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Philadelphia finally rolls out Nerlens Noel

Nerlens Noel is used to winning, but circumstances are expected to change in his rookie season with the Sixers, who aren’t projected to be a contender.

Nerlens Noel - photo by Tammie Brown | WildcatWorld.com

– photo by Tammie Brown | WildcatWorld.com

Nerlens Noel was finally introduced to the media on Tuesday afternoon.

He may not be introduced to the Philadelphia fans on the court until 2014.

Noel was acquired by the 76ers in a draft night trade last month with the New Orleans Pelicans. Philadelphia acquired the rights to Noel and a first-round pick, which is top-five protected, for All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday and a second-round choice.

Noel was projected by many as the No. 1 overall selection, but he may have dropped some slots after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in February. He played only 24 games for the University of Kentucky but was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.4 blocked shots and 2.1 steals in 32 minutes per game.

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On This Day In UK Basketball History

On March 28, 1992, in what many called the “best NCAA Tournament game ever,” Kentucky takes defending NCAA champion Duke into overtime before losing 104-103 in the East Regional finals in Philadelphia. A last-second shot by Christian Laettner sends Duke to the Final Four, and breaks the hearts of Wildcat fans everywhere. It is Cawood Ledford’s last game as the “Voice of the Wildcats.”

 

On March 28, 1998, against Stanford, Kentucky rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit, then grabbed a 5-point overtime lead, before fending off the Cardinals to advance to the title game for the third straight season. Jeff Sheppard canned three long-range three-pointers - two in the final three minutes and one in overtime - en route to a career-high 27 points.

 

On March 28, 2014, unranked Kentucky beat No. 5 Louisville 74-69, in the 2014 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.  Aaron Harrison buried a three-pointer from the left corner with 39 seconds left that put UK ahead to stay before 41,072 in Lucas Oil Stadium.

 

On March 28, 2015, No. 1 Kentucky defeated No. 8 Notre Dame, 68-66, in the 2015 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.  With its 37-0 record on the line, Kentucky trailed Notre Dame 59-53 with 6:14 left. UK rallied in front of 19,464 fans in Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena and preserved its perfect season thanks to a crucial blocked shot by Willie Cauley-Stein and two game-deciding free throws from Andrew Harrison in the final seconds.

 

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