Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
As we did the podcast this past Saturday, a comment made by Kenny Walker sparked an idea. Walker was talking about the eating habits of Melvin Turpin and it occurred to me that the room full of college students listening to the taping were not even born at the time Turpin played and most had never heard of him. That struck me as unfortunate and led me to this post, a breakdown of my 31 living years of Kentucky basketball. In addition to my desire to write about UK’s history, I also was influenced by my reading of Bill Simmons’ basketball book, particularly his year-by-year writing on the history of the NBA. If it is good enough for the NBA, it is certainly good enough for UK. So what follows is a short, concise description of each year of Kentucky basketball since the one in which I entered the Earth. It is by no means definitive and will be expanded on in my book…but for now, its a good Tuesday read (thanks to Jon Scott’s amazing UK History site for some memory jogging:
1978: On August 28th, I was born but the state was already in celebration mode. The Cats won a national title in St Louis, defeating the Duke Blue Devils 94-78, led by a masterful 41 point performance by Jack Givens. The Goose was joined by Rick Robey, Kyle Macy, James Lee and Mike Phillips, and bulldozed to a 30-2 record and the first title for UK in 20 years. After the Championship, they toured Japan during the summer, winning seven games in the first college basketball tour in Asia.
1979: After the previous title, Joe B Hall returned a young team that struggled with inconsistency all year, finishing 19-12. Kyle Macy was the team’s leader, but after a strong start, the season had very few highlights. The Cats lost in an OT thriller in the SEC Tournament to Tennessee and ended up receiving a trip to the NIT, where they lost to Clemson in the first round. Unfortunately the most memorable moment of the year may have been the fact that UK lost three times to one opponent in a year for the first time in school history (Tennessee).
1980: The Cats bounced back the next season with a 29-6 team that remained in the top 5 most of the season. The Cats were led by Senior Kyle Macy, but also a transcendent performance by a Freshman Sam Bowie, who made first team All SEC. The Cats beat #1 Indiana, #5 LSU, #8 Notre Dame and #9 Purdue during the year. However the season was bookended with losses to Duke, first in the Tip-Off Classic and then in the Mideast Regional Semifinals, right before a potential battle with Louisville (who went on to win the title).
1981: It was another year of transition for UK, but one in which they finished 22-6 and had success all season. Playing a bit easier schedule, the Cats were led by Sam Bowie and Dirk Minnifield and won big games all season. However trophies alluded the Cats, as they came in second in the SEC, lost in the first round of the SEC Tournament and were upset in the NCAA first round by a little team that has given fits to the Cats over the years…Gene Bartow’s UAB.
1982: This was the year in which injuries took out Sam Bowie and left the Cats depleted against the rise of teams with great big men. Derrick Hord was the star of the team and the Cats finished 22-8 and tied for the SEC regular season title. They famously lost a regular season game, while ranked #2, to #1 UNC, the only time those two schools have ever played while being ranked 1 and 2. The Cats lost in the SEC Tournament finals to an Alabama team that held the ball on them (pre-shot clock) for most of the second half. They then were shocked in the NCAA Tournament by Middle Tennessee State, arguably the most random team to ever knock the Cats out of the Big Dance.
1983: This season will always be remembered for one thing…the Dream Game. While the Cats won the SEC and had an All American in “Dinner Bell” Mel Turpin, the only game that mattered that year was the first meeting of UK-Louisville in recent memory. People now cant understand just how big this game was, with the Cats and Cards meeting in an NCAA Regional final in Knoxville, Tennessee for the right to be champions of the state for the first time. The Tournament put the matchup together and it lived up to the hype, going into Overtime before the Dirty Cards pulled it out. The rivalry was born and the game became a yearly statement of national importance.
1984: A renaissance year for Kentucky basketball, as the Cats spent the year at the top of college basketball, ranked either #2 or #3 for most of the season. Kentucky had a dynamite lineup with Bowie, Turpin and Kenny Walker, all of whom helped lead the Cats to the Final Four in Seattle. While there, the Cats laid a bit of an egg, shooting a dismal 25%, while losing to Patrick Ewing and Georgetown 53-40. Some say this was one of the best UK teams not to win the title…and they are right.
1985: It was Joe B Hall’s last season at UK, and for most of the year, the team struggled. It was the year of Kenny Walker and the young guns, as he was joined by a Sophomore Winston Bennett and a Freshman Ed Davender. The Cats finished 18-13, including two rare three-game losing streaks during the season. With the Lexington holding the Final Four for the first time, it looked as if the Cats might miss the tournament all together, but sneaked in as a #12 seed. While there, they made some noise for Joe B, winning their first two games, before bowing out to Chris Mullin’s St Johns team in the Sweet 16.
