March 31st: On this date...

...in 2008 & 2009, something bad and something good happened on these dates, respectively.

On this date....in 2008, we found out that longtime Kentucky Basketball manager Bill Keightley passed away. You don't need me to tell you how beloved and important he was to the basketball program, the University, and the State, as nearly every Big Blue fan has a story or two about Keightley. Mr. Wildcat was on the bench for 1,113 of Kentucky's wins, or approximately 57% of the wins the University had at the time of his passing. Unbelievable.

On this date....in 2009, your University of Kentucky Wildcats ushered in a new era with the hiring of John Calipari as the men's basketball coach. He brought with him arguably the greatest recruiting class in the history of the sport. Coach Cal parlayed that into a SEC regular season title, a SEC Tournament Championship, a 32-2 record, and a #1 seed going into the NCAA Tournament. Not bad for an NIT team under the previous coach.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

March 30th: On this date...

...in 1996 & 1998, your University of Kentucky Wildcats basketball team added two chapters to its storied legacy. First, in 1996, The Greatest Team Ever revenged an early season loss to #1 UMASS by knocking them off in the game everyone knew was the real NCAA title game. Antoine Walker and Tony Delk led the '96 Cats to an 81-74 victory over one of the smuggest, cockiest....wait, what's that? Oh, sorry, one of the best young coaches in America, John Calipari!!!

Two years later on this date, Tubby Smith led a far less talented group of Cats to San Antonio to bring home Kentucky's 7th National Championship. The team, known as the Comeback Cats, were down 13 to Utah before winning 78-69. Jeff Sheppard was Most Outstanding Player, Scott Padgett was All-Final Four for the second straight year, and Wayne Turner appeared in his third straight Final Four.

Give yourself something special to celebrate today's events.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

March 29th: On this date...

...1997, your #5 University of Kentucky Wildcats took down the #3 Minnesota Gophers to advance to the NCAA title game vs. Arizona. These were the first back-to-back Final Four trips for the Cats since 1947-1948. Ron Mercer (19 pts), Cameron Mills (10 pts), and Scott Padgett (9 pts) led the way for Kentucky in the 78-69 victory Even though the Cats were outrebounded 48-34, the frenetic pace of the game forced Minnesota into 26 turnovers, leading to a ton of UK points. Anthony Epps (13 points - 5 rebounds - 7 assists - 5 steals) and Wayne Turner (8 points - 4 rebounds - 6 assists - 5 steals) provided experience and competence when Kentucky needed it most down the stretch, allowing Rick Pitino's squad to control the tempo. It was impressive enough the Cats made it back to the Final Four after losing Derek Anderson to a knee injury. Anderson came in to shoot two free throws after a Clem Haskins technical, giving him two points in a game in which he never officially logged a minute.

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March 28th: On this date...

...1998, your #5 University of Kentucky Wildcats narrowly got by a powerful #10 Stanford team in overtime, 86-85, to advance to the NCAA Championship game against old friend Utah. It was becoming apparent that the common theme of this team was the Comeback, as time after time Kentucky saw themselves down early and simply trying to keep the game close. They knew they would ultimately have a big run in them, and were confident enough in their defense to think it would eventually solve the opponents offense. This defensive scheme was probably the greatest strength of first year head coach Orlando "Tubby" Smith. Senior Jeff Sheppard had a monster game, leading all scorers with a career-high 27 points (9-15 FG, 4-8 3PM). The Peachtree City, Georgia-native also added six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Nazr Mohammed ended with 18 points (17 in the second half) and five rebounds and Scott Padgett with 10 points and six rebounds.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

March 27th: On this date...

...in 2009, Billy Gillispie was fired as the coach of Kentucky. While that is awesome, it's not the big thing.

