banging inside with kentucky players. >> carter: only 56% free-throw shooter on the year. two before day. senior from georgetown, south carolina. >> bob: we see now after the play, where kentucky choose to get the ball out. as much ball handling in the game as possible! you don't want the guys who are weak free-throw shooters handling the basketball. when you have a guy like wall, he can dominate the ball and keep it the entire 35 seconds if he wanted to. >> carter: traffic on bledsoe. near half court. loose ball. bledsoe fights for it. auburn gets it. reed, finally picks it up. strong to the cup. bumped! reed is going to the line! [ cheering ] >> bob: great defense by auburn. as soon as the ball was given up by wall, they were going to trap the first receiver. right here. bledsoe, against the ten second line. everybody on the floor. great hustle right here by sullivan. reed gets to go to the free-throw line. >> carter: dewayne reed had two shots. [ cheering ] >> bob: teammates don't have are to foul. -- don't have to foul. >> carter: an auburn team that's 0-2 in the sec. eight losses on the year, including to ucf, troy, sam houston state. >> bob: that is ancient history now, my friend. they're in the sec and they've developed. now they're ready to rock and roll. >> carter: wall should not give the ball up. [ cheering ] kentucky's undefeated record is on the line. >> bob: they should keep it until the clock runs down. >> carter: 13 to shoot. it's john wall's ball. creating for bledsoe. patterson with a huge offensive rebound, but he lost it! auburn basketball, with 36.3 to go. >> bob: auburn did the right thing. no need to foul when it's a three-point game. the three by bledsoe, way long. the hustle by patterson good. but unfortunately, off his leg. you would expect that is something you'd get an offensive rebound in that situation. >> carter: auburn trailed by 19 points in the first half. and have a chance to tie it with a three on his possession. >> bob: just got to take the first shot that feels good. >> carter: it's been over eight minutes since auburn hit a three. >> bob: they can hold it until the last shot. >> carter: hargrove creates. dishing to knox. swatted out by cousins. 1 seconds to 19 seconds to play. one-second differential between the shot clock and game clock. >> bob: blue shirts everywhere in the paint. cousins comes over and blocks another one. guys do not get shorter as the game goes on. they get tired but they don't get shorter. so the shot block is very much in evidence in this one from kentucky. >> bob: some key plays down the stretch. down three. sullivan makes it. it's a tie! kentucky, gets a quick bounce. the finish by stevenson. the key play for them providing the lead. mr. wall going to the hoop. >> carter: so john calipari's team on defense now. down by three. 19 seconds left on the game clock. 18 seconds left on the the shot clock. what do you expect from the cats? >> bob: switch all screens so no one can get a clean shot. don't worry about whether it's a big man or a little man on somebody. that's what they should do. i suspect that's what they will do. auburn on the other hand, spread the floor. they've had, they better get the pressure up on them. because a three wins it. or what ties it. they can get some penetration and kick, instead of just passing it around, at around the perimeter. so they can still get a two and foul quickly or they can get a three if it's available. >> carter: auburn's made nine threes in the game, but the last three game with 8:20 to go that tied it at 60. that is the only time that the game has been tied. auburn has not led in this game. >> bob: a lot of people say you foul and send somebody to the free-throw line so they don't make three. my feeling is you do that at the end of a shot clock or when it's four, five, three seconds. this, at this juncture in the game you would not want to foul intentionally and send somebody to the free-throw line to tie the game. >> carter: kentucky's undefeated mark is on the line. the second ranked wildcats still lead by three. 19 seconds to play. waller gets the inbound to hargrove. wall disrupts. reed triples. rebound! to patterson. who is fouled. [ applause ] john wall got a hand on the pass intended for reed to disrupt the rhythm of the play. >> bob: john says take it out. his players think he's throwing free-throws but they're not. the challenge by wall right here, very, very difficult shot to make. reed was feeling it. he's the best guy, so you have no problem with that play really. but it was a tough, tough shot. right here now, you've got a foul immediately if you are auburn. foul right away, he says. >> carter: guarding inbounds and the next foul will be free-throws. hands toal with a. he's bumped. wall will head to a free-throw line after a tough foul from frankie sullivan. wall to the line for one and one. if he hits a free-throw it's a two-possession game with 8.9. >> bob: it's curtains. wall has