MATCHUPS

Sporting News, The, Nov 22, 1999

KENTUCKY VS. UTAH, 7 P.M. ET FRIDAY, ESPN: This possible second-round matchup in the preseason NIT (Kentucky must beat Penn and Utah must defeat Arkansas State) will give Utah's Rick Majerus a chance to avenge that 1998 NCAA title loss. (A November 24 Ohio State-Arizona semifinal also is possible. The final is November 26.)

Frontcourt: Utah lost Wooden Award candidate Hanno Mottola for six weeks when he suffered a knee injury last week. Veterans Alex Jensen and Nate Althoff are solid, but it could be a grizzly battle with UK's physical Jamaal Magloire and freshman Marvin Stone.

Backcourt: The Utes will be feeling their way at the point for the start of the season. UK's Saul Smith, who has his coach's/dad's support if not everyone else's, must replace point guard Wayne Turner.

Prediction: With no true floor leader or starting power forward, Utah will fall in an ugly one to Tubby Smith's Wildcats.

MAUI INVITATIONAL SEMIS, 7 & 9 P.M. ET TUESDAY, ESPN: Possible matchups include Florida's young run-n-gun crew against Purdue's more controlled, veteran lineup, and North Carolina's potentially explosive front line battling Georgetown's Ruben Boumtje Boumtje and his teammates. Finals are 10:30 p.m. ET Wednesday on ESPN.

ST. JOHN'S AT NEW MEXICO, SATURDAY, NO TV: This possible CoSida Classic matchup would have new Lobos coach Fran Fraschilla, dismissed from St. John's in 1998, facing a number of his former recruits, including G Bootsy Thornton. Thornton should put on quite a scoring battle with Lamont Long at off-guard.