Calipari 3.14 - MKG, Brow Destroy Hope For The City Of Louisville

December 31st: On this date...

... in 2007, your University of Kentucky Wildcats made history as they were back in Nashville winning their second Music City Bowl in as many years. It was the first time since 1951-52 (under “Bear” Bryant) the Wildcats had won back-to-back bowl games. A Music City Bowl record attendance (68,661) witnessed a 35-28 squeaker over a probation-laden Florida State squad. Bobby Bowden’s Seminoles were caught in an enormous cheating scandal that led to nearly half the team being suspended for the game. A total of 34 Seminole players were not allowed to play for a litany of reasons, but most due to the cheating scandal. This was not Kentucky’s problem, though, and Andre Woodson shredded the depleted defense on his way to 358 yards, four touchdowns, and repeat MVP honors. Steve Johnson led all wideouts with 126 yards receiving. Rafael Little finished the game with a season-high 152 yards rushing. It was the second consecutive year the Cats had beaten a Bowden in the Music City Bowl.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach



 ... in 2010, Jorts had a coming out party in the freshly opened Yum! Center.

 

Kentucky-Louisville Preview From Stone Cold Willow

Decemeber 30th: On this date...

.... in 2002, Chuck Norris’ role model, one Richard “PaPaw” Brooks was named head football coach for your University of Kentucky Wildcats. It was a move that 99% of Big Blue Nation kept bookmarked as a reason to want to fire Mitch Barnhart. Most fans felt we needed to go young and energetic, but we were proven wrong. Anyone that tells you they liked this hire when it happened just lied to your face. As much grief as Mitch has gotten over the years, you have to admire his patience with the hire and the football program in general. He got a proven winner head coach to come into a no-win situation and the head coach actually WON games. It may have taken a while to get there, but no one can tell me anyone else would have done it sooner. Brooks successfully rebuilt a current Pac 10 superpower and had laid the foundation for the same in Lexington. We might not compete in the BCS year in and year out, but we’re competing. Just remember: all of the current Joker Phillips haters were the Joker Phillips backers just a few years ago. The haters apparently don’t trust Rich Brooks.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

December 29th: On this date...

..... in 2001, Restauranteur Rick Pitino came back into Rupp Arena as the head coach of our biggest rival and received the beatdown he deserved as Kentucky pounded Louisville into submission, 82-62. Tubby Smith got his first ever win v. Rick Pitino in front of the fourth largest crowd in Rupp Arena history. Chants of, “Tub-by, Tub-by, Tub-by” rained down on the Rupp Arena floor as the fans let Mr. Pitino know where their loyalties lie. Kentucky had a slew of solid performances led by Tayshaun Prince’s 18 points - 9 rebounds - 3 assists. Other contributors included: Keith Bogans (17 points - 7 rebounds), Marquis Estill (10 points - 5 rebounds), Gerald Fitch (10 points - 5 rebounds). The game-ending dagger, though, came during a 15-0 Wildcat run that featured a crossover of epic proportions by Cliff Hawkins (8 points - 5 rebounds - 5 assists - 6 TO). Rick Pitino may have been the story coming into the game, but Cliff Hawkins’ crossover was the lasting memory. Enjoy. Again.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 3.13 - Well Rounded Cats Cruise Past Lamar

December 28th: On this date....

..... in 2006, your University of Kentucky Wildcats won their first bowl game in 22 years by taking down Clemson in the Music City Bowl, 28-20. The Nashville scene was glorious as LP Field was packed with Blue from top to bottom. As great as the scene was, the weather was even better. Late-December with sunny skies and temps in the high 50's. Much of the talk leading up to the game centered on how the porous Kentucky defense would handle the promising Clemson backfield of James Davis and C.J. Spiller. The UK defense put the Tigers in passing situations all day and held the hyped duo to a combined 77 yards rushing. Joker Phillips had the entire offense on display by bringing in freshman linebacker Micah Johnson for a touchdown plunge to open the scoring. Moments later, Kentucky called a fake punt deep in its territory to ignite a spark. The next play was just that, as Andre Woodson (20-28 299 yards, 3 TDs - 0 Ints) found DeMoreo Ford streaking down the field for a 70-yard touchdown just before halftime. Clemson’s 12th-ranked defense lot much of its swagger after this series and the Cats controlled the game most of the day. The lead ballooned to 28-6, before the Tigers scored a pair of late meaningless touchdowns. This game was also somewhat of a coming-out party for one Trevard Lindley, who had a ridiculous behind-the-back interception in the end zone as Clemson was driving.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

December 27th: On this date...

