February 28th: On this date....

..... in 1970, your top-ranked University of Kentucky Wildcats outlasted a game Vanderbilt Commodore team, 90-86, in front of a sellout crowd at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington. The story of the game, though, was Kentucky All-American Dan Issel (31 points - 15 rebounds) crossed a barrier no other Wildcat had ever crossed. The Batavia, Illinois-native became the first player to score 2,000 points in the storied program’s history. Issel caught and blew past the top scorers on the career list halfway through his senior season and put enough distance between second place to let everyone know he planned on staying there a few years. Names such as Nash, Groza, Dampier, Beard, Hagan, and Riley were left in the scorer’s wake as he was making his own claim to be the best Wildcat ever. The victory moved the #1 Cats to 23-1 on the ‘70 season, leading to a top-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Rupp’s team would get upset in the Regional Finals by Jacksonville, letting a prime opportunity slip away in Issel final chance at a National Championship. Issel never made a Final Four in his three years at Kentucky, despite having some of the best teams in the nation.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 2.28 - Darius Appears, Cats Revenge Gators

Bad. Ass.

February 27th: On this date....

..... in 1956, your #8 University of Kentucky Wildcats throttled the Georgia Bulldogs, 143-66, for the largest margin of victory in the basketball program’s history. The game was played at Louisville’s Jefferson County Armory, because even in the 50's there were more UK fans than Card fans in Louisville. By halftime, the game had been decided, as Adolph Rupp’s squad had built a 75-32 lead. The Cats made an absurd 60 field goals on the day, more than double that of the visiting Bulldogs. Of the 14 players seeing court action, 13 of them had at least two field goals. Jerry Bird (22 points), Bob Burrow (21 points), and Billy Ray Cassady (16 points) led the way for Kentucky, who moved their record to 18-5 on the season. The season was ended a few weeks later, as #4 Iowa upended Kentucky in the Midwest Regional Finals.......in Iowa City, Iowa, one game short of the bannerific Final Four. Once again showing the bias the corrupt NCAA has against our beloved program.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

February 26th: On this date....

..... in 2005, your fifth-ranked University of Kentucky Wildcats stormed back from a 36-29 halftime deficit at #16 Alabama via the smoking hot shooting of Patrick “Booger” Sparks. The Western Kentucky transfer could do no wrong in the second stanza as he hit five three pointers (7-10 overall) to help Kentucky outscore Bama 49-35 after the break to win going away. Sparks ended the game with a season high 26 points, and the Cats as a team were a blistering 13-19 from behind the arc on the afternoon. One of the other highlights of the comeback was a Sparks’ assist on a fastbreak to the trailing Woo for a dunk I’m not even for sure Woo thought he had in him. It was a tomahawk slam from halfway down the lane that helped Big Blue Nation forget about the grenades he usually threw towards the backboard. Tubby’s squad shot 56% from the field, 68% from 3-point range, and 65% from the free throw line. Kelenna Azubuike had 15 points and super walk-on Ravi Moss was a perfect 3-3 for 10 huge points. But the day belonged to Sparks, as his NBA-range three’s will on point to get past the Elephants. The win clinched the SEC regular season title for the Cats, their 43rd overall, and our last until 2010.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

February 25th: On this date....

..... in 2004, your ninth-ranked University of Kentucky Wildcats put a beating on visiting Tennessee, 92-60, in front a surprisingly average 23,201 at Rupp. The Buzz Peterson-led Volunteers didn’t even put up a fight, as the Cats had stretched the lead to 15 by intermission. No starter played over 29 minutes and fifteen of the sixteen players saw action. Freaky sophomore Kelenna Azubuike led the Cats with 17 points, with an efficient 7-10 shooting (3-4 from 3-point range). He was assisted by Erik Daniels (12 points - 4 rebounds - 6 assists), Chuck Hayes (14 points - 6 rebounds - 3 assists - 3 steals), Cliff Hawkins (15 points - 5 rebounds - 7 assists), and Antwan Barbour (16 points, 6-9 FG, 3-4 3PM). The win moved Tubby Smith to 10-3 in the SEC and 20-4 overall, the program’s 14th straight 20-win season. Big Blue would go on to win the SEC regular season and tournament titles, climb to #2 in the country, and earn a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. And then.....UAB.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Hangover 2 Trailer

Hangover 2 Trailer
Uploaded by teasertrailer. - Watch feature films and entire TV shows.

