Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
There’s not a day that goes by where Wildcat fans feel assaulted by villains. This past decade introduced the Big Blue Nation to the Internet, a resource by which Kentucky fans can type ALL CAPITAL LETTERS in abject rebuttal. Villains off-the-court are easily identifiable and addressed. We tend to forget that opposing players — not just the coaches, definitely not the local/national media — are the actual opponents of our Wildcats.
With that in mind, I opted not to include media members or opposing coaches in my top-ten list. Hunters awesome Player Haters’ Ball does a great job of addressing the villains of the airways and the sidelines.
What makes a good Wildcat villain? Making game-winning (or game-tying) shots. Pouring on the points and otherwise being unstoppable, no matter the defense. Being demonstrative or openly taunting Wildcat fans and players. And, of course, winning against the Wildcats.
With those criteria in mind, the top 10 Wildcat Villains of the 2000s shakes out like this:
10) Robert Vaden (UAB G 2007)
* 1-0 vs. UK
* Scored 33 points (7-11 3FG) in UAB’s upset of the Wildcats.
* Followed Mike Davis from Indiana.
* Patient Zero of “Robert Vaden Syndrome”
9) Jarvis Hayes (Georgia G 2001-2003)
* 2-2 vs. UK
* Scored 30 points to help the Bulldogs break a 17-game losing streak to Kentucky in 2002.
* Hurt his knee and then got fat writing reviews for restaurants.
8) Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina C 2005-2007)
* 3-0 vs. UK
* Hard-working, dedicated, over-hyped by talking heads.
* Confused with a famous muppet.
* Professional product spokesman.
7) Chris Lofton (Tennessee G 2004-2008)
* 3-5 vs. UK
* Averaged nearly 19 points per game and 4 3-pointers made per game against Kentucky
* Created the crappy “Chris Lofton Effect”, where UK fans would get anxious for not offering a scholarship the best high school senior in the state.
* Should be better liked by UK fans.
* Not chosen by Kentucky over Rondo.
6) Taurean Green (Florida G 2004-2007)
* 6-1 vs. UK
* Scored 10 points in an 18-1 run and 29 points overall when #8 Florida scorched Kentucky at Gainesville in 2006.
* Eats at Friday’s even though he lives (and works) in Athens, Greece.
* “Seal lookalike“
5) Teddy Dupay (Florida G 1998-2001)
* 3-3 vs. UK
* Scored 28 points (5-6 3FG) when #6 Florida beat #15 Kentucky in 2001.
* Gambled on basketball games and was kicked off the team before the start of the 2001-02 season.
4) Al Horford (Florida C 2004-2007)
* 6-1 vs. UK
* Couldn’t be stopped by Randolph Morris.
* Couldn’t contain his laughter in an epic Matt Jones vs. Mosley 1-on-1 showdown.
3) Jamont Gordon (Mississippi State F 2005-2008)
* 2-2 vs. UK
* Averaged 19.5 points per game and 9 rebounds per game against Kentucky.
* Scored 26 points and the game-winning 3-pointer to knock Kentucky out of the 2007 SEC Tournament. (This was the Sheray Thomas Lane Violation game.)
* Named SEC Freshman of the Week four times.
2) Shan Foster (Vanderbilt G 2004-2008)
* 5-3 vs. UK
* Averaged 14.4 points per game against the Wildcats. (18.5 ppg against the Wildcats in 2007 & 2008.)
* Scored 20 points in Vandy’s 41-point thrashing of Kentucky in 2008.
1) Joakim Noah (Florida F 2004-2007)
* 5-1 vs. UK
* Runner-up of the KSR Player Hater’s Ball.
* Gives great interviews to Jeff Goodman
* Stole my glasses from 6th Grade and built castles in the sand.
* Mouthed off to King James.
I’m sure that I left off somebody important that should be in the Top Ten. Feel free to let me have it in the comments. After the jump, you’ll see the Honorable Mention villain list.