On this date in 1978, your #1 University of Kentucky Wildcats slipped past the #7 Duke Blue Devils, 94-88, giving coach Joe B. Hall his first and only Championship. Big Blue was led that day by Jack "Goose" Givens, who put the hammer down scoring 41 points in the Championship game. The win gave the basketball program its fifth NCAA Title, and first since 1958. Seniors Rick Robey (20 points - 11 rebounds) and the aforementioned Goose Givens (18-27 from the field, eight rebounds) led the charge in front of 18,721 at the Checkerdome in St. Louis. Kyle Macy and his tube socks were a perfect 3-3 on the day, finishing with nine points and eight assists. Coach Hall pulled the starters when the Cats went up 16, but had to reinsert them into the lineup with ten seconds left, as the lead had been cut to four. Keep in mind this score happened before a three point shot and shot clock. The game was capped off by James Lee and his emphatic slamma-jamma on a fast break as the clock was running out, giving us the final margin.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 1.37 - "Welcome to Basketball." Regards, Ashley Judd

March 26th: On this date...

...in 1992, your #6 University of Kentucky Wildcats fought off a scrappy #17 Massachusetts squad and their up and coming head coach John Calipari, 87-77, to advance to the East Region finals in Philadelphia. Fresh off an SEC Tournament MVP, Jamal Mashburn continued his torrid streak, finishing with 30 points on 11-15 shooting. Unforgettable senior John Pelphrey helped Mash out with 18 points of his own. The red-haired Paintsville-native added four assists, four rebounds, and four steals. The young hot-head coach was charged with a technical foul that night for getting out of his coaching box, a charge Calipari denies to this day. Coach Cal says there were so many lines on The Spectrum floor that it simply appeared like he was out of the box. A claim that I definitely would not have believed if he wasn't the head coach of my favorite basketball team. And since he is, I'll just say the refs were clearly in the wrong, but the outcome was ultimately unaffected and correct.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

March 25th: On this date...

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

...in 1993, your #2 University of Kentucky Wildcats absolutely destroyed #16 Wake Forest, 103-69, in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen to move one game closer to the program's first Final Four in nine years. Many experts thought this could be a trap game for the Cats, as the Demon Deacon duo of Randolph Childress and Rodney Rogers had run roughshod over the Atlantic Coast Conference. The '93 version of the Cats, (led by their own All-American, Jamal Mashburn) would have none of it, though, as Kentucky came out like a team possessed. The team couldn't miss, darting out to leads of 20-4 and 34-8, ultimately running the halftime margin to 60-26. The weirdest thing about the affair was the fact Wake hit six of its first seven shots also.

Some ridiculous stats include:

- Kentucky made 39 baskets (including their first eight three-pointers) on 23 assists
- Wake Forest attempted 44 shots and made 21.
- Jamal Mashburn scored all 23 points (5-5 3PM) in the first half.
- Travis Ford (10-11 FG, 5-6 3PM) scored 26 points.
- Kentucky was 16-24 from three-point range on the day.
- Kentucky was 9-17 from the free throw line.
- Freshman Tony Delk finished the game 1-7 for three points.
- Senior transfer Todd Svoboda

If you can watch this clip without the hair on your neck standing up, I take it your not human. Enjoy.

March 24th: On this date...

...in 1984, your #3 University of Kentucky Wildcats defeated #6 Illinois, 54-51, to advance to the NCAA Final Four game to face Georgetown. It helped that the game took place in Rupp Arena, but after falling short each year since 1978, the Big Blue faithful was taking anything it could. The twin towers dominated the inside for Kentucky, with Sam Bowie netting 11 points and 14 rebounds, and Melvin Turpin ending with 13 points and 6 rebounds. Senior and Covington-native, Dicky Beal controlled the outside with nine points and six assists and freshman Winston Bennett had eight huge points off the bench to help the Cats earn the Seattle Final Four berth. The win moved UK to 29-4 on the season, and helped Joe B. Hall put his stamp on an SEC regular season title, an SEC Tournament Championship, and a Final Four berth. We all know the rest of the story as the Boys in Blue had a not-too-memorable second half against the Hoyas. It was Joe B. Hall's third Final Four appearance.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

March 23rd: On this date...

