Kentucky’s 1997–98 basketball team became known as the Comeback Cats after repeatedly overcoming second-half deficits during its run to the NCAA championship. Led by first-year head coach Tubby Smith, the Wildcats finished 35–4, won the Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament championships and defeated Utah, 78–69, to capture the seventh national title in program history.
Kentucky did not rely on a single dominant superstar. Jeff Sheppard, Nazr Mohammed, Scott Padgett, Wayne Turner and Allen Edwards formed a balanced starting lineup, while Heshimu Evans, Jamaal Magloire, Cameron Mills and other reserves regularly supplied important contributions.
That depth became Kentucky’s greatest strength. When the Wildcats fell behind, they remained composed, continued defending and trusted that someone would make the next important play. During the final three games of the NCAA Tournament, Kentucky overcame three consecutive double-digit second-half deficits to defeat Duke, Stanford and Utah.
How They Became the Comeback Cats
Kentucky’s reputation for comebacks developed throughout a season filled with close games.
The Wildcats finished 10–3 in games decided by 10 points or fewer and won seven of eight games decided by three points or fewer. Their ability to remain calm under pressure became increasingly important during the NCAA Tournament.
Kentucky’s first three tournament victories were comfortable. The Wildcats defeated South Carolina State, Saint Louis and UCLA by a combined 68 points.
The character of the tournament changed in the South Regional championship game against Duke. Kentucky erased a 17-point second-half deficit to win, 86–84. In the national semifinal, the Wildcats rallied from 10 points down against Stanford before prevailing, 86–85, in overtime.
Kentucky then faced a 10-point halftime deficit against Utah in the national championship game. Once again, the Wildcats responded.
Three comebacks. Three victories. One national championship.
The 1997–98 Season at a Glance
| Category | Result |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Orlando “Tubby” Smith |
| Overall record | 35–4 |
| SEC record | 14–2 |
| SEC finish | Eastern Division and overall champions |
| SEC Tournament | Champions |
| Final AP ranking | No. 5 |
| NCAA Tournament seed | No. 2, South Region |
| NCAA Tournament | National champions |
| Championship opponent | Utah |
| Championship score | Kentucky 78, Utah 69 |
| Final Four Most Outstanding Player | Jeff Sheppard |
| Home arena | Rupp Arena |
View the complete 1997–98 Kentucky schedule and results
View the 1997–98 Kentucky roster
View the 1997–98 Kentucky statistics]
A New Head Coach
Kentucky entered the season undergoing a major transition.
Rick Pitino had left the program after leading the Wildcats to three consecutive Final Fours, the 1996 national championship and the 1997 NCAA championship game. Several of Kentucky’s most recognizable players, including Ron Mercer, Antoine Walker and Derek Anderson, had also departed for professional basketball.
Athletics director C.M. Newton selected Orlando “Tubby” Smith to become Kentucky’s new head coach. Smith was already familiar with the program, having served as an assistant under Pitino from 1989 through 1991 before becoming the head coach at Tulsa and Georgia.
Smith inherited a talented and experienced roster, but he also faced considerable pressure. Kentucky had reached the national championship game in each of the previous two seasons, and expectations remained extraordinarily high despite the coaching change and the loss of several star players.
Rather than attempting to reproduce the exact style of the previous teams, Smith placed greater emphasis on half-court defense, rebounding and balanced offensive execution.
The result was a team that remained capable of playing quickly but was also comfortable winning through patience and resilience.
A Team Without One Superstar
Kentucky’s championship was built on balance.
All five regular starters averaged more than nine points per game. Sheppard led the team at 13.7 points per game, followed by Mohammed at 12.0 and Padgett at 11.5. Turner averaged 9.3 points and a team-leading 4.4 assists, while Edwards contributed 9.2 points and 3.3 assists.
Evans averaged 8.8 points and 5.4 rebounds while playing primarily as a reserve. Magloire strengthened the interior defense, and Mills supplied dependable perimeter shooting.
The Wildcats averaged 80.1 points while holding opponents to 67.0. Kentucky limited opponents to 38.4-percent shooting and averaged more than eight additional rebounds per game.
Different players emerged at different moments. That unpredictability made Kentucky difficult to defend and allowed the Wildcats to survive nights when one of their leading scorers struggled.
Jeff Sheppard
Jeff Sheppard returned for his senior season after sitting out the previous year as a redshirt.