February 24th: On this date....

..... in 1980, your #3 University of Kentucky Wildcats dramatically took out #5 LSU, 76-74 in overtime, as all-timer Kyle Macy hit a jumper as time expired. Macy, who was just 3-13 before the last shot, came through in the clutch with the final dagger. The point guard extraordinaire played the entire 45 minutes, finishing with 11 points - 5 rebounds - 8 assists. He also had the nerve to miss two free throws. The star of the game before the last shot was Fred Cowan, a 6'8" junior from Sturgis, Kentucky. The Union County-native tallied 27 points - 9 rebounds - 3 assists on 12-18 shooting. Freshman phenom and McDonald’s All-American Sam Bowie controlled the paint for most of the day, ending with 16 points. The victory would clinch the regular season title for UK and move the Cats to 26-4 on the season. The Tigers would get revenge a few weeks later in the SEC Championship, winning another squeaker, 80-78. Joe B. Hall’s team would still earn a #1 seed for the NCAA Tournament. You don’t want to know the rest.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 2.27 - Road Woes Continue. Cats Fall To Hogs. Ark Fans Weird.

February 23rd: On this date....

..... in 2003, your #2 University of Kentucky Wildcats won their 16th straight game with a 70-62 win over the #19 Mississippi State Bulldogs in Rupp Arena. The win pushed the Cats SEC record to a perfect 12-0 (22-3 overall), trying to become just the second team (1996 Kentucky) in SEC history to go undefeated in conference play. Big Blue came out on fire building a 19 point first half lead (32-13), before going into halftime with a 10 point lead. From there, Keith Bogans & Company controlled the visitors, fluctuating the lead from 16 points to five points during the second half. Bogans’ 18 points and seven rebounds led the way with Marquis Estill (10 points - 8 rebounds) and Chuck Hayes (4 points - 8 rebounds - 6 assists) providing some help. Cliff Hawkins was also an efficient 5-6 from the floor for 14 points and three assists. The difference in the game was how UK dominated the glass against the nation’s #2 rebounding team (37-25). At halftime, the University honored over 100 letterman, led by the fantasy five of: Kyle Macy, Tony Delk, Jamal Mashburn, Dan Issel, and Jack Givens. I’d take that team.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Super Slo Mo Blake With Some Kentucky Flavoring

February 22nd: On this date....

..... in 2006, a 6'2" senior walk-on from Bourbon County had the game of his life during an 80-40 drubbing of the Ole Miss Rebels. Preston LeMaster, son of former Wildcat Jim LeMaster, played a career high 19 minutes and scored a career high 12 points as Big Blue had built a 40-17 lead by halftime. And not all of those minutes were second half minutes either. LeMaster actually helped build the Kentucky lead to 21-10 after hitting two three-pointers midway through the first half. He went on to hit two more in the second stanza for a perfect 4-4 on the afternoon. His fifth try rattled out, but the smile couldn’t be wiped from his face. The team as a whole was 9-21 on the day, LeMaster accounting for almost half. Sophomore Joe Crawford hit three of his own from deep, finishing with 17 points. Point guard Rajon Rondo finished the game with 12 of the team's 18 assists, versus only seven turnovers. Fourteen players saw court action in the arguably the season’s most complete performance. LeMaster, though, was the man of the hour, as he lived out every Kentucky kid’s dream of ballin’ out in Rupp Arena. The twelve points were nearly half of LeMaster’s career total of 30.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

February 21st: On this date....