composure. on that play right there, a pretty rough play. got a forearm to the chest. just wauned away, went to the free-throw line. did not get all riled up about it. >> carter: one and one here. wall has to hit the first to get a second. >> bob: sullivan is all the way at the other end of the floor. he is going to try to run the baseline and get free at the three-point line there is a miss. >> carter: bbonus shot. it's now a two-possession game. >> bob: not surprised, right? now john calipari wants the rest of his guys off. the reason for this, he doesn't want somebody to get anxious and get a foul. >> carter: wall gets them both. >> bob: calmly, huh? >> carter: five-point game. auburn has to hurry. reed for three. battle for loose ball. zeros on the clock. kentucky survives to make it 18-0. [ cheers and applause ] a tough task on the road at auburn but john calipari, john wall and the kentucky wildcats go to 18-0. >> bob: i tell you what, you have to give auburn credit for fighting back. they were thought to be not even in this game. and they gave a great, great effort. but you also have to give kentucky's player, they kept their composure when the game got tied and when it was a tough situation on the road. they are growing. that is scary. >> carter: second ranked kentucky goes to 18-0 with a 72-67 win at auburn. for bob wenzel and our entire sec network crew, i'm carter blackburn. for more on the sec network, log on to espnplus.com. now let's go back to the sec network studios. >> hi, carter. bob, thank you very much. whit watson with charles davis. wow! you knew that someone was going to give kentucky a run. and certainly auburn did. >> yeah, they did that. a great game for kentucky. to grow for the young team. >> arkansas, tennessee and mississippi state, the winners on this sec saturday. next week on the sec network, check the listings. auburn and vandy the early game. some of you will see ole miss taking on lsu. the 4:00 game eastern, 3:00 central. kentucky again in that slot. they will take on arkansas. on behalf of charles davis and the entire crew, inside the sec network studios, i'm whit watson. thanks for joining us. see you next week for more southeastern conference basketball.81-66. but they've had no luck here at all in tallahassee. particularly since they joined the atlantic coast conference. >> larry: a real key game for both of these teams, for virginia tech, they would like to continue their winning streak. but for florida state, they can ill-afford to have three straight losses in the acc. they had a big win against georgia tech in atlanta. but this is key game for both of these teams. >> bob: we are ready for basketball. and the toss it up -- between the two big men is our lead referee, dwayne gladden, working with mike eaves and tim nester. delaney has got kitchen up front as virginia tech opens up the man-to-man defense. september greenberg loves his man-to-man. here's dulkys. battles for the rebound. >> larry: the reapi ining reboug numbers are not very different between these two clubs. >> bob: it opens the scoring for virginia tech with terrell bell. >> he matched his career high, florida state. looking to get even here on this possession. and reid gets the lay-in, super feed by kitchen. >> larry: kitchen is averaging about four assists per game. >> bob: a minute in. malcolm delaney, senses the offense. and hokies turn it over. let's have another look at the great pass. >> larry: coming off of the high screen right there, the defense of virginia tech came out to challenge derwin kitchen and everybody forgot about down inside. and an easy lay-up down in there. virginia tech was, things swaying a little bit with delaney, you've got play everybody else, but he's got to be the focus of your defense. delaney, really tough on kitchen, he got screened out on last play. >> bob: singleton, baseline, pop shot -- no. gets his own miss. that's blocked. and victor davila pulls it down for the hokies and virginia tech is off and running. 15-footer, shot at 14. kitchen to the trailing alabi. kitchen, baseline -- >> larry: an early indication, we're going to be going up and down tonight. maybe not as much of a defensive affair as i thought. >> bob: great anticipation by singleton and terrell bell. singleton, you talked about it earlier, the physical talents that this young man possesses, he's a rare combination of a big kid who is a terrific ball hawk. >> larry: i talked about it in opening he can really get on the floor in transition, showing his quickness getting to the midcourt line for the steal. >> bob: last year the only freshman to accumulate 50 steals and 45 blocked shots. post entry to reid and a foul. and this time, it's on jeff allen. the first on the washington d.c. junior. i don't think it's surprising to any florida state fans, they're trying to go inside against this smaller virginia tech squad. and something that september greenberg can ill-afford is foul problems. >> larry: not nearly as deep as florida state. >> bob: ryan reid to the foul line. he's come in through in big games in conference play. you referenced that georgia tech win. one of the reasons that florida state won that game was the play of ryan reid. he went to atlanta and posted a career-best 17. really tough guy. >> larry: the only senior on this florida state squad. >> bob: dulkys rips it out of there. >> larry: great effort by dulkys to keep the ball alive. >> bob: here's alabi on the block. he goes up and over davila. but it matters not -- he travels. >> larry: by watching the first few seconds of that possession by florida state this time. i'll tell you what, virginia tech did a great job of defending post area down in there. all three of their guys had really gotten in front of all of florida state's bigs in there and made it difficult for them to make the pass. alabi did shake three, but couldn't hold it and walk with it. >> bob: here's hudson. allen with three. and we get a foul on florida state. and this one is on ryan reid, his first. >> larry: all the times i've seen jeff allen play, this is my opinion about him. i think he loves to challenge bigger players. i mean he's really an undersized guy, playing inside. but he sees somebody 6'8", 6'9", all the way up to 7'1", i think he relishes going in there and battling these guys. >> bob: you look at his pedigree, to hargrave, he's gone up against the best in his particular age group. and now a tough challenge each and every night in the acc. >> larry: and the fact that there's so many bigs in the acc this year, he's better in rebounding in the atlantic coast conference. >> bob: delaney backs it out. to the corner, and this will hit the glass from hudson. 3-2, florida state. dulkys, nice-looking stroke. >> larry: one of the things about shooters you've got to recognize is when they catch the ball, they square the shoulders in the feet immediately. he did that and it was a great follow-through and a good result. >> bob: dulkys dropped out a screen, no whistle and alabi coming up on the rebound. >> bob: reid back of the basket. into the post and a whistle. and a foul coming. on foul, his find a-out man the ♪ [ ma lf torie f all hamm ] gonnt liutte f and like. ♪ f floa a bly. stke a nnat l buty d sike ♪ inga... 7 ting a [ wohalfalor the wom] i kat's. swit ghalfalor the 15ornce? ale yo st: "too jontoo e: it imat minuuld u or >> bob: from florida state university in tallahassee, acc college hoops, the 6-2 ball game that favors hoemt team. and larry, you talk early about the size and strength of florida state. here we are, the firls time out, allen, davila, bell, all with a foul apiece. >> larry: it will be difficult for them all night long. i'm sure that leonard hamilton is going to try to take advantage of the size, and why not. i would get the ball down there as often as i could. >> bob: free throws for ryan reid. a 63% foul shooter. seminoles went to the line 34 times against the wolfpack tuesday, hit 25 of -- >> larry: bob, they've not shot free throws well at all this year. and leonard hamilton, they led the acc back-to-back years. and i think it was in 2007-2008. >> bob: the big key of that is when you had a guy like adam gorski. here's a shot turn-around, no, by davila. and here come the seminoles in transition. >> larry: good rebound by sin e singleton that time in heavy traffic. >> bob: reid, kitchen, nice ball-fake. good recovery by bell. shot clock to 15. knocked away. 12 to shoot. talk about douglas, and you just sense the seminoles, they've relied so much on him, and why wouldn't you, a first-round pick in the nba. they're still trying to find themselves offensively as the season unfolds. >> larry: bob, i think a lot of times you've got to play like tony douglas, who is now playing in the nba. everybody was so deferential to hip. turning everything over to him. you've got to forget about him. allen fouls it with one on the shot clock! >> larry: oh, no! >> bob: jeff allen went for it, hook, line and three free throws. we'll have to freeze that baby, i think with his foot on the line. let's see here. hard to tell from that angle. >> larry: i don't think there's anything conclusive in what we saw there. >> bob: i believe the call on the floor was a three-point attempt. so the crew in the truck trying to piece this together for the officials. take a look. right side of your screen, allen takes the ball-fake and jumps right into him. foot on the line, it appears. they're going to say two. >> larry: i got to tell you, i detested the delay of the game, but i want the call to be right. you know? they got it right. >> bob: kitchen, larry, is to me, i want to get your opinion -- i think this is a key guy to florida state offensively. he can make a consistent contribution, he had 15 against state here on tuesday night. florida state becomes a better offensive unit. >> larry: one of the things in talking to the staff at florida state, in talking about