1986: The new era in UK basketball began with a Coach who knew that the only way to the fans’ hearts was with a perm. Eddie Sutton began his UK tenure with a bang, finishing 32-4, winning the SEC regular season, the SEC Tournament and a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. It was Kenny Walker’s final year and “Sky” had one of the best seasons in UK history, finishing as a consensus First Team All American. The Cats rolled through the NCAA Tournament until they met LSU in the regional finals. The Cats had already beaten LSU three times that season, but the fourth was the charm for #11 seed Dale Brown’s team, John Williams and Ricky Blanton popped the upset and ruined Eddie Sutton’s best team in Lexington.
1987: With Walker gone, it was time for a new star on the UK horizon in the form of “King” Rex Chapman from Owensboro. The Bluegrass native burst on the scene by scoring 26 points against defending champ Louisville in an 85-51 drubbing that stands as the worst beating the Cats ever put on the Dirty Cards. The rest of a season however was a let down…no regular season title, SEC and NCAA first round losses and generally mediocre performances. But man, Rex was amazing.
1988: With Rex Chapman and Ed Davender having another year of seasoning and Winston Bennett returning after an absence, much was expected in 1988, and much was accomplished. The Cats finished 25-5 and spent a decent part of the year at #1 before an upset loss at home to a Chris Morris-led Auburn team. The Cats won the SEC and SEC Tournament, but then were upset in the Regional Semifinals in Birmingham by a Rollie Massimino Villanova team that had no business taking out Rex and the boys. And oh year, this whole year was later vacated by the NCAA after probation…but that doesnt mean it didnt happen!
1989: Worst year ever and I dont really want to talk about it. Lets just put it like this…the team was investigated all season by the NCAA, most of the players were involved in some sort of issue and UK lost at home to BOTH Northwestern State and Bowling Green. 13-19 (only losing season in modern UK history), coach was fired after the year and UK was put on harsh probation. Yeah you can say it sucked.
1990: The Rebirth. A pre-Porcini’s Rick Pitino arrives in Lexington and wins over the state in ways only since matched by Calipari. The team was undersized…the team was essentially four Kentuckians (Hanson, Farmer, Feldhaus and Pelphrey) and two hungry out of staters (Miller and Woods), but they found a way to compete. They took bad losses (150-95 vs Kansas…we still owe them), but also had great wins. They were undefeated at home in the SEC, including a victory over Shaquille O Neal, Chris Jackson and Stanley Roberts’ team that was so improbable that you simply would not believe it. Oh and none of the games were on television…so dont complain when a game is on ESPNU young fella!
1991: The feel-good story became a real-life power. The Cats were still on probation, thus not eligible for the postseason, but Pitino managed to take them to 22-6 and a championship in the SEC. Pitino had lured top 5 national recruit Jamal Mashburn to Lexington even though his first year would not be spent in the postseason. Mashburn combined with the Unforgettables to have a great year and beat Kansas (payback) and Louisville in the process. Pitino came back to Lexington and gave the team a parade for their efforts…fans were ready to party.
1992: Only the greatest season of all time. Seriously, if you dont know about this team, go ask someone. Four Senior starters that are the heart of the UK program. Jamal Mashburn as a player from another planet in terms of talent. They won the SEC Tournament in as big a celebration as I have ever seen by a UK fanbase live and then went to the NCAA, where they played the Greatest Game in the history of this sport. You have seen the Laettner shot and yes it is painful. But the 45 minutes prior are basketball at its best and will make you proud to be a Kentucky fan. Cawood’s last game, UK’s favorite team and a Regional Final that will never be repeated.
1993: For my money, the best UK team that didnt win a championship in my lifetime. 30-4…three losses all close to Vandy, Arkansas and Tennessee on the road. Beat the living tar out of teams, including a 20 point drubbing of the Cards. The team won the SEC regular season title and Tournament rather easily and then found itself in the Final Four after absolutely dismantling the Southeast Regional (Rodney Rogers and Sam Cassell still feel the pain of those beatings). Jamal Mashburn, Travis Ford, Dale Brown and (yes) Jared Prickett led a team that looked unstoppable. Then they ran into the Fab Five in the Final Four…Dale Brown gets hurt, Mashburn fouls out and Jalen Rose and Chris Webber cant be guarded in Overtime. A tough loss to the only team in the country that year that could have beaten that team.