..... in 1986, in just his seventh official game as a Kentucky Wildcat, freshman Rex Chapman gained immediate folk hero status as he dropped 26 points on the Louisville Cardinals in a 85-51 destruction of the birds. King Rex was scoring at will in Freedom Hall, going 10-20 from the field (5-8 from 3-point range). The day was highlighted by a Chapman steal and dunk during the second half in which he threw it down with authority to make the Big Blue faithful go bonkers. Even the older fans stood up and applauded. The Michael Jordan of Italian pro basketball, Rob Lock, shut down “Never Nervous” Pervis Ellison, as the world found out that Perv’s nickname was a total sham. Louisville’s Perv ended the game with only four points and four rebounds on 2-8 shooting. Ed Davender (16 points - 8 rebounds - 5 assists) and Richard Madison (9 points - 17 rebounds) were King Rex’s wingmen on this glorious day.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

December 26th: On this date...

..... in 1998, doesn’t necessarily go down in Kentucky history, but it happened nonetheless. I only do this because the man is one of Joe B. Hall’s best friends nowadays and you have to respect the great career he had. It was Denny Crum’s last win v. your University of Kentucky Wildcats, 83-74. Defending National Champion Kentucky came into Freedom Hall that day ranked #3 in the country and boasted a 10-2 record. It was Big Blue’s second straight loss (lost to Duke three days before Christmas), something that hadn’t happened in four years. The Cats actually had sixteen more shots than the Cards, but the Cards were on the free throw line all day long. They capitalized from the charity stripe to start Tubby Smith off 0-2 vs. Louisville for his Kentucky head coaching career. Wayne Turner (11 points - 4 rebounds - 4 assists) and Scott Padgett (13 points - 5 rebounds) kept us close, but the team shot an uneasy 2-15 from behind the arc to seal our fate. Hopefully this gets your blood boiling for the upcoming tilt v. the junior college down the road.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

December 25th: On this date...

... in 2011, everyone associated with Big Blue Booyah would like to wish You & Yourn a Merry Christmas. Six days.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

December 24th: On this date...

..... in 1981, an ultra-fast 6'1 point guard (with one of the sickest crossover’s in Kentucky basketball history) was born in Dumfries, Virginia, by the name of Cliff Hawkins. This year he turns 30 years old, allowing all Big Blue diehards to feel just a little bit older this holiday season. Hawkins holds the record for most steals in a single season by a senior with 74 (2003-04). That number (74) places him fourth on the all-time single season mark for steals. He ranks third on the career list for steals with 199, behind only Wayne Turner (238) and Tony Delk (201). Hawkins also ranks seventh on the Kentucky list for assists in a career with 468, behind only a Who’s Who list of UK all-timers. One of his most memorable games came as a freshman (2000-01) when Kentucky and North Carolina renewed their rivalry in Chapel Hill. He came off the bench to spark the unranked Cats to drub the 6th-ranked Heels, 93-76. He finished the game 5-9 FG - 11 points - 5 assists - 3 rebounds in 18 minutes of action replacing Saul Smith at point guard. Oh, and this happened v. Louisville.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

December 23rd: On this date...

... in 1993, Jeff Brassow tipped in an errant shot by Roderick Rhodes as time expired to give your University of Kentucky Wildcats the Maui Invitational Championship. The tip gave Kentucky a 93-92 win over Arizona in what was Big Blue’s first ever trip to Maui. Bill Raftery exploded from the telecast shouting, “BRASS-OW... BRASS-OW... COMES UP BIG!!!" Rick Pitino went ballistic rushing the court in celebration grabbing Brassow and doing a doe-si-doe around the court (he managed to keep his pants on though). He then realized Lute Olsen was waiting for him to shake hands and he quickly wiped the smile off his face. Tournament MVP Travis Ford led all Cats with 25 points on 7-14 3-point shooting in the final contest. As a team, Kentucky went 15-34 from behind the arc, but only 6-7 from the free throw line. Arizona was led by one of the most prolific backcourts in Arizona history, Khalid Reeves and Damon Stoudamire. Basketball Gods took note of this game and Arizona cashed in its voucher a few years later in the most heart-breaking fashion. How rude.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 3.12 - Kyle Wiltjer's Goes WBA on Loyola MD, Saves 3-Point Streak

December 22nd: On this date...

..... in 2001, your 7th ranked University of Kentucky Wildcats took out an unranked Indiana squad, 66-52, as 12 Cats saw action in Indianapolis’ RCA Dome. Kentucky was led by all-timer Tayshaun Prince’s 17 points and 11 rebounds and Cliff Hawkins’ 17 points and five assists. Once again Tubby’s defense was the story of the game, holding the Candy-Stripers to 32% shooting on the day. Hoosier head coach Mike Davis let his feelings be known days leading up to the game when he announced he, “hated Kentucky with a passion...in the worst way.” That was great and all, as his team apparently did more hating than scoring. Tayshaun bottled up Indiana star Jared Jeffries by holding him to 4-15 shooting, while dominating him on the offensive end. It was Big Blue’s ninth win in eleven tries in the storied basketball rivalry. Kentucky shot a solid 46% from the field and held a 43-36 rebounding edge to keep things in check.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

December 21st: On this date...

