Jerry Tipton on UK basketball

UK seniors Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford acknowledged their relief in Kentucky receiving a NCAA Tournament bid.

“We were a little nervous,” Crawford said on Sunday night. “We wanted to see our name so we could be totally sure.”

UK, an 11 seed, will play Marquette in the first round in Anaheim, Calif., on Thursday.

The team watched the pairings announcement at UK Coach Billy Gillispie’s home. “A castle,” Crawford called it. They watched the draw in what Bradley called “the theatre room.”

The players cheered and celebrated the sight of Kentucky in the bracket.

When asked about Gillispie’s reaction, Bradley said, “He was really serious. It was one of those momentes where a dad is telling how proud he is of his son.”

Bradley and Crawford expressed their eagerness to begin a new portion of the schedule. They saw no problem in having to travel across the country and play on the first day of the NCAA Tournament after a long, grinding season filled with obstacles.

The players saw an advanage in playing someone less familar with UK.

“I’m looking forward to that,” Bradley said. “Teams in the SEC, they’re keying. They know what you want to do. Hopefully it’s an advantage.”