..... in 1970, your #2 University of Kentucky Wildcats spoiled Pistol Pete Maravich’s last attempt at beating Kentucky with a 121-105 victory in Baton Rouge. The Pistol went down swinging, though, busting the Cats up for 64 points on 23-42 shooting. Kentucky countered the LSU All-American with their own All-American, Dan Issel. The two went back and forth for much of the game, Issel finishing with 51 points (19-33 FG) and 17 rebounds of his own. The win raised Kentucky’s mark against Pete and the Tigers to 6-0. The average score in those six games were: Kentucky 112 - LSU 96. The Pistol’s career totals versus Kentucky were ridiculous (52 PPG - 7+ RPG), but each time he was sent home a loser. Current Big Blue Network analyst Mike Pratt added 27 points (11-15 FG) to help the Good Guys dominate most of the game. Forward Tom Parker chipped in with 18 points and 11 rebounds also. The nationally televised game went down as one of the most watched games in the history of television.***

*** = no confirmation of this, just a hunch.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

February 20th: On this date....

..... in 1978, your #3 University of Kentucky Wildcats were close to unstoppable as they blitzed visiting Alabama, 97-84, behind flawless performances from all three starters in the frontcourt. A total of thirteen players saw court time, led by point guard Kyle Macy’s 39 minutes. The most impressive stat lines of the night, though, belonged to The Goose, Rick Robey and Mike Phillips. Their efficiency was off the charts.

Jack Givens: 25 minutes, 9-10 FG, 4-4 FT, 22 points - 4 rebounds - 2 assists.

Rick Robey: 25 minutes, 6-6 FG, 6-6 FT, 18 points - 6 rebounds - 5 assists.

Mike Phillips: 20 minutes, 5-7 FG, 1-2 FT, 11 points - 2 rebounds

The team as a whole shot 67% from the field (34-51 FG) and 85% from the free throw line (29-34 FT) as Kentucky built a 16-point lead by halftime. The reserves, along with Macy, did everything they needed to in half two to seal the victory. Joe B & Co went on to have a fine finish to the 1978 season.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 2.26 - Darius, Cats Get Out Fast, Down Cocks 90-59

February 19th: On this date...

Johnny Rondo and his catcher's mit hands.

..... in 2005, your #3 University of Kentucky Wildcats defeated Mississippi State, 94-78, in front of a sellout crowd, featuring Ashley Judd and the ESPN Gameday crew. Kentucky blew open a very close game (UK up 46-43 at halftime) during a 27-6 second half run and coasted to victory. Big Blue forced 23 Bulldog turnovers, headlined by a Rupp Arena record eight steals by freshman Rajon Rondo. The eight steals also tied the program record for a single game set by Wayne Turner in 1997. Rondo went on to break the single season record for steals with 87. In just two seasons in Lexington, Rondo cracked the Top 10 on the career list in steals, swiping it 156 times in just 68 games. His pace would have broken the program mark (Turner) in three years, and would have destroyed it in a full four seasons. Back to the game, fourteen players saw floor action for the Cats, seven of which were in double-figures. Kentucky was paced by: Chuck Hayes (12 points - 6 rebounds - 4 steals - 4 assists), Randolph Morris (17 points - 6 rebounds), Kelenna Azubuike (15 points - 7 rebounds), Patrick Sparks (14 points), Ravi Moss (10 points), and Ramel Bradley (10 points - 5 rebounds - 5 assists). A well-rounded game from everyone involved.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

February 18th: On this date....

Honus Wagner was the head coach.

