The Unforgettables
During the Coach Rick Pitino era, several of his teams adopted various nicknames -among them Pitino’s Bombinos and the Untouchables. But no team captured the hearts of Wildcat fans more than “The Unforgettables” of 1991-92. After battling probation for two seasons, the ‘92 squad set out to make its presence felt in postseason play. Led by seniors Richie Farmer, Deron Feldhaus, John Pelphrey and Sean Woods, the Wildcats advanced all the way to the East Regional Championship to face Duke. In what many have labeled the “greatest college game ever played,” Christian Laettner drained a shot at the buzzer that kept UK out of the Final Four. Athletics Director C.M. Newton summed up their accomplishments during a postseason ceremony in which the seniors’ jerseys were retired, “Today, our program is back on top, due largely to four young men who persevered, who weathered the hard times, and who brought the good times back to Kentucky basketball. Their contributions to UK basketball cannot be measured in statistics or record books.”
On This Day In UK Basketball History
- On March 19, 1966, Pat Riley joined the 1,000-point club. He did it in 54 games.
- On March 19, 1966, in one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history, top-ranked UK, featuring “Rupp’s Runts,” loses in the NCAA Championship game, 72-65, to Texas Western.
- On March 19, 1989, in the wake of an NCAA investigation, Eddie Sutton resigns as UK basketball coach.