June 30th: On this date...

... in 1993, Jamal Mashburn was selected fourth by the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Draft. The Kentucky All-American was asked to do exactly what he did in Lexington, try and rebuild a team. Mash didn't seem overwhelmed by this task either. He spoke of the similarities between the Lexington and Dallas situations and was looking forward to the challenge. The number four selection was the highest for a Wildcat since Sam Bowie went second overall a decade earlier. Personally, I remember this moment in UK history sending little Cat fans into a frenzy trying to find replica Mashburn/Mavericks jerseys. The "Monster Mash" had a very successful NBA career cut short due to knee problems and microfracture surgery, a new(ish) surgery in which players had difficulty recovering. Former UK star Chris Mills was drafted 22nd overall by Cleveland.

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