derwin kitchen, you know, he started out, was going to go to florida, ended up trying to get into st. johns and ended up going to junior college. they got him from iowa, western community college. this is only his second year to be playing guard. and he is not played guard at any of the other places he has been. so he's still kind of getting used to this position out there. >> bob: kitchen, into the game averaging 8.5 per contest. two free throws, to put the 'noles up 8-2 and the hokies, now the team struggling for offense. and another steal by singleton. behind the back! he takes it to the rock and lays it in! >> larry: 39 steals for singleton on the year. that leads the acc. >> bob: what about a forward. a guy 6'9" leading the acc in steals. >> larry: he is good down the floor. he is very fast. >> bob: delaney, driving. and count the basket! malcolm delaney with all of that contact, kept his concentration and scored. he'll get an and one. ure, particularly going up against all of these bigs of florida state. watch him take this punishment right here. i mean, he took a blow. alabi was right there to try to block it and he couldn't get his hand up high enough to get it good protection of the ball with the body that time by malcolm delaney. >> bob: and an outstanding free throw shooter at 86%. the first virginia tech field goal in over five minutes. a 10-5 florida state lead. kitchen, shot clock again -- becoming a factor. eight, seven -- kitchen. back out to dulkys, quick catch-and-shoot, three. >> larry: bob, a great defensive sequence that time by virginia tech. speaking of defense, let's go back and take a look at the steal again by singleton, his second of the first half. and more importantly, a little behind-the-back mustard right there to get it to the rim. that's a terrific play. so very quick from the wing position, and getting out front. you have to be alert as to where he is on the floor. >> bob: sophomore out of dunwoody, georgia, chris singleton, a 10-5 florida state lead. bell -- and dulkys dropping it back to rebound. this is two blocks in the game for the seminoles. it's in and september greenberg is screaming that that should have been offensive goaltending. the basket goes for alabi. and a 12-5 sunol lead. >> larry: alabi has a 9-1 standing reach, he doesn't have to go very far. >> bob: now getting inside, jt thompson rejected, alabi has got it and here come the 'noles. >> larry: what a force alabi is inside. >> bob: alabi splits the defenders, puts it in and a foul on virginia tech. >> larry: how much better can you do? block the shot on one end, go to the other end, set up on the block, receive the ball, make the shot and draw the foul. solomon alabi, boy is he making progress, from his freshman year to this year. lots of energy. >> bob: and a terrific foul shooter, at 7'1", sixth best in the conference at 81%. a three-point play. and a 10-point lead. and sometimes he must look that big. to the opposition. >> larry: the kids are holding up that placard of alabi in the end zone. what a presence he gives to the florida state team. you're always thinking about where he is. if you've got the ball and you're going inside. >> bob: he gets into the ball game now for the seminoles, alabi is out. thompson on the handoff, delaney, contact, offensive foul. there's not much going right for virginia tech now. >> larry: delaney thought he had an opening would ends and the seminoles lead by 10. >> bob: 15-5 florida state. time for our southeast doita trivia question. the 200-2001, how many guards have led the acc in scoring?toy trivia question. the 200-2001, how many guards have led the acc in scoring? here is the current leader, malcolm delaney, at 20.8 in acc games. two in for the hokies, he's averaging 27 a contest. >> larry: i could probably come up with about three, maybe four of those guys. >> bob: i seem to recall this was a guy at duke -- a couple of initials. who had western virginia connections out of roanoke. of course, jj redick, we're speaking of. thompson, back out front to delaney. where are the hokies going to go for offense, if delaney can't get it done with all the defensive attention. >> larry: snaer and dulkys have done a good job on him so far. hokies are having a difficult time scoring. part of it has to do with the fact that florida state's frontcourt is making it real hard. >> bob: with the turnover, back-door cutting and the hokies take it away. nice play. and ben boggs ends up with the basketball. here's delaney, a pull-up, 4-3 and it's good. >> larry: you were asking me whether they go to score? i put it in his hands. >> bob: a transition basket? >> larry: exactly. i think that's where virginia tech is best, when they're going up and down the court. they're much better, particularly when delaney lass the ball. >> bob: singleton, taken away. >> larry: another turnover. and the hokies are going, hudson goes up, in, count it and just like that, the hokies are back in the