..... in 1903, your University of Kentucky Wildcats, officially competing as State College (Kentucky), got their first ever win as a “basket ball” program, an 11-10 beatdown of the Lexington YMCA. The head coach was the Administrator of Men’s Physical Education at the University, WWH Mustaine. He was a Centre College graduate (class of 1899) and was originally from Horse Cave, Kentucky. The win was the only one in season number one of Kentucky basketball, finishing the year with a 1-2 mark. The other games were played against Georgetown College (15-6) and Kentucky University (42-2). Are we sure we aren’t Kentucky University? I remember the ‘03 team being BAD ASS. The writeup of the game (according to Jon Scott’s never-ending site) consisted of the Lexington Herald-Leader saying, “The game was a most exciting one and well contested and the result was a doubt until the game had finally ended.” The contributor from the Herald-Leader that day..................Jerry Tipton.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Re-Re-Re-Re Remix

February 17th: On this date...

The Tickler?

..... in 1934, your University of Kentucky Wildcats set a national record for college basketball with their 23rd consecutive victory in a 47-27 win over the Commies from Vanderbilt. The game was such a big deal, the rabid Kentucky fan base nearly rioted just to get into Alumni Gymnasium. Patrons crammed into the Gym any way they could, including climbing through windows and hanging from rafters. The Cats put on a display unlike any other and the city-folk had to see what the ruckus was all about. The star of the night was the first player to ever wear the #00 jersey, John DeMoisey. He finished the night with 25 points on nine made baskets and seven free throws made on ten attempts. No one else in the game scored in double-figures. Teammate Dave Lawrence was the next highest point total with nine. The win streak would end in the next game, a 38-32 loss to the Florida Gators in the SEC Tournament. It was after the following loss to Florida, though, that we would officially find out what we had figured all along....that the Gators did, in fact, suck.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

February 16th: On this date....

..... in 1991, your #16 University of Kentucky Wildcats came from behind to beat the Ole Miss Rebels, 89-77, in front of a sellout crowd in Rupp Arena. After a hot shooting first half for both teams, Mississippi took a 52-48 lead into halftime. The second half was another story, though, as the pressure finally got to the visiting team. Kentucky methodically picked the Rebels apart, forcing 29 turnovers on the night, giving them 21 (81-60) more shots than Ole Miss. Big Blue was led that day by Super Frosh Jamal Mashburn (18 points - 13 rebounds - 4 steals) and wily veteran Reggie Hanson (17 points - 11 rebounds - 8 assists - 7 steals - 2 blocks). The line for Hanson almost gave the program its second ever triple-double and first ever quadruple-double. Head coach Rick Pitino finally got the message from the rabid fan base and started eastern Kentucky hero, Richie Farmer. The Mustache didn’t disappoint either (21 points - 4 rebounds - 4 steals, 4-9 3PM). The coaching staff consisted of Pitino, Herb Sendek, Billy Donovan, Tubby Smith, and Bernadette Locke. The probation-laden team finished the season as the 13th ranked team in the nation.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 2.25 - Stansbury Meltdown Helps Propel Cats

Tee'd Up And Tee'd Off from Chad Hobson on Vimeo.

February 15th: On this date....

..... in 1994, Louisiana State University head coach Dale Brown pooped his pants a little, as his team relinquished a 31-point lead to a group of memorable Cats. Enough of me.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Happy Valentine's Day From Stefon

February 14th: On this date....

..... in 1938, your University of Kentucky Wildcats had one of the most memorable wins of the program’s storied history when Joe “Red” Hagan hit a 48-foot shot from the “mid-floor” area of Alumni Gymnasium to beat visiting Marquette, 35-33. Funny thing is, there was still 12 seconds remaining in the game. Marquette must’ve had the best defense during the era if a 48-footer was the best shot available for the game-winner with that amount of time remaining. In any event, the shot banked in and the 4,000 rabid Kentucky fans went ballistic, or whatever the equivalent was to ballistic during black-and-white times. The fans rushed the court, “and carried Hagan triumphantly to the showers.” Hello! One of the people in attendance was Governor A.B. Chandler. Once the game concluded, Chandler called for a hammer and a nail, driving the nail into the spot where Hagan let loose of the ball. Marquette was considered to be among the best, if not the best team in all the land. Legend has it that the fans then took to the streets of Lexington, ending up at the intersection of Euclid and Woodland. The mob would cheer and dance until the wee hours of the night, when only the law and the lawless are out. Once the mob dispersed, students were seen walking to the SuperAmerica/Taco Bell for a late night snack. Some things never change.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

February 13th: On this date....

