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Cecil Combs

Name
Cecil Combs
Position
Forward
Hometown (Last School)
Lexington, KY (High)
Ht
6'4"
Seasons
1927-28, 1928-29, 1929-30
Birthday
July 4, 1908

Legal Name:  Cecil Wilbur Combs
NicknameCecil “Pisgah” Combs
Date of Death:
 August 10, 1974


A native of Berea, Ky., Combs was a graduate of the University of Kentucky (1930) where he was an All-Southeastern Conference basketball player and a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.  He also played tennis during his freshman and sophomore years at UK.  Member of the Keys, an honorary sophomore fraternity.

In March of 1929, the Kentucky Kernel described him as “the Adonnis of the courts, one of the most perfectly formed players in the game.”  The same article went on to say “fighting like a true warrior, playing as if inspired in his last two starts, Pisgah, the best crip shot expert ever seen on this court…”  And coming out of Lexington High School, “Combs was a running guard, one of the best in prep school net history.”

He scored a career high 21 points against South Carolina in the Southern Conference Tournament held in Atlanta, Georgia on February 24, 1928.  The Atlanta Constitution said Combs was easily the star of the game and added:  “In the game against South Carolina it was a case of too much “Pisgah” Combs and Irvine Jeffries.  These Sophomores had their “lamps peeled” and fed the leather by their mates, kept the hoops ringing with their goals. Kentucky worked the ball in for many crip shots and Combs led with eight, with Jeffries getting five. Jeff made three free throws and Combs five.  These speedy forwards being repeatedly fouled as they drove into the basket for shots.”

In December of 1930, he became the coach for the Paris Junior High School basketball team. 

Also in December of 1930, he, along with Hayes Owens, Stanley Milward, Lawrence McGinnis and Paul McBrayer, organized an independent basketball team that would workout with the University of Kentucky squad and offer the Wildcat’s some first-class opposition before they undertake their regular schedule. The former college stars had made tentative arrangements for a southern trip during the Christmas holidays to play the Atlanta Athletic Club and a strong semi-pro club in Nashville, Tennessee.

He went to Nashville in February 1949 with Third National Bank and became senior vice president of the finance department.  He went on to retire as an officer of Third National Bank.

He died August 10, 1974, at the age of 66.  He is buried in the Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville, Tennessee.

Season Games
Played
Total
Points
1927-28 18 186
1928-29 15 93
1929-30 19 124
Total 52 403

 

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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