1994: The closest thing to a rebuilding year you could have had in the Pitino era…and they were still really good. Travis Ford struggled without Mashburn to free up looks, but the team still went 27-7, winning the SEC and SEC Tournament yet again. It was a year in which the two best players (Tony Delk and Rodrick Rhodes) both were young and the injury to Rodney Dent halfway through the season left them vulnerable to a team with solid big men. They met that team in the 2nd round of the NCAA, when they met the fighting Jim Mcillvane’s of Marquette. The Cats were never really in it and lost in St Petersburg, beginning a run of misery against Marquette in the NCAA.
1995: Sometimes you remember teams by moments and images. This team has two…the first is Rod Rhodes after his up and down season, missing the two free throws that could have given UK an SEC Tournament win against Arkansas in regulation (they won in overtime). He left at the end of the year. And the second was the NCAA Regional final when Rasheed Wallace and Andre Riddick choked each other in a moment that will last a lifetime. This team was led by Tony Delk who was otherworldly at times, and made all the big shots all year. An Elite Eight loss set up….
1996: The best team in UK history. Its easy to forget how good this team was if you didnt watch them on a daily basis. 34-2…the only losses to UMass and Mississippi State, both of which made the Final Four. The Cats dismantled teams in every way imaginable. Eight players off this team played at least one year in the NBA. One other player is one of the best PGs in UK history (Wayne Turner), another is a Final Four MVP (Jeff Sheppard) and another may have been the most important role player in UK history (Anthony Epps). This was Walter McCarty before he was a Card, Tony Delk before he was underrated and Antoine Walker before he was broke. What a team.
1997: The team that will always be remembered for a torn ACL. When Derek Anderson went down halfway through the season, it looked as if the hopes for a repeat title were gone with him. But Ron Mercer took over, becoming the last Consensus First Team All American at Kentucky and having one of the best half-seasons in modern history. UK got hot at the right time, rolled through the tournament (beating Rick Majerus and Utah in the Elite Eight), and were knocked off in OT by Miles Simon and Mike Bibby in the Finals. Anthony Epps hit a big three to send the game to OT, but the shots got cold in the extra session. For my money, a team that vastly overachieved after Derek Anderson’s injury and it may be Pitino’s best coaching job outside of his first season.
1998: The Comeback Cats become my second favorite team of all-time. Tubby Smith replaced Rick Pitino and went on to win a national championship in his first go-around. There were struggles early, incluidng a loss to Louisville that had the natives restless. But then a team led by Scott Padgett, Jeff Sheppard, Wayne Turner, Allen Edwards and others, found their way, with big production from Nazr Mohammed in the tournament. They beat Duke in a second classic in the Elite Eight, forever making the image of Jamal Magloire putting Wojo in the rack, a favorite for UK fans. The Cats beat Stanford and Utah in the Final Four (a pretty easy draw) and won their second title in three years.
1999: This was a pretty heady time for UK basketball. Three straight title games, six of the past seven years in the Elite Eight. One could be forgiven if UK fans got a little presumptious in their expectations. This season saw UK beat Indiana (Tubby owned Bobby Knight), lose to Louisville (Denny owned Tubby early), lose the SEC Title (to Chris Porter and Auburn of all teams), win the SEC Tournament and then fall to Michigan State in the Elite Eight. It was the Senior year for Padgett, Turner and Heshimu Evans. In Turner’s case, he left UK as the winningest player in the history of college basketball. Read that sentence again. It is amazing.
2000: I like to call the next three years the “blah” years. Not because the teams were bad…they werent. But they were a letdown from the previous nine years and should have been a bit better than they were. This was the first of the “ten loss” Tubby teams and the Cats finished 23-10, but still managed to share the SEC title. They were upset in the first round of the SEC Tournament in Atlanta (still the best tournament for random stories of the Matt Jones era), and were then upset again in the NCAA by Syracuse, after barely surviving St Bonaventure in the first round. This was the team led by Jamal Magloire, who in addition to being the most random NBA All Star of all time, also could be the most random First Team All-SEC. I love Jamal Magloire and will defend him to anyone…so watch it.
2001: This is an underrated UK team, mainly because of what happened the next season. But this was the “very good Tayshaun/great Keith Bogans” year, in which the two guys showed the potential they both had as UK legends. Kentucky lost a number of games early (including the famous “Wear silver uniforms game” against Michigan State), but hit their stride in the SEC. They won the SEC title, won the SEC Tournament easily and headed into the NCAA, in which the Tournament tried its best to recreate Kentucky-Duke Part 3…this time in Philadelphia again. The Cats didnt live up to their end of the bargain however, losing to Scalabrine and Sam Clancy’s USC team. The best player you dont remember from this team is Jason Parker, who set the Freshman rebound record this season and had a great year no one remembers.