...in 1948, your top-ranked University of Kentucky Wildcats, led by head coach Adolph Rupp, dominated Baylor, 58-42, to earn the program's first ever NCAA Championship. The team, known as The Fabulous Five, finished with a record 34 wins and only two defeats (Temple and Notre Dame). The Cats got out quick in the title game, going ahead 24-7, and taking a 13 point lead into the half. Baylor tried slowing the game down against the heavily favored Wildcats, but Kentucky's size and speed was too much for the Bears. The 6'7" Alex Groza (14 points) controlled the inside and the lightning fast Ralph Beard (12 points) handled everything outside in front of the Madison Square Garden crowd of over 16,000. One of the most celebrated teams in program history, the '48 squad went on to the Olympics and brought the gold home by dispatching of the Frenchies, 65-21, in the finals. The remaining members of The Original Fabulous Five were: Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones, Kenny Rollins, Cliff Barker.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 1.36 - More Like the Demon Weakens, Am I right?

March 22nd: On this date...

...in 1998, your University of Kentucky Wildcats, led by a rag-tag bunch of Rick Pitino recruits helped new head coach Tubby Smith get revenge of the highest kind. The Comeback Cats did exactly that, as they came from 17 points behind in the second half to rip the hearts out of the Duke faithful to advance to the Final Four. With things looking dire for the Cats in St. Pete, Jeff Sheppard and Wayne Turner led a charge and abused whatever overrated point guard Duke was using that day. His name........Jimmy Wojotyrfiszjbciyuski, and he was such a hero that was able to make it back onto the court after Jamal Magloire apparently tried to murder him. Anyway, after Duke used its last timeout with about 6:00 minutes to play, Tubby let the game play out without any planned clock stoppage. This strategy allowed the Cats to snatch the momentum away (mainly with a smaller lineup), allowing two Kentucky Boys to hit three pointers down the stretch to give Big Blue the lead. Some final stats on the afternoon included: Wayne Turner (16 points - 8 assists), Jeff Sheppard (18 points - 11 rebounds), Heshimu Evans (14 points - 11 rebounds), Scott Padgett (12 points, 3-5 3PM), Cameron Mills (5 points, 1-1 3PM). Enjoy.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Yeah. But Can They Solve A Rubik's Cube?

Yeah. But Can They Solve The Dribble Drive?

March 21st: On this date...

...in 1996, your University of Kentucky Wildcats rolled through the Sweet 16 against our old reliable friend Utah, 101-70, to set up a date with Wake Forest and Player of the Year Tim Duncan. The matchup against the Utes was no match from the beginning, as the Cats had a 56-34 lead by intermission. (This game also took place three years from the day of another NCAA Tournament victory over Utah, when Jamal Mashburn's crew took out the Mormons in the 1993.) On this day, though, Rick's squad dominated from the start, with four starters in double figures, and twelve Cats scoring in all. Keith Van Horn and Andre Miller put up a fight, but the swarming Kentucky defense forced 21 turnovers, leading to UK getting off 26 more shots during the game. Antoine Walker showcased his talents with 19 points - 8 rebounds - 6 assists, leading most of Big Blue Nation to realize his days were numbered as a Cat.

March 21st is also relevant in Kentucky basketball history because in 1930, the University hired Adolph Rupp to be its head basketball coach.

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March 20th: On this date...

...in 1998, your fifth-ranked University of Kentucky Wildcats put a beatdown of epic proportions on #19 UCLA and their plastic-faced cheering section, with a 94-68 demolition in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Thirteen Cats saw floor time, led by the trio of Scott Padgett (19 points - 6 rebounds - 4 assists), Jeff Sheppard (16 points - 4 rebounds - 3 assists), and Nazr Mohammed (15 points - 7 rebounds - 6 blocks). It was topped off by minutes logged by Steve Masiello and Ryan Hogan, who hit two three-pointers in his three minutes of play. The Kentucky team best known for coming back on teams, did none of that, as they took it to through the Bruins early and often, jumping out to leads of 11-3, 16-5, 20-5, and 22-9. By halftime, the lead would be 40-23, and the Cats would never look back. The defense by the scrappy Big Blue team would hold Steve Lavin, his hair grease, and others to 29% shooting on the day. The 26-point loss was UCLA's second worst postseason beating in the history of their overrated program's history.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

March 19th: On this date...