Nick Calathes (Florida G 2007-2009)
* 2-2 vs. UK
* Scored 33 points (11 of 15 FT) and 7 rebounds in Florida’s 2009 loss in Rupp Arena.
* Mistaken for a famous television character.
Udonis Haslem (Florida F 1999-2002)
* 3-5 vs. UK
* Had 20 points and 9 rebounds when #6 Florida beat #15 Kentucky in 2001.
* Has a tattoo of the entire state of Florida on his back.
Corey Brewer (Florida F 2004-2007)
* 6-1 vs. UK
* Scored 16 points when #1 Florida defeated #20 Kentucky at Rupp in 2007.
* “…screamed random words so loud that Billy put his arm on him with a ‘please pipe down and dont look silly’ look on his face.”
* Wasn’t recruited by Tubby because Corey “wasn’t phyiscal enough”.
Matt Freije (Vanderbilt F 2000-2004)
* 2-7 vs. UK
* Averaged over 15 points and 5 rebounds per game against Kentucky.
* Helped break Kentucky’s 18-game winning streak over Vandy in 2002.
* First new millennium member of the “Incredible White Guy From Vandy Who Kills Us” Club.
* Forgotten if it wasn’t for the NBA-DL.
A.J. Ogilvy (Vanderbilt C 2007-2009)
* 1-2 vs. UK
* Averaged 16.7 points per game and 8.3 rebounds against the Wildcats.
* Austrailian for, “Incredible White Guy From Vandy Who Kills Us”.
Mario Austin (Mississippi State C 2000-2003)
* 1-3 vs. UK
* Averaged 19.3 points and 7.8 rebounds against the Wildcats.
* Scored 32 points (including his first career 3-pointer to force OT) in the Bulldogs’ win against #6 Kentucky in 2002.
Corey Allmond (Sam Houston St. 2009)
* 0-1 vs. UK
* Scored 37 points (11-16 3FG) in near-upset of #4 Kentucky.
* Favorite movie: Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins.
Luke Harangody (Notre Dame C 2009)
* 1-0 vs. UK
* Dominated with 30 points and 11 boards in Notre Dame’s victory against Kentucky in the NIT.
* Deceptively good, considering people don’t expect him, “…to be good at anything other than running a Dungeons and Dragons campaign.”
Brandon Rush (Kansas G/F 2006-2007)
* 2-0 vs. UK
* Averaged 21.5 points per game against the Wildcats.
* Made 6 of 7 three-pointers to help Kansas knock out the Wildcats in the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
* Attended four different high schools.
* Emulated by Jon Hood.
D. J. White (Indiana F 2004-2007)
* 1-2 vs. UK
* Averaged 15.6 points and 9 rebounds a game against the Wildcats.
* Just said no to drugs.
Bracey Wright (Indiana G 2002-2004)
* 0-3 vs. UK
* Averaged 24 points per game against the Wildcats. Shot an outstanding 12-23 3FG in his last two games against the Wildcats.
* Scored 23 of the team’s 41 points when IU fell to the Wildcats in 2003.
Terrence Williams (Louisville F 2006-2009)
* 2-1 vs. UK
* Averaged 13.7 points and 6 rebounds per game against the Wildcats.
* Arguing with his new coach about taking it to the basket.
* Gave good advice to Jodie Meeks.
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December 23rd, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Too many Florida Players. We can lump all of them together under equal hatred since I can’t tell one from the other anyway.
I thought Vanardo from Miss. St. would be a good villian. That came that he had 10 blocks on us and at least half of them were fouls still bothers me.
December 23rd, 2009 at 6:46 pm
^^game^^instead of came
December 23rd, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Devan Downey
Ron Slay
Scooter McFadgon
Dewayne Wade
December 23rd, 2009 at 6:56 pm
What about Matt Walsh?
*He
*is
*a
*douche
December 23rd, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Needs more Ronnell and Donnell Taylor. May have only been one game, but that UAB loss still haunts me today. That blind overhead pass for the dunk was a sick play.
