But who knows?

Maybe this will be their year.

After all, the 29-5 Utes have perhaps the best player in the country, a supporting cast suddenly looking like a fleet of All-Americans, and a new coach without the psychic scars of five season-ending losses to the Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament since 1993.

"I really don't know anything about that, and I don't think our players do," coach Ray Giacoletti said. "It's just the next opponent on our schedule. I don't think it's anything to even address, to be honest with you."

The Utes will prepare to meet the Wildcats again, then, as if they're confronting just another group of Huskies, Buckeyes or Cardinals. But regardless of how they get ready, the Utes will play the Wildcats on Friday while carrying - wittingly or not - the emotional baggage of scores of players, coaches and fans who preceded them.

On the other hand?

The Wildcats look beatable.

In fact, the Utes might be meeting the least imposing Kentucky group in their history of tournament meetings.

Tickets on sale The Utes will put ticket and travel packages on sale today for their Sweet 16 matchup against Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament on Friday at the Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.

Game time is set for approximately 7:40 p.m. MST. The Utes have been guaranteed 500 tickets for their fans, with the opportunity to buy another 750 if demand is strong enough.

Tickets will go on sale first to Crimson Club members in levels 7-10, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., after which all Crimson Club members, season-ticket holders and students can order online or by phone. Call 1-800-879-6176, or log on to wtms.worldtek.com/

utahstlouis05.

Ticket packages will include both regional semifinal games Friday - top-seeded Duke will meet Michigan State in the other game - as well as the regional final Sunday, even if the Utes do not play in that game."The name alone is going to tell you it's one of the best programs in the country, and we need to be on it."

The Wildcats are 27-5 and a second seed in the Austin Regional, but they have suffered some lopsided defeats this season, lost to Florida twice in eight days before the NCAA Tournament, and played a lackluster first-round game against Eastern Kentucky before smothering Cincinnati in the second round to reach the Sweet 16.

The names aren't especially imposing, either - at least not yet.

A talented but young team, the Wildcats do have first-team All-SEC forward Chuck Hayes and two former Parade All-Americans in starting point guard Rajon Rando and backup guard Joseph Crawford. But certainly, they're nothing like the dominating 1996 team that beat the Utes by 31 points in the Sweet 16 with a lineup featuring Tony Delk, Walter McCarty, Antoine Walker and six others who later played in the NBA.

"I wasn't around" the previous Kentucky teams, Giacoletti said, "so I don't know. . . . We're really just starting to kind of get a feel here, because I have not watched them play at all this year."

The Utes spent Sunday resting after returning from their 67-58 victory over Oklahoma in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Tucson, but they will return to practice this afternoon and no doubt face many more questions about reuniting with the Wildcats.

It's not like they're oblivious, either.

Though Giacoletti said none of the players have said anything to him about the program's history with the Wildcats, the players seem clearly aware of it.

Center Andrew Bogut did not want to talk about Kentucky after beating the Sooners the other night, and he wasn't even around for the last tournament loss to the Wildcats in 2003. Senior Marc Jackson and juniors Tim Drisdom, Richard Chaney, Bryant Markson and Chris Jackson all played in that 74-54 second-round loss, and only Jackson played well. He scored 19 points while hitting five of seven shots from the field and all eight free throws.

"That's only one game that they played against them," Giacoletti said. "Unless you're a part of the whole deal, I don't think you really feel that, or have any inkling of it. I mean, Kentucky, the name alone is going to tell you it's one of the best programs in the country, and we need to be on it, try to put a game plan together and do what we can control. When we start messing or thinking about other things, we get ourselves in trouble."

mcl@sltrib.com

Up Next

Utah vs. Kentucky

Friday, 7:40 p.m., Ch. 2 Kicked out

Years Kentucky has kicked Utah out of the NCAA Tournament:

1993 83-62 Second round

1996 101-70 Sweet 16

1997 72-59 Elite Eight

1998 78-69 Title game

2003 74-54 Second round