..... in 2002, a border war between Kentucky and Indiana contained a meltdown of epic proportions as Indiana head coach Mike Davis stormed the court to protest a non-call from the officials. To this day, it’s the longest an official has taken to give a coach a technical foul in the history of the universe. Davis was literally flailing around on the court for what seemed to be an eternity before he got the first technical. Then, the referee (Bert Smith) tried to get Davis to “Walk away” numerous times before finally ejecting him. The sixth ranked Hoosiers came into Freedom Hall on a high note, but walked out shell-shocked. The 16th ranked Kentucky Wildcats took down the candy-stripers 70-64 in Freedom Hall to push the series run to eight wins in nine seasons. Big Blue grabbed 19 offensive rebounds that day to key the win. Keith Bogans (17 points), Gerald Fitch (16 points), Marquis Estill (14 points), and Chuck Hayes (8 points - 9 rebounds) helped the Cats to the memorable win.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 3.11 - Lambo's 26 Leads Cats Over Samford

December 20th: On this date...

..... in 2003, sixteen different Wildcats saw action as your University of Kentucky blasted Indiana, 80-41, in Indianapolis. Only four Hoosiers scored on the day as Kentucky exploded after what was only a six point halftime lead. The Kentucky defense held Indiana to a paltry 24% shooting in what was a basketball clinic in the second half. Chuck Hayes (22 points - 10 rebounds), Erik Daniels (19 points - 10 rebounds), and Kelenna Azubuike (11 points - 8 rebounds) dominated the post on their way to helping UK have a ridiculous 54-25 rebounding edge. The second-ranked Cats (top-ranked in ESPN/USA Today poll) shot 55% and held IU to just 15 second half points. The 39-point margin was the biggest win ever in the storied history of this rivalry and was Kentucky 11th win in 13 tries in the series. Azubuike made the only three-pointer on the day to keep the streak alive, as Big Blue was only 1-8 from behind the arc. A classic game for Wildcat fans everywhere and a season where Tubby’s guys would earn a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

December 19th: On this date...

..... in 1891, prior to a football game with Centre College, students of your University of Kentucky Wildcats adopted its school colors.......Blue and...........Yellow? The shade of Blue of was decided on when a student asked “What color blue?” A football letterman, Richard C. Stoll, then took off his necktie and raised it into the air. The particular shade of blue on Stoll’s necktie was then adopted as the school’s official color. The yellow part of the school color was a light yellow and lasted less than a year. The second color (White) was adopted in 1892 and has stayed ever since. Blue-White rolls off the tongue a bit better than Blue-Yellow you have to admit.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 3.10 - Cats Trio Impresses, Roll Past UT-Chattanooga

Doron Lamb: 24p - 6r Anthony Davis: 14p - 18r - 5b Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: 17p - 8r - 6a

 

December 18th: On this date...

..... in 2004, a Freedom Hall record basketball crowd of 20,088 witnessed Patrick “Booger” Sparks hit three free throws with 0.6 seconds left in regulation to push #8 Kentucky past #13 Louisville, 60-58. Sparks had two Louisville big men running at him with time running out and (instead of getting blocked) faked a three-pointer to draw the most crucial foul of the afternoon. The day didn’t start out so great, though, as Kentucky shot 5-24 in the first half and trailed 32-16 at halftime. It tied the largest halftime deficit UK had overcome to win a game (with the 1994 Mardi Gras Miracle) in program history. Sparks was on fire from deep going 5-8 and finishing with 25 points and 5 rebounds. Kelenna Azubuike added 12 points and Chuck Hayes gave a solid 6 point - 9 rebound - 4 assist effort to keep everything under control down low. Tubby used his bench to the tune of thirteen players seeing floor time, compared to seven on the Rick Pitino side. The win stopped a two-game losing streak to Rick Pitino and the Puerto Rican Restaurants. Cheers to you, Booger Sparks.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

December 17th: On this date...

..... in 1930*, legendary basketball coach Adolph Rupp got the first of his 876 wins as the head basketball coach of the University of Kentucky. The game occurred in Alumni Gymnasium v. Georgetown College and Big Blue dominated the Tigers 67-19. The break neck fast-break style of game led to many uncontested baskets for Kentucky as the outmanned Georgetown squad looked on in amazement. Harrodsburg, KY-native Forest “Aggie” Sale led the Wildcats that day with 19 points, further proving the point that you don’t mess with Mercer County. After dominating the first half 38-9, Georgetown rallied to only lose the second half 29-10 for the final tally. Coach Rupp went on to post a .961 winning percentage for the rest of his time in Alumni Gym and a career mark of 876-190 over 41 seasons (an .822 winning percentage). The Cats started Rupp’s first season with 10 straight wins and finished the season 15-3, losing in the Southern Conference Tournament Championship to Maryland, 29-27.

