April 30th: On this date...

... in 1989, your University of Kentucky Wildcats were in the middle of a coaching search and rumors were spreading like wild fire (through telegraph/horse & buggy) that P.J. Carlesimo was going to be the next coach of your Kentucky Wildcats. Though UK denied it, many believed the job was Carlesimo's to take, fresh off a championship game appearance with Seton Hall. Carlesimo spent April 26th meeting with University President David Roselle and Athletic Director C.M. Newton. Reports had Carlesimo being offered $600,000/year, triple his Seton Hall salary. Who knows how this would have changed the history of UK basketball, but it certainly would have been a letdown, looking back on everything. These rumor mongers from 1989 have since produced offspring that blog about Billy Donovan being the next UK coach, Coach Cal making it rain, and John Wall trying to choose what he's gonna eat for breakfast.

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April 29th: On this date...

... in 1998, your University of Kentucky Wildcat fans snatched up 75,000 Maker's Mark cigars commemorating the recent NCAA title, once again proving that UK fans will purchase absolutely anything in association with their team. The birth of 22 t-shirt "companies" this past basketball season if further proof. The cigars were made through the Spalding Group and were sold through Maker's Mark for the Cats 7th National Championship. Maker's Mark would ultimately give $54,000 of the profits to the Tubby Smith Foundation, a place kids could go dismantle and build computers among other things. On the other hand, rabid fans would dismantle bottles of Maker's Mark, then litter Tubby's lawn with For Sale signs. Priorities people. Jeff Sheppard was named Most Outstanding Player after scoring a total of 43 points Final Four weekend for the Comeback Cats.

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If You Don't Cry, You're Not Human

April 28th: On this date...

... in 1964, your former University of Kentucky great Frank Ramsey helped lead the Boston Celtics to their sixth straight NBA Championship and Ramsey's seventh overall. One of the leaders of this Celtics era, Ramsey finished with 18 points in the 106-99 win over the San Francisco Warriors. The first title of this run was in 1957 against Cliff Hagan and the St. Louis Hawks. In the Boston area, Ramsey was known as "Sixth Man", and this was before these words were ever invented. He retired after the 1964 Championship and was later inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame in 1982. The last time this man had to buy a beer in New England was 1958, possibly the most impressive part.

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April 27th: On this date...

... in 1993, your University of Kentucky Wildcat assistant coach Billy Donovan told Marion County's own Anthony Epps that UK was "not ready to commit" to him for the 1994 season. The Cats had focused most of their efforts on Charles O'Bannon, who later committed to UCLA. Epps, eventually received a scholarship offer, ended up being the starting point guard for the most dominant team in my lifetime, the '96 Cats. Epps followed up the '96 campaign by leading his final team to the NCAA title game in 1997. On rosters full of Parade and McDonald's All-Americans, Anthony Epps was arguably the most vital part of these Championship teams. John Wall and his Freak Show talent are nice, but solid game managers like Anthony Epps and Wayne Turner were the last point guards to lead us to a Final Four/Championship. Of course, now that we're getting elite level point guards to come to Lexington, we can use this game manager for spot duty.

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April 26th: On this date...

... in 1996, your University of Kentucky Wildcat center and Junior Varsity superstar Nazr Mohammed was the victim of a burglary at Wildcat Lodge. The freshman was robbed of his championship ring by three teens. These teens were later arrested, after a young boy on a school bus saw the attempted sale of said ring. The police recovered the ring, which had "1996 NCAA Champions" and "Nazr Mohammed" engraved on it. To this day, whenever Nazr is walking down the street in Lexington opposite 13-year olds, he instinctively crosses to the other side of the street, to avoid confrontation.

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April 25th: On this date...

... in 2005, your University of Kentucky Wildcat legend Mr. Wildcat, Bill Keightley, was honored at the CATSPY's, receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award for his services to the University and its basketball program. He was a staple of Big Blue Nation for over 45 years, and was the ultimate fan and genuine person in the most public of spotlights. The man witnessed over 1,100 UK wins and was on board for three National Championship runs. Mr. Bill wore one championship ring on each hand and kept one in his pocket. Legendary broadcaster Cawood Ledford and Keightley remain the only non-player/non-coach in Kentucky history to have a jersey retired in their honor.

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April 24th: On this date...

