March 2nd: On this date....

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

Big Blue Booyah on Tom Leach