2002: Team Turmoil. Enough said. Probably the most disappointing year in modern UK history. Tons of talent…Bogans and Prince both back from testing the draft and while Tayshaun played well, Bogans did not and this year still haunts his UK legacy. Jason Parker got kicked off the team, Rashaad Carruth stayed in trouble, as did Jules Camara, Desmond Allison and most of the team. From a talent standpoint, it was a VERY good team, as seen by the fact that they took eventual national champion Maryland down to the end in the NCAA 2nd round. But for every good (Tayshaun’s 41 vs Tulsa in first round and game winners vs Florida), there was bad (a loss to Patrick Sparks and Western Kentucky in Rupp). A disappointing year that still makes fans shake their heads.
2003: For my money, the most fun team to watch when clicking of any team all time. Led by Keith Bogans and slew of Juniors (Gerald Fitch, Eric Daniels, Cliff Hawkins and Marquis Estill), the 2003 team was Tubby Smith basketball at its best. Defense led to offense and the passing was almost magical. No team in recent Kentucky history has found the open man better than this bunch and their fun was infectious. People have to remember that this is the ONLY SEC team in HISTORY to go undefeated in the SEC and win the SEC Tournament…only one. Take that in for a second. They beat teams senseless, including a win in Rupp over #1 Florida that stands as one of my 5 favorite games. They lost to (guess who) Marquette and Dwayne Wade in the Elite Eight, when Keith Bogans went down with an ankle injury and Wade introduced himself to the world. Tough ending for a team that should go down as one of the all time UK greats.
2004: For the second straight year, this team went into the tournament as the #1 overall seed, an amazing accomplishment, especially for this bunch. The Cats lost Bogans and Estill, but the Juniors added Chuck Hayes and Antwain Barbour to the rotation, and still played well. They won the SEC, SEC Tournament and only lost 4 regular season games (to ranked Louisville, ranked Vandy and for some reason, twice to Georgia), The tournament then had their terrible matchup with UAB, when some guy named Squeaky hurt UK and their running style presented terrible matchup problems for the Cats. This game still gets me because UK came all the way back from an 18 point deficit to lead and had a wide open Gerald Fitch shot to win. But it missed, knocking the Cats out and leaving Fitch a notch below where he should be in the UK legends circle.
2005: Until this season, Kentucky’s last good chance at a Final Four. Tubby Smith brought in a #1 ranked recruiting class and combined it with Chuck Hayes, Patrick Sparks and Kelenna Azubuike for a team that was very good all year. They won the SEC, but couldnt beat Florida for the SEC title (the first time the Gators had beaten UK in 8 games…and they won the next 7). After Shagari and Woo hurt Andrew Bogut, the Cats faced Michigan State in the Elite Eight in a classic game. Patrick Sparks did his thing (as he did against Louisville earlier in the year) and hit a shot at the buzzer to send the game into Overtime. But UK could get no rebound when it counted and came up short…a loss that Tubby Smith once told me was the hardest he ever had to take.
2006: A change in eras for Kentucky as the “Tubby guys” of Hayes, Kelenna, etc gave way to a new era of players in the form of Crawford, Rondo, Morris and Bradley. All season the team struggled to connect and produced one of the more disappointing years in recent UK history. Even though the team oozed talent, it never connected and as the year went on, the team got fat (look at Sparks, Stockton and Heissenbuttel before and after the season) and slow. They did not win the SEC or SEC Tournament (the first team in 15 years to not do either) and lost to UCONN in the NCAA Tournament, in what may have been the Cats’ best game of the season. Rondo’s UK career ended, having never really reached the heights he could of at the college game.
2007: The last year of the Tubby regime was somewhat painful. The same cast of characters returned, absent Rajon Rondo and very little changed. When he wanted to, Randolph Morris could be dominating and during the season, he put forth some amazing. But generally he was lackadaisical, as was the team. All season the Cats followed a pattern…they beat everyone they were supposed to and lost to anyone good. When it came time for the tournament, they surprised people by beating Villanova in the first round (as they were supposed to) but then were ran over by #1 seed Kansas in the second round. At the end of the season, Tubby departed for Minnesota and a new era of excitment began…or so we thought.
2008: Aww the Clyde era…short, but not short enough. The Gillispie era had an auspicious, but telling, beginning, as the Cats lost to Gardner Webb in his second game…at home…by 16…and it wasnt that close. The early part of the year was painful…loss to San Diego…BLOWN OUT by Indiana, Louisville and North Carolina…and consistent disappointment every time the team took the court. But then Ramel Bradley, Patrick Patterson and Joe Crawford gutted out a win versus an undefeated Vandy team at home (on the road they lost by 41) and things got better. The team lost in the SEC (in the infamous tornado game to Georgia) and then made the NCAA, before being beaten in the first round by (guess who) Marquette. It was a poor season, but we didnt think it could get worse until….