* - Actually happened on December 18th, but you have to include this, right? You’ll see why tomorrow.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

December 16th: On this date....

.... in 2006, your University of Kentucky Wildcats went into Rupp Arena West Presented by Freedom Hall and beat Louisville and their filthy coach. It was Orlando “Tubby” Smith’s last time playing Louisville as the University of Kentucky head coach. The 61-49 victory wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win against those filthballs down I-64. Freshman Jodie Meeks scored a career-high 18 points (4-7 from beyond the arc) and junior Ramel “Smooth” Bradley added 15 points and a team-high six rebounds to key the Wildcats. It was Tubby Smith’s third consecutive win in the series after starting an uneasy 3-4 against the Red Birds to start his UK coaching career. Tubby’s defense led the way, holding the Losers to 27% shooting (3-24 from 3 point-range). Randolph Morris was out of the game by the first TV timeout due to fouls, which allowed the Polish Nightmare Lukasz “Woo” Obrzut to get some quality minutes. His line: 3-5 FG - 6 points - 5 rebounds - 4 fouls. Solid.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

December 15th: On this date...

.... in 2003, senior offensive extraordinaire Derek Abney was named a second team All-American by the Associated Press. He was named to the team as simply an all-purpose player, as you had to get him in the fold somehow. Abney led the Southeastern Conference in all-purpose yardage averaging just under 152 yards per game. Big Blue used Abney in almost every facet of the game, as he ran, caught, and returned his way to the record books. All of this came on the heels of a consensus selection as a first team everything across the board in 2002 (AP, ESPN, Football Writers, Walter Camp, CBS Sportsline, CNNSI, to name a few) after returning a record six kicks for touchdowns. Abney ended his career with five NCAA records, 11 Southeastern Conference records, and 14 University of Kentucky records for returns and all-purpose yards. He was also the first player in NCAA history to have 2,000 receiving yards, 2,000 kickoff return yards, and 1,000 punt return yards in a career. Remind you of anyone?

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

December 14th: On this date....

..... in 1924, your University of Kentucky Wildcats played their first ever basketball game in storied Alumni Gym, beating Cincinnati, 28-23. The Gym was completed for the 1924-25 season after the Board of Trustees complained the Barker’s Hall Buell Armory was unsafe for the amount of fans trying to see the game. Near riots occurred as fans were turned away game after game because of safety concerns. Known as the “White Elephant”, the 2,800 seat, $100,000 structure is considered the birthplace of Kentucky’s storied basketball tradition. In 1928, torrential downpours flooded downtown Lexington and Alumni Gymnasium, which included all of the basketball offices in its basement. Any and all records for Kentucky basketball were thus lost. (After a bit of research, I concluded that Kentucky basketball went 126-0 and won 22 National Championships.) In 1930, Adolph Rupp came in and started the official reign of dominance. In 19 seasons, Rupp’s record at Alumni Gym was 201-8.......seriously. The University’s overall record in 26 total seasons was 247-24, a .911 winning percentage.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

WLEX's Story On The Nash Family

Leah Nash and her family's continuously updated blog.

December 13th: On this date....

..... in 2003, in a game that would be titled “Basketbowl”, your University of Kentucky Wildcats played the Michigan State Spartans at Detroit’s Ford Field. The reason the game was called “Basketbowl” was because the schools were attempting to set a World Record for basketball game attendance. And they did. The official attendance was 78,129, setting a mark unmatched by anyone else in the history of the Universe. Big Blue never trailed throughout the contest and won the game by a score of 79-74. Tubby Smith proclaimed, “We aren’t intimidated by this kind of atmosphere.”  The Wildcats were led by Gerald Fitch’s 25 points (4-6 shooting from 3-point range) and Chuck Hayes’ dominance down low (17 points - 12 rebounds - 4 assists - 2 blocks - 2 steals). The uncommon atmosphere proved no big deal for Kentucky, as they shot a fiery 60% from the field. Two February's ago, the NBA broke the attendance record during the 2010 NBA All Star game. Jerry Jones opened his billion dollar stadium to LeBron & Friends ending with an official total of 108,713. Feel free to continue your hatred of Jerry Jones.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

December 12th: On this date....

.... in 1987, your #1 ranked University of Kentucky Wildcats moved to 4-0 as they escaped with a 76-75 squeaker over unranked rival Louisville. Cedric “Swoop” Jenkins tipped in a basket as time was running out to give the Wildcats a victory in front of 23,489 fans at Rupp Arena. After racing out to a 45-32 halftime lead, Kentucky allowed Denny Crum’s Cardinals to cut it to 60-59 with just under nine minutes left to play. Louisville’s Pervis Ellison ( 20 points - 13 rebounds - 5 assists - 4 steals - 3 blocks) was a big part of the comeback as he dominated the low post for 39 minutes and 59 seconds of the rivalry game. That lone second turned out to be huge as Ellison left Jenkins under the basket alone (to cover a wide open Rex Chapman) for the winning tip. High scorers for the Good Guys were: Rex Chapman (21 points); Ed Davender (20 points); Winston Bennett (14 points), and Eric Manuel (8 points).