Sheppard had been part of Kentucky’s 1996 national championship team but watched from the sideline as the Wildcats returned to the title game in 1997. His decision to return gave Kentucky an experienced guard who understood the demands of postseason basketball.
He led the Wildcats in scoring at 13.7 points per game and made a team-high 71 3-point field goals. Sheppard also contributed four rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
His greatest performances came at the Final Four. Sheppard scored a career-high 27 points in Kentucky’s overtime victory over Stanford and added 16 against Utah in the championship game.
He finished with 43 points in the two games at the Alamodome and was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.
Nazr Mohammed
Nazr Mohammed developed into one of the most improved interior players in college basketball.
After playing a limited role early in his Kentucky career, the 6-foot-10 center transformed his conditioning and became a dependable scorer, rebounder and shot blocker. He averaged 12.0 points, a team-leading 7.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.
Mohammed shot 59.7 percent from the field, giving Kentucky an efficient scoring option near the basket. His size became particularly important against teams with powerful frontcourts.
He scored 18 points and collected nine rebounds against Duke in the South Regional final. Although foul trouble limited him during portions of the Final Four, his development throughout the season was essential to Kentucky’s championship run.
Scott Padgett
Scott Padgett provided Kentucky with one of the most versatile frontcourt players in the country.
The 6-foot-9 forward could score near the basket, shoot from outside and defend multiple positions. He averaged 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 85.3 percent from the free-throw line.
Padgett was also one of Kentucky’s most dependable late-game players. His 3-pointer against Duke tied the South Regional championship game at 81 with 2:15 remaining, completing the Wildcats’ long climb back from a 17-point deficit.
He scored 12 points against Stanford and led Kentucky with 17 points in the national championship victory over Utah. Padgett joined Sheppard on the All-Final Four team.
Wayne Turner
Wayne Turner directed Kentucky’s offense from the point guard position.
Turner possessed exceptional quickness and was particularly effective when attacking the basket in transition. He averaged 9.3 points, 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals while starting every game.
His ability to apply defensive pressure and create scoring opportunities helped establish Kentucky’s tempo. Turner also had a history of delivering against Duke, having scored a decisive late basket against the Blue Devils during the 1996 NCAA Tournament.
In the 1998 rematch, Turner scored 16 points and made the driving basket that gave Kentucky an 84–81 lead with less than a minute remaining.
He added six points and four assists in the national championship game.
Allen Edwards
Allen Edwards gave Kentucky experience, versatility and steady play on the perimeter.
The senior averaged 9.2 points, 3.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds. At 6-foot-5, Edwards could handle the ball, defend several positions and contribute without requiring a large number of shots.
He started 36 games and served as an important stabilizing presence within the lineup. Edwards scored 11 points in Kentucky’s regional semifinal victory over UCLA and contributed four points and five assists against Utah.
His value was often found in the smaller details of a game: defending, moving the ball and helping Kentucky remain organized during difficult stretches.
The Strength of the Bench
Kentucky’s depth separated the Wildcats from many of their opponents.
Heshimu Evans played starter-level minutes while usually entering from the bench. His strength and athleticism allowed him to defend guards and forwards, rebound effectively and attack the basket. Evans averaged 8.8 points and 5.4 rebounds.
Jamaal Magloire gave Kentucky another physical interior defender. The sophomore center averaged 5.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in fewer than 15 minutes per game. His size and strength allowed Smith to rotate Mohammed and Magloire without surrendering the middle.
Cameron Mills remained one of Kentucky’s most dangerous reserve shooters. The former walk-on made 43.7 percent of his 3-point attempts and converted one of the most memorable shots of the championship run against Duke.
Other contributors included Saul Smith, Michael Bradley, Myron Anthony, Ryan Hogan and Steve Masiello.
The Wildcats did not simply possess depth in numbers. They had reserves capable of changing tournament games.
The Regular Season
Kentucky opened the Tubby Smith era with an 88–49 victory over Morehead State at Rupp Arena.
The Wildcats then traveled to the Maui Invitational, where they defeated George Washington before facing top-ranked Arizona in a rematch of the 1997 NCAA championship game. Arizona won, 89–74, handing Smith his first loss as Kentucky’s head coach.
Kentucky responded by defeating Missouri in the tournament’s third-place game and then earned a 76–61 victory over nationally ranked Clemson in Phoenix.
The Wildcats continued building momentum during December. They defeated Indiana, Louisville and several other nonconference opponents before opening SEC play.