2009: The second worst season of my lifetime. Gillispie presided over the collapse of a program, slowly but surely. Even though he had two potential All Americans in Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson, Gillispie found ways to lose…to everyone. VMI at home, LSU at home and the worst, a Georgia team with a lame duck coach and no talent, playing Kentucky…at home…on Senior Day…with the Cats needing a win to potentially make the NCAA Tournament. The season was saved by two moments, Jodie Meeks’ breaking of the scoring record when he went for 54 against Tennessee and an NIT game against UNLV at Memorial Coliseum, which was one of the cooler games in recent memory. The season ended with an NIT loss to Notre Dame and Gillispie was gone thereafter.
And now here we are…those are a lot of words. I hope you enjoyed them…and maybe one day we will do them in more detail. But not tonight…my fingers are tired from the typing.
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Bill Keightley Report : Never to be forgotten.
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November 9th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
That’s great Matt and Ima let you finish, but Woodyard is having a GREAT game on ESPN… they must have called his name a dozen times so far…
November 9th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Outstanding
November 9th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Let me add to your post Mr. Jones:
2010: The best team in UK history. Coming off the Clyde Era, expectations were high and the Cats delivered. Calipari in his first
year as coach silenced all the critics (Hubert Davis) and the Cats steamrolled their way to a 30-1 regular season record, an SEC championship,
and a national title. This team produced the #1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft (John Wall) as well as two others in the top 20 (Patterson and Cousins).
John Wall proves to be the best PG in UK history (sorry Wayne), wins SEC player of the Year, is MVP of the Final Four, and wins Naismith Player of the Year.
What a team.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
Post of the Year!
November 9th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
Matt, i’m assuming you ment to say Anthonthy Epps as the role player in 96. Definately agree with you if thats the case. One of the most under appreciated players in the modern era.
Great Post
November 9th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
The Gillispie era is still somewhat surreal to me. On the surface he had all the things to be the perfect fit at UK… success at all prior stops as a coach, young, energetic, a down-home personality (remember his introduction at that pep rally and donating money to that lady so she could buy a suit to her dad’s funeral, and I remember an article Bozich wrote talking about how it was the first time in 10 years anyone in the media had been inside the UK coach’s office), and a total basketball junkie- someone who loved basketball so much and was so devoted to it that it cost him his marriage. He wrapped up Patrick Patterson’s recruitment, got a couple other highly-touted players to commit, and all seemed well. And then the rally in his first season where we went on a tear in the SEC, and everybody was really believing it and buying into it.
And then he just totally freaked out on everybody and never recovered, making a fool of himself to Jeanine Edwards (twice, and the second time, overtly disobeying the administration’s request to make sure he was more polite to her at their next interview), making some of the worst coaching decisions in UK history against Georgia (subbing 5-for-5 when the game was close, only to see a 2-3 point deficit expand to 12 in a matter of about 1 minute), treating all the players like crap, extremely bizarre recruiting strategies, and just the general chippiness that came through in all his dealings with the media. I’ve never seen a coach anywhere get eaten alive the way he did, and it was all his own doing. Like I said, it’s still surreal to me… I thought he was going to be great here.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
96 was the year I really became a UK fan. I was 9 and to this day, Antoine Walker is still my favorite Cat, broke or not.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
What a read! Looking forward to the book.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
and yes, if I burn you in a pickup game, you will see the Walker shimmy in full effect.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Nice post, Matt. Did you say you were…writing a book?
November 9th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
I have to agree with the assessments of the 1996 team as the best ever and the 2003 team as one of the best. That 2003 team was awe-inspiring at times (my freshman year at UK, and so it was the first team I’d ever seen live. Was at the front of the Erupption Zone for the Florida game.)
Counting Shepp, who had a few cleanup minutes at the end of the bench for the Hawks, that team had nine guys play in the NBA. I have had entirely serious arguments with people over whether or not the 1996 team was the best college team ever, and whether or not they could have been a contender in the NBA in 1996 (for the record, I think they could easily have beaten the bottom of the league that year, but they weren’t going to a Finals.)