... in 1986, your University of Kentucky Wildcat friends, former players, and UK officials gave a retirement send-off to Joe B. Hall after 13 seasons as the UK head coach. Joe B. compiled a record of 297-100 while manning the sidelines for the Wildcats. Add to that 3 Final Fours and the 1978 National Championship and you have yourself one heckuva coaching career. Hall also played on the 1947-48 Kentucky National Championship team coached coached by Adolph Rupp. Known as one of nation's top recruiters, Joe B. landed the names Dan Issel, Jim Andrews, and Tom Payne (Kentucky's first black player) in Wildcat blue. He currently has a radio show with former UofL coach Denny Crum, its called the "Joe B. & Denny Show". Hall is listed first because Kentucky is better than Louisville.

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April 23rd: On this date...

... in 2007, your University of Kentucky Wildcat alumnus Chuck Hayes scored a career high 12 points and helped the Houston Rockets win 98-90 over Utah in the playoffs. Chuck started tons of games for the Rockets in 2007, averaging 27 minutes a game. In the 2005 NBA Draft, every team passed on Hayes, but Houston gave him chance and he made the most of it, playing 40 games during his rookie season. The team has picked up his option every year since and Chuck is again on the playoff roster in 2009. Chuck is the poster boy for what a great work ethic can do for you. He has started at center nearly every game since Yao Ming got hurt as the Rockets' starting center.....a 6'5" (maybe) starting center.........in the NBA! Unbelievable. Whatever happens in the video below can be blamed on the rabid UK fan base.

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April 22nd: On this date...

... in 1995, your University of Kentucky head basketball coach Rick Pitino decided his team had too many good players. And instead of telling some of them to hit the road or sit the bench and get no experience, he created a Junior Varsity team. Hopefully, this will give the youngsters of today an idea of how freakish we were with bench talent. Pitino thought this would give the young guys on the bench valuable playing experience, it would also keep their attention. Nazr Mohammed was easily the player that benefited the most from this idea. It was such a great idea, it lasted only one year. Although it wasn't around long, the three straight Final Four's, along with two National titles are a direct result of this futuristic thinking. If nothing else, it helped make Nazr a bunch of money and kept him from transferring.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

OK, according to the crew over at KSR, both John Wall (Thursday at 10:00 am) and Patrick Patterson (Friday at 2:30 pm)are set to announce their future plans regarding playing basketball. Wall faces the question of do I want to be the #1 pick in the NBA in 2010, 2011, or even 2012 for that matter. Let's be honest, if Wall returnes, UK is preseason #1 and front-runner for the 2011 National Championship. Patterson faces a little harder question. Although he has already graduated, if he returns he could polish his overall game a little bit more, and probably improve his draft status for 2011. He also could more than likely dethrone Dan Issel as the all-time leading scorer at the University of Kentucky. Therefore, the announcements to finish out this week will be highly anticipated, but I am pretty sure we all know what the ultimate outcomes are going to be for both players.

All of this leads me to my question for you guys. If news leaked out that either John Wall or Patrick Patterson was going to return to UK for ONE MORE YEAR ONLY, who would you want that to be, Wall or Patterson?

April 21st: On this date...

... in 2009, your University of Kentucky Wildcats were represented well in round one of the NBA Playoffs as Boston Celtic/former Kentucky point guard Rajon "Johnny" Rondo threw a triple-double at Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls. There was no answer for Rondo the entire game as he continually made the freakish Rose look like the rookie he was. The final stat line for the Louisville-native was 19 points - 12 rebounds (7 offensive) - 16 assists - 5 steals. The Celtics went on to win the game, 118-115, to tie the series at one game a piece. This series would ultimately down as the best in the playoffs, and probably a top ten playoff series ever. Rondo and the Celtics advanced, as Johnny nearly averaged a triple-double for the entire series.

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April 20th: On this date...

... in 1995, your University of Kentucky received letters of intent from Wayne Turner, Ron Mercer, and Nazr Mohammed. Yowza. Take a look at those names and how much they meant to the 1990s run of complete dominance. These three players were key cogs in one of the most historical runs in program history, even college basketball history for that matter. Ron Mercer chose the Cats over the Vols, deciding to play with elite players as opposed to having to wear the color orange. Mercer had arguably the best start to a UK career in my lifetime BWC (Before Wall Cousins). Wayne Turner, a McDonald's All-American from Boston, ended up playing more games than any other player in NCAA history at the time of his graduation. Nazr Mohammed, mostly known for his dominant performances on the JV team, developed into a pro prospect and was named 1998 All-SEC. Big day in UK recruiting lore.