Kentucky suffered conference losses at Florida and Mississippi, but those proved to be the Wildcats’ only SEC defeats. They won 14 conference games and captured the SEC Eastern Division and overall regular-season championships.
The regular season ended with Kentucky riding a six-game winning streak and positioned as one of the leading contenders for the NCAA title.
SEC Tournament Champions
Kentucky entered the SEC Tournament at the Georgia Dome as the top seed from the Eastern Division.
The Wildcats defeated Alabama in the quarterfinals and Arkansas in the semifinals, setting up a championship game against South Carolina.
Kentucky controlled the final from the beginning and defeated the Gamecocks, 86–56. The 30-point victory gave the Wildcats their second consecutive SEC Tournament championship and their 23rd overall.
The dominant performance strengthened Kentucky’s claim for a high NCAA Tournament seed. The Wildcats were placed second in the South Region behind Duke.
Opening the NCAA Tournament
Kentucky began NCAA Tournament play against South Carolina State at the Georgia Dome.
The Wildcats won, 82–67, as their balanced lineup produced another comfortable victory.
View the Kentucky–South Carolina State game
In the second round, Kentucky faced Saint Louis. The Wildcats held the Billikens to 61 points and advanced with an 88–61 victory.
View the Kentucky–Saint Louis game
The two wins sent Kentucky to the South Regional at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Defeating UCLA
Kentucky faced UCLA in the regional semifinal.
The Bruins carried one of college basketball’s most famous names, but Kentucky quickly established control. The Wildcats produced one of their strongest performances of the tournament and defeated UCLA, 94–68.
The 26-point victory moved Kentucky into the Elite Eight for the fourth consecutive season.
Waiting in the regional championship game was top-seeded Duke.
Erasing the Memory of 1992
The Kentucky–Duke rivalry remained defined by the 1992 East Regional final, when Christian Laettner’s last-second shot defeated the Unforgettables, 104–103, in overtime.
Six years later, the programs met again with a Final Four appearance at stake.
Duke controlled the early portion of the game. The Blue Devils led by 12 at halftime and extended the advantage to 17 points during the second half.
Kentucky appeared to be running out of time. Duke still led, 71–54, with less than 10 minutes remaining.
The Wildcats did not panic.
Mohammed provided scoring inside. Mills made a crucial 3-pointer. Sheppard attacked from the perimeter, and Kentucky’s defense began forcing difficult shots.
Padgett’s 3-pointer tied the score at 81 with 2:15 remaining. Turner then drove for a basket that helped put Kentucky ahead.
The Wildcats completed the comeback and defeated Duke, 86–84.
View the Kentucky–Duke South Regional championship game
Kentucky had erased a 17-point second-half deficit and returned to the Final Four for the third consecutive season.
The victory also gave generations of Kentucky supporters a measure of redemption for the heartbreak of 1992.
A Final Four Battle with Stanford
Kentucky faced Stanford in the national semifinal at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
The Cardinal featured a large and talented frontcourt and controlled much of the game. Stanford built a double-digit second-half advantage and repeatedly challenged Kentucky near the basket.
Once again, the Wildcats rallied.
Sheppard produced the finest scoring performance of his college career. He made shots from outside, attacked the basket and kept Kentucky within reach as the game moved toward its closing minutes.
The Wildcats forced overtime, but Stanford again moved ahead during the extra period. Kentucky survived through defense and free-throw shooting and escaped with an 86–85 victory.
View the Kentucky–Stanford national semifinal
Sheppard finished with 27 points and shared the team lead with six rebounds. Padgett scored 12, while Evans and Turner added 11 apiece.
Kentucky had overcome another double-digit second-half deficit and advanced to the national championship game for the third consecutive year.
One Final Comeback
Utah entered the national championship game after defeating defending champion Arizona and top-ranked North Carolina.
Coach Rick Majerus’ Utes featured point guard Andre Miller, center Michael Doleac and forward Hanno Möttölä. Their deliberate offense, physical defense and rebounding had frustrated opponents throughout the tournament.
Utah controlled the first half against Kentucky. The Utes outrebounded the Wildcats, 24–6, and took a 41–31 lead into halftime.
The 10-point margin was the largest halftime deficit Kentucky had faced all season.
Utah extended the lead to 12 early in the second half.
For the third consecutive game, Kentucky needed a major comeback to keep its season alive.
Heshimu Evans Changes the Game
Evans sparked Kentucky’s response from the bench.
With the Wildcats struggling to generate momentum, he scored seven consecutive points through two 3-pointers and a driving basket. His burst reduced Utah’s advantage and energized Kentucky’s defense.