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 3.09 - Davis Foul Trouble, Indiana 3's Doom Cats

December 11th: On this date....

.... in 2004, your 10th ranked University of Kentucky Wildcats beat Indiana 73-58 at Freedom Hall. Patrick “Booger” Sparks led the way for Big Blue that day tallying 16 points and six assists. Senior Chuck Hayes led the low post guys with 14 points and nine rebounds. The win pushed the Cats to 6-1 on the season and was the fifth straight win in the annual series with the Hoosiers. After Kentucky got out to a 33-24 halftime lead, Indiana cut the lead to five, 42-37, with eleven minutes to play. Kelenna Azubuike (7 points - 5 rebounds - 4 assists) then sparked an 11-0 run to put the game on ice. The candy-stripers from Bloomington were dominated in the post as Kentucky outscored them 38-10 in the paint. Along with Hayes, Randolph Morris (11 points) and 7'-3 Shagari Alleyne (10 points - 5 rebounds - 4 blocks) dominated down low. Bracey Wright led IU with 31 points on 6-12 shooting from 3-point range.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

December 10th: On this date...

..... in 2002, your 12th ranked University of Kentucky Wildcats outmanned Tulane 76-60 in New Orleans to win their fourth straight game. The Cats traveled to the Bayou as a favor to former Tubby Smith assistant coach Shawn Finney. It would hopefully give the Cats an early look at the scenery for the upcoming SEC Tournament and Final Four. (Dwayne Wade had other plans though, single-handedly taking us out in the Elite Eight with a triple-double: 29 points - 11 rebounds - 11 assists) Keith Bogans led Big Blue by going 5-5 from 3-point range and finishing with 21 points - 5 assists - 6 steals. Kentucky got out early and took a 45-26 lead to halftime and cruised from there. Tulane led for only two minutes at the beginning before UK got into its rhythm. Marquis Estill added 10 points and 7 rebounds. Jules Camara had 12 points and 5 rebounds. Sophomore Chuck Hayes added four points, nine rebounds, and four assists.

 Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

 ..... in 2009, this happened.

 

December 9th: On this date....

..... in 2002, in what has easily become a blessing in disguise, Kentucky head football coach Guy Morriss resigned from his position at the University of Kentucky. It was a move that even the most loyal Kentucky fans knew in their heart he couldn’t be blamed. The NCAA was on the verge of coming down hard for the transgressions of the previous coaching staff, and Morriss didn’t want to be around that one bit. Scholarship numbers would be destroyed for the near future and Morriss had already spoke to Baylor about their head coach opening. The Wildcats would need a super-human. A man that even the great Chuck Norris would be impressed. A man that loved the outdoors. A man that would not be afraid to flip over in a boat on a fishing trip. A man who loved to watch tomatoes grow like an average human likes to watch television. A man who knew what he was getting himself into. A man looking for a challenge. This man’s name was Richard P. Brooks. The “P.” of course standing for PaPaw. It was a decision that gets held against Mitch Barnhart to this day. Look who’s laughing now.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

December 8th: On this date....

..... in 2001, all-time Kentucky great Tayshaun Prince had his signature day as a Kentucky Wildcat. As Bill Raftery so duly noted, Prince had his “puppies set off the bus” as he came out on fire in Kentucky’s game vs. North Carolina in Rupp Arena. He started the game 5-5 from 3-point range, ending with a dagger from 105 feet away. The fifth had to simply demoralize an outmanned North Carolina bunch. Big Blue went on to win 79-59 in what was North Carolina’s first trip to Rupp Arena. Prince actually hit his sixth straight 3-pointer eight minutes into the game and ended the day 7-11 behind the arc. The line for the Compton, California native was 31 points - 11 rebounds - 4 assists - 4 steals. Seeing ya boy shaking his head after the second one gives me goosebumps to this day. It was an outstanding way to welcome the boys from Chapel Hill to Lexington. While the Heels were in their Billy Clyde-esque Era, I’m sure no Kentucky fan lost any sleep over it. Enjoy.

Big Blue Booyah of Tom Leach

December 7th: On this date....

..... in 1996, fresh off winning their sixth National Championship, your University of Kentucky Wildcats thrashed Robert Montgomery Knight and Indiana University in Freedom Hall, 99-65. The Hoosiers were ranked #8 that day, so it sent a message to everyone in college basketball that Kentucky was coming out swinging in defense of its title. Derek Anderson (30 points) and Ron Mercer (26 points) proved too athletic for the Chair-Throwing Candy-Stripers as the lead had grown to 55-31 by halftime. Even the human victory cigar Steve Masiello got in for three minutes and scored three points, all on free throws. I’m not going to lie, watching a young Rick Pitino blast Bobby Knight and Indiana each year was one of my favorite memories of the Pitino Era. The amount of frustration of Knight’s face during the games was abundant, as I’m sure we got to witness almost all of his “game-faces."

