# 2002–03 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team

The 2002–03 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented University of Kentucky. The head coach was Tubby Smith, who was in his sixth season as the Wildcats head coach. For the program, it was the 100th season of Kentucky Wildcats basketball. The team was a member of the Southeast Conference and played their home games at Rupp Arena.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Non-conference regular season ||||||
| November 25, 2002* 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 17 | vs. Arizona State Maui Invitational | W 82–65 | 1–0 | Lahaina Civic Center (2,500) Maui, HI |
| November 26, 2002* 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 15 | vs. Virginia Maui Invitational | L 61–75 | 1–1 | Lahaina Civic Center (2,500) Maui, HI |
| November 27, 2002* 6:30 pm, ESPN | No. 15 | vs. No. 20 Gonzaga Maui Invitational | W 80–72 | 2–1 | Lahaina Civic Center (2,500) Maui, HI |
| December 3, 2002* 8:00 pm, UKTV | No. 18 | High Point | W 84–64 | 3–1 | Rupp Arena (17,038) Lexington, KY |
| December 7, 2002* 2:00 pm, ESPN | No. 18 | at No. 12 North Carolina | W 98–81 | 4–1 | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, NC |
| December 10, 2002* 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 12 | at Tulane | W 76–60 | 5–1 | New Orleans Arena (5,216) New Orleans, LA |
| December 14, 2002* 4:00 pm, CBS | No. 12 | No. 21 Michigan State | L 67–71 | 5–2 | Rupp Arena (23,145) Lexington, KY |
| December 21, 2002* 5:00 pm, CBS | No. 16 | vs. No. 6 Indiana | W 70–64 | 6–2 | Freedom Hall (20,053) Louisville, KY |
| December 28, 2002* 12:00 pm, ESPN | No. 14 | at Louisville | L 63–81 | 6–3 | Freedom Hall (20,061) Louisville, KY |
| December 30, 2002* 8:00 pm, UKTV | No. 14 | Tennessee State | W 115–87 | 7–3 | Rupp Arena (22,052) Lexington, KY |
| January 2, 2003* 7:30 pm, UKTV | No. 20 | Alcorn State | W 94–63 | 8–3 | Rupp Arena (20,000) Lexington, KY |
| January 4, 2003* 4:00 pm, UKTV | No. 20 | vs. Ohio | W 83–75 | 9–3 | US Bank Arena (14,506) Cincinnati, OH |
| Conference regular season ||||||
| January 8, 2003 8:00 pm, JP Sports | No. 18 | at Tennessee | W 74–71 | 10–3 (1–0) | Thompson-Boling Arena (17,273) Knoxville, TN |
| January 11, 2003 7:00 pm, FSS | No. 18 | South Carolina | W 62–55 | 11–3 (2–0) | Rupp Arena (23,510) Lexington, KY |
| January 14, 2003 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 16 | at Vanderbilt | W 74–52 | 12–3 (3–0) | Memorial Gymnasium (14,168) Nashville, TN |
| January 18, 2003* 2:00 pm, CBS | No. 16 | No. 10 Notre Dame | W 88–73 | 13–3 | Rupp Arena (22,778) Lexington, KY |
| January 22, 2003 7:00 pm, FSS | No. 8 | No. 24 Auburn | W 67–51 | 14–3 (4–0) | Rupp Arena (21,554) Lexington, KY |
| January 25, 2003 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 8 | at No. 15 Alabama | W 63–46 | 15–3 (5–0) | Coleman Coliseum (15,316) Tuscaloosa, AL |
| February 1, 2003 1:00 pm, JP Sports | No. 7 | at South Carolina | W 87–69 | 16–3 (6–0) | Carolina Center (14,922) Columbia, SC |
| February 4, 2003 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 6 | No. 1 Florida | W 70–55 | 17–3 (7–0) | Rupp Arena (24,459) Lexington, KY |
| February 8, 2003 3:00 pm, JP Sports | No. 6 | at Ole Miss | W 80–62 | 18–3 (8–0) | Tad Smith Coliseum (8,878) Oxford, MS |
| February 11, 2003 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 3 | No. 20 Georgia | W 87–67 | 19–3 (9–0) | Rupp Arena (23,165) Lexington, KY |
| February 15, 2003 1:00 pm, JP Sports | No. 3 | LSU | W 68–57 | 20–3 (10–0) | Rupp Arena (22,483) Lexington, KY |
| February 23, 2003 2:00 pm, JP Sports | No. 3 | at Arkansas | W 66–50 | 21–3 (11–0) | Bud Walton Arena (18,813) Fayetteville, AR |
| February 23, 2003 2:00 pm, CBS | No. 2 | No. 19 Mississippi State | W 70–62 | 22–3 (12–0) | Rupp Arena (23,203) Lexington, KY |
| February 26, 2003 8:00 pm, JP Sports | No. 2 | Tennessee | W 80–68 | 23–3 (13–0) | Rupp Arena (23,078) Lexington, KY |
| March 2, 2003 4:00 pm, CBS | No. 2 | at No. 21 Georgia | W 74–66 | 24–3 (14–0) | Stegeman Coliseum (10,523) Athens, GA |
| March 5, 2003 8:00 pm, JP Sports | No. 2 | Vanderbilt Senior Night | W 106–44 | 25–3 (15–0) | Rupp Arena (23,061) Lexington, KY |
| March 8, 2003 2:00 pm, CBS | No. 2 | at No. 3 Florida | W 69–67 | 26–3 (16–0) | O'Connell Center (12,581) Gainesville, FL |
| 2003 SEC Tournament ||||||
| March 14, 2003 3:15 pm, JP Sports | (E1) No. 2 | vs. (E5) Vanderbilt Quarterfinals | W 81–63 | 27–3 | Louisiana Superdome (18,510) New Orleans, LA |
| March 15, 2003 3:15 pm, JP Sports | (E1) No. 2 | vs. (W2) Auburn Semifinals | W 78–58 | 28–3 | Louisiana Superdome (21,427) New Orleans, LA |
| March 16, 2003 1:00 pm, CBS | (E1) No. 2 | vs. (W1) Mississippi State Championship Game | W 64–57 | 29–3 | Louisiana Superdome (22,054) New Orleans, LA |
| 2003 NCAA Tournament ||||||
| March 21, 2003 1:05 pm, CBS | (1 MW) No. 1 | vs. (16 MW) IUPUI First Round | W 95–64 | 30–3 | Gaylord Entertainment Center (17,484) Nashville, TN |
| March 23, 2003 1:05 pm, CBS | (1 MW) No. 1 | vs. (9 MW) Utah Second Round | W 74–54 | 31–3 | Gaylord Entertainment Center (17,484) Nashville, TN |
| March 27, 2003 7:15 pm, CBS | (1 MW) No. 1 | vs. (5 MW) No. 21 Wisconsin Sweet Sixteen | W 63–57 | 32–3 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (28,168) Minneapolis, MN |
| March 29, 2003 3:05 pm, CBS | (1 MW) No. 1 | vs. (3 MW) No. 9 Marquette Elite Eight | L 69–83 | 32–4 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (28,383) Minneapolis, MN |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. ||||||

## Awards and honors

* Tubby Smith, Naismith College Coach of the Year

## Team players drafted into the NBA

| Round | Pick | Player | NBA Club |
| 2 | 43 | Keith Bogans | Milwaukee Bucks |