... in 2005, your #7 University of Kentucky Wildcats came back from a two point halftime deficit to outlast #23 Cincinnati, 69-60, in front of over 40,000 fans in Indianapolis. The second round NCAA matchup between the Bearcats and Wildcats was the first time in 14+ years the two schools had met on the hardwood, but the outcome was the same as always, a Wildcat win. The win was the 15th straight in a series that dates back to 1904; Cincinnati's last win versus Big Blue was in 1939. Tubby Smith squad used its trademark defense hold the Bearcats to 33% shooting on the afternoon, while boasting a 51% mark themselves, including 7 of 12 from behind the 3-point line. All five UK starters scored in double figures, and only two points came from the bench (Shagari Alleyne). Junior Kelenna Azubuike led the way with 19 points and 7 rebounds; senior Chuck Hayes added 10 points and 8 rebounds; Randolph Morris came with 11 points and 12 rebounds; Rajon Rondo ended with 16 points and 7 assists, including a memorable alley-oop from Patrick Sparks, early in the first half. The win advanced the Cats to the Sweet 16 to meet an old friend.........Utah.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 1.35 - Cats Cruise to Round Two

March 18th: On this date...

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

...in 1978, your top-ranked University of Kentucky Wildcats narrowly got passed Earvin "Magic" Johnson and the Michigan State Spartans, 52-49, in the Elite Eight to advance Joe. B Hall & Company to a Final Four matchup with Arkansas. Kyle Macy and his tube socks led the way for Kentucky on the day, finishing with 18 points, including 10-11 from the charity stripe. The story of the day, though, was the ineffectiveness of superstar Magic Johnson, who battled foul trouble most of the day, and ended the game 11 points under his season average (6 points). Assisting Macy in the effort for Big Blue were Jack Givens (14 points - 7 rebounds - 5 assists), Rick Robey (6 points - 5 rebounds - 4 assists), and Mike Phillips (19 points - 8 rebounds - 2 steals). The dramatic victory gave Coach Hall his second Final Four berth in six seasons as the University's head basketball coach, and the first since the referee's cheated him out of a Championship because it was John Wooden's last game. Below is the only video remaining from the win over Magic and the Spartans.

March 17th: On this date...

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

...in 2009, your unranked University of Kentucky Wildcats got past UNLV in the first round of the NIT, 70-60, in what was a very memorable night. It was the first time in 33 years that Kentucky had played a game in Memorial Coliseum, coincidentally, it was best game atmosphere in a long time. Most of the people in attendance did this weird thing where they stood most of the game and banged their hands together, confusing the average Rupp Arena crowd. It was also the last time Billy Clyde Gillispie coached a game on the Kentucky campus, which benefited everyone in the Big Blue Nation. The 8,327 in attendance showed the world (or at least whoever was watching a first round NIT game) that the Kentucky faithful could get after it with the best of them, as a game in Memorial Coliseum had been rumored for approximately the last 400 years. The highlight of the historic night, though, came early in the second half, when Perry Stevenson dribbled the ball from half court toward the goal. That's just as impressive as the dunk, no? As Purry said after the posterization of a lifetime....."LET'S GO BOYYYY!!!"

March 16th: On this date...

...in 2002, your #16 University of Kentucky Wildcats squeaked past a game Tulsa squad, 87-82, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament behind another one of those game's from All-American Tayshaun Prince. He was unconscious, hitting on 14-21 shots from the floor, including 6-8 from 3 point range. Prince ended that Saturday with a career-high 41 points - 9 rebounds - 4 assists - 3 blocks - 0 turnovers. The tall, slender senior from Compton, California, had a knack for getting himself into The Zone, and his timing couldn't have been better, as the rest of the team shot the ball poorly most of the afternoon. The Golden Hurricane had no answer for the matchup nightmare that was Tayshaun Prince. The win put the Cats into their fourth Sweet 16 in the past five years and moved Tubby's team to 22-9 on the season. Big Blue would get knocked off by the eventual National Champion, Maryland, in the next round, giving Tubby Smith his third straight ten loss season. Uh Oh.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

March 15th: On this date...