..... in 1951, Kentucky legend/skyscraper Bill Spivey set a program record with 34 rebounds in a win against unranked Xavier. The top-ranked Cats were also paced by Spivey’s 40 points. Quite a night for the seven-footer from Warner Robins, Georgia, who was the first seven-footer in Kentucky history. Bill Spivey would later set the single season record for rebounds during the 1950-51 season with 567, a record that will never get close to being broken again. Spivey led the 1950-51 Cats (34-2) to the NCAA Championship (22 points - 21 rebounds) and was a consensus first team All-American. His two years in Lexington were arguably the most productive of any two year run in history by a player. He sat out the first half of the 1951-52 season with a knee injury and the second half due to an NCAA investigation. The investigation was for his role in a point-shaving scandal that rocked college basketball. The charge of perjury would not stick, as he was later acquitted of all charges. Spivey would never be allowed to realize his dream of playing in the NBA, as he was permanently banned from the league for his so-called role in the scandal. When he came to Lexington, head coach Adolph Rupp got Spivey a job changing fluorescent lights in a local drug store. He did not need a ladder.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 2.24 - Cats Stumble Down The Stretch Vs. Commies

February 12th: On this date....

..... in 2008, your University of Kentucky Wildcats, led by General Billy Clyde Gillispie, got handed the fifth worst loss in their storied program’s history. The 93-52 beatdown by Vandy acted as a bit of revenge for earlier in the year. The Commies came into Rupp Arena undefeated at 16-0, but left with a double-overtime loss, blemishing the perfect mark. The second game was a completely different story. The tipsy General received a technical in the first half for not giving the ball back to the referees. If I remember, Gillispie simply crouched by the UK bench with a grin, twiddling his thumbs. The grin had one of those, “I have no idea what I’m doing” looks on it. Kentucky trailed by 30 at halftime, scoring only 11 points in the first 20 minutes. And we had to go a run towards the end to even get that many. A few key stats included Kentucky having fives assists and 17 turnovers, while Vandy had 20 assists to only 6 turnovers. The Cats went on a 12:22 drought in the first half until Joe Crawford made a leaner in the lane. Seldom used A.J. Stewart led UK in scoring at half with three points. The good news on the night was Ramel Bradley hitting a three-pointer to keep the streak alive.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

February 11th: On this date....

..... in 1963, one of the all-time greats in Kentucky basketball history was born in Lexington, Kentucky. His name? LeRoy Byrd. The one they called “Baby Magic” lived in Lexington and attended Bryan Station High School before choosing to play basketball at UNLV, under coach Jerry Tarkanian. After one year with The Shark and playing behind Tark’s son, Byrd decided it was time to come back home. He was also the Wildcats’ second player to ever wear the #00 jersey (John DeMoisey). Statistically, Byrd did not have the career as most Kentucky basketball legends, but I dare you to find someone over 30 who wouldn’t immediately recognize him. He was a basketball rockstar during his time in Blue. Part of this was due to his diminutive size, standing at 5'5 and weighing in at 145 lbs. “Baby Magic” played a total of 149 minutes in his 38 career games of floor action. This netted Leroy a total of 41 career points (2 pts. as a sophomore, 2 pts. as a junior, 37 pts. as a senior). Other career totals include: 14-24 FG (58%), 13-20 FT (65%), 15 rebounds, 29 assists, 15 steals, 1 block (not in my house), 19 fouls, 17 turnovers. Today is Baby Magic’s day, join me in wishing him a very happy birthday.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

February 10th: On this date....

