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Scott Padgett promoted to head coach at Samford

Samford announced the departure of head basketball coach Bernie Seltzer on Friday and promoted former Kentucky and NBA player Scott Padgett to replace him.

Scott Padgett - photo by Walter Cornett | WildcatWorld.com

– photo by Walter Cornett | WildcatWorld.com

Samford announced the departure of head basketball coach Bernie Seltzer on Friday and promoted former and NBA player Scott Padgett to replace him.

Seltzer was 24-41 and had 14 players transfer from the program during his two seasons. Samford didn't say whether he was fired or resigned.

Padgett had been a Samford assistant since 2012 after stints with Manhattan College and the Wildcats.

The 37-year-old Padgett was a first-round NBA draft pick by the Utah Jazz in 1999, 28th overall. He played eight seasons with four teams.

The two-time All-Southeastern Conference forward helped the Wildcats win the 1998 national championship.

Padgett promised a pressing style of play similar to the systems he played in under Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith at Kentucky.

Source.

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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