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

December 6th: On this date....

..... in 2003, your ninth-ranked University of Kentucky Wildcats took a road trip to Los Angeles to play UCLA in the John Wooden Classic. The outcome was a 52-50 slugfest win for the Good Guys. Some called it a game of defensive mastery, others called it a poor shooting effort from both teams. Big Blue shot only 27 percent from the field, as a hot Bruin team made 34 percent of their field goals. Erik Daniels finished the game with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Chuck Hayes added nine points and 13 rebounds. Hayes, Cliff Hawkins, and Gerald Fitch finished the day a combined 6-32 from the floor. The embarrassing 27-17 score at halftime was awful, except for the fact we were leading. Ben Howland’s team cut the lead to three multiple times in the second half, and the final tally was the closest UCLA ever got. Kentucky never trailed on the day. Something even John Wooden could appreciate. The game was so brutal, pundits across the country referred to it as something called "Big Ten" basketball.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

December 5th: On this date....

..... in 1953, Cawood Ledford called his first game as “The Voice of the Wildcats”. Coach Adolph Rupp led Kentucky to a 86-59 rout of Temple. The game was played in Memorial Coliseum. All-time great Cliff Hagan led the Wildcats that day with memorable performance of 51 points. Frank Ramsey (10 points) was the only other player in double figures. Cawood had to be smiling from ear-to-ear after witnessing Hagan score that many in his debut. The 27-year-old Ledford wouldn’t leave the radio broadcast for the next 39 years, as impressive a run as we’ve ever seen. Radio broadcasts would start off by Cawood signing in, “Hello everybody, this is Cawood Ledford.” He is also one of, if not the first, radio personality to announce which way the game would be played on the radio dial. His last game was in 1992. I’ll leave it at that.

.....in 2009, The Freak Show himself, Jimmy Wall had his coming out party in the kickoff to CBS's Road To The Final Four.

December 4th: On this date....

..... in 2008, your University of Kentucky announced plans to celebrate the life of long time equipment manager Bill Keighley during a December 7th game vs. Mississippi Valley State. Mr. Wildcat’s jersey would be retired into Rupp’s rafters for the final time during halftime. The University wanted to mark Keightley’s legacy in a multitude of ways. Among them were: a permanent spot on the Arena floor in front of Mr. Wildcat’s seat at the head of the bench; a black “K” on the uniforms; a silk ribbon on the shoulder of the uniform that read “Mr. Wildcat”; a Mr. Wildcat Catspy Award; an annual golf tournament; and a scholarship fund set up for future UK men’s basketball managers. The most visible difference on December 7th would be the black uniforms with each player’s number, but with Keightley’s name on the back. A very classy tribute for an all-time Wildcat legend.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 3.08 - Davis Block Seals Epic Victory Over Tar Heels

December 3rd: On this date....

..... in 2006, your University of Kentucky Wildcats accepted its first bowl bid in seven years after they were invited to the 2006 Music City Bowl in Nashville, TN. The seven year bowl drought, along with the fact Nashville is a morning drive away for most people, all but guaranteed Big Blue Nation would come out in full force for the December 29th showdown with Clemson. Big Blue finished the season on a strong note, after getting blasted by LSU 49-0 in Baton Rouge, winning four of their final five games. Those four wins gave UK a 7-5 overall record, and a 4-4 mark in the toughest division in college football. That record was good enough for a third place SEC East finish, but still not good enough to beat Tennessee or Florida. It was good enough, though, to beat any trash coming over from the ACC.

  Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 3.07 - Jones Dominates, Davis Almost Gets His Triple-Double In Win Over Johnnies

December 2nd: On this date...

..... in 1972, Kentucky great Joe B. Hall coached his first game as the head basketball coach for the University. The #8 Wildcats faced Michigan State at Jenison Fieldhouse in East Lansing, with the good guys winning 75-66. Jim Andrews led the way for UK, scoring 20 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. The honeymoon was over after game one, though, as Hall lost his next three games. I’m going to go out on a limb and say the rabid Kentucky fan base took these three losses with a grain of salt and moved on with their lives. What, you don’t think that’s how it went down? Joe B and kids rebounded nicely and ended the season 20-8, including a 10-game win streak from February-March. The last loss of the season was Regional Finals loss to Indiana. Hall went on to coach 13 seasons at the University and compiled 297 wins, losing only 100. Joe B celebrated his 83rd birthday this past Wednesday.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Playoff Seeding Tiebreaker Rules For THE LEXFL 9.0

December 1st: On this date....