...... in 2009, your University of Kentucky Wildcats defeated the Florida Gators, 68-65, in dramatic fashion as Jodie Meeks drained an off-balance three as time was winding down. As dramatic as Meeks’ shot was, the remaining 4.7 seconds had fans even more on the edge of their seat as Nick Calathes was fouled on a three-point attempt as time expired. The Kentucky bench erupted as the clock expired thinking the game was over, but the referees sent everyone back to the bench for potential game-tying free throws. Calathes had dominated the Cats all game long, finishing with 33 points - 7 rebounds - 3 assists. He was also 11-12 from the free throw line before the last tries. Calathes then managed to miss all three attempts as the Rupp Arena crowd rose to its feet shake the building. The win moved Kentucky to 17-7 on the season, 6-3 in the SEC. Billy Clyde followed this up with an atrocious ending to the season, with the only other highlight being Perry Stevenson’s cram of a lifetime in the NIT. This was one of the few highlights of the 2008-09 season and is one of the only acceptable memories from an otherwise “voided year in the history books”.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 2.23 - Liggins, Jorts Welcome @JimmyWa11 Back To Rupp, Cats Roll.

February 9th: On this date....

... in 1994, your #4 University of Kentucky Wildcats were tripped up by new conference rival #3 Arkansas to snap a 33-game home win streak, the longest in Rupp Arena’s storied history. Coach Pitino and his Cats took a six point lead into halftime, but as any onlooker would know, six points is nothing in this high-octane matchup. Nolan Richardson brought his “40 Minutes of Hell” and won back-to-back games in Rupp Arena, winning three of four overall. The 33-game winning streak actually stretched from Arkansas loss (1-25-92) to Arkansas loss (2-9-94). The ‘Backs, who eventually beat Duke in the Championship game, were led that day by Scotty Thurman (26 points - 6 assists - 6 rebounds) and Corliss Williamson (21 points - 14 rebounds - 4 assists). The game was a statistical freak show as Kentucky shot 40 three-pointers, 76 shots overall, and assisted on 23 of 29 baskets. Some individual highlights were: Jared Prickett (11 points - 20 rebounds - 6 assists), Rodrick Rhodes (22 points - 3 rebounds - 3 assists), Travis Ford (8 points - 8 assists - 4 rebounds). Sophomore shooting guard Tony Delk (16 points - 6 rebounds - 4 assists) had trouble all day with his shot, hitting only 6-23 FG and 2-13 from behind the arc.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

February 8th: On this date...

..... in 2005, your #5 University of Kentucky Wildcats rallied from a seven point halftime deficit to beat the visiting Florida Gators 69-66 in front of over 24,000 Wildcat faithful. Johnny Rondo was the leader of the comeback both on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. The Gators built a nine point second half lead before Rondo started locking down Anthony Roberson of Florida. After coming back and taking a 53-52 lead, midway through the second half, Roberson and Rondo got into a chest thumping contest that ignited the Rupp crowd. Apparently Roberson had some choice words and looks toward the Kentucky bench that didn’t sit to well with Tubby or the players. After the two were separated, Rondo went on a spurt of his own, scoring six of the next eight, to help UK take control of the game, 64-54. The 50% free throw shooter made 8-10 on the night and finished with 14 points - 4 assists - 7 rebounds - 3 steals. Along with Rondo, the Cats were led by Kelenna Azubuike (18 points - 3 rebounds), Chuck Hayes (11 points - 9 rebounds), and super walk-on Ravi Moss (7 points - 3 rebounds - 2 assists - 1 steal) who hit a crucial three-pointer late in the game.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

February 7th: On this date....

..... in 1990, your University of Kentucky Wildcats put a beating on the Vanderbilt Commodores, 100-73, behind a record-breaking performance by senior guard Derrick Miller. The Savannah, Georgia-native set multiple marks for Rupp Arena, many of which still stand today. Miller set Rupp Arena records for points, field goals, and field goal attempts, finishing the game 15-28 from the field for 40 points. When Miller graduated, he held program records for made three-pointers and three-pointers attempted. Of course, he was the beneficiary of being the first pure shooter and four-year player after the three-point shot was introduced. Nowadays, Miller can be found on a Clark County highway picking up trash for the community, as he currently resides in a Clark County Detention Center. What’s he doing there? Well......he tried screwing over Big Blue Nation by selling them phony season tickets and stealing over $40,000 Big Blue dollars, or as the authorities like to call it, theft by deception. How many counts? Miller was charged with 27 counts of theft by deception over 11 counties. Miller’s coach during the record-breaking night was Rick Pitino, who later would have sex on the floor of a Louisville restaurant.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

February 6th: On this date....