Speaking of one game villains that could outrank some of these guys, oh Mr. Wade…
Seriously, I don’t want to sound like I’m trashing this list at all because for the most part I think it’s quite good and agree with a lot of it. But Vaden was a mere pest in a year to forget in UK history. Wade and the Taylors killed UK when it mattered most.
December 23rd, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Red-headed Big Ten-looking white guys from Georgia (ie Dave Bliss and that Newman guy who wasn’t good enough to remember his first name.) Bliss knocked the hell out of Ramel. Newman stepped on a ball boy and hit enough free throws to beat us in ’04 at Rupp.
Also that pimply little Novak from Marquette. He of the three-pointers.
December 23rd, 2009 at 7:02 pm
What about a top ten coaches villian list? For starters how about Billy Gillespie, Rick Pitino, Bob Knight, Bruce Pearl, Roy Williams, Mike Krzyzewski, Lute Olsen, Denny Crum, Don Haskins, and Dale Brown?
December 23rd, 2009 at 7:07 pm
“Walsh is GAAAY, clap, clap, clap clap clap” does this ring a bell?
December 23rd, 2009 at 7:09 pm
How is Christian Laettner not on this list?
December 23rd, 2009 at 7:09 pm
I know it’s supposed to be of the decade but come on, expand it a bit….Laettner would be #1.
December 23rd, 2009 at 7:26 pm
matt walsh
December 23rd, 2009 at 7:30 pm
I love that 4 of the top 10 are from Florida and 7 overall (including honorable mention).
Can we just say we hate Florida?
December 23rd, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Matt Walsh, Florida
Dave Bliss, Georgia
December 23rd, 2009 at 7:44 pm
d wade??
December 23rd, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Is this just supposed to be basketball? If not, Tebow has to be right up there in the top 5
December 23rd, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Laettner should always be #1 on any list even if it wasn’t in this decade.
December 23rd, 2009 at 8:29 pm
How about Dontae Jones for Mississippi State?
December 23rd, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Sorry wrong decade…
December 23rd, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Fransisco Garcia has to make that list somewhere! I would also add Tony Harris.
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Smack talking fool, Anthony Roberson, and RaSmooth’s bitch, Andrew Bogut.
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:09 pm
100% agree…especially the Florida players! One important one missing…MATT WALSH. Although Noah makes it nearly impossible to imagine anyone being a bigger tool than him. Dean on list.
Sosa anyone? Just because it’s really not necessary to be so ghetto.
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:23 pm
1. Billy Gillespie
2. Billy Gillespie
3. Billy Gillespie
4. Billy Gillespie
5. Billy Gillespie
6. Billy Gillespie
7. Bobby Knight
8. Joakim Noah
9. Matt Walsh
10. Billy Gillespie
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Squeaky Effing Johnson.
Also, another name from the past was brought to the forefront tonight while I was watching the high school hoops on ESPNU. Andrew DeClerq is an assistant for Montverde. He doesn’t belong on this list necessarily, but he did play for Florida….which is pretty bad.
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Matt Walsh
Wayne Chism
Billy Clyde
Billy D
Rick P
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:00 pm
sosa
chism
hansbrough
ogilvy
bliss
roberson
dupay
calathes
matt walsh
noah
honorable mention – saul smith
December 24th, 2009 at 2:46 am
Lee Humphrey
Renaldo Balkman
Jarvis Vanardo
Sundiata Gaines
December 24th, 2009 at 10:46 am
25 i dont laugh at much on here, but the saul smith mention is gold !
December 24th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
edgar sosa, devan downey, and dwade have to be on any list of villains. After that shot last year, how do you not include sosa?
December 26th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Whats the guy from Tennessee that seems like he has been there for 7 years, oh yeah, Wayne Chism and his stupid looking headband, he would be #1 for me with Matt Walsh and his flowing locks of hair coming in a close 2nd..
Wayne(headband) Chism
Matt Walsh
December 27th, 2009 at 1:15 am
anthony roberson? derrick byars? whoever hit the shot against us the “tornado game” two years ago…