The University of Kentucky Athletic Department will celebrate the 1996, 1997 and 1998 men’s basketball teams on Feb. 18 inside Rupp Arena
Reunion Set for Kentucky’s 1996-98 Men’s Basketball Teams
Getting championship rings ‘just like winning’ again for ’96 greats
Members of Kentucky’s 1995-96 national championship team never waste an opportunity to get back together. When they do, there’s a familiar script. They first catch up on each other’s lives and families, but it’s not long before they start reminiscing. There are too many memorable moments to count, but there seem to be two they…
Former Cat Derek Anderson is still experiencing the thrill of victory
Almost 20 years after winning an NCAA Championship with arguably the greatest team ever, Derek Anderson is still experiencing the thrill of victory, and helping others do the same, one bottle at a time. Victory H2O is progressively becoming a major competitor in the sports beverage market. With a perfect combination of the premium quality…
Photo: Coach Calipari with the 1996 National Championship team
Photo: Coach Calipari with the 1996 National Championship team
Derek Anderson’s dunk on Louisville in 1996 was one of the best of all-time
From Eamonn Brennan of ESPN.com: “In 1996 and ’97, Kentucky went to back-to-back title games and Derek Anderson was one of Rick Pitino’s top players. Anderson’s slam against rival Louisville in 1996 was arguably the play of the year for the program. Anderson leapt over Nate Jones on a fast break as Jones tried to…
It has become part of Kentucky lore that believed Pitino tanked the 1996 SEC tourney final
Cue the comparisons to 1996. As soon as the Wildcats lost to Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament final on Sunday, the members of Big Blue Nation suffered a collective case of déjà vu. The Untouchables, the Rick Pitino-coached group that included Derek Anderson, Tony Delk and Antoine Walker, dropped the SEC tournament final to Mississippi…
Former Cat Derek Anderson overcame hard-luck beginnings to find ‘family’ with ‘Cats
At 12 years old on the streets of Louisville, Derek Anderson was effectively homeless. His mom often left their home for days at a time. His father wasn’t involved in his life. That’s why he learned to play basketball, Anderson said — because otherwise, he had nothing else. “Some nights when mom wouldn’t come home,…
Former Cat Cameron Mills keeps busy by putting faith first
A great number of Wildcats from the championship teams in the 1990s would go on to play in the NBA. Greats like Walter McCarty, Tony Delk, Jeff Sheppard and Derek Anderson are just a few on the seemingly endless list of former Cats to suit up as pros. One vital piece to those championship puzzles,…
Kentucky Wildcats of 1996 among most memorable teams
From the photo archives of Sports Illustrated comes a story in, you guessed it, photos: “If UNLV’s ’91 team (somehow) isn’t considered the best college team of the last two decades, then these Wildcats are. UK was loaded with NBA talent, headed by Tony Delk, Antoine Walker, Derek Anderson, Ron Mercer and Walter McCarty. The…
Reliving 2,000 wins through the legends
From Eric Lindsey of the UK Athletics office, “Two-thousand wins. An achievement no other school – not Kansas, not North Carolina, not UCLA – has ever achieved. For the first time in college basketball, a school has reached the 2,000 mark. Kentucky, as the rightful owner of the winningest record in college basketball, is the…