Lexington, KY- When The Winning Tradition was first released in 1984, Cawood Ledford called it “the most thorough book I have read on UK basketball.”

Now completely updated to include the tenures of Eddie Sutton, Rick Pitino, and the astounding first year of Tubby Smith, The Winning Tradition remains the only comprehensive history of the nation’s top college basketball program.

Bert Nelli, a retired professor of history at the University of Kentucky, undertook the first edition of the book when his son Steve suggested he “write about something interesting for a change.” The result was a complete overview of the program first made great under Adolph Rupp.

Steve Nelli (now a vice president at First Union Bank in Charlotte, NC) was also the force behind the new edition. He penned the chapters dealing with the Sutton and Pitino years, with his father serving as editor. But as the remarkable 1997-98 season got underway, Bert became so excited about the new coach that the roles reversed. He began writing actively, covering each game of the season, and handed the editing pencil over to Steve.

The Winning Tradition highlights all facets of the program from the first men’s team (which finished a miserable 1-2) through last year’s stunning victory against Utah for the NCAA championship. The book details Kentucky’s heartbreaking loss to Duke in 1992 and their nail-biting 86-84 win over the same team in the 1998 Southeast Regional Final. The disappointment of the UK loss to Georgia Tech in 1955 that broke the team’s twelve-year, 129 home game winning streak (a record that still stands) and the 1966 defeat to Texas Western stand in contrast to the elation at the team’s return to glory in the 1996 championship.

Books will go on sale in Lexington the week before Midnight Madness. Bert and Steve Nelli are available for interview. Bert Nelli may be contacted in Lexington at 606-252-0431, Steve Nelli (in Charlotte prior to Oct. 16; in Lexington for Midnight Madness) at 704-543-5538.

Price: $24.95 hardback; 229 color & b/w photos; publication date: October 17, 1998; for further information, contact the University Press of Kentucky at 800-839-6855.