...in 1992, your #9 University of Kentucky Wildcats won their first SEC Tournament since being put on probation with a destruction of #17 Alabama in Birmingham. The Tide actually put up a fight against the Cats in the first half, taking a 32-39 lead into the break. Master motivator Rick Pitino got the guys in gear for the second frame, outscoring Alabama 51-22 by forcing turnover after turnover. The trio of Robert Horry, James Robinson, and Latrell Sprewell had 16 turnovers by themselves, as the Elephants self-destructed when it mattered most. Kentucky was led once again by eventual SEC Tournament MVP Jamal Mashburn and his 28 points - 13 rebounds - 3 steals on 12-14 shooting from the field. The win moved UK to 26-6 on the season, earning them a #2 seed in the East Regional opposite Duke. The performance of the '92 squad put the college basketball world on notice that the Kentucky Wildcats were back. Coach Pitino was able to use the success of this team and parlay it into one of the most impressive runs in college basketball history during the 1990s. We know the rest of the story.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

March 14th: On this date...

...in 1989, Buster and Tywanna Patterson of Huntsville, West Virginia, gave birth to (I'm guessing) an enormous kid and named him Patrick. Their son would grow exponentially and become quite the basketball player. In 2007, Pat would named to the exclusive McDonald's All-American team. Luckily for everyone in Lexington, he chose a school over a coach, and committed to your University of Kentucky. Patterson is single-handedly responsible for exploding the blogosphere around Kentucky basketball, as his college choice was followed closely by two big time programs, Kentucky and Florida. From the moment he stepped foot on campus, Pat has carried himself as a man that any mother in Kentucky would be proud to have. He was the perfect rock for a basketball program that had lost its way behind an iffy ending to the Tubby Smith Era and the Billy Gillispie debacle. Thankfully, Pat stayed long enough (3 seasons) to earn his degree and see our program make a turn for the good. Happy 21st big guy, something tells me you'll never pay for a drink in this city.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

March 13th: On this date...

...in 1992, your #9 University of Kentucky Wildcats defeated Vanderbilt, 76-57, in their first postseason action in three years. The SEC Tournament was held in Birmingham, Alabama, and Big Blue Nation came out in full force. It was a nice way to cap things off for one of the most beloved senior classes in program history. The leader on the day was sophomore superstar Jamal Mashburn, who ended the afternoon with 24 points and 10 rebounds, on 8-9 shooting (3-3 from deep). Kentucky made its presence known quickly after dominating the league in 1991, despite being unable to play in the SEC Tournament due to probation. The Unforgettables controlled the game from the onset, building a nine point lead by the break. Behind Mashburn, the experienced group threw a balanced attack of Sean Woods (10 points - 8 assists - 6 rebounds), Gimel Martinez (8 points - 7 rebounds), John Pelphrey (8 points - 5 rebounds), and Richie Farmer (10 points) at the Commies to win going away.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

March 12th: On this date...

