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By
Shawn Siegel
njhoopsnet@aol.com
June 9th, 2005
NBA Finals: Former Wildcats
& Crimson Tide Face Off
SAN ANTONIO, Tx..
–Former University of Kentucky basketball players Tayshaun Prince and Nazr Mohammed
will both begin their quest for the 2005 NBA title when Prince’s Detroit
Pistons and Mohammed’s San Antonio Spurs open play in the NBA Finals
Thursday.
But Prince and Mohammed are
not the only players from the same school matching up against each
other. Former University of Alabama stars Robert Horry and Antonio McDyess are also on opposing sides.
Neither of Prince and Mohammed
nor Horry and McDyess ever played on the same college team. Mohammed
graduated a year before Prince entered the UK program and Horry two
seasons before McDyess came along.
Either way, the SEC will be
very well represented in this year's Finals. The Pistons little
used Ronald Dupree also attended LSU.
“I’m excited
for Tayshaun and Nazr,” UK Coach Tubby Smith said. “They’ve both worked
very hard throughout their careers and are a credit to the University of
Kentucky. We’re very proud of them and the way they represent our
program. It should be a fun series to watch, especially for Wildcat
fans.”
Prince, who
played at Kentucky from 1999-2002, is looking for his second consecutive
NBA title after playing a key role in the Piston’s run to the 2004 NBA
World Championship. The UK graduate has started all 82 games for Detroit
this season, averaging 14.7 ppg and 5.3 rpg.
Mohammed, who
won two NCAA titles in three seasons at Kentucky (1996-98), was traded
to San Antonio mid-season from the Knicks. He’s started five of his 23
games with the Spurs and ranks 13th in the NBA in rebounds
per 48 minutes (14.6). He averages 6.4 ppg and 6.2 rpg for the Spurs and
is playing for his first NBA title after a career full of trades.
Horry helped lead Alabama to
the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1990 and 1991 was All-Southeastern Conference in
1992 and Academic All-SEC at Alabama as well. After being a first round
pick in the 1992 NBA draft, Horry has gone on to win an amazing five
World Championship Rings with the Rockets and Lakers. He is averaging
6.0 points a game this season with the Spurs.
McDyess left Alabama after two
seasons to become a first round draft pick by the LA Clippers in 1995.
McDyess made history as the University of Alabama’s first basketball
Olympian when he made the USA’s Gold Medal winning team in 2000.
He has averaged 15.7 ppg for his injury-plagued career, and has played
in one All-Star game.
The first game
of the NBA Finals takes place in San Antonio tonight. ABC airs the
series opener at 9 p.m. ET.
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