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April 19th: On this date...

Quit staring at that!

... in 1968, University of Kentucky alumnus, actress, angel, poster hottie, and superfan Ashley Judd was born. From her pictures on the InterWebs, I will say I'm in the boat that says she has aged really well. Don't go telling too many people today is her birthday, as her Hollywood actress birthday is July 23, 1974. Ashley is most famous for her movies with Morgan Freeman and being the damsel in distress. She is also an AIDS activist, sister/daughter of The Judds, and looks very good in blue. AJ attended UK in the late 80's and early 90's, during the "Pitino's Bombinos" era. Judd is currently attending Harvard University getting a Mid-Career Master in Public Administration. It was great to see Ashley around the program again this season and we hope to see her again this upcoming season, as she makes Big Blue Nation cuckoo for cocoa puffs.

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April 18th: On this date...

...in 2009, your former University of Kentucky Wildcats basketball head coach and current Louisville ring leader Richard Pitino told the Federal Bureau of Investigation of an elaborate plan to extort him. The elaborate plan apparently involved Pitino himself having sexual intercourse at a restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky. What's that? Oh, he did that on his own? Now that's just gross. Anyway, a crazy lady with some crazy eyes decided she didn't like it when the married Pitino didn't want to have anything to do with her afterwards. What's the lesson here? You've got to learn to keep the crazy in your pants and off the dinner table.

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April 17th: On this date...

... in 1996, the two senators from Kentucky got it right. Mitch McConnell and Wendell Ford sponsored a motion, following our sixth National Championship, declaring Kentucky to be "rightly known as the basketball capital of the world." Ford's speech went a lil' something like this:

"They rib us for taking our basketball too seriously in Kentucky. And apocryphal stories, about fans being buried in their Wildcat sweatsuits or calling on Coach Pitino to help settle their marital spats, sometimes make it seem so."

There were no objections to the resolution and there weren't even objections from the senators of North Carolina, Kansas, Indiana, and California.

In conclusion, we are not only the "Horse Capital of the World", but also the "Basketball Capital of the World", putting us one step closer to world domination. At least the senators of the great Commonwealth got their priorities straight on this day.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

April 16th: On this date...

.... in 2008, your University of Kentucky Wildcats were in the news yet again, but this time it was indirectly. T. Boone Pickens and Oklahoma State did its best Kentucky impersonation by booting Sean Sutton as their head coach and replacing him with Travis Ford. Ford started coaching at Campbellsville, moved up to Eastern Kentucky, then bolted to Massachusetts. An interesting tidbit: the prospect of playing behind Sean Sutton at Kentucky was the reason Ford started his college career at Missouri. After the scandal of the late 80's, the Sutton's left town, opening the point guard spot for Ford, who led UK to a Final Four appearance in 1993. Apparently it was an upgrade.

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April 15th: On this date...

....in 2009, your University of Kentucky Wildcats had a very public and busy day under new head coach John Calipari. The newly anointed one made the rounds on ESPN, ending with "Five Good Minutes" on PTI with Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon. The Wildcat faithful were amazed to have a coach want to be in the public, giving them signs of the 1990s brand of basketball. Calipari also held practice for the first time with his new team to get a feel on who would be a good fit and who would not. All in all, the team would totally be made over. One of the first things that happened after the practice was Coach Cal handed out the shirts Nike had made for Jodie Meeks' historic game vs. Tennessee. The previous coach had not given them to the team due to..........well, nobody knows for certain. Maybe because he's a golfer. This day in 2009 is also significant because DeMarcus "Boogie", "Big Cuz", "Carl" Cousins officially committed to play basketball in Lexington. He immediately became a fan favorite because everyone was scared to death of him. But at least he was on our side.

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Future of Kentucky Basketball in Hands of Person Born in 1993

Moments ago, Michael Gilchrist, the #1 rated player in the class of 2011 (according to everyone under the sun) committed to your University of Kentucky Wildcats. The 6'6" small forward is widely considered the best amateur basketball player in the United States, if not the galaxy. Gilchrist made it known early on (8th grade) he wanted to play for Coach Cal, wherever he may be.

