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1981-1982 Kentucky Basketball Roster

Seated (l to r): Equipment Manager Bill Keightley, Coach Joe B. Hall, Dirk Minniefield, Mike Ballenger, Derrick Hord, Jim Master, Bo Lanter, Dicky Beal, Associate Coach Leonard Hamilton, Student Manager Roger Thomas Standing: Graduate Assistant Gordy Parido, Assistant Coach Bob Chambers, Troy McKinley, Charles Hurt, Tom Heitz, Sam Bowie, Melvin Turpin, Bret Bearup, Chuck Verderber, Assistant Coach Joe Dean, Trainer Walt McCombs

#PlayerPositionHometown (Last School)HtWt
5Mike BallengerGuardJasper, IN (High)6'3"185
10Dirk MinniefieldGuardLexington, KY (Lafayette)6'3"180
11Dicky BealGuardCovington, KY (Holmes)5'9"170
12Bo LanterGuardVersailles, KY (Woodford County)6'1"175
20Jim MasterGuardFort Wayne, IN (Paul Harding)6'5"170
24Bret BearupCenter-ForwardGreenlawn, NY (Harborfields)6'9"230
31Sam BowieCenter-ForwardLebanon, PA (High)7'1"230
32Derrick HordGuard-ForwardBristol, TN (Tennessee)6'6"215
33Tom HeitzForwardHamilton, IN (High)6'9"215
34Chuck VerderberForwardLincoln, IL (High)6'6"220
40Troy McKinleyForward-GuardIndependence, KY (Simon Kenton)6'6"195
44Charles HurtForwardShelbyville, KY (Shelby County)6'6"215
54Melvin TurpinCenterLexington, KY (Bryan Station)6'11"240

On This Day in UK Basketball History

On February 15, 1954, Linville Puckett, against Mississippi State, connected on a 53′ 6″ shot.

 

On February 15, 1990, in what was described by many as one of the most exciting games ever played at Rupp Arena, Rick Pitino’s rag-tag first team with eight scholarship players and no one taller than 6-foot-7 — the same team that lost by 55 earlier in the season at Kansas — beat an LSU team with Shaquille O’Neal, fellow 7-footer Stanley Roberts and the sweet-shooting guard known then as Chris Jackson.

 

On February 15, 1994, trailing by 31 points with 15:34 remaining in the game at LSU, the Wildcats pull off a Mardi Gras miracle. Connecting on 11 three-pointers and outscoring the Bayou Bengals 62-27 during the final 15:34, UK storms back to a 99-95 victory – the greatest comeback in UK history.  Walter McCarty led UK with 23 points and it was his three-pointer from the deep left corner with 19 seconds left that put the Cats ahead to stay.

 

Wildcats Born on This Date