...in 1995, your #3 University of Kentucky Wildcats squeaked past arch-nemesis #5 Arkansas, 95-93, in overtime to win the SEC Tournament in Atlanta. The 1990s as a whole provided some of the most exciting basketball in the history of the SEC as these two teams were guaranteed to put on a show when they matched up together. Nolan Richardson's squad took the earlier meeting, 94-92, in Fayetteville, but the SEC Tournament provided a "neutral" site for the second meeting. The crowd of over 30,000 would not be disappointed as the up-and-down game would be tied at the end of regulation. After being down 19 points, Kentucky clawed their way back and had a chance to win in regulation, but Rodrick Rhodes missed two free throws with 1.3 seconds left to send the game to the extra frame. Rick Pitino would not play Rhodes in the overtime due to his near emotional breakdown on the court after the misses. Arkansas scored the first seven points of overtime and eventually got the lead to nine before Kentucky got things working. The Backs missed four of six free throws down the stretch and Tony Delk hit a key 3-pointer with 39 seconds left to cut the lead to 93-90. Antoine Walker and Anthony Epps then had consecutive steals to give UK a 94-93 lead as time was winding down. A last second Arkansas heave bounced off the rim, giving Kentucky the title. The win came despite Kentucky going a paltry 3-18 from 3-point range. Ten players saw at least 10 minutes of action and all ten scored, led by Antoine Walker's 23 points - 7 rebounds - 3 steals.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

March 11th: On this date...

...in 2001, your #15 University of Kentucky Wildcats beat the Ole Miss Jar Jar Binx, 77-55, to win the SEC Tournament, their eighth in the past ten years. Tubby's squad jumped out early in Nashville and took a 36-19 lead into the break. At that point, the game was decided, and the Cats went on to take what was beginning to look like the Kentucky Invitational. Junior All-American and SEC Player of the Year Tayshaun Prince single-handedly gave Mississippi all they wanted, finishing with 26 points and 12 rebounds, on 10-15 shooting (6-8 from 3-point range). He went on to earn SEC Tournament MVP unanimously and put Big Blue on the run they wanted going into the NCAA Tournament. Sophomore Keith Bogans added 19 points - 5 rebounds - 4 assists on 8-11 shooting from the field. The Championship moved UK to 22-9 on the season, a huge improvement after starting the 2000-01 campaign 3-5. Tayshaun and Company would enter the NCAAs as the #9 team in the country, and ultimately lose to Southern Cal in the Sweet 16.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

March 10th: On this date...

...in 1984, your #3 University of Kentucky Wildcats needed a game winner by Kenny "Sky" Walker as time expired to beat Auburn in the SEC Championship game, 51-49. The game was a freak show of talent, putting five of the nation's premier college basketball players on display at Vanderbilt Memorial Gym in Nashville. Kentucky's Sam Bowie, Melvin Turpin, and Kenny Walker dominated the inside for UK, while Charles Barkley and Chuck Person controlled the middle for the Tigers. The game was a slugfest that went back-and-forth until the final buzzer sounded when Jim Master found Sky Walker on the elbow for the winner. Walker's shot hit the front of the iron, bounced into the air and found the bottom of the basket for a lil' string music, sending The Round Mound of Rebound to the floor in tears. The Cats were led by Walker (12 points - 9 rebounds), Turpin (13 points - 5 rebounds), Master (10 points), and Dicky Beal (7 assists). It was the 14th SEC Tournament Championship for Kentucky.

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March 9th: On this date...

...in 1996, your top-ranked University of Kentucky Wildcats gave Nolan Richardson the beatdown he deserved with a 95-75 thrashing of the Arkansas Razorbacks in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. The Hogs seemed to be a shell of their former selves, as the "40 Minutes of Hell" is just what they got from arguably the best college basketball team ever. Antoine Walker shimmied his way to 21 points - 14 rebounds - 5 assists - 2 steals, giving him player of the game honors. The most scary statistic of the game was the fact senior All-American Tony Delk went only 1-9 from 3-point range. A 20 point victory over the proverbial thorn in our side with our MVP shooting like that was a great sign for Big Blue Nation. Walter McCarty added 17 points - 4 blocks - 3 steals and freshman phenom Ron Mercer contributed 11 points off the bench. The win was the 27th straight for the '96 Cats. The streak would end at 27, though, as Mississippi State would catch us sleeping in the Championship game.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

March 8th: On this date...