This is the piece of the puzzle Calipari wanted for his Class of 2011, which is expected to be a monster class, possibly rivaling the one we just witnessed. All in all, a great day to be a card carrying member of Big Blue Nation. It helps after falling short of the long awaited Final Four.

Go Cats.

Future of Kentucky Basketball in Hands of Person Born in 1992

Moments ago, Brandon Knight, the #1 player in the Class of 2010 (according to Rivals) committed to play basketball for your University of Kentucky Wildcats. He will replace Freak Show as the point guard in charge of getting us to the Final Four in 2011. Knight mentioned during his press conference he would be in the ears of anyone who will listen to come join him in Lexington.

The basketball team as a ton of open spots on the roster, so there will be more to come in the next few days. If you know of any superstars looking for a place to play this fall, please forward them this link.

Go Cats.

Best. Impression. Ever.

April 14th: On this date...

"I'm from eastern Kentucky!!!"

... in 1987, your University of Kentucky Wildcats changed its mind and decided to offer John Pelphrey a scholarship (GASP!). UK seemed to be skeptical about the talent of the red-haired kid from Paintsville. That is, until he was named Mr. Kentucky Basketball. Just two weeks earlier, Eddie Sutton and his staff said they would only take on one more player, and were going hard after Memphis' Elliot Perry (w/ goggles). The rest lives in UK history, as Pelphrey became one of the most beloved and popular players in the last 25 years. He currently sits at 31st on the all-time Kentucky scoring list and consistently gets named as a possible replacement every time we need a new basketball coach.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

April 13th: On this date...

... in 1969, Kentucky head coach Adolph Rupp was in enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. Rupp coached 41 seasons at UK, retiring as the all-time winningest coach in college basketball with 876 victories and a record winning percentage of .822. Kentucky won four National Titles while he was the head man, one NIT title, appeared in 20 NCAA tournaments, and won 27 SEC titles. Not a bad day at the office, huh? Coach Rupp saw 24 players become All-Americans, 28 play in the NBA, and 8 of his players won gold medals. Rupp attended the University of Kansas from 1919-1923 and played basketball under coaching great Forrest "Phog" Allen and assistant/inventor of basketball James Naismith.

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April 12th: On this date...

Big Cuz playing mind games with Freak Show.

…in 2009, your University of Kentucky Wildcats fan base went scrambling to a television as the most desired player in the country was playing for the first time since John Calipari had been named our basketball coach. He was a freaky point guard from North Carolina still looking for a place to play basketball in the fall. His name…..John Wall. Such a simple name for such an extraordinary talent. The Nike Hoops Summit in Portland pitted Team USA vs. The World, and featured the best soon-to-be-freshman against an all-star International squad. The kid wouldn’t disappoint either. Steal after steal, led to fast break dish/fast break dunk. John Wall was a player we HAD to have; Wall was a man among boys to say the least. And with our new coaches’ success with talent like his, why would he choose not to come to Lexington? Everyone always wanted to know what it would have been like if LeBron went to college, the Big Blue Nation was on the verge of experiencing it first hand. Freak Show ended the game with 13 points – 11 assists – 5 steals. John Calipari also had an ace up his sleeve: verbal commit DeMarcus Cousins was also on the team and around him 24/7. Go Cats.

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April 11th: On this date...

… in 2009, your University of Kentucky got back to its roots when newly named head coach John Calipari announced Scott Padgett would be joining his coaching staff for the upcoming basketball season. It was a move that was completely opposite of his two predecessors, and quickly sent a message around Big Blue Nation that all former players were welcome and their presence was encouraged. It was a great way to showcase the players, the University, and more importantly the Kentucky Brand. The new coach seemed to be the perfect hire for a University (and fan base) longing for the glory years. The hire would get Mr. Padgett off the air in Louisville and give him a front row seat in what would arguably be the best Kentucky team of the century. Sources close to the situation told the Big Blue Booyah Padgett’s official title was, “old, alum basketball helper.” Go Cats.

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April 10th: On this date...