November 9th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Very entertaining read. A few minor corrections. Allison wasn’t on the 2002 team. He was booted after his “incident” the night the tourney pairing were released in the 2000 season. Also, in 2000, Syracuse was favored over us in that game, especially without Allison. They were a four seed, UK a five. Lastly, in 2002 Maryland beat us in the Sweet 16, not 2nd round. I think we beat Valpo and Tulsa (Tay’s 41), then Maryland got us. That be all. Again good job. Nice trip down memory lane since I too was born in August of 78.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
12) No way. That UK team was GREAT, but would have been lucky to have one 10 games in the NBA.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
The 1996 team had 9 players (10 if you count academically ineligible Scott Padgett) who played in the NBA for atleast a little bit… not 8:
Tony Delk
Derek Anderson
Antoine Walker
Walter McCarty
Wayne Turner
Jeff Sheppard
Ron Mercer
Nazr Mohammed
Mark Pope
* Scott Padgett
November 9th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
13) Yes, Maryland beat us in the sweet 16
November 9th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
Only thing I would have added is the fact that those 4 boys (Hanson, Farmer, Feldhaus and Pelphrey) from the Bluegrass have their jerseys retired in Rupp! I get a tear in my eye every time I hear Pelphrey tell the story.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
#16…I said 8 guys who played at least a full season in the NBA
November 9th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Matt, just an outstanding post. Thanks for the memories.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
I got chills reading some of that, no joke.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
Awesome post! Quick question-anybody remember what team turmoil did as far as the sec and sec tourney? he said 06 was the first in 15 years not to when either but i was at the 02 tourney and know south carolina put us out on friday (I’m pretty sure it was Devin Downey’s freshman year) and i thought we were the 2 seed out of the east. correct me if im wrong guys
November 9th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
feel free to correct my grammar too…”when either” lol
November 9th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
For the record, in 1993 Vandy won the SEC regular season title at 14-2, although we did win the tourney.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:05 am
20. I think you are thinking of Tre Kelley. Devan Downey transferred from Cincinnati.
both are small, quick PGs that can score at will.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:10 am
23 that was just my attempt at humor because it seems like downey has been around that long.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:11 am
Nice work, Jones. Now where’s the news and views?
November 10th, 2009 at 12:13 am
Check out this horrible, terrible, embarrassing video Duke made and (presumably) showed at their Midnight Madness. Must-watch if you’re a Duke-hater like me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDOiepXscaw&feature=player_embedded
November 10th, 2009 at 12:15 am
Nice post…The ‘85 St. John’s team…at the time, and I’m talking that season and COLLEGE game, that was Walter Berry’s team (Mullins was second that year)…just sayin’, that’s who hurt us (Walker) most. Wasn’t that the eye-poking game for Walker?
November 10th, 2009 at 12:21 am
That 2003 team to this day is my favorite in the history of the school. Even more so than the 96 team. For as great as they were, the game was almost effortless to them. They were so stacked they had to win or it would have been a failure. That 03 group was EXPECTED to fail. If they couldn’t do it with Prince, why would they without him?
I remember watching THE game with my Grandfather when it turned around. I shouldn’t even have to mention the game. Down big at the half on the road, then a fire lit under their asses and defensively they never looked back. I’ve never seen a group of kids work and play harder than the 03 squad. They never took plays off, never allowed an inch, and never quit. That rolled ankle for Keith still haunts us. Kentucky matched up superbly with that particular Kansas team, and I think they would have beaten them in the Final 4. Syracuse, who knows.
But I’ll always have love for the 03 team. The Redeem Team, as it were.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:24 am
Slappy…..welcome to three weeks ago.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:28 am
Haven’t read this epistle yet but wanted to get this comment in. I am watching Murray State get pummeled by Cal and the announcers just broke down the schedule for the rest of the 2K sports classic. All of the host schools from the preliminary rounds now advance to New York. Can we go ahead and call this the Gardner-Webb scheduling rule?
November 10th, 2009 at 12:29 am
29- hadn’t seen it posted. Between the two of us, one of us apparently has a job that doesn’t entail seeing absolutely everything on the internet the very day it comes out. I’ll let you try to figure out who that is.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:30 am
Memphis had 5 more victories during their last 4 seasons than during Turners 4 seasons. I don’t know if they had any four year players, if u count their “vacated” season someone could have more victories
November 10th, 2009 at 12:35 am
You still working on Coach Cal’s site or did that fall through? Marc Maggard reported that you weren’t on there anymore. That piece of trash.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:35 am
my job doesn’t entail me to do that, although i wish it did. it just pays well and i get to work from home. but seriously, i was just messing with you. i liked your earlier breakdown of gillispie. can we be friends?