..... in 2001, your unranked University of Kentucky Wildcats squeaked out a 71-70 win over rival Florida to regain control of the SEC East. The Cats survived a furious comeback by the #8/#11 Gators, as a 14-point halftime lead turned into a one-point deficit as time was winding down. Never fear, though, as Mr. Everything Tayshaun Prince saved the day when he drained a 10-foot hook from the elbow with under 0:04 seconds remaining to give UK the final margin. The win moved Kentucky to 14-7 on the year, 7-2 in the SEC. Big Blue Nation was slowly coming around on a team that had started the year 1-3, but showed some heart winning 10 of 12 going into the Gator battle. The final basket by Prince helped him pace the Cats with 19 points to go along with six rebounds. Jason Parker (10 points - 9 rebounds) and Gerald Fitch (12 points - 6 rebounds - 4 assists) were the only other players in double-figures. Tubby’s team would regroup from the miserable start to the season to come back and win the SEC Tournament and go into the NCAA Tournament as the ninth-ranked team in the nation. They would fall in the Sweet 16 to Henry Bibby’s USC Trojans.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 2.22 - Cats Continue Skid In Gainesville, Fall To 16-6

February 5th: On this date....

..... in 2005, your #4 University of Kentucky Wildcats marched out to a 17-point halftime lead on their way to beating Vanderbilt, 84-70. And after dominating the first half, Kentucky still needed a 14-2 second half run to get the final margin. The win pushed UK to 17-2 on the season, along with an undefeated 8-0 record in conference. Big Blue was led by senior great Chuck Hayes (15 points - 13 rebounds - 3 assists - 2 steals - 1 block) and his new Hannibal Lecter mask. He broke his nose a few games earlier at Tennessee when I’m sure something dirty happened to our Modesto-native. Hayes said it was the first time he had felt completely comfortable in his new face garb. Kelenna Azubuike (15 points - 5 rebounds), Johnny Rondo (14 points - 8 assists), and Booger Sparks (15 points - 4 steals) helped Chuck put a hurting on the Commies in half one. Hopefully Coach Cal will have The Boys ready to break our current slide, as we have a tough road ahead, and Nashville has always given us fits. If not, I guess we can look forward to being a top seed in the CBI Tournament on HDNet.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

The Force

February 4th: On this date....

..... in 2003, your #6 University of Kentucky Wildcats manhandled the newly annointed #1 team in the nation, the Florida Gators, 70-55, in front of a record-breaking Rupp Arena crowd. From the tip, Florida looked like a deer in headlights as anything and everything they did went woefully wrong. The Cats had one of the most complete 20:00 spurts of basketball in recent memory as they humiliated an “elite” team. At the end of the day, all Kentucky did was expose them for the frauds they were, building 45-22 lead by halftime. A suffocating defense, an endless barrage of three-pointers, and multiple fast breaks built the lead to 60-31 by the midway point of the second half. The Cats were called off, allowing the Gators to make the score respectable, but the damage was done. Kentucky was led by Keith Bogans (15 points - all in the first half), Gerald Fitch (14 points - 7 rebounds), Erik Daniels (12 points - 5 rebounds), Cliff Hawkins (4 points - 8 assists), and Chuck Hayes (9 points - 8 rebounds). The performance was so incredible, Tubby’s Cats only attempted three free throws all night. And remember..........DEFENSE TO OFFENSE, DEFENSE TO OFFENSE, DEFENSE TO OFFENSE. Enjoy.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

While UK's Student Section Sleeps Through Each Game

Bubba

February 3rd: On this date....

