Unranked Kentucky looks to regroup after Maui setback

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A trip to Maui left Kentucky a little burned, less by the sun than the dribble.<br> <br> Back-to-back losses to UCLA and Memphis and a fourth-place finish in the Maui Invitational exposed one early weakness for Tubby Smith&#39;s Wildcats. In three games last week in Maui, Kentucky surrendered 146 points in the paint many the result of dribble penetration, which its guards weren&#39;t able to slow and its big men weren&#39;t able to stop.<br> <br> ``We&#39;re a better defensive team than that,&#39;&#39; said forward Bobby Perry, who acknowledged he is taking that ugly number personally. ``With the athletic ability we have, the chemistry we have, there&#39;s really no reason for us to perform like that.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Although the losses following a win against DePaul dropped Kentucky out of the Top 25 Monday, guard Joe Crawford said he was somewhat encouraged by the Hawaii trip.<br> <br> The games particularly the last-minute loss to the now-No. 1 UCLA Bruins proved the Wildcats can play with anybody, he said. They didn&#39;t because of defensive miscues, but Crawford insisted those can be fixed.<br> <br> ``We just never gave up,&#39;&#39; Crawford said. ``I like the fight in the team. It&#39;s still early in the season. If we focus on we&#39;ve got two losses, we&#39;re going to continue to lose.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Despite jet lag that continues to plague Crawford and some teammates, Smith has put his players through three rigorous post-Maui practices and says they have responded well. A trip to No. 7 North Carolina looms Saturday in a battle of the two winningest programs in history, but first Kentucky faces a dangerous tuneup Tuesday at Rupp Arena against College of Charleston.<br> <br> The trick to defending Kentucky&#39;s home court, Smith said, is better defending.<br> <br> ``If you don&#39;t go up and take something away from that dribbler, that ball handler, he can go either left or right on you and you&#39;ve got a lot of problems,&#39;&#39; Smith said.<br> <br> The Wildcats may feature at least one lineup change when they take the court Tuesday night. Freshman forward Perry Stevenson, who used a devastating shot block to dominate lesser competition, demonstrated less of an impact in Maui. Smith said he could be replaced either by senior Sheray Thomas or sophomore Jared Carter, who is back sooner than expected from a shoulder injury.<br> <br> While the Hawaii trip may have signaled that Kentucky isn&#39;t currently at the level some players thought or hoped they said it&#39;s better to know that in November than find out in March.<br> <br> Center Randolph Morris, who was one of few Wildcats who won praise from Smith for his Maui performance, said the tournament provided a rude awakening that the season, in fact, has begun.<br> <br> ``It forces you to take it more seriously,&#39;&#39; Morris said. ``Some teams don&#39;t play that type of caliber early in the season and may be shocked when they play it later in the season.&#39;&#39;

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