Connect with us

Jim Line, member of two Kentucky championship basketball teams, dies at age 87

Jim Line

Jim Line

James R. “Jim” Line, 87, who played on two University of Kentucky men’s basketball championship teams, died Thursday at his home in Russell, Kan. He had battled dementia, said his daughter Meridy Barnes.  Mr. Line was a forward who played four years, from the 1946-47 season to 1949-50, under Coach Adolph Rupp.

The Wildcats earned their first national championship — led by the Fabulous Five — in 1948 and repeated the performance in 1949.

Mr. Line scored 1,041 points and played in 135 games during his career.

Related Topics

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.

On This Day in UK Basketball History

On March 30, 1996, in a rematch from an early season loss, the Wildcats fought off a late rally by Massachusetts in the national semifinals to advance to the championship game. The top-ranked Minutemen pulled within three, 63-60, in the final five minutes. But UK canned 12 of 14 free throws to advance to the title game for the first time in 18 years.

 

On March 30, 1998, the “Comeback Cats,” after being outrebounded 24-6 in the first half and trailing 41-31 at the break, charged from behind to win the school's seventh national title, it's second in three years. It was the largest deficit overcome in a title game as the Wildcats beat the Utes for the fourth time in the last six NCAA Tournaments.

 

On March 30, 2014, Kentucky defeated No. 7 Michigan, 75-72, in the 2014 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.  Aaron Harrison sent Kentucky to the Final Four by draining a contested trey from the deep left wing to break a 72-72 tie with 2.3 seconds left before 35,551 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

 

Wildcats Born on This Date

March 30, 1969

33 Johnathon Davis

More in Kentucky Basketball