE [...] Continue Reading…