November 10th, 2009 at 12:44 am
29 and 31, I would like to make the following point and by making it, I am taking neither side, just saying…
The fact that you have a job (that you go to daily) and even the fact that you may or may not have a family does not, and should not,
prevent you from reading KSR daily. I would make the argument that a man who has a job and uses that as an excuse to not ready KSR daily
is not a dedicated employee, but a lazy KSR reader. Carry on.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:45 am
Great post Matt. Its always fun to think about all the great players and teams we’ve been blessed with over the years.
You know, the most painful loss for me was that NCAA semi-final in ‘84. I was watching the game in Cincinnati with a room full of haters, and KY was kicking Ewing / GT’s butt the entire first half. Then they came out in the second half and CONTINUED to outplay GT, but could not BUY a BASKET. They missed lay-up after shot after lay-up. My memory might be failing me, but I think at one point they were something like 1 for 20 from the field. I’ve never seen a UK team go that cold before or since. A really painful ending to a great season.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:50 am
tl;dr
November 10th, 2009 at 12:59 am
a phenomenal bit of writing…..very entertaining
November 10th, 2009 at 1:00 am
sadly, the first game i ever remember is the regional final of 92
November 10th, 2009 at 1:26 am
Great post Matt. Loved it and my girl looks great with PPatt on there.
November 10th, 2009 at 1:32 am
Great memories through the years. Always thought 2003 squad, though tough as nails, was a little overrated. Yes, beat up on a weak SEC (check the SEC’s NCAA tourney record that year), but lost to two C-USA teams (UofL and Marquette).
Thought 2005 was underrated. That team probably couldn’t have beaten UNC, but should have been in Final Four and even the title game. People forget that Rondo was excellent as a frosh, and had a great tourney. If Ramel Bradley doesn’t get hurt versus the Spartans, we maybe crash Final Four.
Walter Berry won Player of the Year in 1986 over Kenny Walker … a complete travesty. It was ridiculous. Mullin and Bill Wennington were leaders of the 85 St. John’s team, that lost to Georgetown in Final Four that year.
November 10th, 2009 at 1:39 am
I can’t wait to see a post like this ten years from now…my my my the possibilities
November 10th, 2009 at 1:43 am
Does everyone not realize we are losing an online poll at espn.com mens cb homepage? COME ON GUYS GET IT TOGETHER!
November 10th, 2009 at 2:41 am
Thanks for the Memories…
November 10th, 2009 at 3:21 am
Mash is my favorite player as I feel he was the reason UK got back on track so quick, RP getting tons of credit as well. Mash came to UK knowing we were on probation when other top recruits went elsewhere. Also was fortunate to meet the Monster Mash and what a great guy. Love seeing him on ESPN now as he represents UK well. I have a game worn shoe he signed and gave me right off his foot after a game in Miami that is my most treasured sports item. Injuries prevented him from being one of the better NBA players in history. When healthy he could not be stopped, still remember the game he put 50 points on Pippen and the Bulls. Guess we should also thank his mom as she wanted him at UK as well.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:39 am
Thanks for sharing. It’s actually pretty encouraging to see all the ups and downs in linear form like that.
That 96 team was unreal and it’s easy to see that the period from 96-98 had to be the best time to be a UK fan in the modern era. We’re still spoiled from it 10+ years later.
On the flip side, it’s confirming to know that last year was one of the worst of your lifetime as well. I’ve never felt sadder about the state of this program than I did after the Senior Night loss to Georgia last season. The 180 to this season has been dramatic to say the least.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:41 am
When you guys get a chance, check out “Pat Forde’s” preview of the season ahead on the EJSIC.
http://elitistjerksports.com/?p=2985
November 10th, 2009 at 4:21 am
Great post Matt! Brought back a lot of memories. #39 sadly enough that is also the earliest game I can remember
November 10th, 2009 at 6:30 am
Great read! Thanks for all of the hard work on this.
November 10th, 2009 at 7:25 am
Is anyone from KSR ever going to respond to Maggard’s claim that Jones was cancelled from CoachCal.com? If it’s false, we need to shut his big mouth.
November 10th, 2009 at 7:26 am
I loved the 83-84 team. Mel Turpin was actually no joke. He was a great college player, and a gifted scorer. That team just had no ball-handling from the wing positions, so Georgetown’s press really hurt them.
November 10th, 2009 at 7:31 am
When I first saw this post I thought “too long, not going to read it” but once I started I couldn’t stop. It just started bringing back all these memories of the highs and lows. I’m roughly the same age, 34, so it mirrored my life as a Cat fan as well. Great read and great job… but try and do me a minor favor and please don’t refer to yourself in the third person… “the Matt Jones era”?
