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