Kentucky basketball ought to be the most intriguing story for the next two seasons.

How can it not be? This one just keeps getting more interesting by the day.

Tubby Smith, the coach who was serenaded by Lexington fans last December when the Wildcats beat former coach Rick Pitino and rival Louisville, has put his foot down on discipline and won't tolerate any missteps by even star players.

	It's clear Tubby Smith is running a tight ship at Kentucky.

Shooting guard Rashaad Carruth wasn't officially dismissed, but the heralded newcomer of a year ago wasn't exactly welcomed back to Kentucky this season. Carruth took his act to Oklahoma, where Kelvin Sampson remains guarded as to whether or not Carruth will shine on the Sooner stage in a year. Sampson remains coy about it, only saying that Carruth has a year to essentially buy into Oklahoma's work ethic or he won't be playing. Taking in Carruth isn't a slap at Kentucky. Sampson is giving Carruth one more chance that he obviously didn't have remaining with Smith.

The same is true with power forward Jason Parker, who is now at South Carolina. Parker, who was celebrated as a coup when the Wildcats won a recruiting fight with Wake Forest after he was deemed erroneously ineligible at North Carolina in August 2000, is gone from Kentucky, too. Parker apparently wasn't the best patient during his double ACL rehab and he wore down on the Wildcats' staff, ultimately dismissed last week for reasons that weren't specified.

So, where does he land? At SEC East rival South Carolina. But South Carolina coach Dave Odom said Parker scholarship situation in 2003-04 would be reviewed in the spring, once again another chance for Parker that he didn't have left at Kentucky.

Center Marvin Stone, who came in with even more hype than Parker, never fully got on board with Smith and checked out last December. He wound up, at of all places, Louisville. The Cardinals weren't initially going to take Stone, who had only a semester of eligibility remaining. Kentucky initially fought the transfer, but lost the PR battle and gave him a release to its rival. But, even then, Louisville wasn't going to put up with Stone taking a lax attitude. If he didn't work in the spring, then he wasn't going to play in December. So, far, he has and is still developing the work ethic needed to survive under Pitino, even for one semester.

Again, this isn't a poor reflection on Kentucky. Smith could only tolerate only so much before Stone's, Carruth's and now Parker's problems became someone else's. But it means there will be plenty of interesting games forthcoming in the Bluegrass State.

There are no plans for an Oklahoma-Kentucky game in 2003-04, but Kentucky will obviously play South Carolina in home-and-home games come 2004, giving Parker a shot against his former teammates and coach. This would actually be Parker's second "you-gave-up-on-me" game after playing against North Carolina as a freshman. And, of course, Kentucky will play Louisville, this season, against Stone and Pitino -- a double-dose of story lines -- in Louisville on Dec. 28.

Those are just the Wildcats who've transferred away from Lexington. Role players Ryan Sears and Adam Chiles are prematurely gone, too, off last season's roster: Sears on his own accord, Chiles with a push. But they won't be missed.

		Thursday, Sept. 5 South Carolina grabbed dismissed Kentucky forward Jason Parker Thursday, admitting him and getting him in school a few days before a deadline to be eligible for the fall semester in 2003. The NCAA won't allow players to count the fall semester as one of the two they need to sit out if they are admitted after the 12th day of class, which is Monday at South Carolina. Parker will sit out the next two semesters and have two seasons of eligibility remaining. South Carolina coach Dave Odom said Parker wouldn't be on scholarship this season because the Gamecocks are out of their allotted 13. Odom said Parker's scholarship situation for 2003-04 would be reviewed in the spring. Odom's staff, then at Wake Forest, was the first to find out Parker could be eligible after North Carolina (where he signed) wouldn't admit him because of an erroneous academic issue, but he chose Kentucky. He played for the Wildcats as a freshman before tearing his ACL twice in the spring and fall of 2001. Odom said Kentucky and Parker's family were upfront about his dismissal but he wouldn't elaborate publicly.

And here's the kicker ... neither may Carruth or Parker.

Kentucky is mum on the Parker situation or really anything about the team. Smith is off limits. But that's OK -- for now. He shouldn't hide, though. He's still got an extremely versatile and potentially SEC title contending team.

The one remaining hiccup is the ineligibility of point guard Cliff Hawkins for the first semester. But his decision-making has been erratic, which means when he's on, he'll be missed, but when he was off and making poor decisions, his absence won't matter.

The Wildcats will go with a point-guard committee of Gerald Fitch, freshman Brandon Stockton and likely have JC transfer wing Antwain Barbour and senior Keith Bogans handle the ball until if and when Hawkins returns. Losing Hawkins for the first semester isn't so bad. Last year's staff viewed him as a gambler defensively and not a great shooter. But he can make the athletic play at the point.

So, too, could Barbour when he's handling the ball. Freshman Kelenna Azubuike comes in with plenty of hype, although less than came with Carruth last fall. He'll be expected to score from the wing and play some defense. Bogans has to be serious and driven after a subpar season following his failed attempt to go into the 2001 NBA draft. Erik Daniels will find time at a variety of positions, becoming the utility man for these Wildcats.

The inside game may lack a proven low-post player with Parker gone, but who knows if he would have been healthy? He wasn't even cleared to play pickup games yet. Jules Camara (1.3 bpg) is still a defensive presence, while developing on the offensive end of the court. Frontcourt mate Marquis Estill (8.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg) has the potential to go off for a double-double, albeit with more finesse than Parker.

And would Kentucky rather have a 50-percent Parker or a 100-percent healthy, hungrier and tougher Chuck Hayes underneath the basket? The answer may be the 6-foot-7 Hayes.