The Wildcats began forcing missed shots and gradually improved on the backboards. Utah’s deliberate attack became less effective as Kentucky increased the pressure.
Sheppard made a baseline jumper with 4:54 remaining to give Kentucky a 65–64 lead.
The Utes then missed 11 consecutive field-goal attempts.
Padgett led Kentucky with 17 points. Sheppard scored 16, Mohammed and Evans added 10 apiece, Mills scored eight and Magloire contributed seven.
With Kentucky leading 70–66 in the final minute, Evans blocked Miller’s 3-point attempt. The defensive play effectively ended Utah’s final serious opportunity.
Kentucky made its free throws and completed the comeback, winning 78–69.
View the Kentucky–Utah national championship game
Kentucky’s Seventh National Championship
The victory gave Kentucky its seventh NCAA championship and its second in three seasons.
It also made Tubby Smith the first Black head coach to win an NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship at a major predominantly white university.
Smith joined Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall and Rick Pitino as Kentucky coaches who had won national titles. Kentucky became the first program to win NCAA championships under four different head coaches.
The Wildcats completed the season with 13 consecutive victories and a 35–4 record.
Kentucky had played in three straight national championship games, winning in 1996 and 1998 and finishing as runner-up in 1997.
Jeff Sheppard’s Final Four
Sheppard’s performance in San Antonio secured his place in Kentucky basketball history.
After scoring 27 points against Stanford, he added 16 points, four rebounds and three assists in the championship game. His baseline jumper gave Kentucky its first lead of the second half.
Sheppard scored 43 points across the two Final Four games and was selected as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
His honor was especially meaningful because he had sat out the previous season. Sheppard had watched Kentucky lose the 1997 championship game from the sideline before returning to help deliver the title one year later.
He became the seventh Kentucky player to receive Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors.
A Championship Built on Experience
Most members of the 1997–98 team had already experienced deep NCAA Tournament runs.
Sheppard, Turner and Edwards had played on the 1996 championship team. Mohammed, Padgett, Evans, Magloire, Mills and others had been part of Kentucky’s 1997 runner-up season.
That experience became crucial when the Wildcats fell behind in March.
Kentucky’s players understood that tournament games could change quickly. They had confidence in one another and did not abandon Smith’s system when facing double-digit deficits.
The championship was not the product of one miraculous shot. It was the result of a veteran team repeatedly making defensive stops, collecting rebounds and finding the right scorer.
The Supporting Cast
Every member of the roster contributed to Kentucky’s championship season.
The complete team included:
The coaching staff included assistants Mike Sutton, George Felton and Shawn Finney. Longtime equipment manager Bill Keightley remained another essential presence within the program.
Together, the roster and staff formed a team capable of adjusting to injuries, foul trouble and changing matchups throughout a long season.
Life After the Championship
Several Comeback Cats continued into professional basketball.
Mohammed became a first-round NBA Draft selection and played 18 professional seasons. He won an NBA championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2005.
Padgett was also selected in the first round and played eight NBA seasons before entering coaching.
Magloire became a first-round selection in 2000 and later earned NBA All-Star recognition.
Turner, Edwards, Evans and Sheppard also played professionally, while Mills became closely associated with Kentucky basketball through broadcasting, public speaking and other work within the Commonwealth.
Smith remained Kentucky’s head coach through the 2006–07 season. He won five SEC regular-season championships and five SEC Tournament titles during his 10 seasons with the Wildcats.
Their Lasting Legacy
The Comeback Cats occupy a unique place among Kentucky’s national championship teams.
They did not possess the overwhelming collection of future NBA talent found on the 1995–96 roster. They were not led by a single national player of the year. They entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed and trailed during each of their final three games.
What distinguished them was their refusal to accept that a game had been decided.
They came back from 17 points down against Duke, from 10 down against Stanford and from a 10-point halftime deficit against Utah. Different players delivered the critical baskets, rebounds and defensive plays in each victory.
Sheppard became the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. Padgett led the championship-game scoring. Evans changed the momentum, Turner directed the offense, and Kentucky’s centers battled larger frontcourts.
The nickname Comeback Cats described more than a series of rallies. It captured the team’s collective identity.
Kentucky’s 1997–98 Wildcats trusted their depth, defended until the final possession and remained convinced that there was always enough time to recover.
That belief carried them through three extraordinary comebacks and all the way to the seventh national championship in Kentucky basketball history.
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