Walcott’s Loss of Playing Time Is Bozeman’s Gain

Ryan Walcott was one of Steve Lavin’s favorite players the last two seasons, an overachieving guard in whom Lavin saw something of himself. Walcott played in 55 games and last season logged at least 13 minutes in 26 games.

Like Lavin, Ben Howland was an undersized guard back in the day, but apparently he has no special connection with Walcott. The 6-foot-1 junior from Phoenix did not play Saturday and has only five minutes in three games.

Why doesn’t Walcott play?

“I like Cedric Bozeman,” Howland said.

Bozeman, the starting point guard, played 40 minutes against Kentucky and is averaging 38.3 minutes, despite being hampered by a sore ankle.

And it doesn’t look as if Walcott’s playing time will increase, not with Trevor Ariza and T.J. Cummings probably joining the rotation Saturday. Both are forwards, which could allow Dijon Thompson to move to guard.

Ariza, a freshman, is recovering from a collapsed lung and Cummings, a senior, must regain academic eligibility after this week’s finals.

*

Another Bruin guard who can’t find his way off the bench is Jon Crispin, a transfer from Penn State who was used sparingly last season. Howland has not played him.

Facing Kentucky reminded Crispin of happier days -- or, at least, a happier day. In 2000, he scored a career-high 26 points to help the Nittany Lions upset the Wildcats, 73-68.

*

So who’s No. 1?

“Whoever was No. 2,” Stanford Coach Mike Montgomery said.

That would be Florida -- unless voters vary from form and pick a one-loss team.

Kansas will tumble from the top spot in the polls after losing to Stanford on Saturday.

The Jayhawks reached their perch after No. 1 Connecticut lost to Georgia Tech and the next team in line, Duke, lost before the next polls were published, as had the other contenders.

“Everybody starts with a number, deserved or not, and if you win, you keep it, and if you lose, somebody else takes it,” Montgomery said. “It all sorts itself out for a couple of months.”

“I don’t think there is a clear-cut No. 1.”

*

Kentucky equipment manager Bill Keightley has been referred to as “legendary” in print.

That seems like a stretch, but consider the history.

Keightley, 75, recently marked his 1,000th victory as an equipment man for the Wildcats.

That’s more games than Dean Smith won at North Carolina.

Keightley, in his 43rd year, has been part of 1,304 Kentucky games -- or 53.8% of all the games the Wildcats have played.

*

Bozeman and Kentucky forward Chuck Hayes exchanged a warm greeting before the game. They met during the 2001 high school state championship when Bozeman’s team, Santa Ana Mater Dei, won by three points over Hayes’ team, Modesto Christian.