On Jan. 27, 1998, the No. 7 Kentucky Wildcats entered its contest in Memorial Gymnasium against the Vanderbilt Commodores with an overall record of 18-2 and a perfect SEC mark of 7-0. It was Tubby Smith‘s first year as the head coach of the Wildcats, and he had his club rolling along as winners of eight straight, with…
Reliving Nazr Mohammed’s Memorial magic
Deron Feldhaus unforgotten in Kentucky lore
As one of the four Unforgettables, Deron Feldhaus will be remembered as a member of the Wildcat team responsible for bringing Kentucky basketball back from the depths of probation to respectability and prominence. It’s a team many UK basketball fans tuck closely to their hearts, remembering the loyalty and perseverance Richie Farmer, John Pelphrey, Sean Woods and Feldhaus… …
The bigger the stage, the better Kidd-Gilchrist plays
The next time you see Michael Kidd-Gilchrist walk, pay close attention to his body movement. Notice the kind of limp in his step. It’s not smooth, almost herky-jerky in a way. It’s as if he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. It doesn’t look like he can walk in a straight line…
Two more Coach Cal signees selected to play in Jordan Brand Classic
Further underscoring John Calipari‘s ability to recruit the nation’s best players, two of Coach Cal’s 2012 signees have been selected to play in the 11th annual Jordan Brand Classic. Archie Goodwin and Alex Poythress were selected to play for the West team, which is scheduled for April 14 (7 p.m. ET on ESPN) at Time…
‘Sky’ still the limit for Kenny Walker
Former Kentucky basketball great Kenny “Sky” Walker used to use his towering 6-foot-8 frame to soar through the air in Rupp Arena, Madison Square Garden and throughout the world. When he was in the air, he seemed invincible. Yet sometimes even the most invincible of figures can seem vulnerable. In 1989, just a couple of days before the NBA Slam…
Coach Cal says he has best job in basketball
In case you missed it this evening, Pardon the Interruption has John Calipari‘s appearance on Thursday’s show in its daily podcast. You can access that by clicking here. Coach Cal comes on at roughly the 10-minute mark. And for those that prefer to read, I decided to transcribe the interview. Most of it you’ve heard before,…
Looking back at Melvin Turpin’s near perfect game
The newly minted No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats (19-1, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) travel to historic Athens, Ga., to take on Mark Fox’s Georgia Bulldogs (10-9, 1-4 SEC) in a late-night league showdown. The Cats will be looking for a measure of payback after last year’s 77-70 loss at Georgia in a game best described as a tough, physical…
Cats survive their first SEC road test at Auburn
After everything that happened on the road a season ago, John Calipari felt helpless as his team fell behind and the same old script began to play itself out. He looked at his staff and asked a question that he already knew the answer to. “Are we going to have an easy game this year?”…
Anthony Davis’ game-saving block nominated for GEICO Play of the Year
Kentucky freshman forward Anthony Davis‘ game-saving block against then-No. 5 North Carolina on Dec. 3 is nominated for the GEICO Play of the Year, Intersport announced Monday. Each week for eight weeks, four incredible college basketball plays will be nominated as the GEICO Play of the Year. Each week’s winner will be determined by fan…
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist emerging as a leader
Reporters already wear the hat of a quasi detective, but the postgame locker room Tuesday night had the feeling of an investigate mystery. The only difference between a real investigation scene and the relaxed Kentucky locker room is these reporters were trying to find out more about the “The Breakfast Club” that John Calipari mentioned…