...in 1998, your #7 University of Kentucky Wildcats absolutely destroyed #15 South Carolina, 86-56, to take their sixth SEC Tournament Championship in seven years, and their 21st overall SEC Tournament Championship. The most impressive part of the beating was that Kentucky didn't have the services of Jeff Sheppard due to an ankle injury, and Nazr Mohammed was less than 100% with a separated shoulder. Only three Cats got into double figures and twelve players saw court time as Tubby's squad built a ten point lead by halftime. Wayne Turner picked up the slack (with Sheppard out) and finished the contest with 18 points, including two 3-pointers, and four assists. Allen Edwards added 15 points and five assists, and super-sub Heshimu Evans had 11 points - 6 rebounds - 3 assists for the winners. And to add salt to the gaping South Carolina wound, Myron Anthony finished 3-3 from the field for 7 points and the human victory cigar Steve Masiello's three minutes of action saw him make a 3 and have an And-1. There ya go South Carolina, Steve Masiello balled on you.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 1.31 - Cats Win To Send Off Frosh, Junior on Senior Day

March 7th: On this date...

...in 1992, your #10 University of Kentucky Wildcats honored the most compelling group of seniors ever as The Unforgettables walked onto the Rupp Arena floor one last time. The quartet of Deron Feldhaus, Sean Woods, John Pelphrey, and Richie Farmer changed the culture of a basketball powerhouse that had buried itself in NCAA sanctions into (ultimately) one of the most talked about teams in the country. Make no mistake, though, as the most dominant player on the floor was super sophomore Jamal Mashburn, who had 30 points in the 99-88 shootout win over Allan Houston and Tennessee. On the senior side, Sean Woods got ejected and spent most of the day in the locker room, not before dishing out six assists. John Pelphrey (9 points - 7 assists - 5 steals - 4 rebounds), Deron Feldhaus (13 points - 4 rebounds), and Richie Farmer (15 points - 4 assists) were enough of a supporting cast to help Mash send the boys out on a high note. The game was also the last Rupp Arena game for "The Voice of the Wildcats" Cawood Ledford.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

March 6th: On this date...

...in 1998, your #7 University of Kentucky Wildcats started their postseason march by taking out future Kentucky assistant David Hobbs and Alabama in the SEC Tournament 81-72. After a close first half, Big Blue steadily pulled away in the second stanza even without a suspended Jamaal Magloire. Tubby Smith suspended the big man for a violation of team rules and didn't even notify the team that he wouldn't be playing until halftime. No matter, as UK had nine players see at least 13 minutes of action, led by Jeff Sheppard (17 points), Wayne Turner (9 points - 8 assists), and Scott Padgett (12 points - 13 rebounds). The highly acclaimed trio, along with sculpted sixth man Heshimu Evans (7 points - 10 rebounds) put Big Blue Nation on its back and slammed its way into the semifinals where they would take on #16 Arkansas. The difference in the Bama game, though, was the beating put forth on the glass by the Wildcats, outworking the Tide 53-32.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

The End of an Era

March 5th: On this date...

...in 2003, your #2 University of Kentucky Wildcats beat up Vanderbilt, 106-44, to move to 15-0 in conference play and put themselves in a position that only the 1996 Cats had ever been in, going undefeated in all 16 conference games. All 15 players saw at least four minutes of court time in a game that saw only two players play over 20 minutes (Seniors Marquis Estill and Keith Bogans). The first half was the setup, outscoring the Commies 48-29. The second half was the annihilation, outscoring Vandy 58-15. Kentucky had almost as many made baskets as Vanderbilt did points, 43 to 44. Tubby's finest team was led by an efficient Erik Daniels with 20 points on 9-12 shooting, 2-3 from 3-point range. Josh Carrier was given a technical for pushing and Bernard Cote even put up five points and four rebounds in a game that apparently had everyone feeling like they were John Wall. The only Cats not to score on the day were Matt Heissenbuttel and Preston LeMaster, but who cares, they could still ball us out.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

March 4th: On this date...