... in 1969, your University of Kentucky Wildcats extended its pimp hand six hours west on Interstate 64 when Joe B. Hall accepted the head coaching position with the St. Louis Billikens. One week later, he returned to Kentucky after school officials promised to put him at the top of the list when Adolph Rupp retired. Hall felt as though he wasn't getting any love from UK, so he forced their (pimp) hand. Known as one of the nation’s top recruiters, Joe B. knew he had all the leverage in the world when negotiating with one of the nation's top programs. Rupp was forced out just three years later in 1972, and Joe B. Hall was named the leader of the men's basketball program. Joe B. went on to have a successful coaching career at Kentucky and has parlayed that success into the greatest sports talk show in the history of the universe. In other words, he's "stiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiill got it."

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Last Night's Unnecessary Censorship

April 9th: On this date...

... in 2007, your University of Kentucky Unforgettable John Pelphrey was named the head coach at Arkansas. Before being named Arkansas coach, he was an assistant under Billy Donovan and head coach at South Alabama. Twice, Pelphrey was considered a darkhorse candidate for the open Kentucky job. It hasn’t been all rainbows and unicorns for the red-headed one down in Fayetteville, though, as problems seem to follow the Razorbacks around heading into each year. Whether we want to admit it or not, the SEC is better when Arkansas is good, as they are the only team in the history of the SEC West to consistently challenge teams in the East and make noise in the postseason. Of course, this all happened a decade and a half ago, so the probability of them coming back to that kind of power is slim. Hopefully, the Kentucky boy is able to stay around long enough to make that happen.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Chris Rock Killing It on Letterman Last Night

Tiger Mashes Wood.....Err....Strokes Ball.......Nevermind

This was the plane flying overhead today in Augusta as Tiger Woods was making his return to golf. A very solid use of money to get your Tiger-hate on if that your bag. Galleries have been under control and behaving most of the time, but their have been the occasional boo's.

Just remember this. For every round of applause Tiger gets today at the Masters, 500 times that many "patrons" have been staring at his junk. Most likely with a smirk imagining what was on the other end of said "junk". Add to that the fact most of those patrons are rich , white dudes, and we've got a recipe for fascination.

Good day. Go Cats.

April 8th: On this date...

…in 2003, your University of Kentucky Wildcats head coach Orlando “Tubby” Smith was in the process of steamrolling every coaching award known to man. The most recent award in this run was the 2003 NABC Coach of the Year Award presented to him in New Orleans. This was the ninth Coach of the Year award given to Tubby since the end of the season. And according to the UK Athletics site, the most impressive feat was that Smith had received the six major Coach of the Year awards recognized by the NCAA, something that had not been accomplished since Robert Montgomery Knight in 1975. The only difference? Knight threw his awards across the banquet hall, while Tubby took his and gave them a bath. The NCAA recognizes the AP, USBWA, NABC, Naismith, Sporting News, and CBS as the six majors. Tubby had a perfect 19-0 record in the SEC, finished the season 32-4, and added an Elite Eight appearance to boot.

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April 7th: On this date...

…... in 1992, your University of Kentucky Wildcats celebrated the careers of four of the most compelling players in program history. Kentucky fans crammed Rupp Arena yet again to watch the Unforgettables (Richie Farmer, Deron Feldhaus, John Pelphrey, Sean Woods) hang their jerseys in the rafters. The University brought the seniors in for a tribute to their wonderful season as a thank you for everything they had done, most of all, a legacy that signaled to the nation that Kentucky basketball was back. The program had been stomach-punched by probation and these seniors capped off their careers with a riveting Elite Eight run. As the seniors stood at mid-court with their families, the #32, #12, #34, and #11 jerseys were unveiled. None of them knew the jersey hanging was coming. Richie Farmer told an ESPN production crew member, "It’s something you don't dare dream about." Then his mustache started crying and we named him Governor.

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April 6th: On this date...

…in 2008, this may or may not have happened. When I tried to reach Mitch Barnhart for comment, his comment was, "Nothing to see here. Moving on." The only thing I'd like to know was when Mitch seriously thought, "Oh sh*t. What have I done?!?!?"

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

April 5th: On this date...

Look at all of those Duke guys staring at Sheppard's ass.