Freshman Bernard Cote could have redshirted had Parker been on the roster, but he'll have to be available. He's more of a defensive player at this juncture in his career and he's got five fouls to give off the bench. Hayes (5.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg in 16.6 mpg as a freshman) could play 35 minutes a game. Kentucky fans will warm to his toughness. Kentucky is a team in transition, one that is always worth watching, now more than ever under Smith. Don't sleep on this team just because of the defections.

Foreign field trips
Saint Louis: The Bilikens traveled to Spain, France and Monoco to discover that there still isn't another reliable scorer next to guard Marque Perry -- yet.

The Bilikens might have found one when they got back in 6-9 Israeli Izik Ohanon, but as a newcomer he couldn't go on the trip. Instead, the Bilikens got inspired play from senior center Kenny Brown, a regular double-double scorer/rebounder. That would be a vast improvement from his seven points and 6.2 rebounds a game he put up last season. Center Chris Braun was supposed to have similar results, but a shoulder injury prevented him from playing on the trip.

Perry was stung by the officials calling him for traveling on his catch and drive move. He was called for traveling four times in the first half of the first game and was never the same, averaging just nine points. Perry averaged a team-high 14 last season. But that didn't damper Brad Soderberg's good vibes on the trip, a must for the first-year Biliken coach to bond with his team before the season.

Providence: The Friars were all banged up on their trip to Italy. Abdul Mills didn't play because of a groin injury. Leland Anderson hurt his back and Rob Sanders pulled a groin dunking the ball. But all wasn't lost amid the skeletal crew.

The Friars re-discovered Marcus Douthit's inside game after he blocked shots, rebounded and was a finisher in the post. Ryan Gomes put up some double-doubles and showed that he could be a dominant wing. And Romuald Augustin got much-needed minutes after sitting out most of last season with a groin injury.

But the trip also showed that Maris Laksa wasn't in top shape as of yet, giving the staff something to hang over his head before October practice begins. The Friars learned that their backcourt is still a question mark and won't be solved easily.

Oregon State: Jay John still got to Australia this offseason, but instead of taking the best team in the Pac-10, he was with one of the worst. But this trip should change that this season.

The first-year coach and former Arizona assistant (Arizona went to Australia in May) installed his new system quickly, allowing the Beavers to look for the first good shot, rather than being too patient. That meant more touches and more shots for forward Phillip Ricci, who averaged 20-plus on the trip, guard Jimmy Haywood (14) and forward Brian Jackson (12). The three seniors adjusted without a hitch to John, especially Haywood, who split on the team late last season after a clash with former coach Ritchie McKay. Haywood had to play more point on the trip because of the absence of newcomer Lamar Hurd, who wasn't allowed to go on the trip as an incoming freshman.

"When your seniors want to have a great year, then you've got a chance," John said.

John needed this trip to bond with his team, especially after seeing the athletic director who hired him -- Mitch Barnhart -- bolt for Kentucky. But the new Oregon State AD, Bob DeCarolis, was in on the interviews with John in the spring, easing the transition for the fresh-faced head coach.

TCU: First-year coach Neil Dougherty wanted to see some semblance of defense on the trip to Australia, but not too much at the expense of TCU's run-n-gun offense that certainly had its moments under former coach Billy Tubbs.

Bingo Merriex averaged 22.5 points, Junior Blount averaged 20.6, and Ronald Hobbs, a transfer from Texas Tech, averaged 17.5. The Horned Frogs averaged 110 points, but allowed 115 in the four 12-minute quarter games.

"I still want to get up and down the court, but I want them to value the ball better and make it tougher for opponents to score," Dougherty said.

Dougherty couldn't get a good look at Jamal Brown because he had a stomach muscle tear. He is hoping the junior forward will be ready to go later in the month for individual workouts before practice begins in October.

Illinois State: The Redbirds went Down Under but found a player who could take them back to the top of the Missouri Valley -- or at least to possibly third behind Creighton and Southern Illinois.

N.C. State transfer guard Trey Guidry led the Redbirds with 18.8 points a game, shot 56 percent on 3s and didn't show too many signs of rust after sitting out the season. The 6-2 sophomore guard gave coach Tom Richardson hope that they can be more offensive this season. Getting quality minutes out of backup point Kevin Troc, who redshirted last season, was also a must.

Princeton: John Thompson III couldn't have planned a more perfectly timed trip to Spain. Spencer Gloger led the Tigers with 15 points a game after sitting out two seasons of basketball. The 6-8 forward played one year at Princeton, transferred to UCLA, transferred back to Princeton and is eligible for his final two seasons.

"He needed this trip without a doubt," Thompson III said. "He played in games during the layoff but it's different with crowds and officials."

The trip was also a blessing for injured forward Andre Logan. He tore his ACL in the first Ivy League game last season and needed reps before the start of practice in October.

The Tigers averaged 83 points a game on the trip and took more offensive chances. Expect to see that carry over into the season for Princeton, making the Tigers seem, well, un-Princeton. More players will create their own shots and the Tigers will look to push the ball up the court, matching Penn's athleticism and giving the Quakers, Yale and Brown a run for the Ivy League title.

Yale: Coach James Jones can't stop raving over Ime Archibong. The 6-3 senior was the most athletic player on the Bulldogs' trip through Italy, dunking and running the floor with ease. Archibong, no relation to Penn's Koko Archibong, hobbled through the second half of last season (9.2 ppg in 22.3 minutes). Guard Chris Leanza, who has battled injuries throughout his career, hurt his knee and may need surgery. But the goal of building team chemistry was accomplished, giving Jones hope that the Bulldogs will challenge for the Ivy League title again.

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