Senior Joe Crawford didn’t make an appearance until 13 minutes had been played. We should have known something was up with Gillispie right then and there. No matter. He still scored 20 points as #20 Kentucky kicked off the Billy Gillispie era with a 67-40 thrashing of Central Arkansas. With the win, UK advanced to the second round of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic. Fans had been critical of Gillispie’s attire following UK’s first exhibition win (he wore a grey suit with a yellow tie). This time, Gillispie wore a blue shirt underneath a charcoal suit. The criticism of his clothing would pale in comparison to the reception he’d receive following UK’s next opponent, lightly regarded Gardner-Webb.
Walter Cornett, of Glendale, Kentucky, is the owner and operator of Walter’s Wildcat World. He founded WildcatWorld.com in 1998 making it one of the oldest Kentucky basketball fan sites in operation today.