Rick Pitino - photo by Ed Reinke | AP
From the “Kentucky Basketball: The Season never Ends Calendar” – Gettysburg. D-Day. The Battle of the Bulge. Rick Pitino’s return to Rupp Arena… as Louisville’s head coach. The rebuilding Cards came in unranked and the crowd smelled blood. Kentucky won the closer than expected game 82-62. With dozens of homemade signs poking fun at “Traitor Rick,” Kentucky pulled away with a second half 16-2 run. Tayshaun Prince had 8 points in the flurry. Cliff Hawkins provided an emotional lift with a nasty move that faked Erik Brown out of his shoes, sending the Rupp crowd of 24,330 soaring in full throat. By the end of the game, the crowd chanted “Tubby! Tubby! Tubby!” to let former coach Rick Pitino know what switching allegiances to UL had cost him.
