Smith reinstates Fitch, Daniels for Vanderbilt game

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - Kentucky coach Tubby Smith lifted the suspensions of sophomores Gerald Fitch and Erik Daniels on Tuesday, only four days after the two tried to get into a Lexington nightclub using fake IDs. <br> <br> ``Whether they play or not will be a coach&#39;s decision as the game goes on,&#39;&#39; Smith said at an afternoon news conference to preview Wednesday night&#39;s game at Vanderbilt. ``I hope they&#39;ve learned their lesson and put it behind them.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Fitch and Daniels were cited by state Alcoholic Beverage Control officers early Friday as they attempted to enter Varsity Blue, a bar just off campus. <br> <br> Neither played in Saturday&#39;s 71-58 victory over Arkansas. Fitch also missed the Wildcats&#39; previous game, a 64-61 victory over Tennessee, after being suspended for a scuffle with a teammate following a loss at Georgia. <br> <br> Smith wouldn&#39;t say much about the decision to reinstate the two other than he just felt like it was the right time. <br> <br> ``I just don&#39;t want to say, `Yes, they are playing,&#39; or `No, they&#39;re not playing,&#39;&#39;&#39; he said. ``It&#39;s over. I&#39;m not going to address anything else about it. <br> <br> ``There&#39;s reasons ... but I don&#39;t care to share them with anybody else. I see these guys every day and talk to their parents. I&#39;m the only one that really needs an answer.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Neither Fitch nor Daniels was available for comment before Tuesday afternoon&#39;s practice. <br> <br> Despite a myriad of on- and off-court distractions and erratic play all season, the 11th-ranked Wildcats (19-7, 9-5 Southeastern Conference) still can claim the SEC&#39;s Eastern Division title by winning their last two regular-season games. <br> <br> Kentucky is stuck in a three-way tie with Florida and Georgia atop the East Division standings. <br> <br> For the Wildcats to claim the division title outright, they&#39;ll have to beat Vanderbilt (15-12) and then get past No. 8 Florida at Rupp Arena on Saturday. Georgia must also lose one of its last two games against South Carolina and Tennessee. <br> <br> A first or second place finish in the division will earn the Wildcats an all-important first-round bye in next week&#39;s SEC Tournament. <br> <br> ``Even after everything that&#39;s happened this season, we&#39;re still in position to reach one of our goals,&#39;&#39; freshman Chuck Hayes said. ``We know what we have to do. We&#39;ve just got to go out and do it.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Despite the recent suspensions, Smith said he&#39;s been pleased with the way the team has responded in its last two games. <br> <br> ``I like the way our guys are starting to come together,&#39;&#39; he said. ``Hopefully, we can build on the momentum that we have and go into Nashville and play well. <br> <br> ``This is a big game for us as we try position ourselves to get a bye in the SEC Tournament. Knowing that, I expect our guys to come out focused and ready to play.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Kentucky owns an 18-game winning streak in the series, including a 67-59 victory in Lexington two weeks ago. The Commodores have not beaten the Wildcats since Jan. 13, 1993 a 101-86 victory in Nashville. <br> <br> This year&#39;s Vanderbilt team, however, is dangerous from the perimeter. Sophomore guard Brendan Plavich leads the conference in 3-point shooting percentage at 44 percent, and senior guard Sam Howard ranks fifth at 40 percent. <br> <br> ``We&#39;ve got to go out and take care of business, and to do that we&#39;ve got to defend their shooters,&#39;&#39; senior guard J.P. Blevins said. <br> <br> ``They&#39;ve got a lot of guys that can knock down the 3, and taking that away is certainly going to be our biggest challenge. In that gym, they can ignite. I&#39;ve seen it before.&#39;&#39;