... in 2009, is a very memorable day to me, because it was the last time Billy Clyde Gillispie ever step foot in Rupp Arena as the head coach of my beloved Kentucky Wildcats. What happened you ask? He lost to possibly the worst SEC squad that had come in there in a long time, the 2-13 Georgia Bulldogs, led by head coach Pete Hermann! Obviously the best experience of his life. The team was reeling already and with the loss, needed to win an SEC Tournament that nobody to and get an NCAA bid. Michael Porter had the game of his life going 5-8 from deep and finishing with 15 points to keep it close, but Georgia's Terrance Woodbury dropped 30 points to send poor Jared Carter packing on Senior Night. It would also be the last game for a multitude of players that Big Blue Nation had seemed to actually have a close connection. We hated Billy, they hated Billy, and Jeannine hated Billy. After the Billy Gillispie/Jeannine Edwards confrontation in Oxford, Kentucky would go 6-10 to finish out the year after starting the season 16-4. It did lead to the always rumored Memorial Coliseum game, which was a very raucous event for the first round of the NIT versus UNLV. Fans actually stood, banged their hands together, while noises came from their mouth. It was highlighted by the Coz's posterization of some poor dude.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 1.30 - Cats Get Back on Track in Athens

Kentucky clinches at least a share of the SEC regular season title and will play next Friday at 1:00pm EST in Nashville.

Rich Eisen's 40 Yard Dash

March 3rd: On this date...

... in 1984, your #3 University of Kentucky Wildcats sent a fine group of senior's away by throttling the Ole Miss Jar Jar Binx, 90-68, in front of a sellout crowd at Rupp Arena. The senior's were: Tom Heitz, Dicky Beal, Jim Master, Melvin Turpin, and Sam Bowie. Big Blue was led on the day by Sam Bowie, who was an efficient 5-6 from the field and 10-11 from the foul line, and finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds. Big Mel finished the game with 19 points and five rebounds as Joe B. Hall's Cats shot 58% from the field. The win pushed Kentucky to 23-4 on the season and in great position for a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Twin Towers went on to lead UK to the SEC Tournament title over Auburn (more on that a week from today). After beating renewed rival Louisville in the Sweet Sixteen and #6 Illinois in the Elite Eight (in Lexington BTW), Joe B. earned his third trip to the Final Four. You can look up the rest if you want.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

March 2nd: On this date...

... in 1996, your top-ranked University of Kentucky Wildcats beat Vanderbilt, 101-63, to become the first team ever to go an undefeated 16-0 in SEC conference play. The win was the 25th straight for Rick Pitino and moved #1 UK to 26-1 on the season. The leader that Senior Night was none other than Super Senior Tony Delk, who efficiently went 10-16 from the field, 3-4 from behind the arc, and finished his final game at Rupp with 23 points in just 27 minutes. Six different players had at least three assists as Big Blue assisted on 25 of 37 field goals. It was their first game back at #1 since losing to #5 Massachusetts and coach John Calipari in the Great Eight in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The loss to Calipari was followed up with 27 straight wins, a program record. There would not be a 28th consecutive win because the '96ers would get upset by #25 Mississippi State in the SEC Championship eight days later. The Master Manipulator convinced everyone in the Bluegrass (at least me) that the loss was a good thing for the team and that they needed to get it out of their system before the NCAA run. He then had sex with a crazy lady in a restaurant.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

March 1st: On this date...

... in 1921, your "dark horse" University of Kentucky Wildcats upset the Georgia Bulldogs to become the first ever Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) champions. The Champion Basketeers played "basket ball" like a machine and became one of the most heralded teams in all the South. It is believed to have been the first major basketball tournament in collegiate basketball history. The captain of the 1921 team, Basil Hayden, was the key cog during Kentucky's first ever tournament run. Later that spring, he would become the University's first ever All-American (Helm's). Hundreds of fans were gathered around getting play-by-play updates via telegraph. I think that's what people used before Al Gore and the Internet. Anyway, Hayden & Company would drive their horses back from Atlanta and were greeted by a raucous Big Blue Nation at Saddle Ridge, which was then located at the corner of Euclid and Woodland. Kentucky ended the season 13-1. Basil Hayden came back to coach Kentucky for one year (1927) and also has a jersey retired into Rupp's Rafters.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach