August 16th: On this date...

... in 2008, Kentucky standout Tayshaun Prince helped the Americans destroy Spain, 119-82, in the Beijing Olympics. This would end up being a preview of the gold medal match that would take place eight days later. While most believe Prince was added to the roster as a defensive specialist, the games were such blowouts everyone got into the offensive mix. The Compton native clocked just over 13 minutes and tallied 10 points for the eventual gold medal winners. For the entire Olympics, Tayshaun averaged 7.3 PPG - 5.1 RPG (2nd on team) in nearly 18 MPG. And as any member of Big Blue Nation would have done, he refused to give Coach K his gold medal.

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August 15th: On this date...

... in 1996, Kentucky superfan Ashley Judd made Big Blue Nation proud by staying true to her colors. In an interview with the Lexington Herald-Leader, Judd spoke of an encounter on the set of a recent movie with a North Carolina fan. When offered a North Carolina jacket on a cold night of filming, Judd said she would. "just as soon freeze to death." I love you.

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August 14th: On this date...

... in 2007, your University of Kentucky Wildcat starting quarterback Andre Woodson was named a preseason All-American by Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com. Woodson was coming off a stellar 2006 campaign where he completed 63 percent of his passes for 3515 yards and 31 touchdowns. But the most impressive stat heading into the 2007 season was his school-record (162), and soon to be collegiate record of consecutive pass attempts without an interception (325). That number shattered the previous mark of 271 by Fresno State's Trent Dilfer in 1993. Although Andre's professional career hasn't gone according to plan, he can lay his head down at night knowing he was a central character in resurrecting the University's football program. And for that, Big Blue Nation will forever be grateful.

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August 13th: On this date...

... in 1948, the U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball team struck gold in London as they destroyed the Frenchies 65-21. This meant back-to-back golds for the Americans. The team consisting of Adolph Rupp's Fabulous Five and players from the Phillips Oilers had a comfortable margin in each game. Alex Groza had 11 points in the final. Wah-Wah Jones and Ralph Beard added four each, Ken Rollins two, and Cliff Barker did not score. Rupp's Kentucky players were the first Wildcat basketball players to ever win a gold medal. More would come.

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August 12th: On this date...

... in 1987, your University of Kentucky Wildcat hero took the reigns of the Americans, guiding them to a 105-73 rout of Mexico in the Pan Am Games. Rex Chapman's 18 points led the a U.S. team that included Danny Manning and David Robinson. The U.S. squad shot nearly 60% for the game. The head coach for the team was none other than radio personality/UK Legends assistant coach Denny Crum, giving the Bluegrass another reason to make the drive to Indianapolis. Other players on the team included: Jerome Lane, Keith Smart, Jeff Lebo, Pervis Ellison and Willie Anderson.

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August 11th: On this date...

... in 1948, Alex Groza's 19 points and Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones' 10 points lead the Americans to a 71-40 beatdown of the Mexico.  Many saw this as the only roadblock on the way to the gold medal. You know what the game plan was? Listening to the assistant coach (A. Rupp) and starting all five Kentucky players. Wah Wah Jones broke the game open by creating baskets in transition. Fellow Wildcats Ralph Beard and Cliff Barker added six points each.

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August 10th: On this date...

... in 1995, we learned Kentucky sophomore Scott Padgett would be declared academically ineligible for the 1995-96 season (what a season to miss). He would not be attending the University for the fall semester and possibly the spring. The extra scholarship, though, would allow Rick Pitino to give transfer Derek Anderson a spot on the soon-to-be legendary roster. Anderson was in line to pay his way as a walk-on for the 1995-96 season. Padgett took the year off and re-enrolled in the fall of 1996. While he missed out on a chance to be a part of a great team in '96, Padgett was a key cog in getting the Cats to back-to-back NCAA title games in 1997 and 1998. Padgett turned that frown upside down as he was named to the All-SEC academic team in both 1998 and 1999.

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August 9th: On this date...

... in 2009, your University of Kentucky Wildcat head football coach Richard PaPaw Brooks led his team in what would be his final and most successful Fan Day at Commonwealth Stadium. For those out of the know, Fan Day is the football equivalent of Big Blue Madness, a time when players get introduced and get to interact with the fans. PaPaw gave a State of the Union, giving the attendees the in and outs of what each needed to do for the 2009 Cats to be successful. The SOTU was then followed by a long autograph session and several stations where kids could try on player's uniforms, helmets, etc. It also signaled the end of unicorns and rainbows for the football team, as padded practices in the blazing heat and humidity were just days away.

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August 8th: On this date...

... in 2009, the entire University of Kentucky fan base lost their freaking mind as a YouTube video was uploaded from the North Carolina Pro-Am. Why was this such a big deal? Well, it featured UK signee John Wall dribble-driving into the lane and absolutely dropping the hammer on Jerry Stackhouse. Big Blue Nation could not wrap their collective head around the fact this guy was going to be in Blue and White. There was no one in my lifetime that I could compare this kid's athleticism to. It was such a ridiculous cram that it undoubtedly stole the show from the football related activity happening the next day.

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August 7th: On this date...

... in 1990, the SEC was in the early stages of adding an 11th team to its conference. The Arkansas Razorbacks left the Southwest Conference after 76 years when they realized their conference was heading down the toilet. The 12th team would be added that September. The SEC chose South Carolina over Miami, FL. The new SEC would be split into two divisions, East and West, and would begin play as an expanded league in 1992. The basketball season would be cut to 16 games in conference, down from 18. Just a few years after joining the SEC, the 1994 Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team would win the NCAA Championship. It was the league's first NCAA Title since Goose Givens led your Wildcats to the top in 1978.

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August 6th: On this date...

... in 1948, the U.S. team continued their demolition of anyone in their path to advance to the medal round. The most recent victory, a 61-33 victory over the Peru Machu Picchus, moved them to 5-0 in the tournament. Head coach Omar Browning switched things up and played the Kentucky five in the first half and his team in the second half. Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones led the team with 12 points. Jones was an All-American forward at Kentucky and an All-SEC end for the Wildcat football team. His #27 jersey hangs in Rupp's rafters as he was a part of the very first Kentucky NCAA Championship team.

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August 5th: On this date...

... in 1948, the U.S. Olympic basketball team barrelled through their round robin play with a 66-28 beatdown of the Egypt Pyramids. The victory helped clinch a berth in the elimination side of the tournament. The Kentucky players didn't enter the game until the second half of the Egyptian thrashing because the head coach preferred to play the Cats as a unit. The win cemented the Americans as the favorite for the gold medal, as well as dominators of the world in general.

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August 4th: On this date...

... in 1948, your University of Kentucky all-time great, Mike Pratt, was born in Dayton, OH. (His future team was helping the USA earn a gold medal.) It must've been a sign from above, as Pratt would end up spending a ton of time in the Lexington area. He also played a key role in getting your current basketball coach, Coach Cal, to leave Memphis, as he assisted with the most recent UK coaching search. As we all should know, Mike is currently the color analyst for each Kentucky basketball broadcast, alongside play-by-play partner Tom Leach. But before he became ear candy for Big Blue Nation, he had a very successful basketball career under Adolph Rupp. Mr. Pratt was named first team All-SEC both in his junior and senior seasons. His career high was 42 points against Notre Dame in 1969, and his career ended with 1,359 points. This coming fall, Mike will start his 12th season on the radio. A season we can hopefully look back on and give a hat-tip Mr. Pratt's way. So a big thank you to Mr. & Mrs. Pratt of Dayton, OH, and a Happy Birthday to their son. He shares a birthday with Barack Obama, Roger Clemens, and Jeff Gordon.

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August 3rd: On this date...

... in 1948, the Wildcat-laden men's Olympic basketball team squeaked out a win over Argentina, 59-57. Alex Groza's key bucket gave the Uncle Sam's the lead for good late in the game. He finished with 11 points, Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones had 4, and Ken Rollins 3. Two other Kentucky players, Cliff Barker and Ralph Beard, did not play. No other team would get this close to defeating the Americans. These colors don't run.

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August 2nd: On this date...

... in 1948, the U.S. Olympic basketball team was on their way to a gold medal, routing the European champions, Czechoslovakia, 53-28. Wildcat Ralph Beard led the Kentucky players with 7 points. Kenny Rollins had 6, while Cliff Barker scored 5. Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones and Alex Groza went scoreless. Then they forced all the nations in the world to proclaim Kentucky as the greatest basketball program in the history of the world. The End.

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August 1st: On this date...

... in 1963, Kentucky great John "Frenchy" DeMoisey passed away a week after suffering a heart attack. DeMoisey played three seasons under Adolph Rupp, 1931-32, '32-'33, and '33-'34. He shares the same number (00) as another Kentucky great, Tony Delk. An All-SEC player in 1933-34 and named an All-American in 1934, DeMoisey served as the Kentucky team captain. He later served as an administrative assistant to A.B. "Happy" Chandler. A native of Georgetown, Kentucky's record during his time was 50-6. 

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July 31st: On this date...

... in 1980, President Jimmy Carter invited all 505 athletes from the imaginary U.S. Olympic team to Capital Hill for a ceremonial Gold Medal. Each would-be Olympian received the award for their solidarity in not competing in the Moscow games. The man in the center of the back row, Wildcat Sam Bowie, was a member of this team. He became the 8th Wildcat to be awarded the Olympic Gold Medal. The 1980 team was the youngest U.S. Olympic basketball team ever. They competed in the Gold Medal Series, exhibition games against NBA All-Star teams, and went 5-1. Sam Bowie was second on the team in scoring during these games with 11.5 PPG. He also added 7.0 RPG - 2 APG - 2.2 BPG against his NBA counterparts, leading the team in blocks and rebounding.

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July 30th: On this date...

... in 2006, Kentucky great and Rupp Runt Pat Riley was inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame. An All-American at Kentucky, Riley was a member of the 1966 Runner-Up team that lost to Texas Western. Riley went on to be selected by the San Diego Rickets in the first round of the 1967 NBA Draft. He later joined the Los Angeles Lakers and helped them win the 1972 NBA Championship. And if that wasn't enough, he won another Championship as an assistant coach, then five more as a head coach. Few basketball minds think Pat Riley isn't one of the greatest NBA coaches to ever live. Respected as a player, coach, and executive, Riley is second only to Lenny Wilkins on the all-time NBA wins list. He was also the mastermind behind pulling one of the biggest free agency coup's in NBA history with the summer acquisition of LeBron James for his Miami Heat squad.

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July 29th: On this date...

... in 1948, the men pictured above started their journey to the Olympic Gold Medal. The team consisted of 14 amateur players from two different teams. The teams, in this case, were the Phillips Oilers and your University of Kentucky Wildcats. The two teams had played an Olympic tryout, an epic 53-49 win by the Oilers. At the time, it considered one of the greatest basketball games ever played. The Oilers win meant Bud Browning would be the head coach of the Olympic team, with Mr. Rupp as his assistant. Kentucky's five players were: Alex Groza, Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones, Cliff Barker, Kenny Rollins, and Ralph Beard. The Uncle Sam's blasted the Frenchies back to...well...France, in the Gold Medal game, 65-21.

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July 28th: On this date...

... in 1993, future Kentucky Wildcat Derek Anderson led his North team to a gold medal in the U.S. Olympic Festival. The North team beat the West team 106-96. Anderson, an Ohio State Buckeye at the time, had 20 points in the gold medal-deciding game. The game was played in San Antonio, Texas, before a crowd of 7,458. UK legend Jared Prickett also played in the festival.

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