..... in 1950, your University of Kentucky Wildcats played their first basketball game in Memorial Coliseum, beating West Texas State. Bill Spivey led the Cats that day with 18 points, hitting seven field goals and making four free throws. The official attendance was 8,000 to see Adolph Rupp usher in what would become an overwhelmingly difficult place to play for Kentucky opponents. The Wildcats hold an all-time winning percentage of (.890) in Memorial, with a 307-38 record. The most recent win coming in the Spring of 2009 as there was a conflict between Kentucky’s NIT game vs. UNLV and the KHSAA Sweet Sixteen. It was a raucous atmosphere, as the tickets were given out in a first come-first served basis, virtually guaranteeing no one sleeping during the game, like most Rupp Arena crowds. Memorial Coliseum cost $3.9 million to build, roughly equivalent to how much John Calipari makes per win.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

November 30th: On this date....

...... in 2004, Kelenna Azubuike went 7-12 from the field and 3-6 from beyond the arc to lead your University of Kentucky Wildcats past Tennessee Tech, 92-63. Buike had a coming out party and finished with 21 points after starting the season in a horrible shooting slump. Tubby Smith said the biggest reason for the turnaround was Kelenna finally started attacking the rim, opening up everything else. Everyone in the starting lineup (Azubuike, Hayes, Morris, Rondo, Sparks) had at least one steal, as Tech ended the game with 23 turnovers. Chuck Hayes dominated the inside with 17 points and 11 rebounds, going 5-5 from the field. A 19-3 run early in the second half (started by a Buike three point play) made a six point lead balloon to 22 points and Big Blue never looked back.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

The Mortified Punter

Joker 2.12 - UK Snaps The Streak With Roark At QB

November 29th: On this date....

...... in 1999, your #13 University of Kentucky Wildcats were shocked by Dayton, 68-66, in Cincinnati. Tayshaun Prince missed an uncontested three-pointer at the buzzer for the win; but it wasn’t to be, as the Flyers got their first win vs. Kentucky since 1955. Prince ended the contest just 1-8 from the field. Jules Camara led Kentucky with 12 points and Saul Smith added 11. Big Blue went 2-13 overall from behind the arc, committed 20 turnovers, and blew a 10 point lead. The good news from the night was that UK went 24-29 from the free throw line. This was Tubby’s Cats second straight loss and the team would actually lose four games in a five game span to ignite a spark in the rabid UK fan base. Many fans never let go of this as this was Tubby Smith’s first “10 loss” team.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

November 28th: On this date...

..... in 1989, Rick Pitino made his debut as your University of Kentucky head coach at Rupp Arena, squeaking past the University of Ohio, 76-73. The Cats were led by Somerset-native Reggie Hanson’s 24 points, 14 rebounds, and five steals. The notorious Derrick Miller finished the game with 18 points, on 2-9 shooting from three-point range. The brash, young head coach promised two things to the rabid Kentucky fan base: it would be a super fast pace and there would be a ton of three pointers. Even though the team was on probation, Pitino wanted to spread the word around the basketball world that you could come to Kentucky and get minutes. Everyone would play. Big Blue Nation quickly adopted the New Yorker as their own and listened to him like his word was scripture. And as long as he was winning, it was.......until he turned his back on us. Years later, Pitino would get involved with a crazy-eyed lady in a Louisville restaurant.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Dunk In HD From Portland Game

November 27th: On this date....

..... in 1976, your University of Kentucky Wildcats opened their brand new, state-of-the-art, $53 million basketball arena against Wisconsin, winning 72-64. Rupp Arena to this day is the largest arena built specifically for basketball, with an official capacity of 23,000. The Cats were led that November day by Jack Givens and Rick Robey, both compiling double-doubles. Adolph Rupp was there to watch Joe B. Hall earn the first of many victories in Rupp for UK. The Big Blue Nation has broken the attendance record 25 times since Rupp opened its doors 35 years ago. Kentucky’s record in those games is 21-4. The attendance record of 24,465, set February 10, 2007, in a 64-61 loss to Florida was broken in 2009 vs. Louisville and Gropy Pitino (24,479). During Coach Cal's first season, all but one game was over the official capacity mark of 23,000. Being known as one of the greatest homecourt advantages in all of college basketball, the Blue and White has compiled a record of 463-60 since making the move. Ten of the 60 losses were seen in the last two years under Billy Gillispie’s leadership.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

 

Calipari 3.06 - Cats v Portland. Hmmm, Lets See. This Happened

November 26th: On this date....

..... in 1983, a regular season rivalry was renewed for the first time since January 21, 1922. Louisville had taken Kentucky out in the 1983 NCAA Tournament to kickstart the rivalry again. The way the players talked trash and how the players, coaches, and fans literally hated one another was really refreshing.

There was not even a compromise on where the announcement (of the renewed rivalry) would take place: (Sports Illustrated excerpt from December 5, 1983 issue).

