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Rick Pitino, John Pelphrey sought mercy for Richie Farmer

Rick Pitino and John Pelphrey asked a federal judge to show mercy when sentencing former Wildcat and Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer

University of basketball coach asked a federal judge to show mercy when sentencing former Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer and allow him to “become a productive citizen again” after the basketball star's political and personal fall from grace.

Pitino's letter is among 29 pieces of correspondence sent to U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove in the weeks leading up to Farmer's sentencing in January for abusing public office. The judge sentenced Farmer to 27 months in federal prison. He is serving the sentence at a prison in Bruceton Mills, W.Va.

Van Tatenhove unsealed the letters Thursday evening.

Many of the letters were from family and long-time friends, including former Kentucky basketball star and current University of Florida assistant basketball coach . Pitino coached both men at Kentucky from 1989 through 1992. Pitino and Pelphrey were the only people connected to Farmer's college basketball career to write to the judge.

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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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