The Bucs travel to the 10th-ranked University of Kentucky on Friday to face the Wildcats in the historic Rupp Arena in their first regular season game. These two teams met last year in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, which ETSU lost 100-71.

But that was a completely different Kentucky team. The Wildcats lost some of their starting players to the NBA Draft. The Bucs on the other hand, return with the core of their team.

“We’ve got an experienced team,” head coach Murry Bartow said “There is no question that we feel like we can go in there and win the game, but it is Rupp Arena, it is 24,000 people, it’s a tough place to play.”

Experience is one advantage that the Bucs have, which is a fact that junior Isiah Brown has recognized.

“We have a lot of motivation going into this game,” the junior said. “A lot of us are leaving after this year. We want to make this a special season.”

“In the beginning of the game it is going to be ‘who wants it more?'” Brown said. “I know we have a lot of heart, and we want this game really bad.”

Even with the different personal, it is the same coach and same offense.

“They still do the dribble drive, with a spread attack,” Bartow said. “It’s still the same coach on the sidelines, who is one of the best in the nation.”

The Bucs are limping into this game with injuries and Bartow doubts senior forward Tommy Hubbard will play Friday night.

The team is not as far along as Bartow would have liked when he scheduled the game during the summer.

“I didn’t know Tommy would be out, and I thought our [junior college] players would be a little farther ahead then what they are.”

With all that being said, the Bucs still believe in their abilities.

“Our players are really excited and we think if we play well we have a shot to go in there and win,” Bartow said.

The game is set to tip at 7 p.m.

The game will be broadcast on FSN South and on the radio on station 640 AM.

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