“Two years ago, when a preseason publication wished to pose Kentucky and Louisville players together on the steps of the Capitol in Frankfort, Crum was more than willing but Hall refused to cooperate. This summer, after the schools finally agreed to play, Louisville Athletic Director Bill Olsen proposed that the announcement be made at the governor's office. His Kentucky counterpart, A.D. Cliff Hagan, refused. When Olsen recommended Shelbyville as a neutral site, Hagan wanted to know if that town was closer to Lexington or Louisville. The result was that Olsen consulted the AAA auto club and determined the exact halfway point—which turned out to be a cow pasture off U.S. 60.”

Great stuff and a great read if you have a bit of time. Oh yeah, the Cats took 36 free throws and Louisville only took 5. Kentucky destroyed Louisville that day 65-44 behind Sam Bowie. He never made a bucket, but ended with 7 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks, 5 assists, and 3 steals. You gotta love a renewed rivalry, no?

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

November 25th: On this date....

..... in 2006, Kentucky’s last ranked defense nationally almost pulled off the upset at #19 Tennessee, but lost 17-12, to give the Hunters their 22nd straight victory over the Cats. The win would have put Kentucky’s record at 8-4, 5-3 SEC, but the Vol win clinched second in the SEC East for the Tennessee. Regardless, the seven wins on the season made UK bowl eligible. Andre Woodson led the way at quarterback going 26-39 for 282 yards and one touchdown. Rafael Little gained 119 yards on 23 carries and had a receiving touchdown. The Cats led 12-10 at halftime, but Lones Seiber missed a third quarter field goal to put the good guys on top. It was quarterback coach Randy Sanders first game back in Knoxville since resigning as the Vols offensive coordinator the previous season. His days are numbered.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

November 24th: On this date....

..... in 1995, Mark Pope’s 26 points led your #1 University of Kentucky Wildcats to victory over #14 Maryland in the Tip-Off Classic, 96-84. The difference in the game was three-point shooting. Big Blue made nine on the day, from seven different players, and held Maryland to 1-12 shooting behind the arc. Eleven different players scored on the day for the Cats, led by Pope’s 26 and Tony Delk’s 21. No other player scored in double figures. Pope also led the team with six rebounds and four blocks. Point guard Anthony Epps controlled the game and added six assists and three steals. It was the first game of the storied 1995-96 campaign, and was the first of three big games to start the season. After defeating the #14 Terps, Kentucky turned around and played #5 UMASS and Indiana, going 2-1 during the stretch.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 3.05 - Cats Get Out Early, Cruise Past Radford, 88-40

November 23rd: On this date....

...... in 1991, “The Voice of the Wildcats” Cawood Ledford called his last University of Kentucky football game. Unfortunately, it was a game against Tennessee. And we all know how those usually turn out. The Hunters won the game that day 16-7. Cawood would finish out the 1991-92 basketball season to wrap up his 39 years on the mic. To think both of his last games (football and basketball) were losses is a bad deal. On the football side, one of Cawood’s most famous sayings happened when Kentucky had a big play. The inflection in his voice would get louder and louder for Big Blue, then you’d hear him say, “Any flags, Ralph?” (BTW, was there a harder job following Cawood Ledford as Kentucky’s play-by-play man? I say no. Ralph was in a no-win situation.) Most notable for his basketball announcing, Cawood’s football announcing was second to none. Who of us wouldn’t love to pick his brain today about the recent turnaround of the football team and what might be on the horizon for the basketball team?

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

November 22nd: On this date....

..... in 2000, Tubby Smith’s Wildcats were unhappy campers going into the third game of the season vs. Jacksonville State. The game was played in Cincinnati and the Cats were still looking for their first win of the 2000 campaign. The year started with back-to-back losses in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic against St. John’s and UCLA respectively. Needless to say, Big Blue Nation was unhappy with this unheard of start to the basketball season. The Cats raced out to a 42-17 halftime lead and won the game by the score of 91-48. Cincinnati-native Erik Daniels led the Big Blue with 19 points on only three made field goals. Daniels was 12-14 from the free throw line and made one three-pointer. Tayshaun Prince and Keith Bogans added 14 points a piece to flank Daniels. The story of the night was the Wildcat defense, who forced 30 turnovers.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

November 21st: On this date....

...... in 2003, four Wildcats scored in double-figures, as Kentucky basketball opened its 101st season defeating Winthrop, 65-44. Known as “The Suffocats”, this freaky defensive team forced 29 turnovers. Getting that many turnovers, you’d thing we could’ve scored more than 65 points. We would have if it wasn’t for the 24 turnovers we had as a squad. Gerald Fitch, Cliff Hawkins, and Kelenna Azubuike had 14 simply between them. It was the first game of the season though, so there was plenty of time to panic for the Big Blue faithful. Kentucky finished the game 9-18 from behind the arc, including an impressive 6-7 from our low post guys (Daniels, Azubuike, Hayes). Daniels led the Cats that day with 15 points and 8 rebounds. ‘Buike added 11 points and 9 rebounds.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach