Kentucky fans make dome their home

ATLANTA -- The drive from Lexington, Ky., to the Georgia Dome is about 380 miles, quite a haul for most college basketball fans. For fans of Kentucky, it might as well be Rupp Arena, just down the road from campus.

That surely is what the Dome will feel like to third-seeded Baylor (30-7) Sunday when it meets top-seeded Kentucky (35-2) in the NCAA South Regional final.

Wildcats fans have taken over this town, as they often do this time of year, complete with blue "Catlanta'' T-shirts, with reinforcements having arrived Saturday to snap up unwanted tickets from Indiana and Xavier supporters.

Anthony Davis, Kentucky's star freshman forward, has gotten used to this sort of thing. Still, he marveled at the "very crazy'' scene Friday night.

"I looked to the right and saw a little section of Indiana [fans]," he said. "Then I turned around and it was like blue everywhere else. I don't know how they do it, but they find a way to get to every game and sell the house out.''

That adoration comes at a price: expectations and pressure. John Calipari, the latest coach to face Kentucky Nation, summed up the phenomenon:

"You're supposed to win every game by 25. If you're winning by 15, what's the issue? What's going on with our program? If you, God forbid, lose one, it's 'how can we lose this game?'

"I love our fans. They're crazy. They watch game tapes three times. I don't watch the game tapes three times. But that's coaching and playing in Kentucky. It's a little different, let me say that.''

When it comes to the current team, fans are not alone in expecting big things. Kentucky is the top overall seed and remains the clear favorite to win it all.

That makes its third consecutive Elite Eight berth under Calipari no big deal. Even a victory Sunday and a second Final Four in a row will be viewed merely as another step, not an accomplishment in itself.

It's a tough standard for a team that starts three freshmen and two sophomores. But that's Kentucky.

In Baylor, the Wildcats will face a rare opponent that can match up well in size and athleticism. It would be unwise to bet against the Bears in a dunk contest with Kentucky.

Senior forward Quincy Acy had one off an inbounds alley-oop Friday that ranks among the tournament's highlights to date. Kentucky may defeat Baylor, but it will not intimidate Baylor. Its fans might, though.

After beating Xavier on Friday, the Bears watched some of the Kentucky-Indiana game from behind a basket, and witnessed the power of Kentucky fans up close.

"I thought it was cool,'' guard Brady Heslip said. "Being there, sitting there, I just admired it. That's just part of tradition.''

No Wildcat has gotten more love and attention from fans than Davis, who likely will be Calipari's latest one-and-done phenom.

"Kentucky fans are crazy,'' he said. "Wherever you go, they're there. And they really show us a lot of support . . . They never get mad at you. You can lose a game, they still love you and still say, 'Great game.' They don't turn on you.''

Umm, really? Forgive him. He's young, and has lost only twice as a collegian. Calipari knows better.