Marquis Estill totaled 28 points and Keith Bogans scored 24 as Kentucky held its annual Blue/White Scrimmage before 2,300 fans at Memorial Coliseum on Saturday. Coach Tubby Smith interchanged his Cats between both teams but it was Estill’s play early that led the White squad to a 104-78 victory. Estill, who missed his freshman season…
On this day in Kentucky basketball history…
Former Cat Desmond Allison Shot And Killed In Columbus, Ohio
Former Kentucky basketball player Desmond Allison was shot and killed in Columbus, OH according to police there. The 30-year old played for UK from 1998-2000 until he was kicked off the team by Tubby Smith in March of 2000 after a DUI arrest. Police say he was shot in the chest along with another man…
On this date in Kentucky basketball history…
From the Season Never Ends 2011 Calendar: “On this day in 2003, UK coach Tubby Smith signed 7-footers Shagari Alleyne and Lukasz Obrzut. At the time they were only the fourth and fifth seven-footers to play for UK.”
Michigan State’s win over Kentucky in 2005 one of the most memorable of the decade
Jay Bilas of ESPN: “Michigan State‘s win over Kentucky in 2005 was a thriller, and I always wonder, if Tubby Smith had won that one or if Keith Bogans hadn’t been injured in the 2003 Elite Eight, would Tubby still be in Lexington?” Read full article here.
December 29, 2001: Pitino gets mixed welcome in return to Rupp
From the “Kentucky Basketball: The Season never Ends Calendar” – Gettysburg. D-Day. The Battle of the Bulge. Rick Pitino‘s return to Rupp Arena… as Louisville‘s head coach. The rebuilding Cards came in unranked and the crowd smelled blood. Kentucky won the closer than expected game 82-62. With dozens of homemade signs poking fun at “Traitor…
Kentucky Wildcats All-Decade Team
From BleacherReport.com, “The Gregorian Calendar says this shouldn’t be done—not until next year—but pop culture disagrees, and that seems like a decent enough barometer when deciding the best time to assemble an All-Decade team for the Kentucky Wildcats. In case you forgot: Recent successes aside, the early 2000s didn’t treat Kentucky too well in the…
November 20, 1997: The Tubby Smith era begins
Kyle Macy and Tubby Smith made their debuts in front of enough cameras to match a Hollywood movie premiere. Smith, though, inherited a far more talented squad of players, a group that raced to a 39 point blowout of Morehead State. The eagles managed only 16 baskets made out of 58 shots taken, while their…
March 22, 1998: ‘Ghost’ of ’92 classic scared away in 86-84 comeback over Duke
If Big Blue Nation carried psychic scars from Christian Laettner and six years earlier – and it did – Tubby Smith‘s first UK team supplied the healing salve. Down 17 points with 9:38 left, Kentucky rallied behind the penetrating drives of point guard Wayne Turner. With the score tied at 81 and 39.4 seconds left,…
March 30, 1998: Record rally from halftime ends with 7th national title
Cementing their place in UK lore, The Comeback Cats of Jeff Sheppard, Nazr Mohammed and Scott Padgett rallied from 10 down at halftime to make Tubby Smith the fourth different Kentucky coach to win an NCAA championship. Read article.
February 4, 2003: Kentucky 70, Florida 55
Billy Donovan’s Gators came to Lexington undefeated (14-0) and carrying the No. 1 ranking for this first time in school history. With a crowd so loud Rupp Arena literally shook, a suffocating Kentucky defense held Florida to six first-half baskets (on 30 shots) and Tubby Smith‘s Cats rolled to a 45-22 halftime lead. Read article.…