..... in 2004, your #9 University of Kentucky Wildcats scored the game’s final 11 points to snatch away a win from the Florida Gators in Gainesville. Florida led 65-57 with under three minutes remaining and looked to be on its way to giving UK its first losing streak in two years. But the losing streak would have to be put on hold, as some veterans made some key plays to get us over the hump. Kelenna Azubuike drained a three-pointer after Erik Daniels got an offensive rebound, cutting the lead to five. After two Daniels free throws, a few poor plays from Florida’s Christian Drejer, and two more free throws via Chuck Hayes, the lead was down to one. Cliff Hawkins then picked off a cross-court pass and took it in for a layup to give Big Blue the lead for good. Daniels led the way with 22 points, Gerald Fitch added 10, Azubuike and Hawkins each had nine points, and Antwain Barbour added eight off the bench for the balanced offensive attack. And while the Cats were 19-39 from the field, much of the damage was done on the charity stripe (26-40). The Wildcat defense held Florida to only one field goal in the final 6:41 of the second half.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

February 2nd: On this date....

..... in 2008, your University of Kentucky Wildcats led by phenom first year head coach Billy Clyde Gillispie used toughness and grit to squeeze out a win against perennial powerhouse Georgia, 61-55. The amazing thing about the win was that it was accomplished without three of its best players: Ramel Bradley, Joe Crawford, and Jodie Meeks. In essense we had no backcourt down the stretch, with the exceptions of Michael Porter and Derrick Jasper, who had a shredded up knee. Joe actually played 31 minutes (9-15 FG, 5-6 3PM - 26 points - 5 rebounds) , but his feet were giving him problems once again and had to sit down the stretch. Ramel got blasted on a fast break by Georgia’s goon, Dave Bliss, and left the game with a concussion. Poor Smooth was seeing all tweet-tweet. Jodie’s sports hernia left him out of action for the entire game. So what did we do to counter of all of the injuries? We told our all-world big man, freshman Patrick Patterson, to take over and end this nonsense. Pat finished his first trip to Athens with 16 points (8-13 FG) and six rebounds. Cat-killer Sundiata Gaines led the way for the Bulldogs.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach

Calipari 2.21 - Upper Classmen Scared On The Road Again, Fall In Oxford

Lack of Toughness? Check

Lack of Leadership? Check

Loss to the doormat of the League? Check

What a miserable game from beginning to end. Lots of experts like this team. Get back to me when one of the freshmen start smacking around the veterans to wake them up.

Video courtesy of @BubbaProg & MockSession

This Guy Must Be From Aspen Because He Totally Redeems Himself

Jimmy Traina

February 1st: On this date....

..... in 2000, a freshman phenom came out on fire to lead your #14 University of Kentucky Wildcats to a 81-68 beatdown of hated rival Tennessee. Keith Bogans scored 16 of Kentucky’s first 23 points, including four 3-pointers in the first 10 minutes to energize the usually sleepy Rupp Arena crowd. He ended with a career high 25 points (8-17 FG, 4-9 3PM - 5 rebounds - 2 assists - 2 steals). Tayshaun Prince (6-9 FG, 3-4 3PM - 17 points - 6 rebounds) and the most popular player ever to wear #11, Saul Smith (12 points - 6 rebounds - 5 assists), added some firepower as well. The win was UK’s 12th in its past 13 games (16-5) and put them all alone atop the SEC East at 6-1. After starting the season 4-4 and dropping from the rankings across the board, Big Blue used the Tubby stare and some key play from the freshman (Bogans), a lanky sophomore (Tayshaun Prince), and an eighth-year senior (Jamaal Magloire). The 1999-2000 season was Tubby Smith’s first “10 loss” team. The #6 Vols were led by former Kentucky recruit Vincent Yarborough (17 points), but dropped to 18-3, 6-2 in the SEC.

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach