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Patrick Sparks remembers the halftime speech from 2004 win over Louisville more than anything else

Patrick Spark’s most vivid memory of Kentucky’s 60-58 victory over Louisville in 2004 isn’t of making the winning free throws.

Patrick Sparks

Patrick Sparks

Increasingly, college basketball is a future-tense business. What’s going to happen? Who’s going to sign? No time to enjoy current success or savor past success when you must fret about what’s to come. Bracketology before Thanksgiving (November Madness?).

Even a rivalry as great as Kentucky-Louisville, which returns on Saturday, dare not dwell on the past. So Patrick Sparks, the hero in the UK-U of L game 10 years ago, can seem a figure from the distant past. His game-winning free throws literally in the final split-second are a misty memory.

When asked Monday to recall beating Louisville for Kentucky in 2004, and also help update fans on what he’s been doing, Sparks offered a charming bit of self-deprecation.

“Somebody might read something about me again,” he said in a deadpan tone. “Who knows?”

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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 April 1, 1996, behind an NCAA title game record-tying seven three-pointers from Tony Delk, UK won its sixth national title. After two John Wallace free throws cut the UK lead to two, 64-62, the Wildcats responded with a Walter McCarty tip-in and a Derek Anderson three-pointer and Syracuse never threatened again.  Kentucky wins, 76-67.

 

On April 1, 2009, John Calipari was named Kentucky’s new head basketball coach.  His deal worth $31.65 million made him the highest-paid coach in college basketball.

 

Wildcats Born on This Date

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