November 10th, 2009 at 7:41 am
For such a great program and fan base, there have been way too many down points in our history.
November 10th, 2009 at 7:42 am
1990: part of the probation was a television ban. I remember it well as the probation covered my junior and senior year of undergrad at UK. It stunk!
November 10th, 2009 at 7:46 am
Disapointed that matt has deleted every post in this section if comments about Maggard’s claim that Coachcal.com fired Matt jones, or at least won’t let him be a part of it anymore. I was hoping matt could prove maggard WRONG again, but I noticed that my post along with a couple of other folk’s posts asking questions about this keep getting delete.
November 10th, 2009 at 7:52 am
Oops. Typo. Should have said “deleted every post in this secion re: comments about Maggard’s claim that Coachcal.com fired Matt Jones.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:00 am
If you look at the 1979 - 1985 years (and what Sutton did in 1986 with Joe B’s players), it clearly demonstrates what many remember from the Joe B Hall era. Great recruting, but an inconsistency and underachieving that is unmatched in Kentucky basketball history. As beloved as Hall has become, he was not that well-liked by much of the fanbase, and it became clear after the Georgetown debacle it was time for him to go. He retired after one more season. Joe B, while doing a great job of recruiting and managing the program, was not a great coach. Most Kentucky fans of that era would agree that Denny Crum was a far superior coach. I am not ripping Joe B, whom I do like and respect, just telling it like it was.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:15 am
57. I agree. That 1984 team should have won the title and was far and away the most talented team we had until the ‘96 team. The 2-22 second half in Seattle is probably my most bitter and painful experience as a Cat fan.
Both it and the 1983 Mideast Regional still hurt worse than 1992 ever will for me.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:18 am
Good Job, Matt…..I’m just a couple of years older than you…..and my some of my favorite memories are of the 86-87 team….that was the first team that I really started following the team with passion…..”Lex Loves Rex” and Rob Lock are two of my pre-teen favorites…..Again, Great piece….and thanks for taking the time to refresh the memories of the younger Cat fans…GO BIG BLUE!!!!!
November 10th, 2009 at 8:23 am
1986: We got so screwed by the NCAA tourney selection comittee it wasn’t even funny. In their absolute brilliance, they placed both Alabama AND LSU(both solid teams) in Kentucky’s bracket after we had beat both of them three times.
Ole Dale Brown got a 4th flipping try to beat UK, this time with the Final Four on the line, pulled out the “freak defense” and ended up beating Kentucky.
Jeez, I’m getting pissed just going back through this stuff.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:27 am
1988…are those 25 wins not listed in our all-time wins number?
November 10th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Matt, thanks for the rundown. I also have over 30 years of UK worship and that 1984 team should have won!!! We had Gtown down and then went on to shoot the most horrid 2nd half EVER. I still am pissed about that game…
November 10th, 2009 at 9:05 am
aw your fingers hurt? now your back is gonna hurt cuz you just pulled landscaping duty……
November 10th, 2009 at 9:11 am
2) are you the same buddylove who drove a little S-10?
November 10th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Matt…great post but, you have to mention the 94′ Mardi Gras Miracle. Never so much pain and joy within the same game. With Uk down by 31 points in the second half, many fans had turned off thier TVs and gone to bed only to miss the greatest comeback in NCAA basketball history!
November 10th, 2009 at 9:41 am
The Mardi Gras Miracle game was so big, KET actually got permission from ESPN to re-air the game as part of a pledge drive.
November 10th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Good one MJ, took me down to memory lane in a lot of things but the one game I think it was in 1983 was when Melvin (dinner bell) Turpin almost single handed beat Tennessee with 41 points out of the 69. I remember that night had it not been for gravity the outside shots we took wouldn’t have even touched the floor.
And still to this day I feel in 1984 someone elevated the rim against GTown because “ALL” our shots hit the front of the rim. But GTown was No.1 in something else that year…(or following) the most basketball team members that went to jail from April to August 5 of the 15….Freakin’ THUGS!!!!!! That’s why I’ve hated Gtown ever since
November 10th, 2009 at 10:11 am
There are just a few historical inaccuracies here.
First, the silver jersey game was in December of 2002.
Next, Desmond Allison was never on the 2002 team.
Also, UK lost to Maryland in the Regional Semifinals, not the second round.
Thanks.
November 10th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Stop posting and find some assets for Hearon’s case. Get busy Jones.
November 10th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
64… no, I was bestowed this title from KSR legend (and neighbor) Robshairgel.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
It was 3 of 33 in the 2nd half against G’town in 84. That’s the game that taught me a loss in a big game will not kill you, even though you think for several days that it might.