... in 1998, your University of Kentucky Wildcats, led by seniors Jeff Sheppard, Allen Edwards, and Cameron Mills, along with juniors Scott Padgett and Wayne Turner, were honored at Rupp Arena following their NCAA title run. More than 20,000 fans came to Rupp to show their appreciation for the Comeback Cats, not to mention witness what was becoming an annual ceremony……..a banner raising. Big Blue Nation was still reeling from being left in the middle of a dynasty-type run by previous coach Rick Pitino. But the Tubby Smith led Wildcats put together their own Championship run, culminating with a win over NCAA Tournament best friend Utah, 78-69, giving Kentucky its seventh and most recent championship. The fans that couldn't make it to Rupp Arena to see the event later celebrated by littering Tubby Smith front lawn with For Sale signs!

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April 4th: On this date...

Wonder if that's his "O" face?

…in 1997, your University of Kentucky Wildcats returned to Lexington after a hard fought NCAA Championship game loss to silver fox Lute Olson. Fans lined up outside Rupp Arena to get a chance to show their appreciation and welcome back their beloved squad. Even though the Cats fell to Arizona, fans flocked to Rupp to see the 1997 runner-up banner raised to the rafters. After not seeing a banner go to the Rupp rafters in nearly a decade (1984), Rick Pitino & Company were hanging their third in five years (1993, 1996, and 1997). It would also be his last. The Cats, known as The Unbelievables, finished the 1997 season with a 35-5 record. More impressively, they accomplished this feat without standout guard Derek Anderson, due to a knee injury. The head coach of The Unbelievables, would go on to do some ”Unbelievable” things in the future, one of which included filming a porno in a Louisville restaurant sans cameras.

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April 3rd: On this date...

…in 2008, over 3,000 fans gathered at Rupp Arena to celebrate the life of one "Mr. Wildcat", Bill Keightley. Mr. Keightley passed away March 31st, 2008, after complications discovered after a fall at Opening Day in Cincinnati. He was eulogized by many friends including Jeff Sheppard, Rick Pitino, Joe B. Hall, and Billy Gillispie. Hall said, "Bill Keightley outgrew his job as equipment manager and he left a void in this program that's going to be impossible to fill." . I was actually with a group of friends the following Thursday in Cincinnati when, before the first pitch, they called for a moment of silence in Mr. Wildcat's honor. That says a ton about how far reaching this man was to so many. What a great ambassador for the state of Kentucky and the Kentucky basketball program. He will be forever missed. Everyone would have loved to have gotten Mr. Wildcat’s thoughts on the past two years, and especially hear what he’d have to say about the freshmen this year. There’s a part of me that thinks Bill Keightley was the missing piece to our 2010 Final Four run. Simply another calming influence for the new guys to have in their back pocket. You cannot convince me otherwise. The freshmen would have loved him like no other.

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April 2nd: On this date...

…in 1996, your University of Kentucky Wildcats, also known as “The Best Team in the History of the World-ables", returned to Lexington and Rupp Arena to hang banner #6 to a packed house. Residents of Lexington were forced to come down from trees and light poles to welcome their beloved team back home. Following a police escort, the Untouchables drove into Rupp in a motor coach. Mark Pope was first off the bus carrying the NCAA trophy. The nearly perfect season ended without a hitch as the players walked to one end of the arena at the end of the ceremony to hoist the banner forever into Rupp's rafters. If you'd like to relive this magical run, check out the recap from Sports Illustrated's vault. Enjoy. Once the ceremony ended, most of the Big Blue faithful returned to the trees and light poles they had come down from a few hours earlier. To this day, you can still see a few 30-year old(ish) tree huggers living quietly atop the streets on campus.

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April 1st: On this date...

... in every year in the history of your life, you were forced to hear some lame April Fool’s Day jokes from your co-workers! We all know this is true. OK, back to the good stuff. On this date….in 1996, your University of Kentucky Wildcats ended an 18 year NCAA Championship drought, by knocking off Syracuse, 76-67, on the Jersey Shore. All-American guard, Tony Delk, who was named Most Outstanding Player, hit a record-tying seven 3-pointers in the final. Freshman Ron Mercer added 20 points and Walter McCarty had a key tip-in to stretch UK's lead to four coming down the stretch. The '96 team finished the season 34-2, 16-0 in the SEC, including a 27-game win streak. The win streak was ended in the SEC Championship to Mississippi State -- a loss that every single UK fan would say to this day was a good thing. Seriously, go ask someone.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach