KENT 2009 full by Maple Street Press

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Greetings, ladies and gentlemen of the Big Blue Nation. Are you ready for Kentucky Basketball? I think most of us have been ready since sometime in April. Thank you for picking up the inaugural edition of Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010. We are pleased to bring you detailed coverage of the Kentucky Wildcats, the most storied and tradition-rich college basketball program in America. In this Annual, you will find detailed articles about your favorite Wildcat players, extensive analysis, and commentary about the 2009–10 version of the Wildcats. Kentucky has a new coach, a (mostly) new team, and the excitement surrounding the prospects for this season is the highest I can remember in years. Patrick Patterson is returning for a shot at a Final Four, Kentucky has signed one of the best recruiting classes in history, and our new coach has all the charisma and ability that we could possibly ask for. Patrick Patterson is featured on the cover of this book, and rightly so. He is the foundation upon which the Kentucky comeback is built, and if Kentucky is as successful this year as many expect, it will be in no small part because of his selfless dedication and love of the name on the front of that jersey he wears with such pride. How far can this Kentucky team go? Only as far as Patterson, and seniors Perry Stevenson and Ramon Harris can take them with their leadership. For four long years, Kentucky has waited to return to the national stage, and if you are anything like me, those four years have felt like four decades. But through the good times and bad, one thing that has remained constant is the deep commitment of the Big Blue faithful to their team, their state, and the sport of college basketball. I hope you enjoy what we have put together in this book. We have some outstanding writers from the media, from the Internet, and even from television who are lifelong Kentucky fans and as passionate about the ’Cats as we know you are. Some you will recognize, and some you will not, but all bring a unique perspective and excellent sportswriting skills to the table. But the book would not be complete without stories about the past, so we also bring you the memories of past players and events that we know you all cherish. So, enjoy the work of these fine authors as we bring you the Kentucky Wildcats, as they stand on the brink of another historic season. Go ’Cats!

Glenn Logan September 2009 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I’d like to thank several people and organizations without which this Annual would not have been nearly as detailed, or as thorough. First, thanks to DeWayne Peevy, associate athletics director of media relations for the University of Kentucky for helping us with many different things. Also, thanks to Deja LawsonOerther and the Kentucky Derby Festival for help with photographs. Thanks to Jim Walsh of Maple Street Press for giving us the opportunity to bring you this Annual. Speaking of Maple Street Press, I would particularly like to thank Jon Franke and Ryan Bray for being so patient and helpful in getting us through this process for the first time. Without their patient understanding, I don’t think we could have done it.

MAPLE STREET PRESS

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2009–2010 K E N T UC K Y w I L DC AT S

5 Blue Storm Rising by Glenn Logan

With a new coach and a historic recruiting class, UK basketball is on the rise once again.

9 Putting The Pieces Together by Christopher Emmick A new coach means a new scheme, but how do the players fit in to the Dribble-Drive Motion?

14 2009–2010 Wildcat Player Profiles

Biographies, statistics, and more on all the important Kentucky contributors.

45 2009–10 SEC Preview by Ken Howlett and J.L. Weill If Kentucky is to take a leap forward in 2009–10 they’ll have to do some damage in the SEC. See how their road shapes up.

55 The Return by J.L. Weill To say the SEC has a wealth of returning talent would be an understatement. Take a look at who’s coming back.

59 Destination: Indianapolis by Michael Eaves Does Kentucky have what it takes to make it to Indianapolis? Vegas insiders think so.

63 The Expectations Game by Alan Rucker

With the expectations for Kentucky basketball at a fever pitch, it is important to have some perspective... at least a little.

67 Lucky 17 by Christopher Emmick Preview all of Kentucky’s challenging, and not so challenging, non-conference games.

T h e c o ac h and p laye r s 73 Into The Blue by Norm Haney Look back on John Calipari’s road to the Kentucky bench and ahead to his hopes for the program.

77 Man On A Mission by Travis Hubbard Get the behind-the-scenes, untold story about how Patrick Patterson really ended up in Kentucky blue.

85 The Conscience Of The King by Glenn Logan To understand the future, one has to study the past. Go back and discover Coach Cal’s long, strange trip to Lexington.

93 Regaining The Swagger by Chris Diggs Get to know the ins and outs of Kentucky’s 2009 recruits, arguably the country’s best.

97 The Heart Of A Wildcat

by Ken Howlett The 2009 recruiting class rightfully gets a lot of attention, but Kentucky’s seniors are more important than you think.

h ist o r y and t r aditi o n 101 The Mighty Casey by Ken Howlett “He was born to play at UK. It meant so much to him.” Get to know Kentucky legend Mike Casey.

107 Pitino’s Bombinos by J.L. Weill How can a 14–14 team capture the hearts of a (Big Blue) Nation? Ask Pitino’s “Bombinos.”

113 The Race To 2,000 Wins

110

by Jon Scott The race to 2,000 wins should be decided this season, does UK have what it takes to come away with the crown?

117 The Mardi Gras Miracle Turns 15 by Glenn Logan Take a minute-by-minute look at one of the most remarkable comebacks in sports history: The Mardi Gras Miracle.

127 The End Of The Matter by Glenn Logan Wrap it all up with some final questions and a walk-on who finally got his scholarship.

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Maple Street Press LLC 155 Webster Street, Ste. B Hanover, MA 02339 www.maplestreetpress.com © 2009 Maple Street Press LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any way, stored in any type of retrieval device, or transmitted by any method or media, electronic or mechanical, including, but not limited to, photocopy, recording, or scanning, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Front Cover photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images Interior Front Cover photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images Back Cover photo: Collegiate Images/Getty Images

Cover design: Garrett Cullen Interior design: Garrett Cullen/MSP Glenn Logan, editor. Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010 ISSN: 2150-5365

Maple Street Press LLC and Wildcat Tip-Off are in no way affiliated with the University of Kentucky or the NCAA. The opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Maple Street Press. All product names and brand names mentioned in this book are trademarks or service marks of their respective companies. Any omission or misuse (of any kind) of service marks or trademarks should not be regarded as intent to infringe upon the property of others. The publisher respects all marks used by companies, manufacturers, and developers as a means to distinguish their products. Printed in the USA

2009–2010 Kentucky

Blue Storm Rising The Rebuilding of the Roman Empire of College Basketball by Glenn Logan

veryone loves “sea stories,” so let’s start with one. I remember standing on the beach in Hampton, Virginia one summer morning around 7 a.m. in 1984. Some shipmates and I had just come off mid-watch from our submarine lying in port, and we had decided to go down to Buckroe Beach on the Chesapeake Bay and enjoy the warm, summer day that was in the offing. The fog hadn’t quite lifted yet, and it was hard to tell where the bay ended and the sky began. Suddenly, far off in the loom, I thought I saw something… enormous. I shook my head, figuring it was just a trick of the light. The one aircraft carrier I knew was in port lay around the bay at Newport News Shipbuilding, and there just wasn’t anything else that big around that I was aware of. So I rubbed my eyes and looked away. A moment later, I looked back. This time the fog had begun to recede, and I could make out a shape. It bulked stupefyingly huge, almost the same gray color as the sea and the sky, and so it was only a vast, vague shape in bas-relief. As it drew nearer, I suddenly realized what it was: The last of the magnificent World War II battleships to serve in the American fleet, USS Missouri. She had been recently taken out of mothballs, refitted with modern weapons, and returned to service. As the fog lifted we could see her 16-inch guns, the thews of a mighty naval leviathan resurrected from a bygone era, bristle against the slate gray sky. She was putting out to sea from the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and it was a remarkable, unforgettable sight.

Wildcats

2009–2010 Kentucky wildcats

From Battleship to Puddle Pirate Inevitably, the excitement that surrounds the University of Kentucky at this moment in time already seems far removed from the Wildcats’ first non-probation failure to make the NCAA tournament in 30 years this past season. Since the 2004–2005 season when Kentucky came within a Kelenna Azubuike rebound of making the Final Four, the UK program has been in serious decline. Not even in the probation years of the early 1990s did Kentucky basketball slip so far into national insignificance, failing to capture even a single SEC crown during this most recent dark period. Teams that had previously impinged only occasionally on the consciousness of Big Blue fans during the decades of Kentucky dominance of the SEC, such as Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Florida, rose up from their formerly picayune status to smite the once-mighty Wildcats again and again, sometimes by embarrassing margins. Florida rose to a great height during Kentucky’s decline to become two-time NCAA champions, towering over SEC basketball during the period from 2005–2007, much as Kentucky had once done. Tennessee was ascendant with new head coach Bruce Pearl and an aggressive, pressing style, and Kevin Stallings’ hard work at Vanderbilt was finally paying off with quality recruits and solid teams that regularly beat Kentucky. Suddenly, in a football conference that UK had completely dominated for over 100 years on the hardwood, Kentucky basketball was in the dreadfully unfamiliar position of an also-ran. When former Kentucky coach Orlando “Tubby” Smith suddenly decided to leave UK in 2007 after two sub-par years in a row to become the new head man at Minnesota, it shocked Kentucky’s basketball program and supporters to the core, and raised serious questions in the national sports media. It was almost unknown for a coach of Smith’s caliber to suddenly resign to take the helm of a moribund basketball

6 | Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010

program that could not be seen as anything but a giant step backward, career-wise. Speculation grew that Smith had been somehow run off from his post by the UK Athletics Administration or so harried by unhappy fans that he no longer felt welcome in Lexington. Despite Coach Smith’s assurances to the contrary and clear evidence that 10 years was just plain long enough for him in the UK pressure cooker, the national sports media continued to hammer Kentucky over his departure. The idea that Tubby Smith simply went off to greener, cooler pastures where he could bring his son Saul in as an assistant, something that the UK Athletics Department would very likely never have allowed, simply didn’t provide the same “oomph” to the headlines that allusions to racism and lamentations of outrageous, unfair fan pressure did. Ultimately, Coach Smith left because he had a more attractive offer at that time in his life when all things were considered, even if it was seen by most pundits to be at a significantly lesser program.

An Effort at Resurrection Fails After Smith left, UK went after former Rick Pitino assistant and current Florida head coach Billy Donovan. Donovan was fresh off back-to-back national championships in basketball, Florida’s first and second. Since leaving Marshall University to take the Florida job in 1996, Donovan had brought Florida most of the success it had enjoyed in the sport of basketball, and was arguably the hottest coach in the college game. Donovan’s UK connections through Pitino made him the obvious first choice to replace the departed Tubby Smith, but Donovan was happy in Gainesville and did not want to uproot his young family from a place where they were so comfortably ensconced in order to answer the siren’s song of Kentucky tradition. So after Donovan officially demurred, UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart sought out his second choice: former Texas A&M head man Billy Gillispie. Coach Gillispie came to Lexington amid much fanfare as the fastest up-and-comer in the college coaching game, a strong leader that had turned around two programs, the University of Texas El Paso and Texas A&M, that were both mired so far into insignificance before Gillispie came that their success during his tenure garnered the attention of every coaching search in the country. Arkansas, one of Kentucky’s basketball rivals who had also fallen on hard times, was looking for a coach at the same time as UK was, and Gillispie was their first choice. But he made excuses and signed a new contract at Texas A&M while apparently holding out for a bigger fish. When the Wildcats came calling, Coach Gillispie came running, straight to Lexington and into the anxious, waiting arms of the Big Blue Nation. It was to be a dysfunctional and ultimately failed relationship.

Photo on previous page: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Likewise, when college basketball fans survey the landscape of the coming season, they will see a once-proud and storied program returning from the mothballs of a long national irrelevance—an ancient hardwood dreadnought overhauled and refitted with the latest and greatest armament, her mighty guns cleaned and ready, her decks polished and gleaming, her myriad crew of dedicated fans anxious to enter the fray. The new captain is a salty, experienced leader, with one of the best coaching records in the land. The Great Powers of college basketball have not seen this particular foe as a real threat for four long years, but it has now been renewed, remade, and like the mighty “Big Mo,” is ready to steam fearlessly into the sea of the college game and restore the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s flagship basketball program to its historical prominence.

Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Blue Storm Rising Despite successfully wooing UK recruit Patrick Patterson to Lexington from of the clutches of Mike Krzyzewski of Duke and Billy Donovan of Florida, Coach Gillispie had only moderate success at recruiting players to Kentucky. Many of his commitments were for far future classes, a fact which caused considerable consternation among the National Association of Basketball Coaches, as did some of Coach Gillispie’s other moves, such as moving Big Blue Madness to better position it as a recruiting tool. Gillispie’s tenure was also marred by losses to tiny schools like Gardener-Webb and the Virginia Military Institute—hardly household names to NCAA basketball lovers—in Patrick Patterson represents former UK coach Billy Gillispie’s greatest recruiting Rupp Arena, of all places. coup, and is poised to have an All-American year at Kentucky in 2009–2010. In the end, Coach Gillispie was simply unable to produce a sufficient number of wins at UK to provide the Athletics Department A New Skipper Brings New Life leadership with the confidence that he would be a success To the surprise of many, John Calipari, then of the Memphis in Lexington. He also had a penchant for obsessive profesUniversity Tigers, rapidly became the leading candidate and sional privacy and an alarming tendency to make offensive in a whirlwind of activity, was signed as the new Kentucky comments to media members and program supporters. At head men’s basketball coach. UK had been unenthusiastic Kentucky, head men’s basketball coaches are public property, about Calipari in 2007, but in the interregnum, all Coach and are expected to comport their lives accordingly. They are Calipari did was go 66–6, reach the national finals, and also expected to be gracious, accommodating, and thoughtful, have two of the better recruiting classes in NCAA history if not glib. Gillispie excelled at none of those things as coach at Memphis. That got Mitch Barnhart’s full attention, and of the Wildcats. before you could say, “Beale Street,” John Calipari was the So when Kentucky found itself staring at the wreckage new coach at tradition-rich UK. of an NIT season in 2009 after a loss to Notre Dame, the Calipari was everything Billy Gillispie wasn’t: outgoleadership decided that something had to be done. The restive ing, gregarious, friendly to a fault, and relentlessly positive. fans and supporters of UK’s basketball program had reached Where Gillispie’s comments were often marked by sharp a critical turning point, and despite only two years as the head candor and almost cruel honesty, Calipari was the consumcoach of the Wildcats, the decision was taken that coach Billy mate sharp-witted media darling, giving interviews and makGillispie had to be released. It was a difficult and nearly uning personal appearances almost as fast as he could be asked, precedented choice to release a coach after only two winning, and in basketball-mad Kentucky, he was asked very fast and but historically sub-par seasons, and it caused much angst and very often. But Calipari displayed none of the surliness or hand wringing in the Big Blue Nation, and many feared that careful vagueness of his predecessor. Instead, he appeared to Kentucky would have difficulty securing a new coach worthy revel in the attention and did far more than just “hit a home of Kentucky’s historical stature. Billy Donovan once again run”—John Calipari took the first pitch with bases loaded signaled his disinterest, and the names of up-and-coming and sent it careening over the center field wall and out of the but largely unproven coaches with Kentucky ties, like John stadium still on the rise. It hasn’t come down to Earth yet. Pelphrey of Arkansas and Travis Ford of Oklahoma State, began surfacing on UK fan websites and in the media. Fear was More Than a New Coat of Paint rampant throughout the Wildcat faithful—fear of watching When John Calipari came, he brought weapons with him in the program they loved slide further into decline. the form of big-time recruits, and a new, NBA-friendly system

Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010 | 7

he had implemented at Memphis known as the Dribble-Drive Motion Offense. Calipari managed to hold on to Gillispie recruits Jon Hood and Daniel Orton, both highly ranked and well regarded. With Coach Calipari came DeMarcus Cousins, the best big man in the 2009 recruiting class, along with Darnell Dodson, a highly ranked junior college wing, both of whom had committed to Calipari while he was at Memphis. Along the way, Calipari was able to add two more Rivals.com five-star prospects in point guards Eric Bledsoe and the consensus #1 high-school player in America, John Wall. Wall is considered to be so good out of high school that many NBA scouts believe that he would have been a lottery pick in the 2009 NBA Draft if he were eligible. Coach John Calipari (with UK president Dr. Lee Todd) has the Wildcats In one fell swoop, John Calipari took a poised to rapidly return to the top of the basketball world. program that would have been lucky to win 23 or 24 games next year and turned it into an apparent in the making. A storm is brewing in “my old Kentucky juggernaut that made most pundit’s top five in the country, home” in the form of a restored traditional powerhouse that is and had Jodie Meeks decided to return to UK for his senior about to be unleashed on the college basketball world. season instead of entering the draft, many would have made Many Kentucky fans have lamented the lack of a sense UK the pre-season #1 team in the nation. Kentucky fans are of destiny that used to be present whenever Kentucky took understandably beside themselves with joy over this amazing, the floor. In the halcyon days of the late 1990s, opponents unprecedented reversal of fortune. From the NIT to national seemed to noticeably deflate when the Wildcats would go title contender in only three months? Now that’s an overhaul, on a run, sometimes imploding utterly under the relentless and many are placing this 2009 UK class at or near the top UK assault. As was the case during much of Adolph Rupp’s recruiting classes in all of NCAA basketball history, which tenure, fans could actually see fear in the eyes of all but the seems befitting of the team that has the most overall wins and classiest opponents, and a palpable sense of doom would second most national championships in the college game. often hang over an opposing bench like a dark cloud. So now instead of another season of rebuilding or even But fans now sense that those days are about to return struggle, the prospects for storied UK basketball have sudwith a vengeance. Coach Calipari is unquestionably the denly undergone a radical transition that places them once hottest recruiter in the college game right now, and the again near the top of the heap with no real end in sight. talent upgrade he has brought to the Wildcats this year has Gone are the “puddle pirate” teams of the last four years, the Big Blue Nation in paroxysms of joy over the thought of replaced with a fearsome, bristling behemoth that is the seeing fear in the eyes of their opponents once again, mixed talk of college basketball. This is exactly the kind of thing with respect and even a little awe. Yes, it may take awhile, Kentucky fans expect from their program. This is good. This but with Calipari’s recruiting prowess and the power and is right. The chaos of the last four years has been reversed prestige of the most storied college basketball program in with the stroke of a pen, and order restored to the universe. the land, most fans and pundits see a lot of Blue and White when they look into their crystal balls. Blue Storm Rising Tar Heels, Jayhawks, Spartans, Blue Devils, Longhorns, From Chapel Hill to Pauley Pavilion, from Storrs to and Bruins, notice is hereby served. A Blue storm is rising in Gainesville to East Lansing, and all across the fruited plain to the South. Batten down your hatches. MSP Kansas and south to Austin, the eyes of the college basketball world are making out a gigantic shape emerging from the Glenn Logan is a lifelong University of Kentucky basketball fan. He is a Bluegrass of Lexington. Familiar, yet unfamiliar. No longer small business owner, freelance writer, and managing editor of the SB Nation University of Kentucky weblog ASeaOfBlue.com, one of the largest weak, but strong beyond anyone’s expectations, with legions and most popular UK fan sites on the Internet. of dedicated fans and a storied tradition more than a century

8 | Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010

Photo: David Coyle/Collegiate Images/Getty Images

2009–2010 Kentucky wildcats

Put ting the Pieces Together How the Kentucky Players Fit Into the New Offense by Christopher Emmick

regime change, actually more of a bloodless but potentially expensive coup d’etat, placed John Calipari as the new head coach of the Wildcats. Coach Cal brought with him a change in attitude, recruiting prowess, and system: the Dribble-Drive Motion offense. To quickly sum up the Dribble-Drive Motion (DDM) offense concept: The ball-handler has the ability to assess their defender (and team defense) and choose to drive. If there is help defense, the ball is dumped to the player the help defender leaves open, either the low-post player or a perimeter shooter. Post players primarily stay on the weak side of the paint (the opposite side of the lane from the ball). The post player is also set up for back-side offensive rebounds and put backs. Outside the paint, guards and forwards spread themselves in a four-out set to space out the defense and provide driving lanes. The non-driving perimeter players

position themselves for uncontested jumpers if their defender leaves to help defend the drive. Like any other offensive set, the Dribble-Drive Motion requires the correct personnel to be most effective. To initiate the offense, perimeter players must possess the quickness and ball-handling skills to beat their defenders one on one. After the ball-handler penetrates, all participants in the offense must be able to find seams in the defense when it reacts to the drive and be sure-handed for quick passes or lobs. For the DDM to be ultimately successful, players must be just as quick in wit as they are in feet. The DDM’s (and Calipari’s) coming out party was the Memphis Tigers’ 2008 Final Four run. That year, Coach Calipari assembled the right combination of talent and experience for the system. He combined junior shooting guard (and 2008 NCAA consensus first-team All-American) Chris

Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010 | 9

2009–2010 Kentucky wildcats

Douglas-Roberts and senior forward Joey Dorsey with consensus top-five freshman point guard Derrick Rose. Dorsey provided dominance in offensive rebounding and put backs (shooting 64.7% from the field for the season); DouglasRoberts provided penetration and deadly jump shooting (an incredible 54.1% from the field and 41.3% from three-point range for the season); and Rose provided nearly unstoppable penetration, scoring, and ball-distribution (shooting 47.7% and providing 4.7 assists per game for the season). During the season, teams playing zone and junk defenses slowed the Memphis offense down. Southern Cal and Tulsa ran a triangle-and-two defense—where two players play manto-man and three play an interior, triangle-shaped zone—on Douglas-Roberts and Rose. UTEP and Oklahoma constantly mixed up standard zone defenses, forcing Memphis players to shoot more contested three-point shots than normal. In these cases, Memphis’s opponents were able to slow down the DDM but could not prevent the Tigers from winning. Only two teams were able to beat Memphis during their incredible 2007–08 season: Tennessee in the ballyhooed #1 vs. #2 match-up and Kansas in the NCAA National Championship Game. Tennessee used a sagging, man-to-man defense that was complemented by their long, athletic players. By clogging the driving lanes, limiting Memphis offensive rebounds, and forcing them to take contested shots, the Volunteers kept the game within reach and ultimately won.

10 | Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010

In the title game, Kansas mixed a switching, man-toman defense and a box-and-one junk zone—where a Kansas defender focused on Douglas-Roberts while the rest of the defenders played a square-shaped interior zone. While the junk defense propelled Memphis on a run fueled by Rose, the Kansas man-to-man and interior help defense frustrated Rose’s ability to penetrate and distribute. Kansas also fouled often and forced Memphis to earn points at the free-throw line. Memphis missed four out of five free throws in the final two minutes of regulation that could have put the game away for the team and Coach Calipari. Despite the disappointing loss, the right combination of talent and experience powered the DDM and Memphis to 38 wins and that appearance in the NCAA title game. (The wins and tournament appearance were stripped by the NCAA in August 2009. Derrick Rose was retroactively ruled ineligible for the 2007–08 season due to the Educational Testing Service invalidating his SAT score.) At the start of the 2008–09 season Coach Cal was forced to replace his two primary ball-handlers and 41% of his team’s scoring: Rose and Douglas-Roberts. Cal’s Tigers could not find enough consistent perimeter shooting or someone other than Tyreke Evans who could penetrate one on one, and the team still had difficulty playing against zone defenses. In mid-December, Syracuse took their famous 2-3 zone and packed it inside the three-point line, goading Memphis into

Photo on previous page: Andy Lyons/Getty Images Photo this page: Joe Murphy/Getty Images

John Calipari diagrams a play for the Memphis team that came within a Kansas three of winning the NCAA Tournament in 2008.

Putting the Pieces Together taking three-pointers. The Tigers took the bait, missing 18 of their first 19 three-point attempts and suffering their third loss in five games. As any good coach would, Coach Calipari adjusted the Dribble-Drive Motion system to better fit his roster. The 2008–09 Memphis Tigers utilized the high pick-androll—normally verboten in the drive-centric DDM—to help facilitate penetration by the guards. Coach Cal also adjusted the set positioning for his players, often starting possessions in a box or double-stack set (where more than one forward is posted inside) to create favorable post match-ups and downscreens. Running these traditional motion set offenses would sometimes constitute part or all of a possession. These adjustments helped power Memphis through the remainder of their schedule. The Tigers season ended in the Sweet 16, when they ran into a Missouri team that allowed Tyreke Evans to score 33 points but smothered the rest of the Tigers. Given this history, one can expect Coach Cal and his staff to tweak his Dribble-Drive Motion based on the assets assembled in Lexington. Calipari has an abundance of talent that hearkens back to the Kentucky teams of the late ’90s, as he combined the greatest evaluated recruiting

Photos: Joe Murphy/Getty Images

Tyreke Evans turned out to be the secret to the success of the 2008–09 Memphis offense, which reached the Sweet 16.

Tennessee employed a sagging man-to-man to clog the driving lanes and frustrate Memphis’s offense.

class since Michigan’s Fab Five with the stalwart Kentucky upperclassmen. Leading the offense will most likely be freshmen John Wall and Eric Bledsoe. Both young men possess the ball-handling, finishing ability, and talent that fits almost perfectly in the DDM. Wall will likely be the better scorer while Bledsoe will be more of a distributor. Early speculation had Wall and Bledsoe battling for the starting point guard position, but Coach Cal has indicated he will more than likely want both players on the court at the same time, especially if this Kentucky team transitions back to the traditional Dribble-Drive Motion that Memphis played in 2007–08. Also seeing significant playing time should be sophomore Darius Miller. Calipari has praised Miller’s ability to shoot runners and perimeter shots in practice sessions from April. Miller may not be exceptionally dangerous behind the arc, but his ability to make jumpers in the seams of a zone defense and attack with a drive will bode well for the success of the Wildcats. Perimeter production is a concern for this team. No player fits the Chris Douglas-Roberts mold—Jodie Meeks’s range was unlimited, but he elected to enter the NBA Draft back in April. Preventing defenses from completely sagging

Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010 | 11

2009–2010 Kentucky wildcats

Patrick Patterson may find himself facing the basket much more this year, and even shooting some threes. Motion offense. The Wildcat seniors will be learning their third offensive system in four years and Calipari has already warned the Big Blue Nation that he expects turnovers as his team learns on the job. A hybrid DDM system, like the 2008–09 Tigers, may be implemented this year to better fit the inexperienced players. On paper, this Kentucky team contains the right talent for Coach Cal’s Dribble-Drive Motion offense. Kentucky’s frontcourt is arguably more talented than last year’s Memphis team and the backcourt is quick enough to break down nonjunk defenses. However, questions about perimeter shooting have worried forward-thinking fans for most of the summer. Less worried about, but equally worrisome, is the adjustment period needed for Kentucky’s players to successfully execute the DDM (or DDM hybrid) system Coach Calipari elects to run this season. It remains to be seen if the Dribble-Drive Motion will produce a return to normalcy for Kentucky basketball. But given the previous results of Calipari’s recruiting system, and coaching, the historic Kentucky program appears to have the right regime in place. MSP Returning and freshman player profiles that follow after the roster on the facing page are by Alan Rucker

Jodie Meeks would have been a critical part to the 2009– 10 Wildcats, but opted for the NBA Draft. 12 | Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010

Christopher Emmick has been sharing his strange wit and observations for several high-profile Kentucky sports blogs since 2003, and was a columnist and editorial editor for the Kentucky Kernel.

Top photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images Bottom photo: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

inside, like Syracuse did, will be Miller, freshman Jon Hood, sophomore transfer Darnell Dodson, and junior Josh Harrellson. Frontcourt players DeMarcus Cousins and Daniel Orton also have three-point range. It may take the majority of the season to find a player who takes the clutch threes; if one is not found, running the DDM may be more difficult in late-game situations. Juggling the crowded frontcourt is another concern. In a four-out set, junior Patrick Patterson could play either as the post player or on the perimeter, but his perimeter game is as yet untested. If stationed inside, Patterson would concentrate on offensive rebounding, looking for the dump-off lob from driving teammates and setting screens. Putting Patterson inside will allow for Cousins to play on the outside. Cousins is quick and has already developed a good passing ability and a nice jumper. Orton can split time inside and outside, as he possesses the ability to shoot three-pointers and has a great nose for rebounding. Despite returning seven scholarship players—with senior (and former walk-on) Mark Krebs accepting a scholarship this year—the biggest concern with Cal’s Wildcats is experience. Unlike Calipari’s 2007–08 Memphis team, the Kentucky upperclassmen will have little experience with the Dribble-Drive

2009 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2010

W I L DC AT S ROSTER

No.

Name

Pos.

Ht./Wt.

Cl./Exp.

Hometown (Last School)

Eric Bledsoe

6-1/190

FR/HS

Birmingham, AL (Parker)

DeMarcus Cousins

6-11/260

FR/HS

Mobile, AL (LeFlore)

Darnell Dodson

6-7/215

SO/TR

Greenbelt, MD (Miami-Dade CC)

Josh Harrellson

6-10/265

JR/1L

St. Charles, MO (SW Illinois College)

Ramon Harris

G/F

6-7/218

SR/3L

Anchorage, AK (West Anchorage)

Jon Hood

6-6/195

FR/HS

Madisonville, KY (North Hopkins)

Mark Krebs

6-5/208

SR/2L

Newport, KY (Newport Central Catholic)

DeAndre Liggins

6-6/202

SO/1L

Chicago, IL (Findley Prep)

Darius Miller

6-7/223

SO/1L

Maysville, KY (Mason County)

Daniel Orton

6-10/255

FR/HS

Oklahoma City, OK (Bishop McGuiness)

Patrick Patterson

6-9/235

JR/2L

Huntington, WV (Huntington)

Perry Stevenson

6-9/207

SR/3L

Lafayette, LA (Northside)

John Wall

6-4/195

FR/HS

Raleigh, NC (Word of God)

Coaches & Staff: John Calipari - Head Coach John Robic - Assistant Coach Orlando Antigua - Assistant Coach Rod Strickland - Assistant Coach Todd Forcier - Strength Coach Martin Newton - Dir. of Basketball Operations Chris Simmons - Athletic Trainer

Ramon Harris

6' 7" | 218 | Guard/Forward | Anchorage, AK | Senior

Getty Images Sport/Streeter Lecka

amon Harris, entering his final year of eligibility, will certainly see a changing role as John Calipari begins his tenure as Kentucky's head coach. Last season, Harris saw action in 31 games, starting 28, but only averaged 5.5 points in just over 22 minutes per game. His season-high of 16 points came against VMI in the first game. After that, Harris only scored in double-figures six more times. Harris was a good shooter from the floor, clocking in at just over 53%, but struggled beyond standard shots, making only 62% from the charity stripe and 24% from three point range. Simply put, for Harris to continue to see the minutes and action he’s seen over the last two seasons, his productivity must improve. Despite his shortcomings and low per-game averages, Harris is capable of statistical domination. Averaging only 3.8 rebounds per game, Harris checked in with a season high 10 against UNLV in the NIT. Harris averaged 1.6 assists per game, yet dished out eight against Creighton in the NIT. He also averaged 0.7 steals per game and 0.3 blocks per game and never fouled out in the 2008–09 season.

Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Harris’s career at Kentucky has been an odd one, and more than any player in recent memor y, has been marked by injuries. His sophomore season in 2007–08 saw him injure his hip and foot. After battling those injuries all season, he began 2008–09 with a sense of optimism and a hope that his junior year would be injur y free. Unfortunately, a collision left him concussed, and saw him miss five games and play single-digit minutes in six others. Harris’s injur y-plagued past has contributed to him never really fulfilling the potential that many saw in him when he signed with the Wildcats and enrolled early in the winter of 2006. Harris came to Lexington from Anchorage, AK, where he enjoyed a career that made him a star. During his high school days, he was a part of four state tournament champions, and was named the State Finals MVP in 2005 and 2006. He was named the State Player of the Year in 2006, and as a senior averaged 16.3 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 3.0 blocked shots per game. Suffice to say, this athletic wing player was someone most Cat fans were looking for ward to seeing in blue and white. Alas, whether it was the injuries, the opponents, or the competition, Harris has never lived up to expectations. Harris has been a role player thrown into a starting position. At times, he has looked capable of doing the things needed to succeed at this level, but for the most part he has looked overmatched and out of his league. Calipari made room on the roster for all players entering their final year of eligibility, but it is hard to say if Harris would be coming back if this was not his senior season. In his final campaign, and first with Calipari, Harris must be flexible enough to handle a changing role. He may ver y well no longer be occupying a starter’s spot, but he will still see minutes as games progress. The key for Harris will be to maximize those minutes in terms of productivity and play, while keeping himself injur y free. Additionally, if Harris can improve his foul shooting that may pay great dividends if Calipari chooses to use him as a driver or post player.

Ramon Harris 2008–09 GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS FG Date

Opponent

3PT

Rebounds

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Ast

Stl

Blk

PTS

11/14/08 Virginia Military

60.0

0.0

66.7

11/18/08 @North Carolina

75.0

0.0

60.0

11/22/08 Delaware State

40.0

0.0

–

11/24/08 Longwood

–

66.7

0.0

50.0

11/28/08 Kansas State

100.0

–

66.7

11/29/08 West Virginia

0.0

–

12/03/08 Lamar

100.0

0.0

12/06/08 Miami (FL)

–

Mississippi Valley 12/07/08 State

–

12/13/08 Indiana

–

12/20/08 Appalachian State

–

100.0

–

100.0

12/22/08 Tennessee State

–

12/27/08 Florida Atlantic

0.0

–

12/29/08 Central Michigan

–

01/04/09 @Louisville

–

0.0

–

01/10/09 Vanderbilt

100.0

0.0

01/13/09 @Tennessee

100.0

–

50.0

01/18/09 @Georgia

0.0

–

01/21/09 Auburn

25.0

0.0

75.0

01/24/09 @Alabama

0.0

50.0

01/27/09 @Mississippi

33.3

0.0

33.3

01/31/09 South Carolina

50.0

–

02/03/09 Mississippi State

0.0

–

02/10/09 Florida

0.0

–

02/14/09 @Arkansas

40.0

0.0

60.0

02/17/09 @Vanderbilt

0.0

–

100.0

02/21/09 Tennessee

100.0

02/25/09 @South Carolina

40.0

–

0.0

02/28/09 LSU

0.0

–

03/04/09 Georgia

66.7

100.0

83.3

03/07/09 @Florida

75.0

–

40.0

03/12/09 Mississippi

25.0

0.0

–

03/13/09 LSU

62.5

50.0

0.0

03/17/09 UNLV

60.0

–

03/23/09 @Creighton

50.0

–

71.4

03/25/09 @Notre Dame

100.0

–

684

113

–

169

22.1

1.9

3.7

53.1

0.2

0.8

24.0

1.4

2.2

62.3

1.2

2.6

1.6

1.8

0.7

0.3

1.7

5.5

Totals Averages

Ramon Harris Career Situational STATISTICS Overall Career FG

3PT

Rebounds

Year

Team

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

2006-07

Kentucky (22-12)

2.7

0.3

0.6

57.1

0.0

–

0.1

0.3

25.0

0.1

0.4

0.5

0.3

0.1

0.0

0.3

0.8

2007-08

Kentucky (18-13)

22.6

1.4

2.7

50.7

0.3

0.9

36.0

1.1

1.9

60.0

0.9

2.6

3.5

1.2

1.9

1.0

0.5

1.9

4.2

2008-09

Kentucky (22-14)

22.1

1.9

3.6

53.1

0.2

0.8

24.0

1.4

2.2

62.3

1.2

2.6

3.8

1.6

1.8

0.7

0.3

1.7

5.5

18.9

1.4

2.8

52.3

0.2

0.7

30.0

1.1

1.8

60.2

0.9

2.2

3.1

1.2

1.6

0.7

0.3

1.5

4.2

Totals/Averages

Vs. Conference FG

3PT

Rebounds

Year

Team

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

2006-07

Kentucky

3.2

0.2

0.4

50.0

0.0

–

0.1

0.2

50.0

0.1

0.6

0.7

0.4

0.3

0.1

0.0

0.3

0.6

2007-08

Kentucky

22.8

1.4

2.6

53.8

0.3

0.6

55.6

0.9

1.5

60.9

0.8

2.2

3.0

1.5

1.8

0.9

0.5

1.7

4.1

2008-09

Kentucky

22.0

1.5

3.1

48.0

0.3

0.8

30.8

1.4

2.2

62.9

1.3

2.8

4.1

1.3

1.8

0.8

0.3

1.7

4.6

18.1

1.2

2.3

50.5

0.2

0.6

40.9

0.9

1.5

61.7

0.9

2.1

2.9

1.2

1.5

0.7

0.3

1.4

3.5

Min

Pct

Off

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

Totals/Averages

Vs. Non-Conf FG Year

Team

3PT A

FT A

Rebounds Def

2006-07

Kentucky

1.5

0.5

1.0

50.0

0.0

–

0.0

1.0

0.0

1.0

2007-08

Kentucky

20.0

1.5

3.2

46.9

0.4

1.6

25.0

1.0

1.7

58.8

0.9

3.0

3.9

0.8

1.9

0.8

0.4

1.7

4.4

2008-09

Kentucky

21.0

2.4

4.1

58.5

0.1

0.9

11.1

1.6

2.5

64.0

0.8

1.8

2.6

1.2

2.0

0.8

0.3

1.7

6.5

18.8

1.8

3.4

53.3

0.2

1.1

20.0

1.2

2.0

59.1

0.8

2.2

3.0

0.9

1.8

0.7

0.3

1.5

5.0

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

Totals/Averages

Vs. Ranked FG

Rebounds

Team

Min

2006-07

Kentucky

2.0

1.0

1.0 100.0 0.0

0.0

–

0.0

0.5

0.0

2.0

2007-08

Kentucky

21.7

1.2

3.3

35.0

0.3

1.0

33.3

1.0

1.8

54.5

0.8

2.8

3.7

0.7

1.7

1.0

0.7

2.3

3.7

2008-09

Kentucky

27.8

2.8

4.4

63.6

0.2

0.8

25.0

0.8

1.8

44.4

0.6

2.6

3.2

1.6

2.2

1.0

0.4

2.8

6.6

21.0

1.8

3.4

52.3

0.2

0.8

30.0

0.8

1.5

50.0

0.6

2.3

2.9

0.9

1.7

0.8

0.5

2.2

4.5

Totals/Averages

3PT

Year

Vs. Unranked FG

3PT

Rebounds

Year

Team

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

2006-07

Kentucky

2.8

0.2

0.5

40.0

0.0

–

0.1

0.4

25.0

0.1

0.5

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.1

0.0

0.3

0.5

2007-08

Kentucky

24.1

2.1

3.8

56.4

0.0

–

1.3

1.8

75.0

1.6

3.2

4.9

0.9

1.4

0.9

1.5

2.4

5.6

2008-09

Kentucky

21.0

1.8

3.5

50.5

0.2

0.8

23.8

1.5

2.3

65.0

1.3

2.6

4.0

1.6

1.8

0.7

0.3

1.5

5.2

19.3

1.7

3.1

53.2

0.1

0.3

23.8

1.2

1.8

67.6

1.3

2.5

3.8

1.1

1.4

0.7

1.6

4.6

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

Totals/Averages

PostSeason FG Year

Team

3PT A

FT A

Rebounds

2006-07

Kentucky

6.5

0.8

0.8 100.0 0.0

0.0

–

0.0

0.5

1.0

0.3

0.5

0.3

0.5

1.5

2007-08

Kentucky

33.5

0.5

1.0

50.0

0.0

–

3.0

5.0

60.0

1.5

3.5

5.0

1.0

2.0

2.5

1.5

4.0

2008-09

Kentucky

24.4

2.4

4.4

54.5

0.2

0.6

33.3

1.0

1.8

55.6

1.8

3.8

5.6

3.2

1.6

0.4

0.2

1.6

6.0

24.4

1.7

3.1

55.6

0.1

0.4

33.3

1.4

2.4

57.9

1.6

3.3

4.9

2.3

1.6

0.9

0.5

2.1

4.9

Totals/Averages

Ramon Harris Career Advanced STATISTICS OFFENSE (1) Year

Starts

Min/Gm %Minutes

%Poss.

Floor %

Orating

Shot %

eFG%

TS%

FG Made

FG Att

FG%

2006-07

2.7

2.3

20.4

46.2

89.6

16.0

57.1

50.5

57.1

2007-08

2008-09

22.6

48.3

13.8

44.2

88.7

9.6

56.8

58.3

50.7

22.1

47.6

15.6

49.7

97.3

12.2

55.7

57.9

113

53.1

3pt FG Made

3pt FG Att

FT %

FT Rate

OFFENSE (2) Year

3pt FG %

FT Made

FT Att

Total pts

PPG

2pt FG Pt % 3pt FG Pt %

FT Pt %

2006-07

â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

25.0

57.1

0.8

88.9

0.0

11.1

2007-08

36.0

60.0

68.4

113

4.2

49.6

23.9

26.5

2008-09

24.0

62.3

61.0

169

5.5

63.9

10.7

25.4

Rebounding and Assists Year

TTL Reb

Reb/Game

OR/Game

OR%

DR/Gm

DR%

A/Game

2006-07

0.5

0.1

4.0

0.4

16.5

0.3

23.8

2007-08

3.5

0.9

5.4

2.6

13.0

1.2

10.0

2008-09

119

3.8

1.2

7.1

2.6

12.3

1.6

12.7

Defense and Miscellaneous

Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Year

Stl

Stl/Game

Stl%

TO/Game

TO%

A/T Ratio

Blk

Blk/Game

Blk%

Fouls

Foul/Game

2006-07

0.1

1.8

0.3

27.0

1.3

0.0

0.3

2007-08

1.0

2.6

1.9

36.1

0.6

0.5

2.5

1.9

2008-09

0.7

1.8

30.3

0.9

0.3

1.3

1.7

Ramon Harris vents a primal scream after a victory over Vanderbilt.

Perry Stevenson

6' 9" | 207 | Forward | Lafayette, LA | Senior

Getty Images Sport/Streeter Lecka

erry Stevenson enters his senior season after a junior year that saw him show glimpses of productivity amidst stretches of inconsistent play. While some of that inconsistency may be because of the presence of superstars like Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson, not all frustrations can be attributed to that. Stevenson would have large gaps between productive games, and even within games, where he was largely ineffective and predominantly unimpressive. That sort of unimpressive ineffectiveness was much different than was expected of Stevenson when his Wildcat career began. Stevenson arrived at Kentucky amongst much fanfare and expectations. While in high school at Northside in Lafayette, LA, Stevenson was a twotime All-State selection and two-time ABCD Camp All-Star. Each of his final two seasons saw Stevenson average a triple-double, and when he chose Kentucky over Georgia Tech, LSU, Miami, Texas, Texas Tech, and Wake Forest, most fans were optimistic that this young man would per form similarly well in the SEC. In his freshman season, Stevenson started his first five games in Lexington, joining Randolph Mor-

Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

ris and Rajon Rondo as the only true freshmen to start their first game as a Wildcat. That season saw Stevenson achieve great success as a shot blocker, setting a record for most blocks by a Wildcat freshman with seven in his season opener. Stevenson also rebounded when needed, including a season-high seven at North Carolina. Stevenson’s sophomore season was marked most notably by the need for him to become more dominant as fellow frontcourt presence Patrick Patterson went down with an injury. Stevenson made the most of that time, averaging 9.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks in that stretch. Stevenson also used a weakened opponent in Stony Brook his sophomore season to set then-career highs in points, rebounds, and steals, while achieving his first doubledouble. Stevenson’s junior season saw him transition into a starting role, starting 34 of his 36 games. His points per game rose to 7.8, rebounds to 5.9, and blocks to 1.9. Stevenson’s season-high in points was 20, achieved in game one against VMI on November 14. Stevenson would not score in double figures again until game ten against Indiana on December 13. For the year, Stevenson hit 54.0% of his shots, but often passed up open opportunities. On the glass the inconsistency was evident as well, as he cracked double figures in rebounds six times, but was held under five rebounds 15 times. Upon John Calipari’s arrival in Lexington, it was made public that players entering their senior seasons would have their scholarships honored. If that were not the case, or if he had more than one year of eligibility remaining, Stevenson may have been a transfer candidate. 2009–10 will be a season where the areas Stevenson truly excels, shot blocking and rebounding, may be sorely needed as the roster expands with scorers and playmakers. Stevenson must improve his defense to gain more minutes, and must not be easily moved by the players he is defending. Offensively, Stevenson isn’t needed to contribute many points, but taking, and making, open midrange jump shots will prove exceptionally valuable for him and would be a marked improvement from last season.

Perry Stevenson 2008–09 GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS FG Date

Opponent

3PT

Rebounds

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Ast

Stl

Blk

PTS

11/14/08 Virginia Military

66.7

–

57.1

11/18/08 @North Carolina

0.0

–

75.0

11/22/08 Delaware State

0.0

–

100.0

11/24/08 Longwood

0.0

–

100.0

11/28/08 Kansas State

0.0

–

50.0

11/29/08 West Virginia

50.0

–

100.0

12/03/08 Lamar

100.0

–

12/06/08 Miami (FL)

30.0

–

75.0

Mississippi Valley 12/07/08 State

100.0

–

66.7

12/13/08 Indiana

100.0

–

12/20/08 Appalachian State

42.9

33.3

–

12/22/08 Tennessee State

62.5

0.0

100.0

12/27/08 Florida Atlantic

–

71.4

–

0.0

12/29/08 Central Michigan

0.0

–

01/04/09 @Louisville

60.0

100.0

0.0

01/10/09 Vanderbilt

83.3

–

01/13/09 @Tennessee

50.0

–

01/18/09 @Georgia

66.7

100.0

01/21/09 Auburn

100.0

–

75.0

01/24/09 @Alabama

33.3

0.0

76.9

01/27/09 @Mississippi

60.0

0.0

33.3

01/31/09 South Carolina

80.0

–

0.0

02/03/09 Mississippi State

33.3

–

100.0

02/10/09 Florida

62.5

0.0

–

02/14/09 @Arkansas

40.0

–

50.0

02/17/09 @Vanderbilt

33.3

–

25.0

02/21/09 Tennessee

75.0

–

02/25/09 @South Carolina

40.0

–

02/28/09 LSU

50.0

–

50.0

03/04/09 Georgia

–

57.1

–

03/07/09 @Florida

50.0

–

03/12/09 Mississippi

66.7

–

83.3

03/13/09 LSU

33.3

–

75.0

03/17/09 UNLV

33.3

–

57.1

03/23/09 @Creighton

50.0

–

50.0

03/25/09 @Notre Dame

44.4

–

1010

107

198

–

149

279

28.1

3.0

5.5

54.0

0.1

0.3

30.0

1.7

2.5

68.1

1.8

4.1

1.4

2.1

0.8

1.9

2.7

7.8

Totals Averages

Perry Stevenson Career Situational STATISTICS Overall Career FG

3PT

Rebounds

Year

Team

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

2006-07

Kentucky (22-12)

10.0

1.2

1.8

65.6

0.0

–

0.5

0.9

53.3

0.8

1.4

2.2

0.3

0.7

0.1

0.8

0.7

2.9

2007-08

Kentucky (18-13)

24.4

2.2

3.9

57.5

0.0

–

1.5

1.9

77.6

1.8

3.3

5.1

0.9

1.5

0.9

1.5

2.6

5.9

2008-09

Kentucky (22-14)

Totals/Averages

28.1

3.0

5.5

54.0

0.1

0.3

30.0

1.7

2.5

68.1

1.8

4.1

5.9

1.4

2.1

0.8

1.9

2.7

7.8

100

21.0

2.2

3.8

57.0

0.0

0.1

30.0

1.2

1.8

68.7

1.5

3.0

4.5

0.9

1.4

0.6

1.4

2.0

5.6

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

Vs. Conference FG Year

Team

3PT A

Rebounds

2006-07

Kentucky

7.8

1.1

1.8

63.0

0.0

–

0.4

0.7

54.5

0.5

1.0

1.5

0.3

0.4

0.1

0.4

1.0

2.7

2007-08

Kentucky

29.9

2.6

4.7

54.7

0.0

–

2.1

2.5

82.5

2.1

3.9

6.0

0.9

1.4

1.0

2.3

3.4

7.2

2008-09

Kentucky

28.8

3.2

5.6

56.7

0.1

0.3

20.0

1.5

2.4

63.2

1.6

4.1

5.7

1.3

2.3

1.1

1.6

2.8

7.9

22.5

2.3

4.1

56.8

0.0

0.1

20.0

1.3

1.9

70.8

1.4

3.1

4.5

0.9

1.4

0.7

1.4

2.4

6.0

Totals/Averages

Vs. Non-Conf FG

3PT

Rebounds

Year

Team

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

2006-07

Kentucky

13.4

1.4

2.2

64.5

0.0

–

0.7

1.4

52.6

1.1

2.1

3.1

0.4

1.0

0.1

1.4

0.4

3.6

2007-08

Kentucky

15.8

1.8

2.8

63.9

0.0

–

0.6

1.1

57.1

1.4

2.2

3.6

0.6

1.5

0.7

0.6

1.6

4.2

2008-09

Kentucky

25.3

2.5

4.6

55.1

0.1

0.3

40.0

1.7

2.3

73.5

1.9

4.3

6.2

1.6

1.9

0.7

2.4

2.5

6.9

18.4

1.9

3.2

59.6

0.0

0.1

40.0

1.0

1.6

64.2

1.5

2.9

4.4

0.9

1.5

0.5

1.5

4.9

Totals/Averages

Vs. Ranked FG

3PT

Rebounds

Year

Team

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

2006-07

Kentucky

8.0

0.6

1.0

57.1

0.0

–

0.9

1.4

60.0

0.9

1.9

2.7

0.1

0.6

0.0

0.4

2.0

2007-08

Kentucky

25.5

2.7

4.3

61.5

0.0

–

2.0

2.3

85.7

2.3

3.7

6.0

0.8

1.5

1.0

1.5

3.7

7.3

2008-09

Kentucky

Totals/Averages

28.7

2.2

5.2

41.9

0.2

0.2 100.0 1.7

2.5

66.7

2.5

2.7

5.2

1.7

2.3

0.8

1.8

3.8

6.2

20.1

1.7

3.4

51.6

0.1

0.1 100.0 1.5

2.1

71.8

1.8

2.7

4.5

0.8

1.4

0.6

1.2

2.5

5.0

3PT

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

Vs. Unranked FG Year

Team

Pct

Rebounds

2006-07

Kentucky

10.5

1.4

2.1

66.7

0.0

–

0.4

0.8

50.0

0.7

1.3

2.0

0.4

0.7

0.1

0.9

0.7

3.2

2007-08

Kentucky

24.1

2.1

3.8

56.4

0.0

–

1.3

1.8

75.0

1.6

3.2

4.9

0.9

1.4

0.9

1.5

2.4

5.6

2008-09

Kentucky

27.9

3.1

5.6

56.3

0.1

0.3

22.2

1.7

2.5

68.4

1.7

4.4

6.1

1.4

2.1

0.8

1.9

2.4

8.1

21.2

2.3

3.9

58.1

0.0

0.1

22.2

1.2

1.7

67.9

1.4

3.0

4.4

0.9

1.4

0.6

1.4

1.9

5.7

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

0.0

–

0.0

–

0.5

1.0

0.3

0.5

0.3

0.5

1.5

Totals/Averages

PostSeason FG Year

Team

Min

2006-07

Kentucky

6.5

0.8

3PT

0.8 100.0 0.0

Rebounds

2007-08

Kentucky

35.5

2.5

4.5

55.6

0.0

–

2.0

2.0 100.0 2.0

5.5

7.5

2.0

1.0

1.5

1.0

3.0

7.0

2008-09

Kentucky

34.0

3.6

7.8

46.2

0.0

–

2.6

3.8

68.4

2.4

3.6

6.0

1.4

2.4

0.6

1.2

2.6

9.8

24.3

2.4

4.6

51.0

0.0

–

1.5

2.1

73.9

1.6

2.8

4.5

1.1

1.5

0.6

0.8

1.9

6.3

Totals/Averages

Perry Stevenson Career Advanced STATISTICS OFFENSE (1) Year

Starts

Min/Gm %Minutes

%Poss.

Floor %

Orating

Shot %

eFG%

TS%

FG Made

FG Att

FG%

2006-07

10.0

24.0

15.4

55.5

105.9

13.5

65.5

63.7

65.6

2007-08

2008-09

24.4

60.0

14.3

55.1

108.1

12.7

57.5

62.0

120

57.5

28.1

70.1

16.0

51.4

100.1

14.5

54.7

57.8

107

198

54.0

Year

3pt FG Made

3pt FG Att

3pt FG %

FT Made

2006-07

–

FT Att

FT %

FT Rate

Total pts

PPG

53.3

49.1

2.9

83.3

0.0

16.7

2007-08

–

77.6

48.3

183

5.9

75.4

0.0

24.6

2008-09

30.0

68.1

45.9

279

7.8

74.6

3.2

22.2

OFFENSE (2) 2pt FG Pt % 3pt FG Pt %

FT Pt %

Rebounding and Assists Year

TTL Reb

Reb/Game

OR/Game

OR%

DR/Gm

DR%

A/Game

2006-07

2.2

0.8

9.7

1.4

14.7

0.3

6.3

2007-08

158

5.1

1.8

10.0

103

3.3

15.4

0.9

7.2

2008-09

214

5.9

1.8

8.3

149

4.1

15.4

1.4

9.4

Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Defense and Miscellaneous Year

Stl

Stl/Game

Stl%

TO/Game

TO%

A/T Ratio

Blk

Blk/Game

Blk%

Fouls

Foul/Game

2006-07

0.1

0.5

0.7

25.5

0.5

0.8

8.4

0.7

2007-08

0.9

2.2

1.5

25.4

0.6

1.5

6.7

2.6

2008-09

0.8

1.6

2.1

27.0

0.7

1.9

6.9

2.7

Perry Stevenson showing good defensive position.

Patrick Patterson

6' 9" | 235 | Forward | Huntington, WV | Junior

Getty Images Sport/Streeter Lecka

n recent memory, no player has been more heralded or more important than Patrick Patterson. A 2007 McDonald’s All-American, Patterson was ranked the #2 power forward and the #15 overall prospect out of high school. Patterson’s high school career was rife with All-State selections, WV Player of the Year awards, and he was even named to the US Junior National Select Team before choosing Kentucky over Duke, Florida, and others. Patterson arrived in Lexington with the obvious fanfare and expectations that would accompany such a successful player, and his first season was marked by two main things: success and injuries. Patterson racked up six double-doubles, the most since Jamal Mashburn, en route to being named the SEC co-Freshman of the Year by the league’s coaches. Nine 20-point games helped him come within 54 points of Rex Chapman’s freshman scoring record. All of this despite injuries. Patterson missed one game with a bad ankle, and the final five with a stress fracture in his foot. Patterson’s sophomore season in 2008–09 certainly picked up where he left off the year before, with great success and some minor injury issues. Despite missing two games with a sprained ankle, Patterson

Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

continued to dominate the opposition and put up impressive numbers. Appearing in 34 games, starting them all, Patterson finished the season at 17.9 points per game to go along with 9.3 rebounds per game. Patterson was lethal from the floor, hitting 60.3% of his shots, and just as deadly from the foul line, shooting 76.8% on 168 attempts. Patterson recorded double-digit points in all but five games last season, and accumulated double-digit rebounds in 16 games. In the offseason, Patterson flirted briefly with the NBA, but decided that there was still work to be done in Lexington. It was clearly a difficult decision, if for no other reason than his own future. When coupled with the coaching change and the uncertainty surrounding the program, it speaks volumes about Patterson’s character, commitment, and love for Kentucky. It was a relief for Kentucky fans at the time, and certainly even more so now that Jodie Meeks elected to forgo his senior season for the NBA. Patterson now finds himself the lone returning “superstar” and one of the most vital players for John Calipari and his systemic changes. Within Calipari’s system, Patterson looks to have a much more expanded role. Rather than simply parking in the paint and receiving a pass after posting a defender up, Patterson now finds himself in a system that often asks post players to become pseudo-perimeter players, increasing space between them, the defenders, and the basket. This will be new territory for Patterson, but he certainly has the raw talent to succeed. If Patterson can improve his ability to drive, create shots, and be a dominant post player in the SEC, then 2009–10 may be his most successful season, and possibly his last. What Patterson does with his career after this junior season remains to be seen. If the successes of the prior two seasons continue, then it is a virtual certainty that he will become the next Kentucky player to succeed in the NBA. With the coaching that John Calipari will bring, Patterson’s skill set looks to grow exponentially. If Patterson can develop a mid-range jump shot, more intensity on defense, and the ability to create even more scoring opportunities, then he could become the most dominant player in the SEC and one of the most dominant Kentucky players in recent memory.

Patrick Patterson 2008–09 GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS FG Date

Opponent

Min

11/14/08 Virginia Military

11/18/08 @North Carolina

11/22/08 Delaware State

11/24/08 Longwood 11/28/08 Kansas State

3PT

Rebounds

Pct

Off

Def

Ast

Stl

Blk

75.0

–

66.7

72.7

–

75.0

40.0

–

50.0

80.0

–

100.0

85.7

–

40.0

11/29/08 West Virginia

75.0

–

100.0

12/03/08 Lamar

91.7

–

81.8

12/06/08 Miami (FL)

61.5

–

75.0

Mississippi Valley 12/07/08 State

72.7

–

62.5

12/13/08 Indiana

57.1

–

66.7

12/20/08 Appalachian State

46.2

–

100.0

12/22/08 Tennessee State

88.2

–

100.0

12/27/08 Florida Atlantic

75.0

–

100.0

12/29/08 Central Michigan

85.7

–

100.0

01/04/09 @Louisville

61.5

–

85.7

01/10/09 Vanderbilt

62.5

–

50.0

01/13/09 @Tennessee

37.5

–

75.0

01/18/09 @Georgia

46.7

–

50.0

01/21/09 Auburn

53.8

0.0

77.8

01/24/09 @Alabama

50.0

–

01/27/09 @Mississippi

66.7

–

88.9

01/31/09 South Carolina

62.5

–

100.0

02/03/09 Mississippi State

50.0

–

100.0

02/10/09 Florida

33.3

–

50.0

02/14/09 @Arkansas

–

02/17/09 @Vanderbilt

–

02/21/09 Tennessee

75.0

–

50.0

02/25/09 @South Carolina

41.7

–

61.5

02/28/09 LSU

70.6

–

66.7

03/04/09 Georgia

40.0

–

100.0

03/07/09 @Florida

41.2

–

50.0

03/12/09 Mississippi

46.7

–

50.0

03/13/09 @LSU

44.4

–

77.8

03/17/09 UNLV

63.6

–

50.0

03/23/09 @Creighton

62.5

–

100.0

03/25/09 @Notre Dame

50.0

–

75.0

1147

240

398

–

129

168

–

224

609

33.7

7.1

11.7

60.3

0.0

3.8

4.9

76.8

2.7

6.6

1.9

0.6

2.1

2.2

17.9

Totals Averages

PTS

Patrick Patterson Career Situational STATISTICS Overall Career FG Year

Team

Min

2007-08

Kentucky (18-13)

35.7

2008-09

Kentucky (22-14)

Totals/Averages

3PT

Rebounds

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

6.5

11.3 57.4

0.0

0.1

0.0

3.5

4.8

73.1

2.8

4.8

7.7

1.7

2.1

0.8

1.2

2.8

16.4

33.7

7.1

11.7 60.3

0.0

3.8

4.9

76.8

2.7

6.6

9.3

1.9

0.6

2.1

2.2

17.9

34.6

6.8

11.5 59.1

0.0

0.1

0.0

3.7

4.9

75.2

2.8

5.8

8.6

1.8

2.0

0.7

1.7

2.5

17.3

Vs. Conference FG Year

Team

Min

2007-08

Kentucky

38.9

2008-09

Kentucky

34.9

Totals/Averages

3PT

Rebounds

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

6.2

11.5 53.3

0.0

0.1

0.0

3.8

5.4

71.4

2.8

4.5

7.3

1.6

1.7

0.5

1.1

2.5

16.2

6.7

12.8 52.5

0.0

0.1

0.0

3.8

5.0

75.7

3.4

5.2

8.6

1.1

2.3

0.6

2.0

2.4

17.2

36.8

6.4

12.2 52.9

0.0

0.1

0.0

3.8

5.2

73.5

3.1

4.9

8.0

1.4

2.0

0.5

1.6

2.5

16.7

Vs. Non-Conf FG

Rebounds

Team

Min

2007-08

Kentucky

32.3

6.8

2008-09

Kentucky

32.1

7.8

10.9 71.3

0.0

–

3.9

4.9

79.5

2.4

7.4

9.8

2.7

1.7

0.7

2.0

2.4

19.5

32.2

7.4

11.0 67.2

0.0

0.1

0.0

3.5

4.5

77.9

2.6

6.4

9.0

2.3

2.1

1.0

1.7

2.7

18.3

Totals/Averages

3PT

Year

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

11.0 62.1

0.0

0.2

0.0

3.1

4.1

75.5

2.9

5.2

8.1

1.8

2.5

1.3

1.4

3.0

16.8

Vs. Ranked FG

Rebounds

Year

Team

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

2007-08

Kentucky

37.2

5.6

10.6 52.8

0.0

6.2

8.8

70.5

3.6

4.2

7.8

1.8

3.2

0.2

1.0

3.8

17.4

2008-09

Kentucky

39.2

7.2

11.8 60.6

0.0

4.3

5.7

76.5

3.2

9.0

12.2

2.5

2.2

0.7

1.3

2.2

18.7

38.3

6.5

11.3 57.3

0.0

5.2

7.1

73.1

3.4

6.8

10.2

2.2

2.6

0.5

1.2

2.9

18.1

Total/Averages

3PT

Vs. Unranked FG Year

Team

Min

2007-08

Kentucky

35.4

2008-09

Kentucky

32.6

Totals/Averages

3PT

Rebounds

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

6.7

11.5 58.5

0.0

0.2

0.0

2.8

3.8

74.7

2.7

5.0

7.7

1.7

1.8

1.0

1.3

2.5

16.2

7.0

11.7 60.2

0.0

3.7

4.8

76.9

2.6

6.1

8.7

1.8

1.9

0.6

2.2

2.3

17.8

33.7

6.9

11.6 59.5

0.0

0.1

0.0

3.3

4.4

76.1

2.6

5.6

8.3

1.8

0.8

1.8

2.4

17.1

PostSeason FG

3PT

Rebounds

Year

Team

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

2007-08

Kentucky

–

2008-09

Kentucky

35.4

5.8

11.0 52.7

0.0

–

3.6

5.0

72.0

1.8

8.0

9.8

2.0

1.4

0.4

2.4

1.2

15.2

35.4

5.8

11.0 52.7

0.0

–

3.6

5.0

72.0

1.8

8.0

9.8

2.0

1.4

0.4

2.4

1.2

15.2

Totals/Averages

Patrick Patterson Career Advanced STATISTICS OFFENSE (1) Year

Starts

Min/Gm %Minutes

%Poss.

Floor %

Orating

Shot %

eFG%

TS%

FG Made

FG Att

FG%

2007-08

35.7

70.8

22.9

60.0

116.5

25.4

57.4

60.7

162

282

57.4

2008-09

33.7

79.6

22.5

63.0

123.0

25.7

60.3

63.7

240

398

60.3

Year

3pt FG Made

3pt FG Att

3pt FG %

FT Made

2007-08

0.0

FT Att

FT %

FT Rate

Total pts

PPG

119

73.1

42.1

411

16.4

78.8

0.0

21.2

2008-09

0.0

129

168

76.8

42.2

609

17.9

78.8

0.0

21.2

OFFENSE (2) 2pt FG Pt % 3pt FG Pt %

FT Pt %

Rebounding and Assists Year

TTL Reb

Reb/Game

OR/Game

OR%

DR/Gm

DR%

A/Game

2007-08

192

7.7

2.8

10.9

121

4.8

15.3

1.7

11.9

2008-09

316

9.3

2.7

10.4

224

6.6

20.4

1.9

13.1

Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Defense and Miscellaneous Year

Stl

Stl/Game

Stl%

TO/Game

TO%

A/T Ratio

Blk

Blk/Game

Blk%

Fouls

Foul/Game

2007-08

0.8

1.4

2.1

15.5

0.8

1.2

3.8

2.8

2008-09

0.6

1.0

1.9

14.2

1.0

2.1

6.4

2.2

Patrick Patterson shoots over North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough.

Josh Harrellson

6' 10" | 265 | Forward | St. Charles, MO | Junior

Getty Images Sport/Streeter Lecka

osh Harrellson, a junior, was one player many saw perhaps transferring out of Kentucky when John Calipari was named new head coach. Harrellson is back, though, and fans are hoping that under new management and with greater competition for playing time, Harrellson can find not only success, but also consistency. Harrellson saw his first action at Kentucky in the 2008–09 season after spending his freshman year at Southwestern Illinois College, a junior college in the Great Rivers Athletic Conference. Harrellson saw action in all 34 games, and even started two, but averaged only 9.3 minutes per game. Statistically, Harrellson was a bit of a non-factor, averaging only 3.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, 0.3 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 0.8 turnovers per game. However, Harrellson did have moments of great contribution and flashes of brilliance. The problem was simply maintaining that level and showing any sort of consistent play, results, or effort. In perhaps the greatest example of inconsistency, Harrellson put up 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks in 16 minutes of action against Longwood on November 24. The next game saw him play 14

Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

minutes against Kansas State, not attempt a shot, and score no points. The inconsistency became obvious in his two games started last season, February 14 and 17, 2009, against Arkansas and Vanderbilt respectively, when Harrellson only mustered 1-6 shooting, two rebounds, and two points, combined. Those two games came after an 11 point performance against Florida on 5-6 shooting, with three rebounds, and a block, in 11 minutes of action. After not seizing the starting role, Harrellson struggled through the close of the season. His minutes never climbed out of single digits, and he never scored more than two points in a game, doing that three times over the final nine games. That inconsistency doesn’t bode well for Harrellson as a new coaching staff begins to make decisions, plans, and rotations for 2009–10. Role players and those not capable of superstar status are needed pieces in Calipari’s system and style, but those role players must be consistent and effective, not streaky and statistically non-existent. That has been Harrellson’s m.o. so far, but it was far from what many expected. Harrellson came to Kentucky after spending time and gaining valuable experience at Southwestern Illinois, where he led them to the regional championship game. He was selected to the regional team and named all-conference. His 14.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game were certainly needed and looked forward to as Harrellson made his way to Lexington. That success wasn’t duplicated at Kentucky in his sophomore season, but Harrellson has been optimistic in the offseason regarding the coaching change, his future, and his ability to succeed at UK. Harrellson is one of several players that find themselves squarely in the crosshairs of role redefinition as the Calipari era begins in Lexington in 2009. There is certainly the opportunity to earn playing time with a new staff and coaches, but there is also the opportunity to sit far down the bench. Harrellson may very well find himself being an option for Calipari to give his post players breathers, but Harrellson must be productive, efficient, and effective when given those chances if he ever hopes to be anything more than a role player. If the inconsistency continues, it could be a long season and beyond for Josh Harrellson.

Josh Harrellson 2008–09 GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS FG Date

Opponent

3PT

Rebounds

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Ast

Stl

Blk

PTS

11/14/08 Virginia Military

–

0.0

–

11/18/08 @North Carolina

–

11/22/08 Delaware State

–

33.3

–

100.0

11/24/08 Longwood

–

55.6

–

50.0

11/28/08 Kansas State

–

11/29/08 West Virginia

–

66.7

–

80.0

12/03/08 Lamar

–

57.1

66.7

100.0

12/06/08 Miami (FL)

–

60.0

–

Mississippi Valley 12/07/08 State

–

50.0

–

50.0

12/13/08 Indiana

–

50.0

33.3

100.0

12/20/08 Appalachian State

–

0.0

–

12/22/08 Tennessee State

–

20.0

–

12/27/08 Florida Atlantic

–

50.0

0.0

66.7

12/29/08 Central Michigan

–

71.4

–

66.7

01/04/09 @Louisville

–

0.0

–

01/10/09 Vanderbilt

–

40.0

50.0

–

01/13/09 @Tennessee

–

50.0

–

50.0

01/18/09 @Georgia

–

01/21/09 Auburn

–

01/24/09 @Alabama

–

0.0

–

01/27/09 @Mississippi

–

100.0

–

01/31/09 South Carolina

–

83.3

02/03/09 Mississippi State

–

0.0

–

02/10/09 Florida

–

83.3

100.0

0.0

02/14/09 @Arkansas

0.0

–

02/17/09 @Vanderbilt

50.0

0.0

–

02/21/09 Tennessee

–

02/25/09 @South Carolina

–

0.0

–

02/28/09 LSU

–

03/04/09 Georgia

–

0.0

–

100.0

03/07/09 @Florida

–

0.0

–

03/12/09 Mississippi

–

33.3

0.0

–

03/13/09 LSU

–

03/17/09 UNLV

–

03/23/09 @Creighton

–

0.0

–

0.0

03/25/09 @Notre Dame

–

100.0

–

0.0

315

102

–

123

9.3

1.4

3.0

45.1

0.1

0.4

33.3

0.8

1.1

72.2

0.9

1.5

0.2

0.8

0.3

0.6

1.1

3.6

Totals Averages

Josh Harrellson Career Situational STATISTICS Overall Career FG

3PT

Rebounds

Year

Team

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

2008-09

Kentucky (22-14)

9.3

1.4

3.0

45.1

0.1

0.4

33.3

0.8

1.1

72.2

0.9

1.5

2.5

0.2

0.8

0.3

0.6

1.1

3.6

9.3

1.4

3.0

45.1

0.1

0.4

33.3

0.8

1.1

72.2

0.9

1.5

2.5

0.2

0.8

0.3

0.6

1.1

3.6

Min

Pct

Off

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

Totals/Averages

Vs. Conference FG

FT A

Rebounds

Team

2008-09

Kentucky

6.9

0.7

1.8

37.0

0.1

0.4

33.3

0.6

0.9

69.2

0.7

0.8

1.5

0.0

0.7

0.1

0.6

1.1

2.1

6.9

0.7

1.8

37.0

0.1

0.4

33.3

0.6

0.9

69.2

0.7

0.8

1.5

0.0

0.7

0.1

0.6

1.1

2.1

Totals/Averages

3PT

Year

Def

Vs. Non-Conf FG

3PT

Rebounds

Year

Team

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

2008-09

Kentucky

12.9

2.3

4.6

49.3

0.2

0.5

37.5

1.1

1.5

73.9

1.3

2.5

3.8

0.5

0.9

0.3

0.7

1.2

5.9

12.9

2.3

4.6

49.3

0.2

0.5

37.5

1.1

1.5

73.9

1.3

2.5

3.8

0.5

0.9

0.3

0.7

1.2

5.9

Totals/Averages

Vs. Ranked FG

3PT

Rebounds

Year

Team

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

2008-09

Kentucky

5.6

0.6

1.2

50.0

0.0

0.2

0.0

–

0.2

0.6

0.8

0.0

0.8

0.0

0.4

1.2

5.6

0.6

1.2

50.0

0.0

0.2

0.0

–

0.2

0.6

0.8

0.0

0.8

0.0

0.4

1.2

Min

Pct

Off

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

Totals/Averages

Vs. Unranked FG

FT A

Rebounds

Team

2008-09

Kentucky

9.9

1.5

3.3

44.8

0.2

0.5

35.7

0.9

1.2

72.2

1.1

1.7

2.8

0.3

0.8

0.3

0.6

1.2

4.0

9.9

1.5

3.3

44.8

0.2

0.5

35.7

0.9

1.2

72.2

1.1

1.7

2.8

0.3

0.8

0.3

0.6

1.2

4.0

Totals/Averages

3PT

Year

Def

PostSeason FG

3PT

Rebounds

Year

Team

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

2008-09

Kentucky

4.8

0.5

1.5

33.3

0.0

0.3

0.0

–

0.5

1.0

0.0

0.3

0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

4.8

0.5

1.5

33.3

0.0

0.3

0.0

–

0.5

1.0

0.0

0.3

0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

Totals/Averages

Josh Harrellson Career Advanced STATISTICS OFFENSE (1) Year

Starts

Min/Gm %Minutes

2008-09

Year

3pt FG Made

3pt FG Att

3pt FG %

FT Made

2008-09

33.3

9.3

%Poss.

Floor %

Orating

Shot %

eFG%

TS%

FG Made

FG Att

FG%

22.0

49.2

98.2

24.0

47.5

51.6

102

45.1

FT Att

FT %

FT Rate

Total pts

PPG

72.2

35.2

123

3.6

21.8

OFFENSE (2) 2pt FG Pt % 3pt FG Pt % 66.7

12.2

FT Pt % 21.1

Rebounding and Assists Year

TTL Reb

Reb/Game

OR/Game

OR%

DR/Gm

DR%

A/Game

2008-09

2.5

0.9

13.1

1.5

17.2

0.2

5.6

Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Defense and Miscellaneous Year

Stl

Stl/Game

Stl%

TO/Game

TO%

A/T Ratio

Blk

Blk/Game

Blk%

Fouls

Foul/Game

2008-09

0.3

1.6

0.8

21.3

0.3

0.6

6.6

1.1

Josh Harrellson on the block.

DeAndre Liggins

6' 6" | 202 | Guard | Chicago, IL | Sophomore

Getty Images Sport/Streeter Lecka

eAndre Liggins is entering his sophomore season looking to improve on his performance, and prove his talents and skills are a perfect match for a new system and style. The native of Chicago, IL finds himself at a crossroads of sorts, where continued ineffectiveness or streakiness may hinder his ability to succeed at UK. There is no returning player with more at stake or more to prove this season than Liggins. While in high school, Liggins certainly seemed more “sure thing” than anything else. Ranked as the fifth point guard in the country and 21st overall by Rivals.com, Liggins made most Big Blue faithful optimistic about his ability to seamlessly become the next great point guard at Kentucky. 2008–09 saw him play in 33 games, averaging 16.5 minutes. Offensively, Liggins scored only 4.2 points per game, and his totals were streaky, at best. Liggins scored in double figures five times, including four straight double-figure games to begin December, highlighted by a season-high 18 against Miami. The dichotomy of Liggins was evident, however, as he was held scoreless in 12 games, including eight straight in February and early March.

Photo: Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Liggins struggled at times from the floor in terms of shooting as well, making just 36.2% of his shots on the season, including 23.5% from three-point range. Liggins had great shooting games like his 6-6 against Lamar, but also had troubles, like his 3-16 against Ole Miss or his 0-6 against South Carolina. From the free-throw line, Liggins was a 67.3% shooter. He seemed lost in a system that wasn’t suited for him or his abilities, as he struggled on the floor shooting, struggled with his turnovers, and struggled becoming the point guard many expected. Some will blame these sorts of problems on coaching, others on Liggins, but with a new head coach, there is only one person left to blame should the problems, confusion, and lack of success continue. For Liggins, a familiar face now roams the sidelines, as he was recruited by John Calipari for the Memphis Tigers. Liggins is presumably quite excited to play for a coach who values playmakers, and lets his players drive to the basket, create their own shots, and showcase sheer basketball ability. Liggins, however, finds himself in a very curious position because of his skills, size, and abilities. At 6'6", Liggins isn’t quite tall enough to play an effective post position, and he averaged only 2.4 rebounds per game. That leaves him as a potential backcourt player, but his shooting and 2.2 turnovers per game are troublesome. Liggins must find his niche within the new offensive scheme, but if his performance and results so far are his limits, then Liggins’s ability to be an important part of the Wildcat game plan may be limited. As point guards go, there are two heralded recruits ready to take the reins, and with Jodie Meeks heading to the NBA, there may be opportunities for Liggins to transition to more of a shooting guard. The success of such a move, if feasible, will depend on his ability to improve his shooting, especially from beyond the three-point line. There is still time for Liggins to grow into a role, and there is no doubt that the talent is there. It is simply a matter of whether he is capable of transitioning to a new system, staff, and scheme, and competing with younger players.

DeAndre Liggins 2008–09 GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS FG Date

Opponent

3PT

Rebounds

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Ast

Stl

Blk

PTS

11/14/08 Virginia Military

–

42.9

0.0

–

11/18/08 @North Carolina

–

11/22/08 Delaware State

–

50.0

100.0

–

11/24/08 Longwood

–

60.0

66.7

0.0

11/28/08 Kansas State

–

11/29/08 West Virginia

–

25.0

0.0

66.7

12/03/08 Lamar

–

100.0

12/06/08 Miami (FL)

–

40.0

0.0

100.0

Mississippi Valley 12/07/08 State

–

50.0

0.0

75.0

12/13/08 Indiana

–

33.3

0.0

100.0

12/20/08 Appalachian State

–

25.0

–

12/22/08 Tennessee State

–

60.0

0.0

50.0

12/27/08 Florida Atlantic

–

33.3

0.0

33.3

12/29/08 Central Michigan

37.5

0.0

–

01/04/09 @Louisville

–

100.0

–

0.0

01/10/09 Vanderbilt

–

0.0

50.0

01/13/09 @Tennessee

–

01/18/09 @Georgia

–

0.0

–

100.0

01/21/09 Auburn

–

0.0

–

01/24/09 @Alabama

–

50.0

80.0

01/27/09 @Mississippi

–

18.8

14.3

50.0

01/31/09 South Carolina

–

28.6

50.0

60.0

02/03/09 Mississippi State

–

33.3

100.0

–

02/10/09 Florida

–

0.0

02/14/09 @Arkansas

–

0.0

–

02/17/09 @Vanderbilt

–

0.0

–

02/21/09 Tennessee

–

02/25/09 @South Carolina

–

0.0

02/28/09 LSU

–

03/04/09 Georgia

–

03/07/09 @Florida

–

03/12/09 Mississippi

–

03/13/09 LSU

–

03/17/09 UNLV

–

100.0

–

03/23/09 @Creighton

–

50.0

100.0

–

03/25/09 @Notre Dame

–

546

127

–

139

16.5

1.4

3.9

36.2

0.4

1.5

23.5

1.1

1.6

67.3

0.2

2.2

2.8

2.2

0.7

0.4

1.6

4.2

Totals Averages

DeAndre Liggins Career Situational STATISTICS Overall Career FG

3PT

Rebounds

Year

Team

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

2008-09

Kentucky (22-14)

16.5

1.4

3.8

36.2

0.4

1.6

23.5

1.1

1.6

67.3

0.2

2.2

2.4

2.8

2.2

0.7

0.4

1.6

4.2

16.5

1.4

3.8

36.2

0.4

1.6

23.5

1.1

1.6

67.3

0.2

2.2

2.4

2.8

2.2

0.7

0.4

1.6

4.2

Min

Pct

Off

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

Totals/Averages

Vs. Conference FG

FT A

Rebounds

Team

2008-09

Kentucky

16.1

0.7

3.7

19.2

0.4

1.6

22.7

0.8

1.3

61.1

0.2

2.3

2.5

2.4

1.6

0.6

0.5

1.4

2.6

16.1

0.7

3.7

19.2

0.4

1.6

22.7

0.8

1.3

61.1

0.2

2.3

2.5

2.4

1.6

0.6

0.5

1.4

2.6

Totals/Averages

3PT

Year

Def

Vs. Non-Conf FG

3PT

Rebounds

Year

Team

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

2008-09

Kentucky

19.9

2.3

4.8

47.2

0.3

1.8

18.5

1.6

2.3

70.6

0.2

2.6

2.8

3.7

3.4

0.9

0.5

2.1

6.5

19.9

2.3

4.8

47.2

0.3

1.8

18.5

1.6

2.3

70.6

0.2

2.6

2.8

3.7

3.4

0.9

0.5

2.1

6.5

Totals/Averages

Vs. Ranked FG

3PT

Rebounds

Year

Team

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

2008-09

Kentucky

15.3

1.8

4.0

43.8

0.0

2.0

0.0

1.5

1.8

85.7

0.3

2.0

2.3

3.5

2.5

1.0

0.3

1.3

5.0

15.3

1.8

4.0

43.8

0.0

2.0

0.0

1.5

1.8

85.7

0.3

2.0

2.3

3.5

2.5

1.0

0.3

1.3

5.0

Min

Pct

Off

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

Totals/Averages

Vs. Unranked FG

FT A

Rebounds

Team

2008-09

Kentucky

16.7

1.3

3.8

35.1

0.4

1.5

27.9

1.0

1.6

64.4

0.2

2.2

2.4

2.7

2.2

0.7

0.5

1.7

4.1

16.7

1.3

3.8

35.1

0.4

1.5

27.9

1.0

1.6

64.4

0.2

2.2

2.4

2.7

2.2

0.7

0.5

1.7

4.1

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

Totals/Averages

3PT

Year

Def

PostSeason FG

3PT

Rebounds

Team

Min

Pct

2008-09

Kentucky

5.5

0.5

0.8

66.7

0.5

0.5 100.0 0.0

0.0

–

0.0

0.3

0.5

0.3

0.0

1.0

1.5

5.5

0.5

0.8

66.7

0.5

0.5 100.0 0.0

0.0

–

0.0

0.3

0.5

0.3

0.0

1.0

1.5

Totals/Averages

Year

DeAndre Liggins Career Advanced STATISTICS OFFENSE (1) Year

Starts

Min/Gm %Minutes

2008-09

Year

3pt FG Made

3pt FG Att

3pt FG %

FT Made

2008-09

23.5

16.5

%Poss.

Floor %

Orating

Shot %

eFG%

TS%

FG Made

FG Att

FG%

21.9

39.4

82.0

17.3

40.9

45.8

127

36.2

FT Att

FT %

FT Rate

Total pts

PPG

67.3

40.9

139

4.2

37.7

OFFENSE (2) 2pt FG Pt % 3pt FG Pt % 48.9

25.9

FT Pt % 25.2

Rebounding and Assists Year

TTL Reb

Reb/Game

OR/Game

OR%

DR/Gm

DR%

A/Game

2008-09

2.4

0.2

1.4

2.2

13.8

2.8

29.6

Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Defense and Miscellaneous Year

Stl

Stl/Game

Stl%

TO/Game

TO%

A/T Ratio

Blk

Blk/Game

Blk%

Fouls

Foul/Game

2008-09

0.7

2.5

2.2

35.2

1.2

0.4

2.7

1.6

DeAndre Liggins showing his moves against North Carolina.

Darius Miller

6' 7" | 223 | Guard | Maysville, KY | Sophomore

Getty Images Sport/Streeter Lecka

t is not a secret that a Kentucky-born player not only has a better understanding of what Kentucky is all about, but also more expectations from the fans. When coupled with above-average success in his prep career, Darius Miller made his way to UK with many expecting a contribution beyond that of other first-year players. In high school, Miller had an extremely productive senior season, averaging 19.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.9 steals per game. Additionally, he shot 51% from the floor and 34% from three-point range while leading Mason County to a 2008 state championship and his own accolade of Kentucky Mr. Basketball. Miller used this success to be named the seventh best small for ward in the countr y and 38th overall player by Scout.com. Kentucky was his choice over Cincinnati, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas State, Louisville, Tennessee, Miami, and Xavier. Millerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career in Lexington began against VMI, and he made the most of the opportunity, scoring 12 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing 2

Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

assists in his 21 minutes. As quickly as it started, it fizzled, as game two against North Carolina saw Miller score 0 points, grab 0 boards, go 0-2 from the floor, and commit 5 turnovers. These sort of dichotomous per formances plagued Miller for most of the season, as he never found any semblance of niche or consistency. Miller played in 36 games in the 2008â&#x20AC;&#x201C;09 campaign, averaging 21.2 minutes per game. Even with solid minutes, Miller was only able to average 5.3 points along with 3.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.8 turnovers per game. Miller did per form admirably at the foul line, hitting 80.4% of his free throws. Despite his somewhat low averages, Miller did have flashes of productivity as the year progressed. His season-high in points came against Tennessee as he scored 17 on 6-6 shooting and 3-3 from three-point range on Februar y 21. His season-high of 10 rebounds came on December 6 against Miami. He also coupled those 17 points against UT with a season high 6 assists. With the arrival of John Calipari, Miller now finds himself in the midst of a style change, where guards and post players alike play away from the basket, penetrate aggressively, and are asked to make the most of the minutes they play. It is almost certain that with the addition of talented recruits, Miller will see his actual minutes decrease, but most will expect an increase in production anyway. It is the trademark of the Calipari system, and a new sort of efficiency that many will adjust to, Miller included. This sort of high-intensity approach may benefit Miller as he is asked to become more aggressive and truly live up to the expectations and talent that he brought to Lexington. As Miller begins to define himself through his sophomore campaign, it will be the season that will define his future with Kentucky. A successful transition to a new style will make him indispensable in future years and prove the need for his presence in key situations and games. An unsuccessful transition may make his minutes scarce and his importance within that system decline.

Darius Miller 2008–09 GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS FG Date

Opponent

3PT

Rebounds

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Ast

Stl

Blk

PTS

11/14/08 Virginia Military

–

62.5

0.0

50.0

11/18/08 @North Carolina

–

0.0

–

11/22/08 Delaware State

–

50.0

33.3

100.0

11/24/08 Longwood

0.0

50.0

11/28/08 Kansas State

–

100.0

–

75.0

11/29/08 West Virginia

–

0.0

–

12/03/08 Lamar

–

60.0

0.0

–

12/06/08 Miami (FL)

0.0

75.0

Mississippi Valley 12/07/08 State

–

0.0

100.0

12/13/08 Indiana

–

40.0

33.3

–

12/20/08 Appalachian State

–

33.3

50.0

–

12/22/08 Tennessee State

–

40.0

50.0

–

12/27/08 Florida Atlantic

–

50.0

0.0

–

12/29/08 Central Michigan

–

0.0

–

01/04/09 @Louisville

–

0.0

–

01/10/09 Vanderbilt

–

0.0

100.0

01/13/09 @Tennessee

–

50.0

–

01/18/09 @Georgia

–

100.0

–

100.0

01/21/09 Auburn

–

50.0

–

50.0

01/24/09 @Alabama

–

0.0

–

01/27/09 @Mississippi

–

40.0

33.3

100.0

01/31/09 South Carolina

–

50.0

0.0

–

02/03/09 Mississippi State

–

42.9

0.0

50.0

02/10/09 Florida

–

100.0

02/14/09 @Arkansas

–

33.3

50.0

75.0

02/17/09 @Vanderbilt

–

42.9

50.0

–

02/21/09 Tennessee

–

100.0

02/25/09 @South Carolina

–

0.0

–

83.3

02/28/09 LSU

–

75.0

100.0

–

03/04/09 Georgia

–

42.9

33.3

100.0

03/07/09 @Florida

–

03/12/09 Mississippi

–

55.6

–

100.0

03/13/09 LSU

–

42.9

0.0

100.0

03/17/09 UNLV

–

50.0

–

03/23/09 @Creighton

–

33.3

0.0

03/25/09 @Notre Dame

–

40.0

50.0

–

764

160

–

191

21.2

1.8

4.4

41.3

0.5

1.5

32.7

1.1

1.4

80.4

0.8

2.2

2.0

1.8

0.8

0.6

2.6

5.3

Totals Averages

–

Darius Miller Career Situational STATISTICS Overall Career FG

3PT

Rebounds

Year

Team

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

2008-09

Kentucky (22-14)

21.2

1.8

4.4

41.3

0.5

1.5

32.7

1.1

1.4

80.4

0.8

2.2

3.1

2.0

1.8

0.8

0.6

2.6

5.3

21.2

1.8

4.4

41.3

0.5

1.5

32.7

1.1

1.4

80.4

0.8

2.2

3.1

2.0

1.8

0.8

0.6

2.6

5.3

Min

Pct

Off

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

Totals/Averages

Vs. Conference FG

FT A

Rebounds

Team

2008-09

Kentucky

22.4

1.9

4.3

45.6

0.7

1.6

42.3

1.4

1.6

84.6

0.8

2.7

3.4

2.1

0.9

0.8

2.2

5.9

22.4

1.9

4.3

45.6

0.7

1.6

42.3

1.4

1.6

84.6

0.8

2.7

3.4

2.1

0.9

0.8

2.2

5.9

Totals/Averages

3PT

Year

Def

Vs. Non-Conf FG

3PT

Rebounds

Year

Team

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

2008-09

Kentucky

19.5

1.3

3.8

33.3

0.3

1.3

20.0

1.0

1.3

76.9

0.9

2.0

2.9

2.1

1.6

0.5

2.7

3.8

19.5

1.3

3.8

33.3

0.3

1.3

20.0

1.0

1.3

76.9

0.9

2.0

2.9

2.1

1.6

0.5

2.7

3.8

Totals/Averages

Vs. Ranked FG

3PT

Rebounds

Year

Team

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

2008-09

Kentucky

21.5

1.5

4.3

34.6

0.5

1.2

42.9

0.8

1.0

83.3

2.0

1.3

3.3

1.8

2.5

0.5

1.2

3.0

4.3

21.5

1.5

4.3

34.6

0.5

1.2

42.9

0.8

1.0

83.3

2.0

1.3

3.3

1.8

2.5

0.5

1.2

3.0

4.3

Min

Pct

Off

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

Totals/Averages

Vs. Unranked FG

FT A

Rebounds

Team

2008-09

Kentucky

21.2

1.9

4.5

42.5

0.5

1.6

31.3

1.2

1.5

80.0

0.6

2.4

3.0

2.0

1.6

0.8

0.5

2.5

5.5

21.2

1.9

4.5

42.5

0.5

1.6

31.3

1.2

1.5

80.0

0.6

2.4

3.0

2.0

1.6

0.8

0.5

2.5

5.5

Totals/Averages

3PT

Year

Def

PostSeason FG

3PT

Rebounds

Year

Team

Min

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Ast

Stl

Blk

PPG

2008-09

Kentucky

22.4

3.2

7.0

45.7

0.6

1.8

33.3

0.8

1.0

80.0

0.8

1.4

2.2

1.6

1.2

0.8

0.2

3.2

7.8

22.4

3.2

7.0

45.7

0.6

1.8

33.3

0.8

1.0

80.0

0.8

1.4

2.2

1.6

1.2

0.8

0.2

3.2

7.8

Totals/Averages

Darius Miller Career Advanced STATISTICS OFFENSE (1) Year

Starts

Min/Gm %Minutes

2008-09

Year

3pt FG Made

3pt FG Att

3pt FG %

FT Made

2008-09

32.7

21.2

%Poss.

Floor %

Orating

Shot %

eFG%

TS%

FG Made

FG Att

FG%

16.6

44.6

95.4

15.5

46.8

51.8

160

41.3

FT Att

FT %

FT Rate

Total pts

PPG

80.4

31.8

191

5.3

53.0

OFFENSE (2) 2pt FG Pt % 3pt FG Pt % 50.2

28.3

FT Pt % 21.5

Rebounding and Assists Year

TTL Reb

Reb/Game

OR/Game

OR%

DR/Gm

DR%

A/Game

2008-09

110

3.1

0.8

5.0

2.2

10.9

2.0

16.7

Photo: Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Defense and Miscellaneous Year

Stl

Stl/Game

Stl%

TO/Game

TO%

A/T Ratio

Blk

Blk/Game

Blk%

Fouls

Foul/Game

2008-09

0.8

2.0

1.8

28.6

1.1

0.6

3.0

2.6

Darius Miller dunks against the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Darnell Dodson

6' 7" | 215 | Guard/Forward | Greenbelt, MD | Sophomore

Getty Images Sport/Streeter Lecka

he name that gets lost amidst the large marquees and media circus surrounding the incoming recruiting class is Darnell Dodson. While names like Wall, Orton, Hood, Bledsoe, and Cousins have become commonplace amongst Kentucky faithful, Dodson is the player least is known about, least is said about, and least is expected from. However, any fan that assumes Dodson is just a roster filler would be making a grievous error in basketball judgment. Dodson’s path to Kentucky is certainly one of the more roundabout ways to land at a basketball power, but that path may very well prove to be one of the most motivating things a young man could encounter. What started with so much promise when Dodson graduated high school in the spring of 2007, over two years ago, quickly progressed to trouble. The 6'7", 215-pound forward from Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, MD chose the University of Pittsburgh over Rutgers, Georgetown, and Providence and enrolled at Pitt in the summer. Dodson was ranked one of the top 100 recruits in the country, and the leap from high school star to Division I impact player seemed inevitable.

Photo: Phil Roche/MDC

That leap was forced to detour, though, as being a Panther was not in the cards. Due to academic qualifying issues unbeknownst to Dodson or Pitt when he signed, the NCAA ruled him ineligible for his freshman season, and Dodson traded in the Steel City for Miami-Dade Junior College. Dodson would redshirt his freshman season there in 2007–08 to preserve a year of his remaining eligibility. Fortunately for Dodson, as his 2008–09 season progressed his path would cross John Calipari’s while the latter was still the head coach of Memphis. As Dodson was leading MiamiDade to a 26–2 record and a conference championship, he verbally committed to Calipari’s Memphis Tigers. Upon Calipari’s transition to Kentucky, Dodson reopened his recruitment and landed an offer from Big Blue. In his first year of post-high school basketball, one year removed from competitive playing, Dodson earned All-Southern Conference honors while contributing 15.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Dodson was an above-average free-throw shooter, hitting over 76% of his attempts, a rare skill but one that has ser ved Kentucky well in recent years. Dodson comes to Kentucky with virtually no fanfare, but with a new system in place that fits his style and skills perfectly. A small forward with good size who is capable of scoring, ball-handling, and rebounding, Dodson will create defensive headaches for opposing teams. Additionally, with the post presence on the roster for Kentucky, Dodson may very well find himself in a hybrid role between small forward and shooting guard if his perimeter prowess from high school has stuck with him. As Dodson begins his Wildcat career, the most important thing to remember is the trials and tribulations he has had to endure to get here. Unlike other recruits, Dodson has not been anointed the savior, he has not watched fans lose their collective mind when he didn’t sign soon enough, and he has not been looked at as one of the missing pieces for a championship-caliber team. Those sorts of facts, as cold as they may be, can serve as excellent motivational tools for a young man like Darnell Dodson to stay focused, committed, and driven.

Eric Bledsoe

6' 1" | 190 | Guard | Birmingham, AL | Freshman

Getty Images Sport/Streeter Lecka

Photo: Jonathan Robers/Kentucky Derby Festival Classic

or most Wildcat fans who follow recruiting, landing a quality point guard was priority number one for Kentucky in the offseason. Two names were targeted and frequently bantered about, and no one expected Kentucky to land both. Most fans saw it as a race against the clock: Whoever was willing to commit first got the scholarship. Hence, when Eric Bledsoe, one of those two targets, committed to Kentucky in May, a celebration began. Kentucky had their point guard. That celebration would hit fever-pitch a week later as John Wall also committed, and now Bledsoe finds himself competing for a starting job that many feel he has no hope of winning. What is helping Bledsoe, and piquing the curiosity of basketball enthusiasts, is that he comes to the Wildcats as sor t of the prototypical point guard for the Dribble-Drive Motion offense. John Calipari’s system needs a point guard who can distribute the basketball, defend the opposition, and create scoring chances for himself when the need arises. Bledsoe cer tainly fits that bill on all accounts.

Bledsoe surprised many in the recruiting game exceptionally early in the process. October saw him commit to a different SEC school in Ole Miss, but the 6'1", 190-pound Birmingham, AL native quickly recanted that commitment and kept his options open. His senior season saw him average 21 points and six assists per game, and Kentucky ended up signing Bledsoe over Duke, Florida, and Memphis. It would be Calipari’s first point guard, but neither his last nor his most celebrated. With the signing of fellow point guard John Wall, Eric Bledsoe now finds himself in a situation that can be exceptionally beneficial or exceptionally frustrating, depending on how both players are managed. Many have proclaimed Wall a prospect who won’t be in Lexington for long, so Bledsoe may ver y well have a year to fully learn the system and the players around him without the added pressure of starting or the need to succeed from the initial minute. Bledsoe also brings vital skills that are difficult to teach, among them defensive intensity, basketball IQ, and the ability to take over the game when needed—a skill common to all great point guards in histor y. If, in his first season, Bledsoe can provide relief in spots, be comfortable without a truly defined role, and provide expected production right away, then success will find him eventually. If season one, with the transitional issues and positional ambiguity, provides contention and frustration, then Bledsoe may not reach his true potential. One thing is for certain: Bledsoe is capable of success and John Calipari has proven willing and able to handle a roster loaded with talent. For 2009–10, Bledsoe will find himself at one of the most critical positions on one of the most highly-visible teams in all of college basketball. That sort of fishbowl cements the legacy and standing of some players while breaking down others. What Bledsoe does upon arrival is ultimately in his hands now, but the future is especially bright for him, and for Kentucky with him on the floor. He has time to learn to lead, and adjust, and those skills will benefit him greatly as his Wildcat career continues.

DeMarcus Cousins

6' 11" | 260 | Forward | Mobile, AL | Freshman

Getty Images Sport/Streeter Lecka

he long recruiting saga of DeMarcus Cousins ended happily for Kentucky fans, but it cer tainly was filled with drama as he made his college choice. Cousins, a 6'11", 260-pound power forward, decommitted from UAB, committed to John Calipari at Memphis, and later decommitted from Memphis to land at Kentucky after Calipari changed jobs. Cousins brings a wide body, long arms, and effectively uses all 6'11" of his frame as he plays the post intensely and focused. Cousins comes to Lexington as the Rivals.com #2 prospect in the recruiting class of 2009 behind fellow signee John Wall and considered Washington, Alabama, NC State, and Kansas State before signing with Kentucky. Cousins is in effect a power for ward in a center’s body and frame, and with a center’s mentality: He doesn’t avoid contact, plays his post position effectively, and can finish around the rim strongly. Cousins also brings a unique skill set for big men with ver y soft hands and the ability to run the floor and step out for midrange jump shots. This will create tremendous defensive problems for

Photo: Ned Dishman/Getty Images

opponents as centers and large bodied power forwards will have a hard time keeping up with him, and small for wards and quick power for wards will have a hard time defending his physical play and rebounding prowess. Big men that can handle the ball, run the floor, and pass the ball cer tainly tend to achieve great success in Calipari's Dribble-Drive Motion offense. With the new offense, Cousins finds himself in a system that values athleticism and skill in post players, asking them to play not only with their back to the basket, but to take their defender away from the paint. This is a talent Cousins already has. For Cousins, perhaps the greatest thing to happen to the University of Kentucky in the offseason, besides the hiring of Calipari and the systemic change, was the return of Patrick Patterson. In Patterson, Cousins can learn what is needed for success in Lexington and the SEC, and get advice, guidance, and wisdom from a big man that Cousins aspires to emulate. If Cousins can learn from Patterson the attitude and work ethic most needed to succeed, then he may prove to be one of the most dominant Wildcat big men in recent memor y. Additionally, Cousins will not need to be game-changing initially, as Patterson will clearly be the dominant post player. The downside for Cousins as he transitions to Lexington is many recruiting evaluators have pointed to his lack of consistent dominance and his propensity for loafing as the game went on as an example of a player who wasn’t focused, had motivation problems, and wasn’t playing to his potential. What is more likely is that Cousins did not have any semblance of equal talent on the floor to compete against—that will no longer be a problem at Kentucky. If Cousins brings to Lexington an attitude in need of adjustment, or a style that could benefit from the tutelage of an experienced player, he has Patterson to rely on and a coaching staff that is capable of delivering just the right amount of motivation to glean the most from its players.

Jon Hood

6' 6" | 195 | Guard | Madisonville, KY | Freshman

Getty Images Sport/Streeter Lecka

Photo: Jonathan Robers/Kentucky Derby Festival Classic

or any child growing up around basketball in the Bluegrass state, playing for the University of Kentucky is the penultimate dream, perhaps second only to playing in the NBA. Jon Hood was certainly no different. The Madisonville product, and 2009 Kentucky Mr. Basketball, made that dream a reality in May of his junior year, committing to former coach Billy Gillispie, cementing his future, and avoiding the potential pratfalls of a senior season dominated by recruiting visits. Physically, Hood is a gifted player, and fills a key role that is sorely needed at Kentucky. Hood measures in at 6'6" and 195 pounds, a small for ward in high school, but someone with the ability to play either swingman or scoring guard. Hood has perimeter ability and an accurate jump shot from up to 20 feet, which will prove exceptionally helpful as he makes his case to crack the starting lineup. 2008–09 saw great production from Hood and showcased his statistical impact for Madisonville, as he averaged 29 points and 13 rebounds per game. Those sorts of statistics are both eyepopping and representative of his talent and raw ability.

Despite the statistical dominance, 2008–09 also saw a period of great uncertainty and challenging times for the future Wildcat. After watching his impact reach monumental status at Madisonville, where he accumulated 18 double-doubles over 22 games, Hood suffered a stress fracture in his right foot, ending his senior season. From there, it would progress further downhill as Gillispie was removed as coach, John Calipari was hired, and Hood became one of the most talked about players in terms of whether or not he would actually be suiting up for the Wildcats come this season. To Hood’s credit, and in an unbelievable feat of character, he was exceptionally proactive in touching base with Calipari, and even reaching out to players like John Wall who now found themselves targets of a new coaching staff. While it is not known how much of an impact Hood had in landing Wall, it certainly didn’t hurt, and it is a certainty that both player and coach are excited to be together. For Hood, Calipari’s style brings new opportunities to shine within a system that values athleticism, ability to score, and presents opportunities to run the floor, cut, slash, and create your own shots. Hood brings those skills with him to Lexington, and will prove exceptionally useful in replacing the skills and talent of Jodie Meeks. Two areas of concern for Hood are injuries and defense. Two consecutive years with season-ending injuries does raise some red flags, but with the addition of a comprehensive strength and conditioning program, those may become a thing of the past. Defensively, Hood will have an adjustment period as he transitions away from Kentucky high school basketball to major college basketball, but that learning curve is neither unique to him nor completely unmanageable. Overall, Jon Hood comes to a program with a remarkable prep career in the same state, and those lofty expectations sometimes wreak havoc on a young man. Thankfully for Hood, he is not the only highly-rated recruit in this class, and he is not the only person responsible for Kentucky’s success or failure over the next several years. With the raw skills, abilities, and talent this young man possesses, success is sure to win out.

Daniel Orton

6' 10" | 255 | Forward | Oklahoma City, OK | Feshman

Getty Images Sport/Streeter Lecka

ne of the important priorities on the minds of fans and John Calipari in the offseason was retaining, and signing, dominant post players for the University of Kentucky. Filling that role this season will be Daniel Orton. Orton makes his way to Lexington as a dominating big man capable of immediate impact and authority in the SEC. From Bishop McGuiness High School in Oklahoma City, Orton chose the Wildcats over Kansas, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. Orton’s health became a bit of a question mark to close 2008 as he required knee surger y and 4–6 months off from basketball, missing all but the last three games of his senior season. Assuming he is healthy, Orton will have the opportunity to make an immediate impact at Kentucky and will compete for a starting spot. At 6'10", Or ton will find himself, along with Josh Harrellson and DeMarcus Cousins, as one of the tallest players on Kentucky’s roster. That sor t of height will give additional rebounding help to Patrick Patterson, and make rebounding a difficult task for the opposition. Or ton uses his size to his advantage and is not someone who ventures away from the physical game in the paint or the

Photo: Ned Dishman/Getty Images

tenacious defense and shot blocking necessar y to be a truly special player. Or ton possesses keen ability in those areas and will ser ve Kentucky nicely as they seek another post presence along with Patterson on the defensive end of the floor. As big men go, Or ton is exceptionally athletic, using up-and-under moves to go along with post-up moves and back-to-the-basket physicality. Additionally, Or ton is a skilled passer, finding cutting teammates on the weak side or outside shooters after an entr y pass has drawn a double team. In John Calipari’s Dribble-Drive offense, those skills will prove exceptionally valuable for a young man looking for minutes in the rotation, as post players rarely find themselves with their back to the basket in a traditional, big-center sor t of style. Calipari requires athleticism, basketball skill, and ballhandling in addition to size and strength, and Or ton possesses all those needed skills. What will hinder Or ton is the usual adjustment from high school to college. Post players more than other positions often find themselves with a steep learning cur ve as they transition to major college basketball, but Or ton looks to make that leap with ease. He does not shy away from contact, thrives on physicality, and prides himself on being a defensive presence in addition to an offensive threat in the low post. The most challenging thing for Or ton will be getting himself back in playing shape after such a long layoff after surger y. It will be the toughest hurdle to navigate, but one that should be no problem, especially given his ability to play, albeit with reduced productivity, in his high school’s state tournament. Or ton now finds himself in Lexington after a tumultuous high school season, with ever ything ranging from personal injur y to a coaching change at the school he had committed to. Through it all, though, this signee of former coach Billy Gillispie remained a Wildcat, and now looks to exer t his dominance and power on the SEC for the next several years under a new head coach and a system that allows for big men to truly showcase their entire skill set in addition to their physical attributes.

John Wall

6' 4" | 195 | Guard | Raleigh, NC | Freshman

Getty Images Sport/Streeter Lecka

Photo: Ned Dishman/Getty Images

hen it comes to fishing for recruits, coach John Calipari has proven himself quite the angler over his career. But through all of his signees, all of his NBA talent, all of his highprofile recruits, there may not have been a fish more sought after and more watched than John Wall. The point guard from Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh, NC brings not only raw skills and immeasurable talent to Lexington, but also a virtual metric ton of expectations. Adding to the Wall mystique was his long-running recruitment. Certainly later than many all-star caliber talents normally commit, Wall chose Kentucky on May 19 over interest and offers from virtually ever y major basketball power in the land. Kentucky fans are hopeful that this is not the last victor y that Calipari can celebrate over Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, and UCLA… on the court or off. When Calipari was hired, many Kentucky fans would constantly point to his ability to recruit NBA-caliber talent to destinations like UMass and Memphis and use that as empirical evidence that he could certainly do it in Lexington for a program like Kentucky. Wall was consistently mentioned as

the “must get” for Calipari, and to ecstatic relief from Kentucky fans, he landed the target with the biggest bull’s-eye. With Wall, Calipari now finds himself in possession of the consensus #1 point guard prospect in the recruiting class of 2009. Wall’s ball-handling, shot creation, and ability to drive to the hoop and dish to the open man all bode well for his ability to shine in Calipari’s Dribble-Drive Motion offense. The fact that Wall will not have another perimeter player to split points, shots, or time with, such as Jodie Meeks, bodes well for his scoring chances, but not for his ability to see single coverage. Wall now finds himself as the presumptive starting point guard on a team transitioning to a new style and system, competing against teams who are well aware of his skill set, expectations, and fanfare. Despite his talent and athleticism, Wall will need an adjustment period as he navigates the learning cur ve between high school and Division I basketball. What will help Wall, and Kentucky, is the commitment of fellow highly-ranked point guard Eric Bledsoe. Wall can expect competition for playing time and a practice partner capable of preparing him well for the game. At 6'4", Wall brings height with his speed and agility, making him one of the most dangerous weapons from the point guard spot in college basketball. While Wall’s biggest challenge will be shining as a true freshman, college basketball has recently seen its share of first-year players provide immediate impact. Two of the last three NCAA Player of the Year honors went to freshmen, Kansas State’s Michael Beasley and Texas’s Kevin Durant. Wall has all the skills to make that statistic grow by one more. Should he follow Beasley and Durant as freshmen honored as Player of the Year, he may also follow their lead in declaring for the NBA Draft after only one collegiate season. Both those players were selected second in the draft following their rookie campaign, and many draft ser vices are projecting Wall as the top pick in 2010. While Wall’s Kentucky career may prove to be short-lived, what is not debatable is his ability to make that year exceptionally special and successful.

2008–2009 staTISTICS ANd RESULTS INIVIDUAL STATISTICS REBOUNDS # Player

GP-GS

Min

Avg

FG-FGA

Pct

3FG-FGA

Pct

FT-FTA

Pct

Off

Def

Tot

Avg

Blk

Stl

Pts

Avg

23 Meeks, Jodie

36-36

1237

34.4

263-568

.463

117-288

.406

211-234

.902

103

122

3.4

854

23.7

54 Patterson, Patrick

34-34

1147

33.7

240-398

.603

0-1

.000

129-168

.768

224

316

9.3

609

17.9

21 Stevenson, Perry

36-34

1010

28.1

107-198

.540

3-10

.300

62-91

.681

149

214

5.9

279

7.8

5 Harris, Ramon

31-28

684

22.1

60-113

.531

6-25

.240

43-69

.623

119

3.8

169

5.5

01 Miller, Darius

36-2

764

21.2

66-160

.413

18-55

.327

41-51

.804

110

3.1

191

5.3

34 Liggins, DeAndre

33-1

546

16.5

46-127

.362

12-51

.235

35-52

.673

2.4

139

4.2

13 Porter, Michael

36-36

847

23.5

50-139

.360

32-97

.330

17-22

.773

1.7

149

4.1

55 Harrellson, Josh

34-2

315

9.3

46-102

.451

5-15

.333

26-36

.722

2.5

123

3.6

15 Stewart, A.J.

29-1

166

5.7

21-46

.457

2-5

.400

14-17

.824

1.2

2.0

03 Galloway, Kevin

30-5

300

10.0

22-49

.449

0-4

.000

12-23

.522

1.8

1.9

10 Slone, Landon

15-0

104

6.9

6-22

.273

4-15

.267

6-6

1.000

1.1

1.5

43 Carter, Jared

10-1

3.3

3-9

.333

0-0

–

4-6

.667

0.8

1.0

14 Halsell, Mark

6-0

1.7

1-1

1.000

1-1

1.000

1-2

.500

0.2

0.7

30 Perry, Dwight

7-0

1.7

1-2

.500

1-2

.500

0-0

–

0.3

0.4

12 Krebs, Mark

0.2

13-0

1.9

1-4

.250

1-4

.250

0-0

–

0.3

TEAM

–

103

2.9

–

Total

7200

933-1938

.481

202-573

.353

601-777

.773

382

634

566

608

238

2669

74.1

946 1328 36.9

2008–2009 RESULTS

TEAM STATISTICS UK

OPP

Date

Opponent

Result

Score

ATTENDANCE

SCORING

2669

2386

Points per game

74.1

66.3

11/14/08 11/18/08 11/22/08 11/24/08 11/28/08 11/29/08 12/3/08 12/6/08 12/7/08 12/13/08 12/20/08 12/22/08 12/27/08 12/29/08 1/4/09 01/10/09 01/13/09 01/18/09 01/21/09 01/24/09 01/27/09 01/31/09 02/03/09 02/10/09 02/14/09 02/17/09 02/21/09 2/25/09 02/28/09 03/04/09 3/07/09 03/12/09 03/13/09 03/17/09 03/23/09 3/25/09

VMI at North Carolina DELAWARE STATE LONGWOOD vs Kansas State vs WVU LAMAR MIAMI MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE INDIANA vs Appalachian State TENNESSEE STATE FLORIDA ATLANTIC CENTRAL MICHIGAN at LOUISVILLE VANDERBILT at Tennessee at Georgia AUBURN at Alabama at Ole Miss SOUTH CAROLINA MISSISSIPPI STATE FLORIDA at Arkansas at Vanderbilt TENNESSEE at South Carolina LOUISIANA STATE GEORGIA at Florida vs Ole Miss vs Louisiana State vs UNLV at Creighton at Notre Dame

L L W W W W W L W W W W W W L W W W W W L L L W W L W L L L L W L W W L

103-111 58-77 71-42 91-57 74-72 54-43 103-61 67-73 88-65 72-54 93-69 102-58 76-69 84-52 71-74 70-60 90-72 68-45 73-64 61-51 80-85 77-78 57-66 68-65 79-63 64-77 77-58 59-77 70-73 85-90 53-60 71-58 58-67 70-60 65-63 67-77

22,579 21,538 21,594 20,105 5,000 5,500 21,350 24,109 21,476 23,767 10,173 21,958 24,018 22,944 20,078 24,249 20,474 9,090 22,760 15,316 6,852 24,322 21,940 24,355 19,041 14,366 24,394 16,035 24,411 23,889 12,131 – – 8,327 16,984 7,636

Scoring margin FIELD GOALS-ATT Field goal pct

+7.9

933-1938

822-2114

.481

.389

3 POINT FG-ATT

202-573

256-728

3-point FG pct

.353

.352

3-pt FG made per game

5.6

7.1

601-777

486-704

Free throw pct

.773

.690

Free throws made per game

16.7

13.5

REBOUNDS

1328

1152

Rebounds per game

36.9

32.0

Rebounding margin

+4.9

ASSISTS

566

373

Assists per game

15.7

10.4

TURNOVERS

608

516

Turnovers per game

16.9

14.3

FREE THROWS-ATT

Turnover margin

-2.6

Assist/turnover ratio

0.9

0.7

STEALS

238

278

Steals per game

6.6

7.7

BLOCKS

238

133

Blocks per game

6.6

3.7

414,220

208,541

Home games-Avg/Game

18-23,012

12-14,962

Neutral site-Avg/Game

6-4,833

ATTENDANCE

RECORD RECORD

OVERALL

HOME

AWAY

NEUTRAL

22-14

12-6

5-7

5-1

CONFERENCE

8-8

4-4

0-0

NON-CONFERENCE

14-6

8-2

1-3

5-1

ALL GAMES

2009–10 SEC PREVIEW Kentucky Has Plenty of Competition in a Wide Open League by Ken Howlett and J.L. Weill SEC East — Ken Howlett The 2008–09 basketball season saw the SEC East send only one representative, Tennessee, to the NCAA Tournament. Adding to the splitting headache experienced throughout the East division last season is the fact that all six teams suffered double-digit defeats at the hands of their NCAA Tournament foes. By early February, the SEC’s football-centric fan base began to break down their respective team’s BCS chances for the 2009 pigskin season, because their basketball counterparts were playing an uninspired brand of hoops. So, suffice it to say that the SEC East is looking to bounce back to the realm of college basketball relevance. And with the addition of some young-gun talent, along with a year’s seasoning for the returnees, the SEC should experience a rebirth; a new, more fulfilling, fan-friendly life.

Tennessee Bruce Pearl has deservedly built quite a bit of equity with the Volunteer faithful. He has, after all, delivered 98 wins in his four years in Knoxville, and his teams have twice made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. And for only the second time in school history, the Vols have gone dancing four years in a row. Add to those accomplishments the fact that Pearl sells Tennessee like his next meal depends on it, and he has unquestionably been the savior of a perpetually struggling Volunteer basketball program. But, last season’s 21–13 record was a disappointment, as uneven defense and chemistry issues rendered the Vols less than spectacular. But leading the way to redemption in 2009–10 will be Tyler Smith, Tennessee’s top scorer from a

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2009–2010 Kentucky wildcats At the guard spot is senior J.P. Prince. The 6'7" Prince averaged 9.9 points per game on 57.2% field-goal shooting, but he was only 3-24 from beyond the arc. Giving some solid outside shooting help last season was guard Scotty Hopson. The 6'7" Hopson is defensive-challenged, but he shot 35.7% from the three-point line. Adding depth to Bruce Pearl’s long-range arsenal is 6'6" sophomore guard Cameron Tatum. Tatum averaged 7.6 points per game last season, while making 32.1% of his three-point tries (43-134). Bruce Pearl, not always happy with the production (read: shooting) that point guard Bobby Maze gave him, hit the recruiting trail for immediate guard help and signed junior college transfer Melvin Goins. The 5'11" Goins, who originally signed with and played for Ball State, might present incumbent point Maze with a serious challenge for playing time. Goins, who comes to Knoxville as a junior, averaged 8.0 points, 2.3 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game two years ago for the Cardinals.

Last season, first-year Gamecock coach Darrin Horn surpassed all expectations. Coming off a 14–18 record (5–11 in the SEC), South Carolina was tabbed an after-thought in the

Scotty Hopson, the athletic sophomore from Hopkinsville, KY, will be a major factor for the Volunteers in 2009–10. year ago at 17.4 points per game. He is the undeniable leader of the Volunteer crew. The senior’s athleticism, length (6'7"), and on-court durability allowed him to not only lead UT in scoring and assists (3.4 per game) from the forward spot, but he also was second on the team in rebounds at 5.8 per game. Although Smith is Tennessee’s best player, he has plenty of talented company. To keep Smith from getting lonely as he slashes into the paint will be 6'9" senior forward/center Wayne Chism, and 6'10" junior center Brian Williams. Chism was fifth in the SEC in rebounding last season at 8.0 rebounds per game, and second in scoring for Tennessee at 13.7 points per game. A much more traditional big man, Williams supplies the Vols with solid low block defense, and while he averaged only 5.0 points per game, he is capable of making the occasional soft jumper from within 10–15 feet (he made 53.8% of his field goal attempts). On the perimeter, 6'3" senior point guard Bobby Maze leads the charge. Maze was eighth in the SEC in assists last year at 3.2 per game, and second in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.0 (109 assists to 54 turnovers). Dish he can do, but shoot from the outside, ah, there’s the rub—on 91 three-point shots, Maze connected only 29 times (31.2%).

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The Gamecocks will have plenty to cheer about with the return of Devan Downey and Dominique Archie.

Photo on previous page: Chris Graythen/Getty Images Top photo this page: Andy Lyons/Getty Images Bottom photo this page: Rex Brown/Getty Images

South Carolina

2009–10 SEC Preview race for the SEC East championship. But, by posting a 21–10 overall record, and going 10–6 in the SEC, South Carolina left the dire predictions in the dust. Led by All-SEC point guard Devan Downey and his 19.8 points, 4.5 assists per game (third in the SEC), as well as his dogged defense, the Gamecocks came within a good decision of making the NCAA Tournament. Downey is the engine that makes them go, both from an offensive and defensive stand point. Down low, Carolina has junior forward/center Mike Holmes who was sixth in the SEC in rebounding at 7.7 per game last year. Not satisfied, Darrin Horn added junior college transfer, 6'9" forward Johndre Jefferson to his mix of long, athletic post players. Jefferson averaged 10.1 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game for Northwest Florida State College, and should provide immediate rebounding help. Although shooting guard Zam Fredrick, who shot 37.7% from the three-point line last season has graduated, aiding Downey and Holmes in chasing a tourney bid will be an experienced cast of characters led by 6'7" senior forward Dominique Archie. The talented Archie posted 10.9 points, and 6.4 rebounds per game last year, while shooting 50.8% from the floor. Adding to the wealth of front court experience will be 6'9" junior forward Sam Muldrow. The sweet shooting big man (56.5% from the floor) provides a legitimate third scoring option after Downey and Archie. Carolina’s supporting cast includes 6'2" senior guard Brandis Raley-Ross (7.0 points per game), and sharpshooting, 6'7" forward Evaldas Baniulis (48-100 three-point shooting). Both will see significant playing time, along with the occasional starting nod in 2009–10. Possibly seeing meaningful minutes this year will be freshmen Ramon Galloway and Lakeem Jackson. Galloway, a 6'2" combo guard, was rated the #25 point guard by Rivals.com, even though he is a natural off-guard. Jackson, a 6'5", 215-pound small forward who finishes above the rim, was rated the #23 player at his position by Rivals. Both will challenge for playing time this season.

Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Florida The 2009–10 season is an opportunity—an opportunity for the Florida Gators, and coach Billy Donovan, to regain their place at the top of the pecking order. Coming off two consecutive NIT appearances, the Gators are in desperate need of some validation. And if success is to be tasted, it will be served up by a youthful group of Gators. This year, the Gators boast a squad of young, but tested talent. Taking over for the departed Nick Calathes (17.2 points, 6.4 assists, and 1.9 steals per game) at the point guard spot is the ultra-quick Erving Walker (5'8" sophomore). Last

Alex Tyus and Dan Werner are two big reasons why the Gators will be back in the NCAA Tournament in 2009–10 year Walker earned SEC All-Freshman honors after making 41.9% of his three-point attempts while averaging 10.1 points per game, to go along with 2.4 assists. Walker has the ability to penetrate, and is quite effective running the break; those two attributes, coupled with his scoring ability, spells good vibrations for the SEC’s beach boys. Even though Walker fits nicely into Donovan’s guard plans, the backcourt has been left with not nearly enough Gator-heads to fill the need. So, Donovan went out and signed one of the best shooting guards in the country, 6'2" Kenny Boynton. The Pompano Beach, FL native is a Rivals five-star recruit, rated the #5 shooting guard in the land. Will he play? Well, combining the returning Gators with experience, and the newcomers, Boynton and Walker are the only players that can really handle the basketball. So yeah, Boynton will have minutes aplenty in which to learn the craft of playing high-major D-I basketball. The Gator frontcourt doesn’t suffer from a shortage of big bodies. Returning for Billy The Kid (after briefly leaving the program) is 6'8" junior forward Alex Tyus, who was second on the team in scoring last year at 12.5 points per game. He made 59.1% of his shots, and led the team in rebounding with 6.2 boards per game. 6'9" junior “floating” forward

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2009–2010 Kentucky wildcats Chandler Parsons is also back in Gainesville. Last season, Parsons was second on the team in rebounding with 5.7 per game, while also making 46.0% of his field goal attempts and 30.1% of his trey tries (37-123). Adding to the frontcourt traffic jam is 6'8" senior forward Dan Werner. The versatile Werner can stop and pop the three-pointer with consistency (35.7%). rebound when needed (4.9 rebounds per game), and dish the rock with the finesse of a much smaller player (2.3 assists per game). But why stop there? Donovan also has 6'10" Kenny Kadji just waiting for a chance to prove his worth. Which may become a long wait because of the presence of 6'10" Georgetown transfer Vernon Macklin (3.4 points, and 2.1 rebounds, in 12.8 minutes per game). Having sat out the requisite year, Macklin is now eligible and ready to unleash his brand of low post justice. The former McDonald’s AllAmerica is gazelle-like when running the floor, and will fit into the Gators’ offensive scheme quite nicely.

Vanderbilt Perpetually underrated Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings must be a content man. After all, he’s coming off a season where his Commodores overachieved at 19–12, and 8–8 in

the SEC. Better yet, he brings back all the major components from that team, which should place the ’Dores directly in the middle of the race for the SEC East. The ’Dores return a backcourt saturated with experience and ability. It all starts with 6'3" senior point guard Jermaine Beal’s (12.5 points and 3.2 assists per game) sharp shooting eye (40.3% from beyond the arc), and steady ball distribution (his 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio was second in the SEC). Playing alongside Beal will be super sophomore, 6'3" Brad Tinsley. Tinsley not only made 41.1% of his trey attempts, but he was second on the team in assists with 2.8 per game. Adding depth to the backcourt is 6'7" junior Darshawn McClellan (2.1 point per game). Joining the Vanderbilt guard corps in 2009–10 is the most highly-decorated Commodore basketball recruit in the program’s history: 6'4" shooting guard John Jenkins. The two-time AA Tennessee Mr. Basketball, and Gatorade Tennessee High School Player of the Year, can fill the basket with alarming regularity. The Parade and Reebok All-American averaged 42.3 points per game (second highest in Tennessee high school history), and scored over 30 points in every game his senior year. He made 62.0% of his fieldgoal attempts, and 47.0% of his three-point attempts, so it’s not surprising that many analysts consider him the top-gun shooter of his class. Jenkins finished his high school career with 3,192 points. Vandy’s big men include second-team All-SEC junior center A.J. Ogilvy. Last year the 6'11" Aussie led the Commodores in scoring with 15.4 points per game, and rebounding at 7.1 per game. Ogilvy has been the centerpiece of Vanderbilt’s offense over the last couple of years, but with the experience and added talent this squad boasts, he may find himself free to more easily operate on the low post. One of the players diverting attention from Ogilvy will be his frontcourt mate, 6'7" sophomore swing player Jeffery Taylor. The tremendously talented Taylor averaged 12.2 points per game, and was second on the team with 6.2 rebounds per game, all as a freshman. Taylor’s shooting ability (he made 50.2% of his field-goal tries) and knack for taking his man off the dribble make him a double threat. His combination of size and handle will ensure he sees major minutes.

Brad Tinsley, a lethal three-point shooter, returns to a Commodore team loaded to the gills with deep threats. 48 | Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010

Mark Fox is the new top Bulldog, taking over the reins for the fired Dennis Felton. Fox comes to Athens from a highly successful five season stint as head coach at Nevada. The youthful head coach posted an impressive 123–43 (.741 winning percentage) record in his five years at the helm of the Wolf Pack, and dominated the Western Athletic Conference by winning the regular season league title all five years. He

Photo: Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Georgia

2009–10 SEC Preview three-point attempts. Ware will be counted on to supply scoring and floor leadership if the Bulldogs are to improve on last year’s 12–20 mark (3–13 in the SEC). Adding depth to back court is 6'4" sophomore Travis Leslie. As a freshman Leslie performed solidly, posting 6.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in only 14.3 minutes per contest. The returning frontcourt for Georgia will be Excedrin headache number one for Fox. Losing the team’s leading scorer, 6'7" forward Terrence Woodbury (14.0 points per game), depletes an already reed-thin position. 6'8" junior forward Jeremy Price, who averaged 5.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game last year, will be relied on as a major contributor this season after averaging 17.2 minutes per game last year. Former Hopkins County Central star, 6'11" senior Albert Jackson (4.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game), will finally be given the opportunity to fulfill the promise he displayed during his sophomore year (injuries have hampered his development). Chris Barnes, a 6'8" junior forward will also see increased floor time after averaging 16.4 minutes per game last year (4.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game). The phrase, “Nothin’ worthwhile is ever easy” is one Mark Fox needs to embrace and make his own. But, if Coach Fox can coax six SEC victories out of his team, most would consider that a successful season.

Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Trey Thompkins shows off his considerable skill, and will be a key player for the Bulldogs in 2009–10. also guided Nevada to their highest ranking ever, #9 in the country in February of 2007, and recruited and coached two-time WAC Player of the Year, Nick Fazekas (2003–07). At Georgia, Fox will be asked to duplicate the success he enjoyed at the mid-major level, something the departed Dennis Felton could never do. Fox will quickly learn that recruiting against the likes of Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee, and a host of ACC schools is no easy matter, but Georgia has experienced some basketball glory in its time, and the horizon looks like a bright one for the Bulldogs. Fox inherits a roster with young talent and experienced role players. The top returning scorer is 6'9" sophomore forward Trey Thompkins at 12.6 points per game. Thompkins also led the ’Dogs in rebounding by grabbing 7.4 boards per game, and he proved to be an accurate outside shooter by making 38.4% of his three-point attempts. He will be the focal point of coach Fox’s offense this season, not only because of his scoring ability, but also because of his versatility. Ensuring Thompkins gets his touches will be 5'11" sophomore point guard Dustin Ware. In 25 minutes per game last season, Ware averaged 7.2 points, and 3.4 assists per game. He didn’t shoot well, making only 36.4% of his attempts, but he did make, strangely enough, 36.4% of his

SEC West — J.L. Weill Ignore the pundits. Bypass those preview magazines (okay, not all of them). Pay no attention to the talking heads. Why? Because they are living in the past. For nearly a decade, the conventional wisdom has seen the SEC’s Eastern Division as the conference’s kingmaker, but that may be about to change. A season after no national media outlet correctly presaged that it would be an SEC West team to take both the SEC regular season and tournament crowns, several clubs from the league’s “forgotten” division may be set to again spoil the party, this time without the element of surprise. Kentucky may have its vaunted recruits and jazzy new coach, Tennessee its returning BMOC and high octane offense, Florida and Vanderbilt their returning young talent, but it’s the SEC West that has the deeper league, not to mention the reigning SEC Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and a cadre of Player of the Year candidates.

LSU When talking about surprises, it’s logical to begin in Baton Rouge, where the overlooked LSU Tigers snuck up on their league brethren last season, using clutch stops and timely

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2009–2010 Kentucky wildcats Dotson is the prize of Johnson’s small but focused first recruiting class. The Seattle native helped lead Rainier High School to the 3A state title and crosses the country as a top 100 recruit. Getting a replacement scorer for the departed SEC Player of the Year Marcus Thornton was essential for Johnson and his staff. Now Dotson will have some big shoes to fill, but plenty of opportunity to do so. Despite the tumult caused by the coaching change, Louisiana State was helped in part by being the league’s most veteran-laden team last season. Things have changed, and now no other team in the SEC has as many holes to fill, and that could mean a changing of the guard should the suddenly green Tigers struggle to find help for the talented Mitchell. Ready to take over should the Tigers stumble are a hungry batch of schools, each with talent and something to prove, but each also sporting big question marks heading into the season.

shots to ring up a 13–3 conference mark, three games better than anyone else in the league. Credit abounds for now second-year head coach Trent Johnson, who picked up the pieces left by the former regime and melded them into a winning unit with little lead time. The good news for LSU fans is that Johnson is back, along with talented senior Tasmin Mitchell (16.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg), who looks poised to build on a late-season surge in his final campaign in the Bayou. The not-so-good news is that the core of the team that worked a 27-win season is gone. Johnson will look to Mitchell to shoulder a heavy load, aided by rising junior Bo Spencer (11.4 ppg, 2.6 apg), who took over the starting point guard spot last season and performed admirably. How far LSU can go toward a repeat of last year’s surprise finish will depend on the development of a supporting cast, specifically the maturation of sophomore Storm Warren and the impact of freshman Aaron Dotson. Warren is an undersized but beefy power forward, who the Tigers will need to offset the loss of veteran interior players. Warren will be expected to provide much more production than the eight minutes and two points per contest he gave the club in his freshman season.

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Signing top-20 national recruit Renardo Sidney was a huge coup for Rick Stansbury and the already-stacked Mississippi State front court.

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Tasmin Mitchell will lead a reloading LSU team this year.

2009–10 SEC Preview

Photo: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Mississippi State No SEC West team had a better offseason than the reigning SEC Tournament champion Mississippi State Bulldogs, who benefited from both something old and something new in the summer months. The first bit of good news was the announcement that two-time reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year Jarvis Varnado (12.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg) would not stay in the NBA Draft and instead would bring his seemingly endless arms back to Starkville for his senior season. Varnado is a game-changing presence on the defensive end. Heading into the 2009–10 season, he is only 19 blocked shots shy of setting the career SEC record of 412, currently held by Shaquille O’Neal. Even more impressive, Varnado is just 142 blocks from establishing the NCAA career mark as well, currently sitting at 535 by Louisiana-Monroe’s Wojciech Mydra. Further, while in his first two seasons at Mississippi State Varnado was mostly a one-dimensional player, last season he showed flashes of a Last year, true freshman Terrico White became a major threat from the guard position for the Ole Miss Rebels. back-to-the-basket offensive game as well. The native of Brownsville, TN led the team in scoring as well as rebounding and field goal Mississippi State. Riek is raw, coming off knee surgery, and percentage (among those with over 20 attempts on the year). isn’t expected to contribute much until the second semester at NBA scouts will be watching closely to see what sort of conthe earliest. Still, if he’s healthy, his presence means there will tinued improvements Varnado has made to his arsenal, while be few, if any, teams that can match the Bulldogs’ size. league coaches will spend the bulk of their time continuing to While the addition of two such highly-sought big men seek ways around his mantis-like reach. would undoubtedly help, unlike the grand exodus from Baton The summer got even more interesting for Maroon fans Rouge, the Bulldogs lost only two role players from last year’s when coach Rick Stansbury inked a pair of high-profile late 23–13, NCAA Tournament club. Many prognosticators feel signees, including a potential Rookie of the Year candidate in this is Stansbury’s most talented team in Starkville, and expecMississippi-by-way-of-Compton Renardo Sidney, a top-20 retations are high. They enter the preseason as the favorite in cruit nationally. To make room for the late addition, Varnado the SEC West, and likely with a top 20 ranking. And for good has volunteered to spend his senior season as a walk-on, reason. agreeing to pay his own way to open a scholarship for Sidney, The Bulldogs’ top nine scorers return from a year should the NCAA eventually clear the freshman to play after ago, and all five starters. That includes All-Freshman Team looking into eligibility questions. honoree Dee Bost and double-digit scorers Ravern Johnson The Bulldogs also added John Riek, a late blooming big (12.1) and Barry Stewart (12.4). Regardless of what happens man who sat out last season after trying to enroll midseason with Sidney and Riek, with Varnado manning the middle at Cincinnati. After looking closer at his options, Riek, a and a strong bench, all the pieces appear to be in place for a 7'2" behemoth from the Sudan, opted to cast his lot with fantastic season for the Bulldogs.

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2009–2010 Kentucky wildcats

State fans won’t be the only ones excited about hoops in the Magnolia State this winter. Andy Kennedy’s snake-bitten Ole Miss Rebels will be hot to return to the hardwood as well, replete with a top recruit, a sense of unfulfilled potential, and, most importantly, a stable of healthy veteran players. Last year, a promising season imploded when two of the Rebels’ best were able to play in just 13 games combined. One of those, sophomore Chris Warren, was expected to contend for an All-SEC slot before a knee injury ended his season just 11 games in. His backcourt mate Eniel Polynice didn’t even make it that far, going down in the second game. The silver lining is that in their absence younger players were forced into action, and that meant increased playing time and much valued experience. The principal beneficiary was Terrico White (13.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg), who emerged as a top scoring and passing threat, and was voted Michael Washington gave up NBA bucks to come back and try to lead the Razorbacks to a West Division crown. SEC Freshman of the Year by the league’s coaches. Playing White alongside Polynice and Warren this season in a three-guard “Tad” Smith Coliseum? Luckily for hoops fans, the answers set will mean headaches for opponents, who will have to will come only on the hardwood. deal with a trio of seasoned players who can score, pass, and defend at a high level. Arkansas Mississippi will miss the scoring threat of the departed Ask the Arkansas Razorbacks about the perils of playing David Huertas, but will turn to a blue chipper to pick up the on the road. The young Hogs won but a single game away slack. Reginald Buckner arrives on campus toting a Tennessee from the friendly confines of Bud Walton Arena all season. Mr. Basketball Award and a state title. Buckner will join reAnd after shocking a pair of top-ten opponents in the nonturnees Murphy Holloway (8.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg), Zach Graham, conference season, Arkansas hit the skids, dropping all but and DeAundre Cranston in the rotation. Ole Miss will need two games in Southeastern Conference play. to replace the inside presence of Malcolm White, who transA good deal of the trouble can be chalked up to relying ferred after the season to LSU. A lack of size would appear to on inexperienced guards to run the show. With a year of be the biggest hurdle for the Rebels, assuming they can avoid bumps and bruises, third-year head coach John Pelphrey the injury bug this time around. hopes that he can avoid that this time around. He knows it’s But like their intrastate rivals, the Rebels will enter the time for his talented sophomore class to eliminate the distracseason with raised expectations. Can the three guards coexist? tions and grow up. There is no doubting the raw talent that Will there be enough shots to go around for all the shooters water bug point guard Courtney Fortson (14.8 ppg, 5.9 apg) on the roster? And can Kennedy get his young team to play and sharpshooter Rotnei Clarke (12.2 ppg) possess, as it was with the same vigor and focus away from home as he can at evident in the wins over Texas and Oklahoma. But there were

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Photo: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Mississippi

2009–10 SEC Preview and Clarke, Stefan Welsh returns as a threat from the outside. If Pelphrey can get continued improvement from big man Michael Sanchez, the nucleus of a 20-win team would appear to be in place for the Hogs. The key is Fortson, who is the kind of player that may not be able to make a bad team good but can make a good team great. Few players in America can stay in front of him, and when he’s on, he’s unstoppable off the dribble. If he can cut down on his turnovers and find his teammates in better spots on the floor, Arkansas can be a surprise out of the West.

Alabama

Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

JaMychal Green will help ease new Alabama head coach Anthony Grant’s transition into the SEC. too many games last season where even the abundance of talent couldn’t overcome a lack of control on and off the court. The Razorbacks dropped seven SEC games last season by ten points or less, and in many of those were either ahead or close with just a few minutes remaining. Closing out opponents will be key to Arkansas’ fortunes. Fortson is a prodigious talent, capable of altering the flow of the game with his speed and fearlessness. But he has to find ways to create better opportunities for his teammates, principally returning senior big man Michael Washington (15.5 ppg, 9.8 rpg), who shunned NBA dollars for another round in Fayetteville. Washington has all the tools to dominate the college game: size, strength, good instincts, and a knack for finding the ball. He’ll have to blend his skills with Fortson’s end-to-end game if Arkansas is to bounce back from last year’s disappointment. But there is ample reason for optimism for Razorback fans. Despite the rough finish, Arkansas lost no one significant from last year’s squad. In addition to Fortson, Washington,

One team that could use a clear floor general is Alabama. New coach Anthony Grant comes with a lot of positive press and momentum, and he won’t find a bare cupboard in Tuscaloosa. But for the first time in seemingly forever, the Tide will begin a season without All-Everything guard Ronald Steele, who used up his eligibility. That could be a blessing in disguise, however, as the club has spent a good deal of time over the past few seasons awaiting the return of the talented but oft-injured point man. The leading contender to replace him is senior Mikhail Torrance, who picked up the slack in Steele’s absence. While Grant solves his lead guard dilemma, he’ll lean heavily on forward JaMychal Green (10.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg), who will try to make the transition from big-time freshman to team leader as a sophomore. Grant also has a potential star in the making in junior Senario Hillman (12.9 ppg). Toss in highly-regarded incoming freshman Tony Mitchell and the Crimson Tide have many of the pieces needed to compete with the big boys. Perhaps most importantly, Grant knows how to win, having trained under Billy Donovan and then building his own mid-major resume at VCU. There is little doubt the rookie coach will have his troops fired up. The SEC traditionally has required strong guard play, though, and solving that riddle could be the key to the first year of the Grant era at Alabama.

Auburn The arrival of the heralded Grant at Alabama only adds pressure on Auburn coach Jeff Lebo’s shoulders. Lebo has weathered a tsunami of injuries and defections the last few years, and he worked some magic in coaxing a 24-win campaign last season. But he has also struggled to build a consistent winner at Auburn. One of the league’s surprise finishers this spring, the Tigers nearly pulled off an NCAA bid, and did make an NIT run, the program’s first postseason games since Lebo took over. Despite the strong finish, time is short for Lebo with the Tigers faithful, who haven’t watched their boys in an NCAA game since 2003.

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The good news for Lebo and his charges is that plenty of pieces remain from the team that won 11 of their last 14 games, beginning with leading returning scorer DeWayne Reed (13.2 ppg). Reed and Tay Waller (12.1 ppg) will give the Tigers a nice scoring punch from both guard slots, and should open up the middle for fellow senior Lucas Hargrove (8.1 ppg, 5.3rpg), who returns as the club’s leading rebounding option. Auburn will miss several key upperclassmen who have moved on, but if Lebo can get his players believing that last season’s strong close was no fluke, it’s more than possible that similar successes could await the Tigers In 2008–2009, Mississippi State won the SEC Tournament title and the automatic NCAA berth. They should be one of the favorites to do it again in 2009–2010. in 2009–10. All in all, the makeup of the SEC West suggests a dogfight to the finish. Unlike in Ole Miss has the coaching and guard play to pull off past years, there is no obvious doormat, and each team possome stunners on the road, and Arkansas lacks only confisesses enough returning talent to make trouble. On paper, dence and some maturity before being a team no one wants Mississippi State looks like the team to beat, with or without to play at home or away. Alabama will have to adjust to a new major contributions from the marquee signees. But paper coach, a new system, and an unknown quantity at the point, predictions have a funny way of falling by the wayside once but they have talented interior players, something the Rebels the ball is tossed up. will covet come February. Auburn comes into the season with some confidence, and a coach with something to prove, and LSU is the champion until proven otherwise, a fact potential All-American Tasmin Mitchell and his head coach will no doubt remind young teammates of repeatedly. One thing is clear, however, and it’s that the setup exists for an entertaining and competitive season in the SEC West, and should any of the pundits decide to venture outside Lexington, Nashville, Knoxville, or Gainesville, they might just stumble across the conference’s best kept secrets. MSP Ken Howlett graduated from Louisville Male High, attended the University of Kentucky, and has been a lifelong UK fan along with his entire family. Ken is an editor at the SB Nation University of Kentucky weblog ASeaOfBlue.com and a freelance sports writer for Topper Nation Magazine and High School Zone–The Magazine

Auburn’s Jeff Lebo is the SEC coach on the hottest seat this year. 54 | Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010

A graduate of the Brooklyn College MFA program in Creative Writing, J.L. Weill has covered college and professional basketball for over a decade, including as a staff writer for DraftExpress.com. His freelance work has also appeared in fiction and nonfiction journals. Creator of and contributor to A Sea of Blue, an online community and blog dedicated to University of Kentucky sports, he currently resides with his wife and young son in Washington, DC.

Top photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images Bottom photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

2009–2010 Kentucky wildcats

The Return An Abundance of Returning Talent Has the SEC Ready to Rise by J.L. Weill

fter what was roundly agreed to be a down year for the Southeastern Conference in 2008, a spate of returning talent should mean a rapid return to the elite ranks of college basketball for the traditionally robust league. Consider this season’s theme to be “The Return,” as the league should find new life thanks in large part to a surprisingly out-of-vogue notion: loyalty. Annually among the top talentproducing conferences in college hoops, the SEC has in recent years suffered from its own success, losing some of its best sophomores, and too often freshmen, to the NBA Draft. But whether because of the conference’s struggles last season or simply fortune’s kindness, the bulk of the league’s early entry candidates, a wide swath of the SEC’s elite players, chose the path less traveled and opted to return to school, meaning basketball fans across the South will get to enjoy an abundance of beautiful bounces on SEC hardwoods this winter.

Among the SEC’s top returning scorers, only a handful made the leap to the pros, with Kentucky guard Jodie Meeks becoming a second-round pick and Mississippi sharpshooter David Huertas and Florida playmaker Nick Calathes opting for pro contracts overseas. It may not please SEC coaches much, several of whom will ply their trade for the first time in hostile SEC arenas, but for fans of the college game, seeing a deep, talented, and hungry conference will no doubt spur championship dreams. And for the players that opted to once again grace league locker rooms with their presence, there are good things to come, both in terms of exposure and in being Big Man on Campus for one more go around. Perhaps no one player better typifies the benefits of a return better than South Carolina’s Devan Downey, who comes back as the league’s top returning scorer and early favorite for

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2009–2010 Kentucky wildcats side, Mitchell does have the reigning SEC Coach of the Year calling the shots in Trent Johnson. One player who won’t hurt for a supporting cast is Tennessee’s Tyler Smith, another bubble first-rounder who looked at the draft and decided to work on his game as a Big Man on Campus instead of an NBA “Did Not Play.” Unlike the situation down in Baton Rouge, the cupboard in Knoxville is overflowing with ingredients. Smith will captain an Orange roster teeming with athletic ability. From SEC All-Freshman honoree Scotty Hopson to sweet shooting big man Wayne Chism, Bruce Pearl has as many weapons as anyone in the league. The question is whether he can get that stable of talent to coexist. Talented point guard Bobbby Maze struggled to run the team in his first season after transferring from junior college, and point guard by committee left Pearl baffled by season’s end. Though Smith’s return increases the experience factor for the Orange, it also adds a healthy dollop of expectations, something the Vols struggled with last season when they were a top-ten preseason team but went on to flop out of the NCAA tournament in the first round. Expectations will also surely be higher in Starkville, where the league’s best big man not named Patterson should be Mississippi State’s Jarvis Varnado. The lanky shot blocking machine sized up the NBA and decided to return for his senior season, a campaign that likely will see him become the NCAA career leader in swats. Along with an impressive freshman class, the Bulldogs will welcome the return of All-SEC frosh Dee Bost as well. The roster would appear to equal any Rick Stansbury has accumulated thus far in his tenure as head coach. Vanderbilt will lean on its own returning big man, Aussie A.J. Ogilvy, to provide the star power, but the Commodores are hardly a one-man team. Last season, Kevin Stallings’ crew struggled with elite offensive teams and appeared to take a step back. But that likely won’t continue, as this year’s edition features a more experienced and athletic back court. Jermaine Beal returns as a double-digit scorer and leading assist man. And don’t discount the effects of youth on last year’s squad. If occasionally fumbling freshmen Jeff Taylor and Tyler Smith passed on the NBA Draft to lead the powerful Volunteers into national contention. Brad Tinsley can quickly become steady

56 | Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010

Photo on previous page: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images Photo this page: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

SEC Player of the Year. He will team with fellow All-SEC performer—and another returning NBA early entrant— Dominique Archie to anchor the Gamecocks in head coach Darrin Horn’s second season at the helm. Downey’s size, such an asset at the NCAA level, gives NBA scouts pause, but he’ll once again torment opposing players, coaches, and fans with his trademark step-back jumper. LSU’s über-talented forward Tasmin Mitchell flirted with the NBA as well, but he also opted to give it another go in the college game. By season’s end, Mitchell was as dangerous an offensive player as there was in the SEC, combining brutish strength with an ever-improving outside jumper. If Mitchell can continue to show the skill set he displayed in LSU’s last few games, he should be in play for All-American honors. But he’ll have to carry a heavy load, having lost several of his veteran teammates to graduation, including Marcus Thornton, the second leading scorer in the conference last season. On the plus

The Return

SEC Returning Leaders ScorING Player

School

Pts.

League Rank

Devan Downey

South Carolina

19.8

Patrick Patterson

Kentucky

17.9

Tyler Smith

Tennessee

17.4

Tasmin Mitchell

LSU

16.3

Michael Washington

Arkansas

15.5

Assists Player

School

Asst.

League Rank

Courtney Fortson

Arkansas

5.9

Devan Downey

South Carolina

4.5

Dee Bost

Ole Miss

4.3

DeWayne Reed

Auburn

3.7

Dustin Ware

Georgia

3.4

Rebounds Player

School

Rebs.

League Rank

Michael Washington

Arkansas

9.8

Patrick Patterson

Kentucky

9.3

Jarvis Vanardo

Mississippi St.

8.8

Wayne Chism

Tennessee

8.0

JaMychal Green

Alabama

7.6

Steals Player

School

Steals

League Rank

Devan Downey

South Carolina

2.9

DeWayne Reed

Auburn

1.9

Senario Hillman

Alabama

1.8

Tasmin Mitchell

LSU

1.6

J.P. Prince/D. Archie

Tennessee/USC

1.5

League Rank

Blocks

Photo: Bob Rosato/Getty Images

Vanderbilt will once again retain the services of A.J. Ogilvy in the middle, giving their young team experience down low. sophomores, fans of the Gold and Black will be raising the roof on venerable Memorial Gym. If the theme of this year’s SEC is indeed “The Return,” no school will likely benefit more than Ole Miss, who saw a once-promising 2008–2009 season turn into a grind as top guns Chris Warren and Eniel Polynice each suffered seasonending knee injuries. If healthy, their comeback could bring Andy Kennedy a much-needed boost as he shakes off a tough year in Oxford. The one plus to the Rebels’ injury woes was the discovery of SEC Freshman of the Year Terrico White, who emerged as a dynamite lead guard in the absence of his infirmed older teammates. With White, Warren, and Polynice, Kennedy now has an embarrassment of riches in the backcourt. It’s unlikely he’ll be complaining. Injury woes to a star guard caused Alabama to suffer through a rare down year and cost coach Mark Gottfried his

Player

School

Blocks

Jarvis Vanardo

Mississippi St.

4.7

Patrick Patterson

Kentucky

2.1

Perry Stevenson

Kentucky

1.9

A.J. Ogilvy

Vanderbilt

1.7

JaMychal Green

Alabama

1.6

Field Goal Pct. Player

School

FG %

League Rank

Patrick Patterson

Kentucky

.603

Alex Tyus

Florida

.591

Michael Washington

Arkansas

.551

Jarvis Vanardo

Mississippi St.

.549

A.J. Ogilvy

Vanderbilt

.543

3-Pt Field Goals Made/Game Player

School

# Made

League Rank

Tay Walker

Auburn

2.78

Rotnei Clarke

Arkansas

2.77

Ravern Johnson

Mississippi St.

2.31

Brad Tinsley

Vanderbilt

2.23

B. Stewart/T. White

MSU/Ole Miss

2.00

Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010 | 57

2009–2010 Kentucky wildcats

job, but there is talent to work with for new boss Anthony Grant, a much ballyhooed Billy Donovan disciple. In addition to former McDonald’s All-American JaMychal Green, one of the league’s top returning rebounders, the team’s secondleading scorer will be back in maroon and white in Senario Hillman. Valuable reserves Justin Knox and Mikhail Torrance will also help ease Grant’s transition in Tuscaloosa. There is no doubt that Florida will miss All-SEC guard Nick Calathes, who shocked most observers by declaring and then staying in the NBA Draft. But amazingly, Calathes never played in an NCAA tournament game, so perhaps Billy Donovan can use his stable of players with less star power to meld a more cohesive and successful squad. Among the regulars at his disposal will be juniors Chandler Parsons and Alex Tyus, who nearly transferred before changing his mind. Parsons recalls former Gator great Mike Miller with his shooting touch and ability to crash the boards, while Tyus was among the SEC

58 | Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010

A graduate of the Brooklyn College MFA program in Creative Writing, J.L. Weill has covered college and professional basketball for over a decade, including as a staff writer for DraftExpress.com. His freelance work has also appeared in fiction and nonfiction journals. Creator of and contributor to ASeaOfBlue.com, an online community and blog dedicated to University of Kentucky sports, he currently resides with his wife and young son in Washington, DC.

Photo: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Courtney Fortson will try to lead John Pelphrey’s young Razorbacks back into contention in the SEC.

leaders in field-goal shooting last season. Though Calathes is gone, Tyus will have water-bug sophomore Erving Walker providing him with the ball. Senior Dan Werner will continue to provide experience and timely shooting from the perimeter. Since winning back-to-back national crowns, Florida has not made the 65-team NCAA field. Those two championship teams relied on a perfect mesh of talent and role players. This season’s Gators will do their best to recapture that magic. Hoping to more closely resemble the team that shocked a pair of top-ten foes last winter, Arkansas welcomes the return of emerging big man Michael Washington. His decision to back out of the NBA Draft could be as big a development for his team as any other single returning player in the league. Long and springy, Washington was and is the Razorbacks’ top interior option. Without him, the Hogs looked less than thin in the middle. With him, and with talented if erratic speedster Courtney Fortson and gunner Rotnei Clarke manning the backcourt, John Pelphrey’s underachieving youngsters could very well morph into an NCAA team. Nearly an NCAA team last season, Auburn will miss a trio of special seniors but will return talented now-seniors DeWayne Reed and Tay Waller as well as sophomore-to-be Frankie Sullivan from a team that finished strong. Like Ole Miss last season, injuries had the unintended benefit of giving young players experience for the Tigers. That will pay off this season when those young players become starters. The big close to the season probably bought Jeff Lebo time and he’ll lean heavily on his guards to try and build something special in Auburn. Dennis Felton was another coaching casualty of a year gone wrong. While Georgia had a season to forget in Athens, a bright spot was the play of versatile and talented forward Trey Thompkins. The Bulldogs will now rebuild around the strong sophomore for new coach Mark Fox, who arrives from Nevada with a track record of NCAA success. After suffering through a season of seemingly unending media beat downs and a very brief NCAA stay, SEC fans should take heart in the potential haul of returning talent to the league’s schools. While new faces may dominate the coaching ranks along SEC sidelines, it’s the familiar ones that will dictate the action between the lines, hopefully delivering a comeback to the league’s reputation and, if all goes well, a Final Four run for one or more of the SEC’s heavyweights. MSP

Destination: Indianapolis 190 Miles to Glory by Michael Eaves

ver since Adolph Rupp guided Kentucky to its first NCAA title in 1948, the success of the UK program has always been measured by championships, and where the pursuit of that next national title ended determined just how successful a season was. It is a reality every coach since the Baron has had to accept. From Joe B. to Tubby, if you coach the Cats, it’s win or else. Just ask Billy Gillispie. Luckily, UK now has a coach who wants to win a championship even more than the Big Blue fans do. After coming close in 1996 with the University of Massachusetts and even closer just two seasons ago with Memphis, John Calipari has never been hungrier to sink his teeth into that national championship trophy. While he doesn’t allow the lack of a national title to define him, there is no question that earning his first ring will

also give Calipari a greater sense of validation on his career. College basketball has seen several great coaches come and go, but the greatest of the great all have championship rings. Thus, the overwhelming question entering Coach Cal’s first season in the Commonwealth is whether he can duplicate what only Tubby Smith has done in the history of UK Basketball: win a national title in his first season as head coach. I get the sense that Calipari believes that answer is yes, and I happen to agree with him. In order to do that though, the Cats will have to do something else they haven’t done since Tubby’s remarkable run in 1998: make the Final Four. Kentucky’s 13 appearances in the final weekend of March Madness trail only Duke, North Carolina, and UCLA for most all time. However, all three of those programs have made at least three return trips to the Final Four since UK’s

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2009–2010 Kentucky wildcats

Kentucky’s last trip to a Final Four in Indy (1996–97) produced a narrow loss to Arizona in the final game. Can the 2009–10 Wildcats go all the way?

risking anything. So just how valuable is their prediction? If you want the true measure of a team’s chances at winning, don’t go to the media or the coaches. Go to Vegas! There are people in Las Vegas who make their living by determining a team’s chances of winning a tournament or even a single game. Not only do their employers remember their predictions, but they use those predictions in determining whether to retain those employees. Technically, Las Vegas betting odds are predictions, but they are the most thoroughly thought out and scrutinized predictions you will find anywhere. Vegasinsider.com made Kentucky the fourth betting choice to win this season’s national championship at 8-1, right behind Texas (7-1), Michigan State (6-1), and tournament favorite Kansas (4-1). Of course, those numbers will likely change based on who bets on whom, but the fact remains that Las Vegas experts see Kentucky as a Final Four team. Now, you can bet against Vegas all you want, but I have learned it is always better to bet with The RCA Dome played host to the Wildcats’ last Final Four appearance in Indianapolis. the house, not against it.

60 | Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010

Photo on previous page: G. Newman Lowrance/Getty Images Photos this page: Brian Bahr/Getty Images

last appearance—a little fact that doesn’t exactly sit well with the Big Blue faithful, nor should it. When I broached the subject of Kentucky going to the Final Four with Calipari, he said it would be nice, but “it’s also part of the bigger picture of what we are trying to do. We are trying to rebuild a brand.” Ah, rebuild. A word no UK fan ever wants to hear, let alone accept. But truth is truth. And the reality is Kentucky is a team with six players returning from a trip to the National Invitation Tournament, not the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky also lost its leading scorer from a year ago, and will depend heavily on six players who have never played Division I basketball. If you take “Kentucky” off the front of the jerseys, would you pencil that team in for a Final Four run on your bracket sheet? I didn’t think so. But Kentucky is on the front of the jerseys—a fact that cannot be dismissed—and several of the players wearing those jerseys will one day trade in the blue and white of UK for the green of the NBA. Whether you are talking hoops or horseshoes, talent always matters, and it is that talent at Calipari’s disposal that has led several college basketball experts and insiders to rank Kentucky as one of the early favorites to win it all. “Somebody believes we have a talented team,” Calipari said. “We’ve got good players. All 12 are capable.” Predictions, of course, are just that: predictions. They are only remembered if they are eventually proven correct or miss the boat entirely. Thus, they are easy to make because they ultimately have no bearing on the outcome. A beat writer in Raleigh or a radio host in Kansas City can rank a team in their pre-season top ten without fear of

Photo: Anne Rippy/Getty Images

Destination: Indianapolis So what is it exactly that Vegas sees? Probably a combination of things actually: John Calipari, NBA-caliber talent, and the overall lack of talent on the other perennial contenders. For the sake of time, let’s focus on UK’s players. Patrick Patterson could very well have been a first-round NBA Draft pick this past June. His combination of size, hands, footwork, and desire make him a pro scout’s dream. It also makes him one of the best returning big men in the country. Patterson is a double-double waiting to happen. He was the only SEC player to rank in the top five in both scoring and rebounding last season. Plus, Lucas Oil Stadium, site of the 2010 Final Four. he will be playing alongside two freshmen (DeMarcus Cousins and Daniel Orton) who not only match him in size, but potential as well. For After the dissatisfaction of the last couple of seasons, UK fans the first time in several years, the UK frontcourt will have deserve a Final Four. Quite frankly, the Billy Gillispie era was quality depth. miserable. It made some Kentucky fans question their faith in DeAndre Liggins is a player that Calipari actually their program and its leadership. No UK fan should ever feel recruited while he was at Memphis. His length enables him that way. to play even taller than his And because so many UK fans stuck by their program Las Vegas Odds of Winning listed height of 6'6", and with even in the roughest of times, they deserve to have some fun. the NCAA Tournament a more up-tempo style coming Of course, there is no better place for a college basketball fan Team Odds to Lexington, look for Liggins to have fun than the Final Four. Not only is it the culmina4-1 Kansas to finish a lot of fast breaks at tion of a season full of blood, sweat, and tears—and those Michigan State 6-1 the rim. oftentimes come from the fans as well as the players—there is Texas 7-1 Going into Calipari’s first no better place to brag on your favorite team than the Final Kentucky 8-1 recruiting period, his most Four. Only the best of the best make it to last call of the Big North Carolina 9-1 pressing issue was finding a Dance, and UK fans have gone thirsty way too long. Purdue 10-1 capable point guard, and in Besides possessing the talent and motivation worthy of a Villanova 14-1 West Virginia 15-1 typical Coach Cal fashion Final Four appearance, the Cats also have proximity in their faDuke 16-1 he found two. Calipari told vor. Indianapolis is just 190 miles from Lexington. UK fans have California 18-1 me that John Wall and Eric driven farther than that for a Richie Farmer autograph signing. A Louisville 20-1 Bledsoe are as good as any Kentucky appearance in the Final Four is destined to turn Lucas FIELD (ALL OTHERS) 25-1 point guards in the country Oil Stadium into Rupp Arena North. Opposing teams beware: Syracuse 25-1 before even playing a minute UK fans will likely be sitting in your cheering section. Oklahoma 28-1 of college ball. It is a strong So there you have it. All signs point towards Kentucky UCLA 30-1 statement to say the least, but going to its first Final Four in 12 years, and you can bet that Connecticut 30-1 since it comes from the same every UK fan from Paducah to Pikeville, Covington to Cadiz Xavier 30-1 man who recruited Derrick will want to be there to hopefully see the Cats bring home their Clemson 35-1 Rose and then turned him into eighth national title. And this UK grad plans to be one of them. Tennessee 35-1 the #1 overall pick in the NBA See you in Indy! MSP Ohio State 40-1 Draft, I will take Calipari at his Butler 40-1 Maryland 40-1 word on this one. Michael Eaves brings more than 15 years of journalism experience in Michigan 40-1 Beyond Kentucky’s ability television and radio to his current role at FOX Sports Net, having started Illinois 40-1 to reach the Final Four, this his career at WKYT-TV in Lexington. He has also contributed articles to Washington 40-1 HoopsHype.com and FoxSports.com, and blogs at Eaves On Sports. year’s run is a necessary one.

Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010 | 61

2009 – 2010

W I L DC AT S sc h edule

Date Nov. 2 (Mon) Nov. 6 (Fri) Nov. 13 (Fri) Nov. 16 (Mon) Nov. 19 (Thu) Nov. 21 (Sat) Nov. 24 (Tue) Nov. 25 (Wed) Nov. 30 (Mon) Dec. 5 (Sat) Dec. 9 (Wed) Dec. 12 (Sat) Dec. 19 (Sat) Dec. 21 (Mon) Dec. 23 (Wed) Dec. 29 (Tue) Jan. 2 (Sat) Jan. 9 (Sat) Jan. 12 (Tue) Jan. 16 (Sat) Jan. 23 (Sat) Jan. 26 (Tue) Jan. 30 (Sat) Feb. 2 (Tue) Feb. 6 (Sat) Feb. 9 (Tue) Feb. 13 (Sat) Feb. 16 (Tue) Feb. 20 (Sat) Feb. 25 (Thur) Feb. 27 (Sat) Mar. 3 (Wed) Mar. 7 (Sun) Mar. 11-14 (Th-Su)

Opponent CAMPBELLSVILLE CLARION MOREHEAD STATE MIAMI UNIVERSITY 1 SAM HOUSTON STATE 1 RIDER 2 Cleveland State 2 Stanford/Virginia 3 vs. UNC Asheville NORTH CAROLINA 4 vs. Connecticut at Indiana AUSTIN PEAY DREXEL LONG BEACH STATE HARTFORD LOUISVILLE • GEORGIA • at Florida • at Auburn • ARKANSAS • at South Carolina • VANDERBILT • OLE MISS • at LSU • ALABAMA • TENNESSEE • at Mississippi State • at Vanderbilt • SOUTH CAROLINA • at Tennessee • at Georgia • FLORIDA 5 SEC Tournament (Nashville)

Check local listings – All times Eastern • SEC Game 1 Cancun Challenge (Rupp Arena) 2 Cancun Challenge (Moon Palace Resort, Cancun, Mexico) 3 Freedom Hall (Louisville, KY) 4 SEC/Big East Invitational (Madison Square Garden, New York, NY) 5 Sommet Center (Nashville, TN)

Time 7:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. TBA TBA 7:00 p.m. 12:30 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 12:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m.

TV FS South FS South ESPNU FS South FS South FS South – – FS South CBS ESPN CBS CSS ESPNU FS South ESPN2 CBS SEC Network ESPN SEC Network SEC Network ESPN ESPN ESPN SEC Network ESPNU ESPN ESPN ESPN ESPN/ESPN2 CBS SEC Network CBS

TBA

ABC

The Expectations Game Managing Expectations Will Be Tough, but Kentucky Fans Must Find a Way by Alan Rucker

xpectations… They are quite the funny thing for most Kentucky fans. While some schools expect to be competitive and others expect only a winning season, Kentucky fans expect far more. “More” than what is possible. “More” than what is rational. “More” than probably any other fans in all of college basketball. Kentucky fans pay little mind to talent on the roster. Kentucky fans pay little mind to the preceding year’s results and outcomes. Kentucky fans pay attention only to the eight letters printed on the chests of the dozen or so young men who suit up for the Wildcats, and believe with all their might that the K and the Y with all the letters in between is enough to virtually guarantee success. It is because of this attitude that Kentucky is Kentucky. It is because of this rabid fan base that a ticket for Midnight Madness, a pre-season practice, is a hotter commodity than many schools’ biggest games of the year. It is because of this

attitude and expectation that there is no tougher, bigger, or better job in all of college athletics than the head that wears the crown as the Kentucky head coach. It has cemented legacies and cracked others, proved monumental and defining no matter the outcome, and has made fandom of the Wildcats something far greater than supporting your school. Admittedly, the last two years of Kentucky basketball have put the fan base through a remarkable trial by fire. And yet, what ended dramatically, suddenly, and painfully started out so promising. April 6, 2007 saw a fever pitch of excitement amongst supporters, students, followers, and casual fans. Kentucky was the lead story on SportsCenter, PTI, and every local newscast throughout the Bluegrass… just the way most fans will tell you it should be. With the hiring of Billy Gillispie, Kentucky was once again KENTUCKY, led by a fiery, passionate, unbridled worker who would out-recruit,

Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010 | 63

Ashley Judd, Kentucky’s most famous basketball fan, forms the “Y” at the Kentucky vs. Kansas game in 2005. out-coach, and out-tough any and all comers. Many felt it was simply a matter of “when,” rather than “if,” Kentucky would return to their rightful perch overlooking the rest of college basketball. Fans expected much of the new coach, his staff, and players, proudly proclaiming that it was simply a matter of time until Kentucky hung banner number eight in the rafters at Rupp Arena. In just two short years, the atmosphere and attitude surrounding Kentucky basketball quickly changed. The love affair with Coach Gillispie and the rekindled enthusiasm from the fans turned toxic and divisive, and drew a de facto line in the sand amongst members of Big Blue Nation. UK fans screamed loudly on either side of the Gillispie fence, while some sat squarely on it, perched with bated breath hoping with all their might that things would turn out better. Unfortunately for them, for Gillispie, and for the players in the program, the resolution to this novel of rising conflict occurred with Gillispie’s departure, legal case, and media circus surrounding everything from flight plans to a door in Memphis. Suffice to say, darkness fell across the Bluegrass. And now we find ourselves back in familiar territory again, this time with a new ruler for the Big Blue Empire by the name of John Calipari. Once again, basketball season begins to draw near, and with it the heartfelt bursts of optimism, expectations, and desires for the coming year. Yet this all seems strangely familiar. Once again, we have a man

64 | Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010

who most Wildcat fans believe to be fiery, passionate, and an unbridled worker who will out-recruit, out-coach, and outhustle any and all comers. And the few who have their doubts are withholding judgment until Calipari loses his first game at the helm. That’s the odd thing about Kentucky. Victories make the doubters and non-believers silent if not nonexistent, and losses amplify the critics while not turning the entire tide against the coach. It is the defining characteristic of the territory that Coach Calipari finds himself in: The biggest fish in the biggest pond, where the margin for error is so infinitesimally small that the line between genius and failure is razor thin. For Calipari and these Wildcats, year one will be an adjustment period, as first years under new regimes often are. There will be losses, there will be doubt, there will be naysayers flooding the message boards, the call-in shows, and the blogs, all for the sake of the betterment of Kentucky. Good people who, despite their negative outlook, doomsday fears, and desperate predictions, do it all for the love of the Big Blue. It is the birthright passed down through generation after generation in small towns, hollers, and cities throughout the Commonwealth. Young and old in Virgie, Whitesburg, Bowling Green, Lexington, and Covington all have a common bond and shared sense of belonging to something far greater than themselves. This love, this passion, this sense

Kentucky fans, young and old, come from everywhere in the state to support the program. This is the Big Blue Nation.

Photo on previous page: Andy Lyons/Getty Images Top photo this page: Andy Lyons/Getty Images Bottom photo this page: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

2009–2010 Kentucky wildcats

Photo: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

The Expectations Game of entitlement, belonging, and excellence is what defines Wildcat fans. But that definition is what oftentimes tears us apart. Fans of the 2009 Wildcats should keep one word in their vocabulary for the coming season: perspective. Perspective will tell you that this is a team on the rise, but far from its final destination. Perspective will tell you that game one will be a much different experience than game 30. Perspective will tell you that this combination of new and seasoned players will have to find the ever-elusive chemistry, gel, or team identity to believe in one another. Perspective will tell you that expectations need to be tempered with a heavy dose of reality. The simple reality is that Kentucky is a team that in recent memory has suffered more than its share of chaos, failure, and disarray. This is a team with off-season shuffling, players flirting with the NBA, a coaching regime change, and a handful of new recruits that are garnering more attention and notice than most multi-year veterans currently on the squad. Reality tells us that this is a team that has recorded losses at the hands of Gardner-Webb and VMI over the last two seasons, missed last year’s NCAA Tournament, and lost a combined 27 games under Coach Gillispie. Almost any other school would measure a winning season, or perhaps making the tournament, as successful. But most Kentucky fans are expecting far more than that. It’s fool’s gold, at its most basic, and totally unfair to Calipari and the players on any other level. Tempered expectations are not only needed, but also required, for Coach Calipari and these new Wildcats to formulate long-term success and reach the pinnacle that is expected of them from the Big Blue Nation. Patience, though not the strong suit or defining characteristic of any fan base and particularly not the strength of UK fans, is of the utmost importance as Calipari begins to define himself, his team, and his legacy in Lexington. SEC titles, Final Fours, and national championships will come, but only as a result of a solid foundation, the groundwork laid by players, staff, and fans alike. These tempered expectations have to start at ground level. First and foremost, the team should have fun. It should be the greatest time of the players’ lives. At some point throughout the last several years, the fun stopped. No longer did we see thousand-watt smiles reminiscent of Derek Anderson. We didn’t see a cast of characters genuinely enjoying their time like Scott Padgett, Cameron Mills, or Tony Delk did. Instead, we saw a team who trudged through a non-conference season with some unfathomable losses, a conference schedule that saw no fear and little respect, gameday practices, and no sense whatsoever of the fact that they were playing a sport they loved, at a place they loved, in front of fans who loved them. The fact is, what was achieved was accomplished in spite of the circumstances, and that speaks volumes about the internal

Jeff Sheppard cuts down the nets in 1998 as the Wildcats win their seventh national title. This is what Wildcat fans expect to happen now that John Calipari has been hired. character and fortitude of the Kentucky players. The character is there, it just needs some nurturing, love, and guidance. Another expectation would be to return to our family roots. Throughout the decades, this program has not only been a family of players, staff, and coaches, but has been a family tradition of fellowship throughout the Commonwealth and beyond. Restoring that legendary family atmosphere, that defining characteristic of UK, starts with something as basic as including those who have worn the blue and white in their past. It’s as simple as a respectful treatment of former players, former staff, and folks who have given their blood, sweat, tears, and fortune to support the UK program. Rotary clubs, barnstorming, and simply being a part of the community all make the fans feel loved by the Kentucky coach and are an integral part of the traditional legend that is unmatched throughout college sports, and is one that is imperative to save. Pundits and columnists, even former coaches, call Kentucky the most special place in college basketball. The large and ever-present reason for this is the family of fans. They were here before the current players and staff and will be here long after they are gone. A final foundational expectation for year one is a return to the fundamentals of basketball. Frustration for recent Kentucky teams came in many forms; whether it be the aversion to a particular defensive style, high turnovers, or out of control player drives, oftentimes the most recent versions of the Wildcats lacked the basic fundamentals that many teams

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2009–2010 Kentucky wildcats

rely on to win close basketball games. Regardless of player performance, pre-game preparation, or opponent strategy, a commitment to the fundamentals of your system or style wins far more games than it loses. It is that commitment to perfection and excellence that used to define Kentucky. It is a definition that needs to be recaptured, reclaimed, and indelibly impressed upon every Kentucky player, and expected by every opponent. The intangible of the opponent looking across the court and seeing eight letters that stand for excellence on the floor, and knowing that it will take a Herculean effort to defeat that team is what has been missing from Wildcat teams in recent memory, but that is critical to recapture. Regardless of wins or losses, initial “success” will be fulfilling those basic expectations. It seems like common sense, but to build a championship-caliber program, the most fundamental aspect is that the program itself is worth fighting for. The realization that the essence of a basketball program is built upon fun, family, and fundamentals is what leads teams past the promised land of a championship season and into the mythical Valhalla of true dynastic status. Kentucky was there at one point, and will be again if it can achieve the correct attitude, mentality, and support. After this initial grace period, we’ll call it the Calipari Learning Curve, then success isn’t measured by feel-good moments. At some point, the success or failure of the Calipari era will be measured by simple wins and losses. The tangible

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Alan Rucker was fortunate to be inducted into Wildcat fanhood from an early age. His father, a child of Eastview, traded Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh for Adolph Rupp, Ralph Beard, and Rex Chapman when it came time to tell stories to his son. Alan wrote for the Ball State University Daily News, and maintains OverThePylon.net, a site dedicated to Ball State and University of Kentucky football. Alan is a contributing writer for Scout.com and BallStateInsider.com. He currently resides outside Washington, DC, working and teaching for the University of Maryland.

Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

“Scratch,” one of Kentucky’s mascots, will have no trouble getting the Big Blue Nation to their feet in 2009–10.

things like SEC titles, tournament appearances, and, yes, even Final Fours and national championships, will be the epitaph on the marker of Calipari’s time in Lexington. What is imperative, though, is that none of us forget that the time for measuring wins, losses, or titles is not Year One. Quite simply, Year One needs to be about a return of sorts to the legacy of Kentucky. It needs to be about treating the program, the fan base, the players, and the alums with the dignity, respect, and grace they deserve. Year One should be about restoring the brand and name of Kentucky to the lips of every premier recruit across the country. By all measurable qualities, Calipari has done all this. Year One is the first impression that Kentucky fans will have with our new head coach, and frankly, there is no more important time than game number one. That is the first impression that fans will fawn over, think about, and mull… at least until game number two. To Calipari’s credit, he understands all of this. He has a keen awareness of just what is at stake for his own legacy should greatness find its way to Lexington with him behind the wheel. It’s akin to a rock band selling out three weeks straight at Wembley Stadium. It removes any possible counter argument to a “Calipari is among the greatest coaches ever” statement if he wins large on the largest stage available. And when it comes to college hoops, there is no stage larger, no crowd louder, and no program bigger than the University of Kentucky. Expectations. They make the difference between success and failure. They are the measuring stick of wins and losses, and, ultimately, they are responsible for the legacy of a coach. As Kentucky fans, it is time for us to temper those expectations for the 2009 team. The time for us to boldly demand championships and titles is coming and will soon be within reach, and it will transition from pipe dream to optimism if Coach Calipari and company are given a year to get the foundation of their house properly built. That house will be well constructed if the coaching staff is given a year to learn the SEC. It will be properly built if they are given a year to recruit more players that will make pundits and columnists collectively fret over the future of the sport when it becomes dominated from Lexington. Expectations… measured, tempered, and hopefully leading to greatness and success that none of us in the Big Blue Nation can imagine right now. MSP

Lucky 17 2009 Non-conference Schedule Preview by Christopher Emmick

entucky’s non-conference schedule is a study in contrasts. Traditional clashes with rivals are balanced with match-ups with several teams that Kentucky has never played in its storied history. Kentucky will face teams that have good backcourts and/or frontcourts, teams that are strong on defense and/or offense, and two participants in the 2009 NCAA Final Four. The schedule has a good balance of teams that are on the cusp of challenging for their conference championship and teams that are still in the rebuilding process. In Coach Calipari’s first year, this non-conference schedule features enough “cannon-fodder” teams without unduly weakening the Wildcats’ strength of schedule metric.

November 2 – Campbellsville University (Exhibition Game) Lexington Last season was massively disappointing for head coach Keith Adkins’ Tigers. Despite returning several players that powered an appearance in the NAIA Fab Four during the 2007–08 season, the Tigers lost players to injuries and defections, slipping to a 10–19 record overall (2–10 in the NAIA Mid-South Conference). It is surprising that the Wildcats and Tigers have never met in a men’s basketball competition since Campbellsville’s founding in 1906, especially considering Kentucky player (and current Oklahoma State head coach) Travis Ford started his coaching career at the Baptist University.

November 6 – Clarion (Exhibition Game) Lexington Another historic first meeting for the Wildcats will be held with Coach Cal’s alma mater, Clarion. The Golden Eagles had a rough season last year, as they finished 11–16 overall (2–12 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference). Although Ron Righter starts his 22nd year as head coach for the Golden Eagles, he did not coach Calipari (who is an ’82 graduate).

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2009–2010 Kentucky wildcats

Lexington Morehead State is the defending Ohio Valley Conference champion, and closed out last season in dramatic fashion: After losing their last four conference games, the Eagles blazed through the OVC Tournament to earn an NCAA Tournament bid. The Eagles were 21–16 overall (12–6 in the OVC), led by the OVC Defensive Player of the Year Kenneth Faried. Faried returns to the Eagles as a junior and one of the best rebounders in the country. (He was third in the nation with 12.8 per game during the 2008–09 season.) In the offseason, head coach Donnie Tyndall added size with former Florida International recruit Jamel Marshall and 6'9" international recruit Jason Beharie. With returning starters Maze Stallworth, Demonte Harper, and Brandon Shingles, Tyndall has enough returning defensive talent to make a packed-in zone problematic for Kentucky’s expected Dribble-Drive Motion offense.

November 16 – Miami University Lexington The Miami (OH) University RedHawks join their football brethren in playing against the Wildcats this season. Last season, the RedHawks finished 17–13 overall (10–6 in the Mid-American Conference) with a decent win over Temple. Head coach Charlie Coles returns just 40% of the scoring from a team that averaged just 61.6 points per game last year. Coach Coles may find a winning combination later in the season, but he probably won’t be able to stop Kentucky’s 19game winning streak over Miami (dating back to 1929).

good season record of 19–13 (12–6 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) against limited competition, as their schedule was the 182nd toughest in the country. Head coach Tommy Dempsey returns four of his starters, including do-itall point guard Ryan Thompson (18 points per game, 42.2% three-point FG, 6.5 rebounds per game, 3.2 assists per game). Just like Sam Houston State, Coach Dempsey will also need to improve the Broncs defense, as they had a habit of getting blown out by 10 points or more.

November 24 – Cleveland State Cancun, Mexico, Cancun Challenge The first challenge awaiting the Wildcats in Mexico will be the Cleveland State Vikings. Head coach Gary Waters led the Vikings to a 26–11 record (12–6 in the Horizon League) last season. Cleveland State scored several big upsets, including #11 Syracuse during the regular season, #17 Butler in the Horizon League Tournament, and four-seed (#11 nationally) Wake Forest in the NCAA Tournament. Waters has the difficult task of replacing three senior starters from last year’s team, who provided 59% of all scoring. Sophomore Jeremy Montgomery should take over the primary

November 19 – Sam Houston State Lexington, Cancun Challenge Another team with no prior contests against the Wildcats, Sam Houston State, comes to Rupp Arena to start the Cancun Challenge. The Bearkats were 18–12 overall (12–4 in the Southland Conference) last season and return All-Southland Conference senior guards Ashton Mitchell (12.5 points per game, 6.8 assists) and Corey Allmond (15.3 points per game, 43.6% three-point FG). Head coach Bob Marlin will need his team to balance their offensive prowess with defense and improve on their 69.3 points allowed per game last season.

November 21 – Rider Lexington, Cancun Challenge The Rider Broncs will also stop by Rupp Arena for their third all-time contest against Kentucky. The Broncs were invited to the inaugural College Insider Tournament last season, losing in the first round to Liberty. The loss tarnished an otherwise

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Morehead State coach Donnie Tyndall and his young daughter, Taylor, remind some of coach Bill Yoast and his football-crazy daughter in Remember the Titans.

Photo on previous page: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images Photo this page: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

November 13 – Morehead State

Lucky 17 point guard role, and junior forward/guard D’Aundray Brown should be more productive after battling injuries last season. Despite the rebuilding pains, Cleveland State should be rated as one of the favorites in the Horizon league.

November 25 – Stanford or Virginia

Photo: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Cancun, Mexico, Cancun Challenge The second game of the Cancun Challenge will be determined by the results of the Wildcats’ first game in Cancun, and the results of the StanfordThe race to 2,000 wins will be a huge subplot when the North Carolina Tar Heels come to Rupp Arena this year. Virginia game. Stanford closed out the 2008–09 campaign at 20–14 overall (6–12 in the Pac-10). The November 30 – UNC Asheville Cardinal season was highlighted with conference victories Louisville over then #23 California and #21 Arizona State, and a This year’s annual “home” game at Freedom Hall will semifinal appearance in the College Basketball Invitational feature the UNC Asheville Bulldogs. The team struggled Tournament. Second-year head coach (and former longtime last season to a 15–16 overall record (10–8 in the Big South Duke assistant head coach) Johnny Dawkins is losing his Conference). Their season included getting blown out by top two scorers, Anthony Goods and Lawrence Hill, and his 68 points at the Chapel-Hill campus of North Carolina starting point guard, Mitch Johnson, to graduation. Senior and an eight-point victory over conference foe (and former guard/forward Landry Fields will need to join forces with Kentucky Kryptonite) VMI. Head coach Eddie Biedenbach sophomore guard Jeremy Green (45.6% three-point FG should have a much-improved team. Senior guard Sean last season) to shore up the backcourt. If the Cardinal were Smith (45.7% three-point FG last season), sophomore guard to meet the Wildcats, it would be the teams’ third all-time Matt Dickey (38.1% three-point FG), and freshman guard meeting—the last contest being the 1998 NCAA Final Four (and former Oak Hill Academy student) Austin Alecxih overtime game. should help stretch the Wildcats defense. 6'10" freshman Compared to the rest of Kentucky’s non-conference forward/center D.J. Cunningham adds much-needed size to opponents, Virginia had the most disappointing past season: the frontcourt. This third all-time meeting of these schools a 10–18 overall record (4–12 in the ACC). The Cavaliers may also be the third time UNC Asheville has played a topreplaced head coach Dave Leiato with former Washington 25 Kentucky team. State coach Tony Bennett during the offseason. Coach Bennett has an increased emphasis on offense that should lead December 5 – North Carolina to better scoring opportunities for sophomore guard Sylven Lexington Landesberg (16.6 points per game last season). Bennett seThe defending NCAA national champion North Carolina cured two highly-ranked freshmen that should be expected to Tar Heels arrive at Rupp Arena on December 5. The Tar contribute immediately: forward Tristan Spurlock and point Heels control the overall series 21–10 and hold a five-game guard Jontel Evans. If both teams win their first games in winning streak. Despite losing Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Mexico, Virginia and Kentucky will be meeting for the tenth Lawson, and Wayne Ellington to the NBA, head coach Roy time in history. In their last meeting, Virginia’s Todd Billet Williams’s roster is stacked with talent. Sophomore forward and Devin Smith scored 15 points each as they shocked the Ed Davis, senior forward Deon Thompson, and sophomore #15 Wildcats 75–61 in the 2002 Maui Invitational. forward Tyler Zeller form the best frontcourt in the nation,

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2009–2010 Kentucky wildcats

December 9 – Connecticut New York, NY, SEC-Big East Invitational Kentucky travels to Madison Square Garden for the first time since the 2000 Coaches vs. Cancer IKON Classic. Meeting the Wildcats for the second time ever is the Connecticut Huskies, who won the last match-up 87–83 in the second round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament in Philadelphia. The Huskies advanced to the 2009 Final Four and finished with a record of 31–5 overall (15–3 in the Big East). The Huskies must replace four of their starters, including senior guard A.J. Price and junior center Hasheem Thabeet. Connecticut will rely on senior guard Jerome Dyson (13.2 points per game last season) and sophomore guard Kemba Walker in the backcourt. Filling Thabeet’s massive shoes will be freshman forward (and former UK recruit) Ater Majok and junior center Charles Okwandu.

December 12 – Indiana Bloomington, IN Coach Calipari has a work-related visit scheduled with his friend Tom Crean, who just so happens to be the head coach of

Indiana University. The Hoosiers suffered through an expected but painful 6–25 record (1–17 in the Big Ten) last season. Very little talent was left on the Indiana roster after former coach (and cell-phone enthusiast) Kelvin Sampson was dismissed for violations of NCAA rules. Coach Crean signed six recruits for the 2009 class—including forward Christian Watford, and guards Jordan Hulls and Maurice Creek—that will most likely see significant playing time. The Hoosiers 2009–10 season should be significantly better, but they will not be one of the top 50 teams in the nation. Losing to the Hoosiers would likely make the Wildcats’ RPI significantly worse.

December 19 – Austin Peay Lexington After playing one of the their greatest rivals, Kentucky plays one of Morehead State’s greatest rivals: The Austin Peay Governors, who haven’t won against the Wildcats in four games all time. Last season, the governors battled to a 19–14 record (13–5 in the Ohio Valley Conference), and finished their season losing in the first round of the College Insider Tournament. The Governors must replace senior guards Drake Reed and Kyle Duncan, who provided 40% of the team’s scoring. Even with an already guard-heavy team, head coach Dave Loos recruited penetrating Louisville Moore HS guard Eric Mosley to complement senior guard Wes

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Photo: Gregor y Shamus/Getty Images

and freshman forward John Henson will provide exceptional depth off the bench. The Tar Heels’ weakness is at point guard, where sophomore Larry Drew II steps in for Lawson. This game will be pivotal in the race to 2,000 wins.

Lucky 17

December 29 – Hartford Lexington With a 7–26 overall record (2–14 in the America East Conference), the Hartford Hawks struggled with injuries and scoring. The Hawks return guards Joe Zeglinski and Andres Torres, and forward Morgan Sabia. With most of Hartford’s perimeter players smaller than 6'4", Kentucky should have no problems earning a victory in this first-time match-up.

January 2 – Louisville This year’s Kentucky-Louisville game could be one for the ages. Channels’ shooting ability. If the Governors can improve their scoring (75.3 points per game last season) they should be in contention with Morehead State for the OVC title.

December 21 – Drexel Lexington The Drexel Dragons face the Wildcats for the first time in history. Last season Drexel was 15–14 overall (10–8 in the Colonial Athletic Association) on the strength of their team defense. With the help of senior guard Scott Rodgers, the team limited opponents to an average of 61.2 points per game. Drexel will rely on sophomore forward Samme Givens to replace the scoring of Rodgers. Overall, Drexel shouldn’t have the size or the offense to compete with Kentucky.

December 23 – Long Beach State

Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Lexington Coach Dan Monson’s Long Beach State 49ers make a visit to Rupp Arena on the heels of a disappointing season: An overall record of 15–15 (10–6 in the Big West Conference). Long Beach State returns most of their players and adds freshman forwards Kyle Richardson and Jules Montgomery. Monson, the former head coach of the Minnesota Gophers who gave way to former UK coach Tubby Smith, will have several games to improve his team’s execution before this match-up. As the last game before the Christmas holiday, the Wildcats’ focus and execution will be tested in this first-ever contest with the 49ers.

Lexington

The Louisville game is the mid-term exam of the Kentucky Wildcat season. The 41st meeting of the state rivals may be the most intense and anticipated game in series history, as the publication of Louisville head coach Rick Pitino’s personal problems and the NCAA’s vacating of Coach Calipari’s Final Four appearance have got the respective fan bases whipped into a frenzy. The Cardinals found much success last season, with a 31–6 overall record (16–2 in the Big East) and a Big East Tournament title. The Cardinals advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight as the tournament’s #1 overall seed, but were upset by Michigan State. The frontcourt duo that powered Louisville’s offensive attack—Earl Clark and Terrence Williams—has moved on to the NBA. They provided 36% of Louisville’s scoring and 55% of the team’s defensive rebounding. In order to support sophomore forward Samardo Samuels, the Cardinals are going to need more output from sophomore forwards Jared Swopshire and Terrence Jennings. Senior guard Jerry Smith and junior guard Preston Knowles will be assisting senior guard Edgar Sosa and freshman guard Peyton Siva in the Cardinals’ ball-handling and perimeter defense. MSP A mild-mannered drone in the technology sector, Christopher Emmick has been sharing his strange wit and observations for several high-profile Kentucky sports blogs since 2003. (He cannot reveal these sites due to his desire to remain mostly-busy and well-paid). Christopher was a columnist and editorial editor for the Kentucky Kernel and has led the Kentucky Wildcats to multiple championships in the Super Nintendo’s NCAA Basketball video game.

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The Coach

Into the Blue John Calipari Immerses Himself in the Big Blue Sea by Norm Haney “You love Kentucky basketball. You know you love Kentucky basketball.” —CoachCal.com

his is how John Calipari greets visitors to his new website, assuring fans that they can get an “unobstructed view” of Kentucky basketball there. It doesn’t take a hoops genius to know that Wildcat basketball fans are as rabid as they come, living and dying with each game. If Calipari didn’t know about the fans’ love of Kentucky basketball when he accepted the job, it didn’t take long for him to realize just how deep-rooted this passion is. During his August 2009 book tour, where Calipari crisscrossed the Commonwealth promoting his just-released book, Bounce Back: Overcoming Setbacks to Succeed in Business and in Life, he was greeted by capacity crowds everywhere he stopped. Be it bookstores or country clubs, people crowded into every available space just to get a glimpse of the program’s newest savior. After drawing close to 1,000 fans to his book signing in Russellville (population of less than 8,000), the Wildcat coach made his way to Bowling Green to do the same thing. Complete with an escort from the Kentucky State Police, Calipari arrived at the local Barnes and Noble. After being whisked to the back of the building, he emerged through the doors where he received a greeting that would make the most popular politician blush. Rarely does passion exceed expectation in Kentucky, especially with basketball. But with Calipari it’s being embraced and even capitalized on. When Billy Gillispie was relieved of his duties at Kentucky the administration was very clear in stating its desire to have a coach that “understood”

and Players

and handshaking will come to a screeching halt. “I can tell you this: I’m really proud to be your coach,” Calipari told the alumni group, who erupted in applause. “I’m very excited to coach the University of Kentucky. I sit here and I’ve been all over and I can just tell you that there’s an excitement level across this state that I just can’t believe. I’m more excited to coach here than you are to have me here.” It’s rare when a team of Kentucky’s stature can find a personUnlike Billy Gillispie before him, John Calipari understands the importance of the ality as big as the program. Calipari, public relations aspect of being the head men’s basketball coach at Kentucky. in many ways, looks like the first person since Rick Pitino who fits the what it meant to be the team’s coach. Coming in, Calipari bill. Pitino, of course, is now at rival Louisville. Like Pitino, obviously had charisma that’s required, but after just five Calipari seems poised to catch lightning in a bottle with his short months as the coach of the Wildcats, he clearly dissalesman-like charm and deep-rooted understanding of the played an understanding of what it meant to hold one of the game. most high-profile jobs in all of college basketball. “This position that I hold now, it’s temporary. Fifty years from now someone else will have it and it will still be important to the people of this state,” Calipari said. “This job is a big deal to people in Kentucky and I understand that.” As the sun began to set in Bowling Green, after signing thousands of books and posing with baby after baby, Calipari had to muster up the energy for one more stop. He was heading to the Club at Olde Stone in Alvaton, just a short drive up the road. Awaiting him: about 300 members of a local alumni chapter, who all dished out some coin to hear what the new coach had to say. After receiving another hero’s welcome, Calipari went to work on the crowd. In between inspirational and uplifting talk about his vision for the Wildcats, he mixed in jokes about the fanatical blue bloods he had encountered on the book tour. He even went as far as to apologize to everyone in the room because he wouldn’t be able to dish out any handshakes, telling them he’d signed thousands of books and had his hands crushed by coal miners in Owensboro. Although it was said in a joking manner, he was clearly serious. It only exemplified how tiring, yet eye-opening the tour had been. Of course everyone was more than understanding. Calipari is in high demand, from the common folk in the small towns to the high rollers at the country club. There’s also another understanding and Calipari knows it all to well. John Calipari has signed thousands of copies of his new book. If the wins do not come and come soon, all the backslapping

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Photo on previous page: Joe Murphy/Getty Images Top photo this page: David Coyle/Collegiate Images/Getty Images Bottom photo this page: Glenn Logan

the coach and players

Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Into the Blue If anyone needed evidence of Calipari’s ability to sell There is one game, however, that Calipari is starting to himself and the Wildcat program they didn’t have to wait play down and that’s the one against his longtime personal long. Calipari was quicker to move the nation’s top recruitrival and Kentucky arch nemesis, Pitino and Louisville. ing class from Memphis to Lexington than he was his own Herein lies the one area where Calipari might not have a furniture. Originally committed to Calipari and the Tigers clear understanding of what it means to be the Wildcats were highly-touted prospects like DeMarcus Cousins, coach. But, again, he’s learning more and more with each Darnell Dodson, and Eric Bledsoe. The big prize, John day how important not only beating the Cardinals is, but Wall, was even leaning towards Memphis until Calipari especially how important it is to defeat Pitino. changed addresses, which prompted the nation’s top recruit “The fans are crazy about this game,” Calipari said. “I to do the same. He even managed to keep a few of Gillispie’s was talking to one guy about it and I asked him, ‘What’s the top recruits, Daniel Orton and Jon Hood, in the fold with next word above hate?’ and he said, ‘Louisville.’ We play the Wildcats. them once a year. We’re not in the same league. We don’t For fans that demand the best, Calipari certainly delivreally recruit against each other. I asked the same guy, ‘If we ered an early score. Now, not surprisingly, fans will expect lose to Louisville by 15 and still win the national championit every season, which is something the new coach is not ship, would that be okay?’ He said, ‘No.’ And the scary thing shying away from. is, I think he was serious. “Let me tell you about recruiting. High school players “I’m starting to feel like it’s an important game.” only remember three years. They don’t remember ’98. They Every minute of his time is valuable. When his police weren’t born,” Calipari said. “I will tell you this. They know escort is going from one place to another, it’s moving the Dribble-Drive [Motion offense] and they know how quickly. Fans are waiting in Point A and you can’t keep them we’re going to play. Their parents all know Kentucky and waiting in Point B. It’s hard to find time to shake every hand they say if he’s calling, you need to hear what they’re saying. or pose for every picture. Everyone’s looking for his or her “The issue is, who do we want and who wants us? own personal memory with Calipari. It’s important to them Recruiting will be fun. We’re not going to get them all, but and will be cherished for some time. What may be a moif you want to be the best you have to be involved with the ment the coach forgets in five minutes will last a lifetime for best players and we will do just that.” some Wildcat fans. Not only does Calipari plan on coaching the best, he Calipari has reached out to the fans in other ways as wants to play the best as well. In the works is a possible well. His activities on Twitter and Facebook have literally match-up with Duke at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. brought hundreds of thousands of Wildcat fans to their new Maybe Kansas at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis or coach. One of the many criticisms of his predecessor was his possibly Texas in the newly built Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. How about getting North Carolina, Kansas, Syracuse, and Kentucky together for a threeyear series in Madison Square Garden? That would bring three of the five winningest programs in college basketball history. These are the type of matchups and venues that Calipari wants to bring to Kentucky. After all, is there any game too big for a program that is always aiming to be the best? “These are the type of games we’re trying to get done to separate this program,” Like Rick Pitino, John Calipari appears ready to charm the Wildcat faithful and deliver on the promise that is Kentucky Basketball. Calipari said.

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the coach and players

Like Orlando “Tubby” Smith before him, John Calipari knows that the only reason for a coach to come to Kentucky is to hoist national championship trophies. Blue Nation, he can’t help but appreciate what it means to hold the state’s most prestigious position. “This position here that I hold now, it’s temporary. I know that, it’s temporary. Fifty years... this position will still be important to this state, wouldn’t you say?” Calipari said. “What happens is, what I’ve found out, the people in this state want you to come to their neighborhoods. They want to see you, hear you talk and touch you—because the position is so important to them. They also put you in a position to move people. This position I sit in can move people.” Before his Wildcats have even taken the first shot of the Calipari era, the new Kentucky coach has done just that: moved fans to believe their beloved team can return to glory. “You only accept this position with one thought in mind, and that’s chasing national championships,” Calipari said. “That’s just how it is.” That’s clearly a sign of someone who understands what it means to be the head men’s basketball coach at Kentucky. MSP

The passion of Kentucky fans is something that John Calipari is only recently beginning to fully understand. 76 | Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010

Norm Haney is the Programs Director at WBGN in Bowling Green. He’s been the host of The Sports Guys on the station for five years and counting and is also the editor in chief of High School Zone – The Magazine and Topper Nation.

Top photo: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images Bottom photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

unwillingness to reach out to the fans. If Calipari’s off-season antics are any indication of his ability to communicate, he’ll become the most accessible coach in the country. This connection and relationship is something special and it’s a bond that is unique to Kentucky fans. As much as Calipari might have thought he knew about being the Kentucky coach, this element is only understood through experiencing it firsthand. “The fans here are crazy, but hey, so am I so it works out great,” he said with a laugh. For many Kentuckians, basketball is a part of the culture. It’s something to be proud of, to pound your chest about. Instead of the nasty stereotypes the rest of the country jokes about, Kentucky fans look to hoops for excellence and have done so for quite some time. Recently there’s not been a lot to boast about, and that’s where much of this current hysteria has its origins. Bringing the program back to its rightful place amongst the nation’s best is why Calipari is being paid amongst the nation’s top salaries. It’s his job and he clearly knows that winning at Kentucky is simply not enough. Part of hiring Calipari was because he seemed to be the kind of person that could grasp the enormity of the job. After seeing the Commonwealth firsthand, touching the fans, and witnessing the unwavering passion that is the Big

Man on a Mission

How Patrick Patterson Became the Most Celebrated Recruit to Come to Kentucky in Almost 20 Years by Travis Hubbard

atrick Patterson was a 6'8" bundle of nerves. He sat behind a table, flanked by his parents and surrounded by classmates, reporters, and strangers who were eager to learn his college basketball destination. With three hats in differing shades of blue to choose from, Patterson would make one set of fans thrilled and two others hate him. But he was also about to make an announcement that would shape his life. The smart money was on successive NCAA champion Florida with Kentucky and Duke finishing as runners-up. And it was against all odds that Kentucky was still in the running at this late stage. A new coach was taking over a reeling program with lots of uncertainties and expecting one of the nation’s elite prospects to make a commitment. But maybe everyone underestimated just how love-struck Patterson was with Kentucky’s past as opposed to Florida’s present. There were a dozen or so players ranked higher than Patterson, but in the middle of May 2007, no prospect was more important—especially for Kentucky.

The Power Forward Hiccups It’s easy to forget all of Kentucky’s recruiting struggles from the middle of this decade after first-year coach John Calipari just signed the nation’s top class. But when Kentucky was chasing Patrick Patterson, the program hadn’t signed a high school All-American in three years. Tubby Smith had recruited Patterson (and Texas point guard Jai Lucas) nearly as long as any coach in the country. Marshall University, recruiting a losing battle—the Thundering Herd had to pray Patterson never got discovered

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the coach and players Heel and NBA Draft pick either slipped through Smith’s fingers or, depending on who you ask, the former UK coach never had a chance and was misled to think he had Wright in his back pocket. And there were others. But Smith was down to just Patterson in the Class of 2007. If he swung and missed with Patterson after devoting so much time and resources, his power forward hiccups would turn into a power forward malady. But when Smith bolted from Lexington to Minnesota those were no longer his problems. The power forward problem was now just UK’s problem.

North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough was also a UK recruiting target, but Patterson dominated him in their first meeting in 2007. outside of West Virginia—was, of course, the first to take notice. Florida’s Billy Donovan, with his Huntington roots as Marshall’s former coach, had gotten a good jump, and Wake Forest was among the first suitors. But Smith was seen at the first game of Patterson’s junior season in Charleston, WV at the West Virginia Hoops Classic, the tip-off tournament started by the father of thenUK recruit Adam Williams. And Smith was in Huntington often—it is only a two-hour drive from Lexington—showing up at as many games as any other college coach (at least three that first season, and as many as five games in 2007 in Charleston, Huntington, and Lexington). Of course, Smith badly needed Patterson. A disturbing power forward trend, one that was exacerbated by the ineffectiveness of Sheray Thomas and punctuated by Thomas’ unforgivable lane violation in the 2007 SEC Tournament, was turning the UK fan base against Smith, who nine years earlier won the school’s seventh NCAA title and had never missed an NCAA Tournament. Tyler Hansbrough, 2005. Miss. Thaddeus Young, 2006. Whiff. Brandan Wright, 2006. The future North Carolina Tar

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Two months earlier, and perhaps days away from announcing where he would attend college and play basketball, Patterson received a flurry of text messages that brought his recruitment to a shocking halt. Patterson, at the time a 17-year-old kid with a herculean frame, was greeting some far less fortunate and much frailer children—babies, toddlers, and teens fighting cancer, childhood diabetes, and tragic injuries—on March 22, 2007. Patterson and high school basketball teammate O.J. Mayo had weeks earlier been named McDonald’s AllAmericans for their play at Huntington High School. Visiting a Ronald McDonald House in the high school All-American basketball game’s host city was a requirement for the honor, but Patterson and Mayo did the same in their hometown on this day, six days prior to the game in Louisville, at the request of local Ronald McDonald House administrators. They were also paraded to nearby Cabell-Huntington Hospital’s pediatric ward. Patrick and his mother, Tywanna, sat down with me in a Cabell-Huntington Hospital waiting room minutes after Patrick received news of Smith’s eventual departure, and they asked me more questions than I asked them. They wanted answers and were entitled to them. The initial reaction to Smith’s departure was shock. “I was mad, a little frustrated,” Patrick said. “I was disappointed Tubby wasn’t going to be there. But I was also anticipating what would happen next.” More than anything they were confused. Smith, even before the SEC Tournament, had been rumored to be on his way out—either of his own volition or being pressured—because of disagreements with the UK administration. So, there was reason to be skeptical. It was apparent Patrick was distracted and agitated. He wanted to get out of the hospital and make some phone calls. To his credit, Patterson wanted the focus on this day to be on the hospitalized children he had come to inspire.

Photo on previous page: Andy Lyons/Getty Images Photo this page: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

“ Tubby asked if Patrick would be interested in coming to Minnesota”

Man on a Mission

Top photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images Bottom photo this page: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Billy Gillispie’s Flawless Honeymoon

Patrick Patterson shoots over Michael Beasley in the 2007 McDonald’s All-American Game.

If Patrick Patterson was to become the solution, then Kentucky needed a coach who could convince Patterson that Kentucky was the best fit for a player with tons of options, and UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart needed to hire a coach that could do in weeks what Smith hadn’t done in years. The easy answer was Donovan: Put Florida in the same handicapped position UK had found itself upon Smith’s departure by stealing the Gators coach, a coach who had recruited Patterson and by the end of that NCAA Tournament would join Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski as the only backto-back national champions in more than 30 years. But the former Kentucky assistant rejected UK’s flirtations before accepting an NBA head coaching job with the Orlando Magic and ultimately reneging on that offer. All the while, UK still had no coach, and more importantly no power forward. The answer to UK’s ills, ultimately, was not Billy Gillispie, and the coach had a pretty public separation with the school after two seasons. But for all the grief the nowformer UK coach has endured for his losses on the court and his personality shortcomings, Gillispie was a huge success in his first month because he achieved the only pertinent goal: Get Pat. In just over a month, Gillispie landed UK’s highest-rated recruit in four seasons. And history may one day tell us Patrick Patterson was the third-most important recruit in the

“We were more concerned with getting all the facts,” Tywanna Patterson said this summer. “We weren’t sure if Tubby quit or found something better, or if he had been fired. He eventually called us. Tubby asked if Patrick would be interested in coming to Minnesota,” she retold with a chuckle, “and I told [Smith], ‘I don’t think so, but I’ll let you talk to Patrick himself.’” Patterson reiterated at the McDonald’s game that he would keep an open mind to see who UK hired, at the time he had to wonder if Florida coach Billy Donovan would take the job, and when Billy Gillispie was hired the family maintained that open-mindedness in spite of knowing very little about the former Texas A&M coach. But even the UK supporters in Patterson’s inner circle, like Huntington High coach Lloyd McGuffin, had to admit that UK was on the outside looking in after Smith left UK for Minnesota. “When that happened I sensed he wasn’t going to UK,” McGuffin said. “I thought that would be it and he’d be going to Florida for sure.” And everyone else thought so, too, when Donovan remained in Florida and Lucas, a point guard and friend of Patrick’s from Texas and the son of former NBA player John Lucas, chose Florida.

Coach Billy Gillispie’s recruiting effort for Patterson was flawless. His detailed plan amazed both Patrick and his family. Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010 | 79

the coach and players

“ Everyone thought he had made up his mind” Patterson had at least 15 scholarship offers by the time he finished up a week at the Nike All-America Camp in the summer of 2006. That list had been whittled down to Duke, Florida, Kentucky, Virginia, Wake Forest, and West Virginia by the time his senior season began. But Patterson, his parents, and those close to his recruitment always kept the details and any leanings private. Any reports from newspapers, the Internet, or otherwise were more hunch and innuendo than fact. Part of that was out of respect to Patterson. He never asked for everyone to keep mum, but he had earned that right. He was the defending West Virginia State Player of the Year but had accepted a supporting role in his senior season when Mayo transferred back home after three years

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Kentucky brought everything but the cheerleaders to Patrick Patterson’s announcement of his college choice. in Cincinnati. At least all the recruiting spotlight was left to Patterson after Mayo committed to the University of Southern California unexpectedly early in November 2006 to avoid any distraction for the team. What officials at Huntington High did divulge privately throughout the process, and the Pattersons later confirmed, was from beginning to end Patterson was torn between playing for Billy Donovan at Florida and playing at Kentucky. McGuffin said Patterson came home from a visit to Florida where the 2006 Gators received their NCAA basketball championship rings at a UF football game, and “everyone thought he had made up his mind.” Just a few weeks later, Patterson came home from a visit to Lexington and UK’s Big Blue Madness. Rupp Arena’s 24,000 fans chanted his name. And McGuffin said there was a sense the tide had turned, or that UK had at least pulled even. Patterson was never as enamored with Duke or coach Mike Krzyzewski as your typical high school basketball prospect. He liked the Duke tradition and its Durham, NC campus was closer to his father’s family in Rock Hill, SC, but he wasn’t hypnotized by the Coach K mystique. In fact, Patterson never said so, but school sources had the impression that he was underwhelmed by both of Duke’s in-home and on-campus visits compared to how he spoke of his visits to Florida and Kentucky.

Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

history of the program. No matter what Patterson achieves, it would be hard to argue his presence as more influential than Jamal Mashburn, who was essential to Rick Pitino’s rebuilding project from the ashes of probation in the early 1990s, and we’ve probably forgotten how bitter the battle for Kentuckyborn Rex Chapman was between Kentucky and Louisville at the height of the state’s rivalry in the mid-1980s. But the last two seasons might have resembled the late Eddie Sutton era and first year under Rick Pitino had Patterson not chosen UK. Luckily, Gillispie made the first impression of all first impressions. “If Tubby hadn’t left I felt he was definitely going to Kentucky,” McGuffin said, even going as far as to say Patterson was days away from an announcement before Smith’s exit. “But Gillispie did a nice job of selling himself. It’s not hard to sell UK, but you have to sell yourself.” Gillispie was going to do with Patterson what had never been done in high school: make him a main offensive option. And Gillispie had a detailed, written outline of how it would happen. At Duke and Florida, Patterson would have been the top post player and best defender, but he would have been the second, third, or fourth offensive option. “He had a book that he gave to Patrick that went over how he would be used at UK,” Tywanna Patterson said. “He wasn’t going to be stuck in the center, which is what he wound up doing anyway, and he had a game plan on how he would use Patrick, and Patrick liked that.” But Gillispie had the liberty to make such promises because UK had little depth returning in the wake of Smith’s departure and lackluster final recruiting class. And Gillispie had made no promises to any of the returning players because he hadn’t recruited them. It’s not as if Gillispie’s pitch had convinced the Pattersons to pick UK, but it had at least kept them in the conversation.

Man on a Mission And West Virginia remained on his list of schools up until the final weeks, but only out of respect to his home state. (Patterson moved to West Virginia when he was three years old.) He felt obligated to keep the school on his list up until head coach John Beilein left for Michigan and was replaced by Kansas State coach Bob Huggins.

Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

“Bring them all”

style of play, ability to compete for and win national titles, and proximity were all on that list. Melanie Beckett, the Huntington High guidance counselor, was responsible for coordinating his news conference and was privy to what team caps and which letters of intent needed to be present. And she at least had a hunch as to which cap he’d pick the next day. “I think you might be surprised,” she said carefully. “I don’t want to say too much because it’s really important to Patrick that it doesn’t seem like he’s showing favoritism. But he’s a very thoughtful and selfless kid. He doesn’t just think about how his decision will affect himself. He thinks about how it’s going to affect those around him, too, and I think he wants everybody to share in his experience.” Beckett wasn’t a UK fan by any means. She was a Marshall fan through and through, but what she wasn’t outand-out saying was that if Patrick couldn’t make up his mind, maybe staying relatively close to home so that many of his friends could come see him play, and so his family didn’t need to move, was the prudent decision. And McGuffin had the same hunches. “Who knows,” he said slyly. “But I think a lot of people could be surprised.” McGuffin wasn’t going to go on the record, but he was privately hinting that it was going to be Kentucky. For a guy who was hard to make smile whether he was coaching or sitting in his assistant principal’s office, his grin the day of the signing was a giveaway. McGuffin wasn’t necessarily a UK fan

During the week leading up to Patterson’s announcement— he had set a news conference for May 16, a Wednesday afternoon, at his high school’s gym—everybody was guessing Florida. “A lot of people knew Donovan from his days at Marshall,” McGuffin said, “and wanted Patrick to go to Florida and tried to influence him.” Nobody knew for sure because Patrick wasn’t giving hints. He was saying the same things he had said nine months prior, but those quotes were becoming tired. People assumed he had made up his mind and were starting to judge him and his family for dragging out the process. Some said he liked the attention, yet he turned down an offer from ESPN to broadcast his decision live so long as he gave the network the scoop. But up until two days before his news conference he still hadn’t made up his mind. Teammate Michael Taylor had a news conference the day before Patterson’s to announce he would attend Division II West Virginia State, and Patterson admitted he had made up his mind the night before, but wanted to be fair to everyone and announce it with all media in attendance. There may have been a slight hint, though. Athletic director Steve Morris had told Patterson that a group of fans from Kentucky had called to ask if they were welcome to attend. Morris had a warning that apparently didn’t faze Patterson: “If you don’t sign with UK we might need police officers to hold them back because they might riot.” “I told him to bring them all, everyone is welcome,” Patterson said embracing the UK fans. Patterson had taken a long walk through Huntington’s Ritter Park two nights before his decision day. He had come up with a list of pros and cons for each school. Coaches, Patrick Patterson is a serious, focused young man, a leader, and a great teammate. tradition, teammates, level of play,

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the coach and players either, but he very much liked the idea of Patterson playing just two hours away so that he, his players, and coaches could regularly watch Patterson play. “I really waited until about a week before he decided before I sat down and had a serious conversation with him about it,” McGuffin said recently. “Basically, I felt after that conversation that he was going to go to Kentucky, and the reason being proximity. It would be much easier for his parents to watch him play in Lexington than to drive or get on a plane to go to Florida.” There was another clue on the day of Patterson’s signing: a stack of faxes sitting just inside McGuffin’s office doorway that had been signed “Billy G.” in cursive and sent from Gillispie to Patterson through McGuffin. One read, “KENTUCKY AND WEST VIRGINIA FANS WILL HONOR YOUR PRESENCE EVERY DAY. YOU WILL BE SO BIG IT’S CRAZY! YOU DESERVE THAT. YOU’VE EARNED IT!” Another: “THERE ARE ABOUT 2,000,000 FANS AWAITING YOUR DECISION! 24,000 OF THEM WILL BE AT EVERY GAME CHEERING YOU ON!” Gillispie was playing every trick and all the signs were surprisingly pointing to Kentucky.

Patterson was the most reserved and careful of Huntington High’s star hoopsters. Mayo is the most charismatic person I’ve ever met, and never fails to greet a familiar face. He talked me into playing some card game I had never heard of, and, further, convinced me it was intended to be played with money. So, in the middle of Mayo’s card-playing trash talk I asked the question everybody wanted Pat to hurry up and answer. “Ah, man, you got to wait for Pat,” Mayo teased before giving in to the inquiry. “Nah, it’s Kentucky, but you didn’t hear it from me.” For sure? “Definitely,” Mayo said. On his way to the parking lot after the school’s final bell, Taylor also confirmed that Patterson had told him he was going to Kentucky. Thirty minutes later, Patrick Patterson officially spoke the words University of Kentucky fans had prayed to hear: “The college I will be attending,” Patterson paused for effect. “Will be [another pause] the University of Kentucky.” One fan summed up the relief of UK fans: “You just made a nine-year-old boy very happy.”

Patrick Patterson’s Huntington High and McDonald’s AllAmerican teammate, O.J. Mayo, let the Wildcat out of the bag just before Patterson announced his intentions. 82 | Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010

How much credit does Gillispie deserve for delivering to UK a player Lexington Herald-Leader reporter Jerry Tipton once referred to as the program’s savior? “He never missed a beat,” Tywanna Patterson said. “He picked up the ball when Tubby dropped the ball and left. Patrick didn’t even know Coach Gillispie, and he knew Tubby. He picked Kentucky for Kentucky and the coaching situations were secondary.” Tywanna Patterson says now she was smitten with Tubby Smith, while Patrick was smitten with UK’s tradition and the enormity of the program. “[Gillispie] got a lot of praise for signing Patrick,” Tywanna Patterson said. “But Patrick mentioned that people downplayed what Tubby did to help Patrick get to know the University of Kentucky. Tubby, really, should get most of the credit, and it’s been downplayed so much. Some of the fans wanted a change so badly that they just forgot about what he did. At least he won the games he was supposed to win and got them to the NCAA Tournament.” “Patrick thanked Tubby for introducing him to UK. He played a part in Patrick getting to UK. It’s kinda like I’m married to the program now.” The Pattersons all along had encouraged their son to pick the school and program he liked best because coaches can always change jobs.

Photo: Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

“He picked Kentucky for Kentucky”

Man on a Mission play for Coach Calipari,” he said. “Ultimately, the huge factor was location. I knew my mom and dad wanted to move to where I was going to play, and Kentucky was only a couple hours away and still close enough to my families in Virginia and North Carolina.”

Top photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images Bottom photo this page: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Unfinished Business The Pattersons turned the page on the Billy Gillispie era rather quickly. They had to. Two years after making the most important decision of an 18-year-old boy’s life, Patrick had to make the most important decision of an AllAmerican basketball player’s Patrick Patterson loved UK’s tradition and, “picked Kentucky for Kentucky.” Now, he is helping rewrite the Wildcat record books. life: when to play for pay. Kentucky hired Calipari “Kentucky came first, the coach came second,” Tywanna from Memphis quickly, hoping to forget about Gillispie Patterson said. “He was going to Florida for Billy Donovan. fast. And Calipari came to UK fully expecting Patterson, a He liked that they won championships, but it wasn’t like sophomore, and junior teammate Jodie Meeks to declare for Kentucky. The players won the championships at Florida and the NBA Draft. He encouraged them to test the draft process Billy helped get them there.” but also made some of the same promises Gillispie had made In retrospect the advice proved right. Gillispie was fired if Patterson returned. for what UK administrators called a “bad fit.” The Pattersons Calipari promised not to limit the power forward to have been cordial in their comments regarding Gillispie since the post and that he would expect Patterson to play facing his dismissal, but they had concerns. “We saw the side to him that was a fatherly figure and nice guy, not the passionate coach,” Tywanna Patterson now says of the in-home visits by Gillispie. “He seemed like a nice guy, but we really didn’t get to know him well. “Thirty days is never long enough to get to know someone, and until you see them in practice you don’t know what they are like, and so many players would say he wasn’t the same guy as the guy who visited them in their house. So many players said he was a fatherly guy when he visited their house but that he turned into a Bobby Knight in practice.” This summer, Patrick Patterson reiterated that he appreciated the introductory pitch Smith made to him, but fell well short of declaring he would have played for Smith at UK. He said both Smith and Gillispie contributed to his choice, and that Calipari and his love of UK helped convince him to stay a third year. Patrick Patterson is looking forward to playing for Coach “I’m still 100 percent supportive of my decision just Calipari, and it was an added incentive for him to return for his third year. like I’m glad I returned to play another season, especially to

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the coach and players the basket and on the perimeter. Calipari also promised he’d make Patterson a top-15 pick. Patterson did declare for the draft but didn’t hire an agent, leaving open the possibility of a return. Shockingly, he didn’t work out for a single NBA team before announcing he would return to UK. “He felt he had unfinished business,” Tywanna Patterson said, citing Patrick’s failure to play in a single NCAA Tournament game through his first two seasons (he was injured in 2008). So, what made Calipari’s promises different from Gillispie’s broken promises? “I like Coach Cal’s ability to integrate and get to know people and communicate,” Tywanna Patterson said. “Coach Cal is a people person. He wants to get to know you and get you in his circle. “I know if the game is on the line he’ll be screaming because that’s what coaches do, but at the pickup games he was relaxed and the players seemed to enjoy practice. I’m sure he’ll yell, but at least you know he cares about you. We weren’t always sure about Gillispie.”

Barring injury, Patrick Patterson will likely finish his UK career among the program’s top 15 scorers, top 15 rebounders, top 15 shot blockers, and top 15 leaders in field goal percentage—and that’s if he only plays one more season. Patterson realistically has a chance to finish this year among the top 10 scorers and top five rebounders in UK history. So, just imagine if he stayed a fourth year. “That’s unbelievable. It’s arguably the greatest program in history,” McGuffin said. “It’s a blessing to have had the opportunity to have coached him. It will probably never sink in. It’s just unreal. There’s not a day that goes by that you don’t think how lucky you were.” Patterson is on pace to threaten Kenny Walker as the program’s second-leading scorer and Dan Issel as the program’s all-time leading rebounder if he plays two more seasons. “I’d heard that before, and just to be up there with those legends means a lot,” Patterson said. But the stat that matters most to Kentucky basketball is championships, and Patterson hasn’t yet played in an NCAA Tournament, a foot injury prevented him from playing in the 2008 tournament, let alone win a title. “Kentucky was obviously the best fit for him,” Tywanna Patterson said. “It was a crazy two years, but hopefully we’re back on track now.” If Patterson leads the Wildcats to their eighth NCAA title or even a 14th Final Four, then he’ll cement his legacy

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Patrick Patterson is a strong finisher on the floor, and in life. as not only one of the most pivotal recruits in UK history but one of its most accomplished players. Much like his choice to attend UK, Patterson’s decision to return for his junior season had more to do with his love of the program than who coached the program. “I’ve loved it ever since I stepped on campus,” Patterson said. “I love the fans and all the love and support we get. I love just walking in the Joe Craft Center and seeing all the legends on the walls… I cherish every moment God has given me to play at the University of Kentucky and wear that jersey. “I know I have a lot to do and many goals to attain. But I want Kentucky fans to remember me as a great ambassador for the University of Kentucky, someone who put in a lot of hard work and wore the jersey with pride and did everything he could for the university.” Patterson picked the Wildcats when it wasn’t the popular thing to do, and snubbed Florida and Duke when both acts were inconceivable. For that reason, and because he’s been better than advertised, Patterson has become beloved. MSP Travis Hubbard is a former sports journalist who covered high school sports for The Herald-Dispatch (Huntington, WV) from 2003–2007 and covered all four high school basketball seasons Patrick Patterson played at Huntington High School.

Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

“It was a crazy two years”

The Conscience of the King How Will John Calipari’s Past Affect Kentucky’s Future? by Glenn Logan Canst thou, O partial sleep, give thy repose To the wet sea-boy in an hour so rude, And in the calmest and most stillest night, With all appliances and means to boot, Deny it to a king? Then happy low, lie down! Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. — William Shakespeare, Henry The Fourth

t this moment in time, John Vincent Calipari is the king of college basketball. After a remarkably successful run as the head men’s basketball coach of the University of Memphis, where he took the Tigers to the final game of the NCAA Tournament only to lose on a series of unfortunate events, then reprised that effort with a Sweet 16 last year (remarkably, his worst NCAA finish in the last four years), John Calipari accepted an offer to coach the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team. Kentucky is quite possibly the most storied and successful college basketball program in America, and it was that tradition of success that made it possible for Calipari to be wooed away from Memphis, a job and a city he loved. Quite honestly, there is no “up” from Kentucky, as former UK coach Rick Pitino would no doubt tell you. But there is no glory without a price, and Coach Calipari’s price has been a very high one: his reputation. Indeed, from the first day he coached at Memphis, many in the national media snickered up their sleeves, privately assuring each other that his tenure there would be brief, and end badly. It wasn’t. It was long and successful, but the NCAA hiccup at the end was seen by many as validation of their prediction, however slim the pickings of justification. Fast forward to today. Regardless of Calipari’s past success, we see exactly the same thing from virtually the same people, only technology has made their opinion much more pervasive than back in 1988 when the Internet was new and people were still getting most of their sports news from

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the coach and players

John Calipari was all smiles at his UK introductory press conference. 86 | Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010

UMass, the Final Four, and Marcus Camby In no time at all he took me to the gate. —YES, “Wondrous Stories” Kentucky fans well remember John Calipari’s stint at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. UMass pre-Calipari had been a downtrodden program in the Atlantic 10, with its biggest claim to fame being the attendance of ABA and NBA superstar, Julius “Dr. J” Erving who was, interestingly enough, a teammate of Rick Pitino. It was Pitino who recommended that his alma mater hire Calipari, a recommendation that changed the fortunes of the Minutemen, and Calipari himself, much for the better. When Calipari went to UMass in 1988, the program was mired in futility. UMass had not played in the postseason for ten years, and hadn’t played in the NCAA Tournament since 1961–62. In the ten years prior to John Calipari’s arrival, the Minutemen’s best overall record had been 13–15 in 1984–85, and their best conference showing had been 9–9 in that same year. Calipari took UMass to the NIT in his second year, the first time since 1976–77 that the Minutemen had played one postseason minute. The very next year, he took Massachusetts to fourth place in the NIT, and in his third year, the Minutemen received an invitation to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three decades. Calipari’s next four years would see him in the NCAA Tournament each year, culminating with a Final Four run in 1995–96, where UMass lost a classic to, ironically enough, the Kentucky Wildcats under then-coach Rick Pitino. Kentucky and UMass played twice in 1991–92, once in 1993–94, and twice in 1995–96. In fact, the first game of the Wildcats 1995–96 season was versus UMass, and was the only game that the Minutemen and John Calipari took from Kentucky in five tries, 92–82 in Auburn Hills, MI. Center Marcus Camby dominated that game scoring 32 points to lead the Minutemen to victory, and to a #1 national ranking. UMass’s 1995–96 was, by any measure, one of the best seasons of college basketball ever put together: 35–2 with only one loss in the regular season and a close loss to the eventual national champion in the Final Four. That season would not survive circumstances which later came to light as far as the official record book is concerned, but despite what the official record shows, those 35 games were, in fact, played and won, and the only regular season loss that UMass team suffered was against George Washington, an Atlantic 10 conference foe. Whenever a great team loses only one regular season game, there is almost always a story behind it. The story behind the George Washington victory over UMass in 1996 was

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newspapers or broadcast media. “They” are once again snickering up their sleeves, assuring each other that Calipari’s stay at Kentucky will be short, and end badly. So how can a man as successful as John Calipari has been in college basketball, and without a single NCAA charge on his record, be so widely considered the kiss of death for a program, and disliked (or at least, distrusted) by so many purveyors of sports opinion? Well, it certainly isn’t because of his abrasive personality or reclusive nature—John Calipari is one of the most friendly, positive, and accessible coaches in America. He turns down few opportunities to talk to fans or the media, and, with a few rare exceptions, has generally had nothing bad to say about anyone. Unfortunately for Coach Cal, he has the undesirable distinction, as of this writing, of being the first and only NCAA coach in history to have the Final Four appearances of two teams for which he was head coach voided by the NCAA. The inevitable stigma of that fact, plus questions about how Coach Calipari has been so successful recruiting great players, have fueled tons of speculation and outright conspiracy theories which the “true believers” in Calipari’s badness continue to unabashedly defend. So now the question is being asked everywhere: Given Coach Cal’s two-for-two record in public NCAA scandals at the programs he has led, how long will it be before Kentucky, a school with anything but a flawless NCAA compliance record, winds up in the same boat? Is the Big Blue Nation about to embark on a voyage that will end up broken on the shoals of the NCAA Committee on Infractions? To attempt to answer that question, we have to look back at the past before we can take a stab at predicting the future.

The Conscience of the King UMass Improvement Under John Calipari that Mike Jarvis, then the coach Year Overall Win% A-10 Win% Comments of GWU, pulled a rabbit out 1983-84 12-17 .414 6-12 .333 Pre-Calipari of his hat and managed, despite 1984-85 13-15 .464 9-9 .500 an embarrassing loss to a weak 1985-86 9-19 .321 6-12 .333 LaSalle team the game before, 1986-87 11-16 .407 7-11 .389 to get his team to play harder 1987-88 10-17 .370 5-13 .278 than Calipari’s Minutemen. And 1988-89 10-18 .357 5-13 .278 Calipari Era as sometimes happens, the team 1989-90 17-14 .548 10-8 .556 First postseason appearance since ’76-77 1990-91 20-13 .606 10-8 .556 NIT fourth place that played harder also got hotter 1991-92 30-5 .857 13-3 .813 NCAA Tournament and more confident. George 1992-93 24-7 .774 11-3 .786 2nd Round NCAA Tournament Washington’s big, bulky center 1993-94 28-7 .903 14-2 .875 2nd Round NCAA Tournament Alexander Koul pushed Marcus 1994-95 29-5 .853 13-3 .813 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Camby around and off his game. 1995-96 35-2 .946 15-1 .938 NCAA Tournament Final Four Calipari got run from the game after his second technical foul for the first time in his career. the impermissible benefits and voided his eligibility from The perfect season went down the tubes with a bang rather that point on. Since Camby played in subsequent games, the than a whimper. NCAA required Massachusetts to forfeit the entire 1995–96 But the Minutemen did not hang their heads. They finNCAA Tournament run, including its Final Four appearance. ished the season out in style including a victory at Louisville UMass’s record for 1995–96 is officially 31–1. and a 75–61 spanking of conference rival Temple on their way Taken in isolation, one might be inclined to blame John to a triumphant #1 seed in the 1996 NCAA Tournament’s Calipari for all this, after all, he was the head coach of UMass East Region. UMass ran through the East region and wound at the time. But the fact of the matter is, it was Calipari who up staring down Rick Pitino’s powerful Kentucky team for the revealed to the NCAA that Marcus Camby had taken money second time that year. from agents. This fact seems to have been lost in time, and The UMass game against Kentucky in the 1996 Final Calipari’s detractors are very careful to omit it from their narFour was widely considered the real national championship ratives. The NCAA believed Calipari when he told them that game, because the two teams had been so dominant and were he did not know of, or have any reason to suspect, Marcus obviously significantly better than any of the other teams in Camby’s rule breaking until he discovered and reported it. the tournament. It was a shame that they had to be matched Shortly thereafter, Calipari was hired by the New Jersey in the semifinals rather than the final, but the semifinals it Nets, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of UMass fans. But was, and what a game it was, with Kentucky pulling out a nailthey should not have been angry. During Calipari’s eightbiter, 81–74, against a team that had beaten them in the first year term, he won more games and had more success than game of the season—yin and yang bookends to Kentucky’s Massachusetts had in the prior 13 years combined, even when sixth national championship. the forfeited games were taken into consideration. By any meaDespite the loss to Kentucky, John Calipari was lauded as surement, the Calipari years at the University of Massachusetts a coaching genius. Dick Vitale, writing for ESPN’s SportsZone, were hugely successful, but the combination of NCAA issues called Calipari’s success at Massachusetts, “...One of the and Calipari moving on to the NBA created the appearance of greatest achievements in the history of college basketball, the coach flying the coup after he let out all the chickens. in terms of building a program. He is truly a Frank Lloyd Wright.” Indeed, his peers and everyone else associated with A Seed is Planted college basketball that year recognized Calipari’s remarkable success at a school that had known precious little of it before The first principle of success is desire—knowing what you want. he came, and he was awarded his first of two Naismith and Desire is the planting of your seed. NABC National Coach of the Year awards. —Robert Collier But after all that glory, Marcus Camby, the star who was a big part of UMass’s giant turnaround, was discovered The game between Kentucky and UMass in the 1996 Final to have taken approximately $28,000 from two sports Four might have been an instant classic, but there was a much agents, along with the services of prostitutes and other more significant game against UK for John Calipari earlier things of value. The NCAA revoked Camby’s amateur in his career. The date was December 4,1991, and Calipari’s status, and looked back to the point at which he first took Minutemen traveled to Rupp Arena in Lexington on their

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the coach and players attendance, the power, pageantry, and pathos of the most storied basketball program in America. From that moment, the desire to lead the Big Blue began. It grew over the years to the point that when Tubby Smith unexpectedly left the UK job vacant in 2007, Calipari anxiously awaited a telephone call from Mitch Barnhart. Calipari told the assembled media at his hiring press conference earlier this year, “But I called my wife every day for six days [waiting on a call from Kentucky]. ‘Did they call? Did they call?’ Then, I kind of figured out, they’re not calling.” But that call eventually came in 2009, and the seed that was planted in 1991 in the infertile and stony ground of a blowout loss to now-rival coach Rick Pitino and the famous Kentucky “Unforgettables” came into full bloom.

Running in Memphis

Tony Delk (00) shoots a jumper over the outstretched arms of UMass star Marcus Camby (21) and Edgar Padilla (12). way back from the Great Alaska Shootout for their first tilt with the Wildcats. The game itself was a blowout. The same Kentucky team that would later go on to defeat the Minutemen in the Sweet 16 that year, only to have their hearts broken by Christian Laettner and Duke in the very next game, would crush Calipari’s young charges on the Rupp Arena hardwood, 90–69. The score did not reflect the difference in talent so much as the difference in style, as Pitino’s Wildcats pressed relentlessly from the opening tip, and the Minutemen simply could not find any legs left in the second half, possibly as much due to the fact that the game in Kentucky was a stop on the way back from a long road trip as from the UK pressure. And the Wildcats rolled. One would think that was all there was to the story for UMass— an embarrassing loss to a storied team on their home court. It happens all the time in college basketball, many times a year in fact. But there was an unseen effect more profound, and that effect was on John Calipari. When he walked into Rupp Arena to lead his Minutemen onto the floor, Calipari, like many of his charges, was floored by the 24,000-plus Big Blue faithful in

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After a relatively tumultuous and unsuccessful stint in the NBA, John Calipari returned to college basketball in 2000, this time at the University of Memphis. Unlike UMass, Memphis was not an irrelevant or downtrodden program—it was a highly successful one that had just run upon some hard times, much like Kentucky now. Calipari was brought in to bring Memphis back to prominence in a city that liked college basketball, and desperately wanted to love it again. The love returned in Calipari’s second season when the Tigers went 27–9 and won the National Invitational Tournament. That was the beginning of a love affair between Memphis and John Calipari that would last for nine years and over 200 wins. Not only was Calipari active on the Memphis sideline, he became very active in the Memphis community. Coach Calipari helped endow scholarships at Memphis, served on committees along with his wife Ellen on the Memphis Charitable Foundation, worked with Youth Education Through Sports, and engaged many Memphis community related charities and activities. Randy Fishman, a Memphis lawyer and University of Memphis Athletic Advisory board member, described Calipari’s activities to the Lexington Herald-Leader, saying, “He does a lot of things that don’t show up in the newspaper.” Calipari’s love affair with Memphis started quickly, but not without bumps in the road. Despite getting top recruits between his first and second season, including the

Photo: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Then I’m walking in Memphis Walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale Walking in Memphis But do I really feel the way I feel —Marc Cohn, “Walking in Memphis”

Photo: Joe Murphy/Getty Images

The Conscience of the King consensus #1 player in America, DaJuan Wagner, Calipari’s success was limited to deep NIT runs in 2001 and 2002. But at Memphis, they were used to NCAA Tournament appearances, and even deep runs. Winding up in the NIT in Calipari’s first year was something everyone in Memphis could live with, after all, new coach, new system, and players that Calipari did not recruit. But the second NIT appearance in a row took some selling. With the quality of the recruiting and the incoming talent in 2001–02, Memphians expected an NCAA appearance at the very least. After all, a team that had names on its record books like Keith Lee, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, and Lorenzen Wright had no small expectations when it came to the postseason. But all Calipari could do was deliver an NIT championship, which should have been a disappointment. But instead of coming home to muted excitement and a few recriminations, John Calipari threw a parade down Beale Street to celebrate the Tigers’ accomplishment, but even more than that, he sold the whole city of Memphis on his view that an NIT championship was worthy of a big bash. That sales job left many sportswriters and observers scratching their heads in wonder. Unlike when he was at UMass, Calipari’s Tiger teams did not play Kentucky but for one single time—in fact, the only time the two teams have met in their storied history—in the Maui Classic on November 22, 2006. In it, Memphis used Calipari’s Dribble-Drive Motion offense, which he had installed first in the 2005–06 season. The Dribble-Drive Motion offense is a riff on an offense designed by former Pepperdine coach Vance Walberg, which Walberg termed “Attack-Attack-Skip-Attack-Attack.” The offense essentially sets four players around the perimeter, and one player on the weak-side block down by the basket. This produced wide gaps between players, known as “driving lanes.” To initiate the offense, a player, usually the point guard, attempts to dribble past his man for a lay-up, utilizing the driving lanes created by the offensive spacing. If help comes from the inside post defender, the driving player dumps the ball to the player on the weak-side block for a lay-up. If help comes from one of the perimeter players, the driver passes the ball to the open shooter. If he can’t achieve a lay-up or pass to an open player, the driver simply passes back out and the offense recycles. That is the basic set. Memphis used the DDM to great effect against Kentucky, and it led to an ugly beating for the Wildcats, 80–63. The 2006–07 season was a good one for Memphis. It saw them go 33–4, losing in the South Regional final to eventual national finalist Ohio State in a game where Greg Oden was in foul trouble, but was still a major factor. Ohio State zoned the Tigers, taking away much of the power of the

Dribble-Drive Motion offense, and Memphis could not make shots from the perimeter consistently, nor keep Ohio State off the free-throw line, where the Buckeyes hit 35-41. The Tigers would come back in 2008 with Derrick Rose, the #1 ranked point guard in America, and would make it all the way to the final game, finally breaking their regional final jinx against #2 seed Texas. Memphis dismantled the Longhorns with the DDM, with Rose going for 21 points. In the NCAA finals, Memphis would hold a lead for much of the game against Kansas. Unfortunately, star senior guard Chris Douglas-Roberts could not make free throws, and Kansas’s Mario Chalmers famously sent the game into overtime with a last-second three-pointer. The Jayhawks would go on to win in overtime, sending Memphis home disappointed once again, this time for their failure to grasp the brass ring that they held in their hands. Despite Rose’s departure for the NBA in the immediate aftermath of the crushing overtime loss to Kansas, Calipari was more determined than ever to find a way back into the finals and succeed where he had recently failed. To that end, he successfully wooed DeMarcus Cousins, the Rivals.com #2 2009 recruit to Memphis when he decommitted from conference rival University of Alabama-Birmingham. Calipari had already signed Xavier Henry, a smooth-shooting guard from Oklahoma City out from under the nose of Kansas coach Bill Self, who would come along with his brother C.J., whose ride to college was being paid by the New York Yankees in an unusual arrangement. Calipari also added highly-regarded junior college transfer Darnell Dodson from Miami-Dade College, shooting guard Nolan Dennis, and Dodson teammate Will Coleman,

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the coach and players all Rivals.com four-star players. Finally, Calipari set his sights on consensus #1 player John Wall to replace Derrick Rose for another likely Final Four run. The table seemed to be set for a historic recruiting class (Rivals.com #2, #3, #43, and in the lead for #1) at Memphis, and things could hardly have been better. So what could possibly make John Calipari think about leaving? One word: Kentucky.

Tomorrow is Yesterday And it’s run for the roses As fast as you can Your fate is delivered Your moment’s at hand It’s the chance of a lifetime In a lifetime of chance —Dan Fogelberg, “Run for the Roses”

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John Calipari won his second Naismith and NABC Coach of the Year award for his 2007–08 season at Memphis. the media dialog on Calipari, thought him too “shady” for Barnhart and Kentucky. Against the backdrop of this near-desperation, the first word that UK was interested in John Calipari and that the interest was mutual was greeted with happy surprise, and a bit of concern, from Kentucky fans. Calipari was a proven winner, a man one year removed from the national championship game who was unquestionably the finest recruiter in all of college basketball, and one of its most innovative minds. But Calipari also had a very sketchy reputation, particularly in the national sports media. Kentucky had a bad history of NCAA violations, and even though it had been clean for 20 years, many Wildcat fans feared a return to 1989 under a coach like Calipari. Some sportswriters all but accused Coach Cal of cheating, and before this story was over, Jeff Calkins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal would accuse him of cheating—at Memphis. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. Calipari Mania overtook the Bluegrass. At its height, UK fan sites had thousands of visitors logged on at any given time, watching a white door on one of Memphis’s athletic department buildings, waiting for the emergence of Calipari, or R.C. Johnson (then Memphis AD), or anybody with word on how the negotiations were going. “Obsession” is a pale adjective when used to describe the Big Blue Nation’s fascination with the possibility of John Calipari coaching the Wildcats.

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When Billy Gillispie was fired after leading the Wildcats to a second disappointing season in a row, chaos reigned in Lexington. The Big Blue faithful were angry. Angry that the Wildcats could find no way to do better than 22–14 and a weak NIT run. Angry that, despite a good amount of talent, Gillispie could find no way into the 2009 NCAA Tournament after barely getting there in 2008. Angry that Billy Gillispie got no more than two years to prove his worth, practically unprecedented after two winning, but substandard, seasons. It is safe to say that the Big Blue Nation was tearing itself to pieces. With now four years of irrelevance on the national scene, the restive Wildcat fans wanted to explode, but the best they could muster was an apathetic, collective moan. Billy Donovan once more indicated that he would not be moving north to the Bluegrass from his Florida home to resurrect the Wildcats. The former UK players in Division I head coaching jobs, Travis Ford and John Pelphrey, were simply too untested at that level to be seriously considered. No white knight was on the horizon to ride in and save Kentucky. Lexington, indeed the entire Commonwealth outside of Louisville, was far beyond upset or unhappy. They feared calamity, destitution, and a long stretch of irrelevance. They feared that Kentucky had fallen, and might not get up. And then along came John. Most Kentucky fans believed that John Calipari would be the last name on the list of potential candidates to replace Gillispie. Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart already had a chance at Calipari, and had simply passed, and Calipari was far, far more qualified for the UK position than Gillispie was, even back in 2007. Most Kentucky fans, believing

The Conscience of the King

Photo: Joe Murphy/Getty Images

Then, word came. It would actually happen. John Calipari, despite an emotional last-ditch effort by Memphis that would significantly exceed the monetary offer of Kentucky, decided to move to the Bluegrass State and coach the program that Adolph Rupp built. In the end, John Calipari could not resist the power of the seed that had been planted all those years ago, back in 1991 in Rupp Arena in a blowout loss that should have left him smarting, but instead left him hungry. It wasn’t about the money, he would have made more by staying in Memphis. It was all about the program, the history, the legacy. It was about Kentucky. “I didn’t want to live a life where I regretted, ‘Why didn’t I do this?’ To be in the best situation to coach basketball in the country, maybe the world, to coach basketball right here in Lexington,” he told the media at his hiring press conference. But if all that was a bombshell, it was nothing compared to the time bomb that had been planted back in 2007, in Detroit.

Memphis. The player was certified by the Clearinghouse, but these allegations called into question whether the player should have been eligible to play at Memphis that year. John Calipari apparently disclosed fully all the details of this NCAA Letter of Inquiry to the University of Kentucky prior to his hiring. University of Kentucky president Dr. Lee Todd told the media, “We talked with several people and thoroughly exercised due diligence during the process of hiring Coach Calipari. We asked the right questions. Coach Calipari was forthcoming and honest about the NCAA inquiry at the University of Memphis during the interview process.” As the fact of the NCAA investigation was revealed to the general public, it was revealed that the NCAA had assured Calipari that he was not at risk of sanction or under suspicion of misbehavior, but it asked the coach to answer questions at the hearing, which Calipari did by telephone from China, where he was visiting at the time. The subsequent Memphis response and ruling, which The Player to be Named Later finally came down from the NCAA on August 20, produced a public report which indicated several things: “I’m the player to be named later.” • The facts of the case decisively pointed to Derrick Rose —“Crash” Davis, Bull Durham as the unnamed player. He is still officially unnamed. • The NCAA found, and the school agreed, that Reggie Shortly after John Calipari’s arrival in Lexington, news broke Rose, Derrick’s brother, was provided impermissible that a player who played at Memphis during the 2007–08 run benefits in the form of unreimbursed travel expenses to the final game was being investigated by the NCAA for alamounting to $1,713.85. Since that benefit was rendered legations that he did not actually take the Scholastic Aptitude to a family member, Rose was declared ineligible from Test (SAT) that records showed he took in Detroit. That SAT the first day of those benefits forward, starting from was among the credentials used by the NCAA Clearinghouse December 14, 2007. to certify the unnamed player to accept a scholarship to • The Educational Testing Service (ETS) canceled Rose’s SAT score on May 5, 2008, despite not having proof of its concerns that Rose did not take the exam. The NCAA reasoned that by dint of this fact, Rose was ineligible for the entire 2007–08 season. The NCAA ordered Memphis to vacate all wins Rose participated in during the 2007–08 season, which was all 38 of them. The fallout from this report generated many articles highly critical of John Calipari, a number of them calling for some kind of sanction against Calipari despite the fact he has never been implicated as a participant in a single major NCAA violation in his entire career. John Calipari’s involvement with the two NCAA scandals, regardless of his apparent lack of culpability, has John Calipari’s winning ways in Memphis and recruiting prowess were food for severely damaged his reputation, howbeleaguered Wildcat fans’ souls. ever unfairly or even irrationally.

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the coach and players

Back to the Future “I don’t scratch my head unless it itches and I don’t dance unless I hear some music. I will not be intimidated. That’s just the way it is.” —Coach Herman Boone, Remember the Titans

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Derrick Rose, who would be the #1 NBA Draft pick in 2008, was the key to Memphis’s successful run to the national final. eastern Kentucky mountains, the horse farms of its Bluegrass region, and a little horse race held annually in Louisville that some people think is a pretty big deal. Kentuckians grew up with basketball, and it is part of the soul of this state just a couple of decades removed from listening to the dulcet tones of Cawood Ledford’s radio broadcasts even as most states were watching the games on cable. Basketball is in the DNA of every Kentucky-born man, woman, and child, and Kentucky basketball is the traditional manifestation of that genetic trait. Wildcat fans care very much who stands as the custodian of our favorite pastime, and the Commonwealth has embraced a displaced Pennsylvanian in that role, a man from a state that is not that different from Kentucky in its rural essence. John Calipari has been welcomed to Kentucky with open arms, and he has welcomed us back with the energy, personality, and boundless optimism that is the new archetype of a Kentucky Wildcats head men’s basketball coach. The future looks so bright, sunglasses are flying off the shelves in Kentucky. And John Calipari is the reason. MSP Glenn Logan is a lifelong University of Kentucky basketball fan. He is a small business owner, freelance writer, and managing editor of the SB Nation University of Kentucky weblog ASeaOfBlue.com, one of the largest and most popular UK fan sites on the Internet.

Photo: Joe Murphy/Getty Images

The past. The future. They are the things that we write about, particularly in sports. John Calipari’s past is full of success, winning, and association with some unfortunate incidents that have colored his present. The present, the now, is the reality all Kentucky fans must live with. Rick Pitino famously said many times while Kentucky’s coach, “Live in the precious present.” Where we are in the precious present is about to enter a season with what is arguably one of the most talented collections of players ever assembled in Kentucky’s long and storied history. The reason for that assembly is not just Kentucky’s history, or its fans, or wonderful facilities. Instead, it is mostly because of John Calipari’s recruiting prowess, his recent success at Memphis, his past success at UMass, and his familiarity with the NBA. All these things from the past have combined to create the Wildcats’ present, which is now inextricably intertwined with that of John Calipari. Many have doubts about Calipari’s ethics, his associations, and his methods. What nobody doubts are his results, but the ends cannot justify the means in college athletics, particularly at Kentucky. Kentucky has had compliance failures in the past, but eventually (and 20 years since the last basketball infractions would seem to be a good time), we have to let go of the past and face the future. John Calipari has never had a major infraction imputed to him, and at some point we all must recognize that means something, particularly when there are so many lauded and idolized coaches who do have NCAA infractions on their records. It may not be popular among the sportswriters, nor many other commentators on college basketball, but the truth is, Calipari’s record is only tainted by association with scandal, not participation in it. That is a distinction with a difference, and John Calipari has not allowed the sports media to intimidate him. In the long history of Kentucky basketball, it’s hard to recall a time when so much excitement surrounded this program, save perhaps the 1977–78 and 1995–96 national championship years. Kentucky fans are excited about the team, the prospects for the future, and the imminent return to the national conversation after four long years of wandering the desert of anonymity and irrelevance. It has been said that in Kentucky, basketball is a religion, but it isn’t. Basketball is, however, very close to the heart of a rural state that has no professional sports teams and precious little to cheer about other than the rugged beauty of the

Regaining the Swagger Kentucky lands the top recruiting class in America. Now what? by Chris Diggs

hat is the first word that comes to your mind when you hear “Kentucky basketball?” Tradition? Fans? Rupp? Championships? If you are a fan of the program, it’s pretty safe to assume the one word you wish would be back on the tongues of national analysts is “swagger.” It has been five seasons since Kentucky inked a top-five recruiting class and four seasons since they have made it out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. But the Kentucky fan base is as optimistic as they come. No matter the circumstances or personnel, the fans always seem to find a ray of hope in each and every season. And, if previous seasons showed only rays of hope, the 2009–10 campaign is a blinding light. On April 1, 2009, Kentucky welcomed John Calipari, one of the nation’s most successful and charismatic coaches

and a proven recruiter of some of the nation’s elite young players, into the Big Blue Nation. Within 90 days of his hiring, the class that could put the program back on the national map and regain that all important swagger was fully signed. It included the #1, #2, #22, #23, and #40 players in the recruiting class of 2009 according to Rivals.com, as well as a rising junior college transfer. Coming into late March, many thought the 2009 class was set. Then-coach Billy Gillispie had signed three players that addressed a few of the program’s immediate needs, landing national letters of intent from Texas point guard G.J. Vilarino, Kentucky forward Jon Hood, and Oklahoma big man Daniel Orton. But changes came when Gillispie was dismissed as head coach on March 27. Five days later, the overall recruiting landscape changed not only at Kentucky, but nationally.

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the coach and players basketball IQ, and ability to score. If Hood develops into half of the player Sheppard became, UK fans will be very happy with this Kentucky Mr. Basketball. Jon Hood Needs: develop speed, gain weight, work on defense

Jon Hood makes a no-look pass in the 2009 Kentucky Derby Festival Classic. With those changes, there were some roster casualties. The first was Vilarino, who was allowed out of his letter of intent and later landed at Gonzaga. However, the foundation of the original class was kept with Hood, Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball, and top-five nationally ranked center Orton.

Jon Hood Hood, from Madisonville, Kentucky, is an athletic 6'6" scorer who can shoot from the outside and hit the midrange jumper with consistency. But one of his biggest assets is his ability to get to the basket. At Madisonville North Hopkins, Hood was a one-man team over the past two seasons. Averaging 29.4 points and 12.9 rebounds per game, he was not only the focal point for opponents’ defenses, but for his team’s success. Truthfully, Hood was what Jimmy Chitwood was to Hickory High in Hoosiers. Without him, the Maroons were nothing more than a normal western Kentucky high school team. Being the only real weapon for the Maroons, defenses double- and triple-teamed him each time he set foot on the floor. Hood was challenged, having to deal not only with multiple defenders, but the physical play many defenses put on him to wear him down. Each time, Hood succeeded. Hood brings in a high basketball IQ, an intense work ethic, a little bit of swagger, and comparisons to former highflying UK greats Rex Chapman and Jeff Sheppard. While the comparisons to Chapman should be appreciated, Hood’s game compares more favorably to that of Sheppard. There are a lot of similarities: athletic ability, above the rim style,

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After a tough recruiting battle with Kansas, Kentucky landed a much-needed true center in Daniel Orton from Oklahoma. At 6'10" and 255 pounds, Orton gives Kentucky a traditional big man with great tools. No matter which national recruiting analyst you speak with, they all praise Orton’s footwork, soft hands, and passing abilities. Ranked in the top ten to fifteen before the 2008–09 season began, Orton fell only slightly at the end of the year rankings after he spent the entire season, except for the state tournament, sidelined as a result of knee surgery. His play in his previous three seasons at Bishop McGuiness and on the AAU circuit showed the nation’s top evaluators that even with a year off, Orton deserved a top-25 ranking nationally and a top-five spot among centers. He was even announced to the 2009 Jordan Brand All-Star Game in March as one of the top high school players in the class. In his junior season, Orton averaged 14 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks per game while helping the Fighting Irish win their third consecutive OSSAA 4-A State Championship. As a throwback to the old days of low-post centers, Orton brings Kentucky a powerful presence down low. He is not the type of guy to float outside of the lane or look to shoot the 15-footer. He is a true low-block banger who has explosive moves and can score through contact, rebound effectively, and block shots. Because of those skills, one could really see Orton succeeding in John Calipari’s Dribble-Drive Motion offense with any personnel. His ability to pass effectively out of the low post to a spot-up shooter or a slasher truly gives Kentucky a versatile post man with the inside-outside game they so desperately needed last season. Daniel Orton Needs: more post moves, defense

DeMarcus Cousins John Calipari finished off the 2009 class with four players, three of whom were ranked in the top 35 by most recruiting services. DeMarcus Cousins, the #2 player in the country according Rivals.com, was Calipari’s first official signee. Cousins, a 6'11", 260-pound center from Mobile, AL, had verbally committed to Alabama-Birmingham before changing that verbal to Calipari at Memphis. After Calipari’s arrival at Kentucky, Cousins didn’t take long to follow. A McDonald’s All-American and a member of the USA Junior Team, Cousins is one of the top players, no matter the

Photo on previous page: Ned Dishman/Getty Images Photo this page: Jonathan Roberts/Kentucky Derby Festival Basketball Classic

Daniel Orton

Regaining the Swagger position, nationally. He has the ability to step out and shoot the ball effectively while also having the footwork and hands to be successful in the post. Unlike Orton, Cousins is not your prototypical big man. He can run the floor well, pass from the top of the key and the post, and cause match-up problems for defenders, especially when playing the perimeter. He showcased a lot of those skills in this year’s McDonald’s All-American Game where he showed his ability to knock down the outside jump shot, rebound effectively, and get the ball where it needed to be. In 17 minutes, Cousins scored 14 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and went 6-9 from the field. The one consensus area of improvement for Cousins is his tendency to loaf. He has developed a reputation as a player that takes plays off or lets his emotions dictate his game speed, allowing his disappointments to control his play. These things usually change when a player gets to college and the game gets a little more challenging, but it will be something to watch for. Cousins is one of three players on this current roster that has the ability to be a lottery pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. DeMarcus Cousins Needs: defense, consistent jump shot, attitude

Daniel Orton, a great post passer with great hands and an NBA body, was Jon Hood’s gold team teammate in the 2009 Kentucky Derby Festival Classic.

Photo: Jonathan Roberts/Kentucky Derby Festival Basketball Classic

Darnell Dodson Another Memphis connection soon followed Cousins to Kentucky: junior college transfer Darnell Dodson. Originally committed to Pittsburgh in 2008, Dodson was forced to go the junior college route when he failed to qualify academically with the NCAA Clearinghouse. Dodson entered Miami Dade College, a junior college in Florida, and redshirted last season in order to get his academics in order. Because of that, he will have three years of eligibility left at Kentucky. He is a versatile player, who at 6'7" and 215 pounds can play multiple positions on the floor, from the two to the four. His high school coach at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Maryland calls him the “best pure shooter” he has ever coached. In his senior year, Dodson averaged 15.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.9 steals, and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 43% from behind the arc in helping lead Roosevelt to the state Class 4A championship game. One of the major positives in Dodson’s game is that he can spot up and shoot but also has the ability to slash to the basket and pull up for the midrange jumper. He has a consistent shot from 20–22 feet and has a very solid midrange game. A lot of folks believe he will be looked at to replace Jodie Meeks’s perimeter game and ability to score. One of the aspects of Dodson’s game that he has worked on, and needs to continue, is his strength. At 215 pounds, he probably needs to gain a little more weight to make it through an entire conference schedule. Darnell Dodson Needs: defense, strength, speed

Eric Bledsoe The biggest complaint over the past two seasons has been the lack of a true point guard and floor general. John Calipari addressed that need in a big way by signing two of the best in the country. The first was Alabama’s Eric Bledsoe, the third-rated point guard in 2009 according Rivals.com, whose stock rose tremendously during the summer before his senior season. At 6'1" and 190 pounds, Bledsoe is your prototypical pass-first point guard with great court vision, lightning quick speed, and an ability to get into the lane and create for teammates. That speed also translates over to the defensive side of the ball where he forces opposing guards to play his game while dictating their style. More than anything, Bledsoe’s major gift is his court leadership. He plays at a high level from tip to horn and demands the same from his teammates. Last season, Bledsoe led Birmingham’s Parker High School with 20.3 points, 11.5 assists, and 9.4 rebounds on a team that marched all the way to the Alabama state high school basketball championship. On the way there, Bledsoe’s Parker team upset nationallyranked LeFlore High School, which had a future teammate in DeMarcus Cousins on the roster. In that game, Bledsoe led Parker with 17 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks on its way to a 52–39 semifinal win. Parker eventually lost to Butler High School, 55–45, in the state championship.

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the coach and players If there ever was a point guard suited for the DribbleDrive Motion offense, Bledsoe is it. His ability to get up and down the floor, create for teammates, and more importantly, lead, makes him a guy that will see a lot of minutes as a freshman, even with John Wall on the roster. If there is one thing he needs to develop, it is his shooting. His midrange shot is decent but he struggles from the perimeter. Fixing that will truly make him the complete package at the point. Eric Bledsoe Needs: shooting

John Wall

John Wall demonstrates the moves that made him the Rivals.com #1 player in the nation at the 2009 Jordan Brand All-American Classic. has to watch for Wall to make a direction change on a dime. Wall was a fast-riser after his junior year of high school and has made a name for himself among NBA scouts and general managers. His athletic ability, physical tools, and defensive abilities have made him one of the most talked about graduating seniors since LeBron James. Wall needs to improve his shooting, something that got better throughout his senior year. Still, outside of about 18 feet, his percentages drop. Look for Wall to be a one-and-done player at Kentucky, he is that good. John Wall Needs: shooting, slowing down The recruiting landscape at Kentucky has changed and the rest of the nation can see this. Scout.com’s Dave Telep told the Raleigh News and Observer, “This is old school Kentucky right now and the rest of the country has been served notice.” Shortly after his hiring at UK, Calipari noted that he wanted to get the Kentucky brand back and make opposing coaches leave in frustration when Kentucky walks into the gym to recruit a kid. If this class is any indication of what is to come, he has done just that. MSP

Eric Bledsoe also played in the 2009 Kentucky Derby Festival Classic. Bledsoe has a great handle, can pass, and gets to the rim off the bounce. 96 | Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010

Chris Diggs is a native Louisvillian who was lucky enough to be born on the right side of the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry. While a history major at the University of Indiana Southeast, he developed a passion for sportswriting and media. He started out writing for WildcatNation.net six years ago before he was fortunate enough to land an internship with WHAS11 Sports in Louisville. That position led him to a spot with the Louisville CourierJournal as a blogger on Kentucky athletics. He has been writing for the Courier-Journal for the last four and a half years.

Top photo: Ned Dishman/Getty Images Bottom photo: Jonathan Roberts/Kentucky Derby Festival Basketball Classic

The jewel of the 2009 class was Raleigh, NC point guard John Wall, rated the #1 player in the nation by Rivals.com. At 6'4" and 195 pounds, many would have penciled Wall in as this year’s #1 NBA Draft pick if high school seniors were eligible. One of the most talked about and touted players nationally, Wall is a definite program changer. Recruited by all the major powers in college basketball, Wall waited until late May to make his decision between Kentucky, Duke, and Miami. His size and athletic ability have drawn comparisons to former Memphis guard Derrick Rose, last year’s NBA Rookie of the Year. Both have exceptional court vision, can blow by defenders, and get to the basket and finish above the rim. Like Bledsoe, Wall is excellent at getting his teammates involved, finding ways to get the ball where it needs to go. Most scouts were amazed during the USA Junior Team practices in May, where he showed off his open-court speed and explosive first step. His skills make it difficult to guard him one-on-one. The defender is constantly off balance and

The Heart of a Wildcat Kentucky’s 2009–10 Seniors by Ken Howlett

eniors are the anchor of any college basketball program. It often takes four years for college players to fully mature and reach their potential, and teams always look to the experience of seniors for leadership and stability when the going gets tough. Kentucky is very fortunate to have two seniors who were significant contributors last season returning to the 2009–10 team: Perry Stevenson and Ramon Harris. Both figure to contribute not just to scoring and defense, but to be the battletested heart of the Wildcats.

Ramon Harris When Ramon Harris first took the floor for the University of Kentucky in a game versus Santa Clara on December 19, 2006, the 6'7" small forward was considered by most UK fans to be a mystery man. A mystery man because no one knew much of

anything about the Alaska native. Harris did, after all, join the team in December of 2006, which might be why his arrival caught many by surprise. He wasn’t a high school All-American. He wasn’t a high profile recruit, and prospects not considered top tier who arrive on campus in December tend to not light the fire of interest under the fannies of UK supporters. But as the season progressed, UK fans learned that Harris had won the prestigious Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year Award, and they learned why Tubby Smith recruited him to UK: defense. It was obvious to anyone watching that he excelled on the defensive end of the floor. Going into Harris’s second season at UK, fans and pundits alike were not sure what role the defensive ace would play. So, when Harris suffered a stress fracture in pre-season practice, not many were consumed with worry. But, after recovering from his injury, Harris played 21 minutes versus Stony Brook,

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Ramon Harris has developed some scoring potential to go along with his outstanding defense. and gained his first collegiate starting assignment against North Carolina in UK’s very next contest. Billy Gillispie’s love of hard-nosed defense, and Harris’s all-out, all-the-time effort, ensured the sophomore would see considerably more playing time (22.6 minutes per game) in the 2007–08 season. Harris’s role evolved into being the man assigned to the opponent’s best, or hottest, player. But the “pass first, shoot second” mentality that Harris has possessed for nearly his entire basketball career began to fade ever so gently away. Although not a great ball-handler, Harris did manage to make 50.7% of his shot attempts in his sophomore season, and he showed a propensity for making three-point shots by drilling 36.0% of his tries (9-25). Harris’s sophomore year, in which he started 25 games, was highlighted by a career-high 12 points to go along with five rebounds and three steals in UK’s epic battle versus Tennessee in early March of 2008, a battle that did not include the injured Patrick Patterson. And even though Kentucky lost to UT 63–60, the intense desire to win displayed by Harris and the other Wildcats, despite adversity, brought tears to the eyes of longtime UK equipment manager, the late Bill Keightley. For his sophomore season, Harris averaged 4.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. Speculation heading into Harris’s junior year was that he would continue to play the defensive-stopper role as well as

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supply some outside shooting and rebounding help to a UK team in desperate need of all three. Harris’s season certainly began strong, as he scored a career-high 16 points in UK’s first game of the year versus VMI. Although UK, surprisingly lost the game, Harris showed he was unafraid to take shots. Then things began to go terribly wrong for the personable Harris. In the first six minutes of UK’s tilt versus Lamar in Rupp Arena, Harris violently collided with teammate Michael Porter as both hustled for a loose ball. Harris, who lay motionless on the floor for several minutes, sustained a concussion, and severe head and neck injuries. He would miss five of the next seven games, and played only 15 total minutes in the two games he appeared in. Harris, though, announced his presence with authority as he returned from his injuries by playing 29 minutes in UK’s January 10, 2009 contest against Vanderbilt. He scored 12 points on 5-5 shooting (2-2 three-pointers) with nine rebounds. Then, in late January, Harris fainted at halftime in UK’s road game at Alabama. With his teammates anxiously glancing back toward the locker room as they warmed up for the second half, Big Blue Nation waited, concerned. The cause of the episode was never publicly released, and Harris played three days later at Ole Miss. In the nine games following the Alabama game Harris would average only 2.8 points per game, compared to the 6.4 he was averaging prior to the episode. His rebounding numbers didn’t wane, though, as he averaged 4.3 boards per game, which was a full rebound more than his average going into the ’Bama contest. True to form, Harris began to show the fire of competitiveness, and confidence, over the last seven games of the season. In that time, he averaged 7.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, considerably higher than the 5.5 points and 3.8 rebounds he averaged on the year. Harris significantly raised his assists per game totals from 1.2 (on 32 assists) his sophomore year, to 1.6 (49 assists) in his junior campaign, while making an amazing 61.4% of his two-point attempts. All numbers that will surely catch the eye of new UK head coach John Calipari. From mystery man, to solid contributor, Ramon Harris has run the gamut of emotions in his three and a half years in Lexington. With his defensive tenacity and newfound offensive prowess in the 2008–09 season, the Alaskan should prove to be a valuable tool in John Calipari’s arsenal this year.

Perry Stevenson When Kentucky fans first got a gander at the 6'9", 195-pound Lafayette, LA native, a common theme ran through the minds of the Big Blue faithful, “This guy makes Tayshaun Prince look like he needs to visit Jenny Craig.” Perry Stevenson arrived on campus as a two-time All-State player out of the talent rich Pelican State. Stevenson averaged

Photo on previous page: Chris Graythen/Getty Images Photo this page: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

the coach and players

Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The Heart of a Wildcat a triple-double his junior year, and culminated his high school career with quite an impressive stat line: 15 points, 11 rebounds, 10 blocks, and four assists per game. UK coach Tubby Smith wasn’t the only one interested in the shot-blocking machine as LSU, Georgia Tech, Texas, Texas Tech, and Wake Forest all pursued Stevenson. Stevenson came out of the gate like a true thoroughbred his freshman season, scoring in double-digits twice in his first six games (10 points against UCLA, and 14 against College of Charleston), and recording seven blocks in his initial college game against Miami of Ohio. Catching the eye of Wildcat fans was the fact that Stevenson, in the games against UCLA and Charleston, made 10-10 field-goal attempts. Although Stevenson’s minutes dropped after his first 12 games as a ’Cat (from 15 to 7.1 minutes per game), his drop in production was precipitous, mostly due to his lack of offensive confidence and defensive competence (only three steals in 330 minutes). He ended his freshman year by averaging 2.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and .8 blocks per game. Stevenson began his sophomore year (2007–08) the same as his teammates; with a new head coach. Billy Gillispie brought with him to UK a reputation for playing ruggedly strong defense, and because of this, many wondered how Stevenson would fit in the Texan’s game plan. Through the first 13 Kentucky ballgames, Stevenson only averaged 15.8 minutes per game, confirming the questions some UK fans had about the feasibility of his game in Gillispie’s system. As in his freshman year, he seemed lost on defense at times and bereft any offensive confidence. In that 13-game span, Stevenson posted 4.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and .6 blocks per game. More disturbing was the forward’s turnover problem—20 in 13 games, much too high for a non-guard playing less than 16 minutes per contest. But Gillispie, sensing something in the sophomore’s game, began playing Stevenson more minutes, and in the final 18 games of the year his production began to rise. In those 18 games Stevenson averaged 30.6 minutes and recorded 7.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. To the dismay of ’Cats fans everywhere, Patrick Patterson went down with a foot injury with three regular season games remaining. With a road game at Tennessee, an absent Patrick Patterson, and an NCAA bid on the line, Perry Stevenson had the game of his life: 4-8 field goals, 5-6 free throws, 13 points, 14 rebounds (six offensive), two blocks, and only one turnover. Although UK didn’t pull out the victory that night, losing 63–60, Stevenson’s performance under duress left many Kentucky fans feeling comfortable with the prospect of Perry filling in for the injured Patterson for the remainder of the season. Fill in he did, and quite admirably. Over UK’s final five games of the 2008 season, Stevenson averaged 9.4 points, 9.0

Perry Stevenson demonstrates why his field-goal percentage is so high. rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and made 15-18 free throws (83.3%). This after coming into the road game at Tennessee averaging 5.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Stevenson’s late-season leap in production gave Kentucky fans reason for optimism going into the 2008–09 season. But Stevenson seemed to settle into a role as second fiddle to Patrick Patterson as the year progressed. At times, Stevenson showed flashes of offensive potential by recording 12 doubledigit scoring games including four double-doubles, but by his own admission, his focus was sometimes lacking. He did, though, average 1.9 blocks per game, which was good for fourth in the SEC. In a season of disappointment for all UK fans, Perry Stevenson rode the rollercoaster of inconsistency. But as in his sophomore season, he ended the campaign strong. Over the final five games of the year, Stevenson averaged 9.8 points per game after averaging 7.4 during the first 31 contests. Once again, this should give UK fans hope, hope that the Louisiana native, now up to a svelte 207 pounds, will fit snugly into coach John Calipari’s system. MSP Ken Howlett is an editor at the SB Nation University of Kentucky blog ASeaOfBlue.com and a freelance sportswriter for Topper Nation Magazine and HighSchoolZone–The Magazine.

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History and

The Mighty Casey Kentucky Says Farewell to a Wildcat Legend by Ken Howlett

n the long and illustrious history of Kentucky basketball, there stands out among the crowd of so many great players a select few who deserve the title “Pillar of the Program.” Mike Casey is one of those few. Along with Casey’s spectacular on-court achievements, his life-long love affair with the Kentucky basketball program was instrumental in his selection into this elite group. Casey’s inclusion in this special cadre of players is partly due to his being “Kentucky born.” That phrase is, and always has been, a favorite of UK fans. They love their Wildcats, but they canonize the Kentucky-born greats. Mike Casey, straight out of Shelby County, epitomizes that longstanding sentiment felt by so many diehard Big Blue faithful. Because of this, Casey’s legacy is and always will be one that begins in small town Kentucky and ends in a life filled with friendships and adulation, borne out of Casey’s greatness while wearing jersey #34. This is a tale of Mike Casey.

Genesis As with most kids growing up in Kentucky in the 1950s and 1960s, Casey dreamed of playing for legendary coach Adolph Rupp and the University of Kentucky Wildcats. For Casey, the journey began in 1958. The gangly nine-year-old boy from Simpsonville, Kentucky had just witnessed a Vernon Hatton-led UK national championship game victory over Seattle and Elgin Baylor, 84–72. Casey, in an interview with ASeaOfBlue.com just weeks prior to his untimely death, remembered it this way, “I had it in my mind to attend UK after watching the Fiddlin’ Five in 1958. I told my dad, ‘If I ever play college ball, I want to go to UK.’”

Tradition

Mike Casey shows his vertical.

In a testament to his amazing basketball skills, Casey led Shelby County to the Kentucky Sweet 16 championship game two years in a row (1965 and 1966). His junior year, the Rockets lost to a Butch Beard-led Breckenridge County team, but in Casey’s senior season his team proved to be the sweetest of the Sweet 16, capturing the crown he coveted: Kentucky High School basketball champions. In a tournament fraught with close contests, Casey’s Rockets won their first three games by an average of only three points. But close wins or not, on to the championship game the Rockets traveled, only to face one of the perennial powerhouse programs in the state, Louisville Male. Ironically, on the same night that Rupp’s Runts lost to Texas Western in the college national championship game that inspired Glory Road, Mike Casey and his Rockets defeated Male in the Sweet 16 title tilt, 62–57. Casey, who scored a team-high 23 points, was fittingly named Most Valuable Player. That accolade was only the beginning of his many personal triumphs. Only a few weeks later, after averaging 28 points and 12 rebounds per game in his senior season, the 6'4" guard received the ultimate honor bestowed on a Commonwealth high school hoop star: Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball.

Casey’s UK teammate and longtime friend, All-American Mike Pratt, supports that claim, “He was born to play at UK. It meant so much to him. He grew up such a big fan. He fit at Kentucky like a hand into a glove.” Casey’s long-held desire to play for the ’Cats is perhaps one reason his time in Lexington was so special to him. He was a “Kentucky boy” who grew up rooting for Bob Burrow, Cotton Nash, Johnny Cox, and Louie Dampier, along with so many others. He grew up, ear firmly pressed to the radio, listening to Cawood Ledford magically turn radio waves into sweet, victorious music. Casey’s sister, Masha Miller, recalled their youth like this, “I remember us living on my granddaddy Henry Smith’s farm in Finchville. We didn’t have a TV, so we gathered around a big radio to listen to the UK ballgames. That was our entertainment. Mike told our daddy he wanted to play for Adolph Rupp and the Wildcats.” But before Casey donned the blue and white of Kentucky, he first had some serious business to attend to at Shelby County High School. Playing for Rockets coach Bill Harrell, Casey, along with teammate and future Wildcat Bill Busey, put together one of the great stretches of success in Kentucky high school basketball history. Over the course of their junior and senior years at Shelby County, Casey and Busey orchestrated a 63–3 record. Quite an accomplishment when one considers the extremely high level of high school competition in the state of Kentucky at that time.

Mike Casey handling the rock.

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Photo on previous page: Collegiate Images/Getty Images Top photo this page: UK Athletics Bottom photo this page: UK Athletics

history and tradition

The Mighty Casey

Photo: UK Athletics

The UK Years Even though there was little doubt regarding his college destination, prior to his senior year at Shelby County, Casey told Kentucky assistant coach and chief recruiter, Joe B. Hall, if Kentucky would “leave him alone” during his senior year he would attend UK. Thankfully, Kentucky stayed away, and despite receiving over 200 collegiate offers, Casey kept his word. It was then on, on, to U of K for the raw-boned Rocket. Casey arrived at Kentucky in 1966, an integral part of a recruiting class that included UK greats Dan Issel, Mike Pratt, and Terry Mills. At the time, it was arguably the greatest recruiting class in UK history. Pratt came away quite impressed with his new teammate after their initial on-court meeting. “The first time I actually saw [Casey] play was in a pick-up game behind Hagan Hall,” Pratt said. “You could tell that he had a great instinct for the ball, and a terrific instinct for the game of basketball.” Pratt was also surprised at the adulation young Mr. Casey received from their fellow UK students, “Put it this way, when we walked across campus so many of the students knew Mike Casey. Back then there wasn’t a lot of out-of-state students. They knew him because of his great high school career. He was the guy.” Casey emphatically proved that point by leading the freshman team (freshman were ineligible to play varsity at that time), nicknamed the “Kittens,” to an 18–2 mark. One of Mike Pratt’s favorite memories of his friend took place their freshman season. The Kittens had made their way to Charleston, WV to play the Mountaineers freshman squad. Longtime Rupp assistant Harry Lancaster coached the young team, but on this night he was unable to make the trip, and Joe B. Hall was left with the coaching responsibilities. Hall, who was primarily a recruiter at the time, took his newfound head coaching duties very seriously. Pratt remembers, “We were playing at West Virginia, and there were 8,000 to 10,000 people in the stands. They played in this old gym, and we had to go up these stairs to get to the locker room. Well, Coach Hall gave a very inspiring pre-game speech. He only got to coach us twice, so he wanted to make a good impression on Coach Rupp. Plus, he recruited most of us, but never got to coach us. Casey, who usually sat in the back, was pumped up. He jumped up and grabbed a basketball, and was going to lead the team on to the court. He just went to the first door he could find, and led us all… into a broom closet. It was like a pile-up on the highway. It kind of took the steam out of us, but we won the game. Mike said he would never lead the team out of the locker room again.” Casey recovered from his freshman mishap, and in his sophomore season accomplished a feat that many diehard UK fans might not recall: He outscored UK’s all-time leading scorer, Dan Issel, for an entire season. Casey led the 1967–68

Casey on the drive. Wildcats (22–5) by scoring 20.1 points per game, to go along with 7.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. In UK’s first game of the 1967 season, Casey began asserting his talent without hesitation. In the game that christened Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, MI, UK faced a very talented Wolverines team led by future pro, Rudy Tomjanovich. Mike Pratt remembers Casey’s exploits with fondness, “First game of the year, and we went to Michigan. I had been ill, but Casey took over. He had 24 points. Casey came out and he was all over the floor; making shots, grabbing loose balls. That opening game versus Michigan set the tone for his career.” Issel, who averaged 16.4 points per game that year, has no illusions about how important Casey was to the Wildcat program. He told the Louisville Courier-Journal, “Mike Casey was one of the best players that ever played at UK… I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves.” Unfortunately, the 1968 season ended in disappointment for the young ’Cats, losing in the Midwest Regional final to Ohio State, 82–81. Casey followed up his outstanding sophomore year with another great effort in the 1969 season. The Wildcats finished the year at 23–5, and Casey averaged 19.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game.

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history and tradition Steele and Tom Parker back, with Casey at the guard spot. It’s just so hard to lose someone with that ability. I told someone the other day, it would be like the Big Red Machine [the Cincinnati Reds baseball team of the 1970s] losing [Johnny] Bench or [Pete] Rose. Offensively, someone with his experience would have gotten us through that Jacksonville game.” “That Jacksonville game” is of course the bane of all The Accident UK fans. Led by Artis Gilmore, Jacksonville put a stop to Casey, Pratt, Issel, and Mills came to UK as a group, but they Kentucky’s run toward another title in the Midwest Regional wouldn’t leave Kentucky together. final, 106–100. Even though both Dan Issel and Mike Pratt In the summer of 1969, after purchasing a brand new fouled out of the game, UK fought with every ounce of Camaro, Casey was on his way back to Shelby County when, energy and effort they could muster, coming up just short. just as he reached the second Shelbyville exit, the rear left tire The loss of Casey wasn’t lost on Coach Hall. Hall told of his new car blew out. Unable to control the automobile, he the Lexington Herald-Leader, “That was such a good team, and crashed into a pole, breaking his left leg in two places. Not Issel, Pratt, and Casey worked so well together. We thought just any break was this, no indeed—it was a double compound we had a team that could go the distance. What happened fracture. When UK coach Adolph Rupp heard the news, he with Mike was really sad.” So Casey sat, in anguish, and told the Lexington Herald, “Yesterday we had a brilliant chance watched his teammates lose a game that he knew they should of going all the way. Tonight, it’s not looking all that good.” have won. Then-assistant coach Joe B. Hall recently lamented, “Casey Casey’s senior season, 1971, was by historical UK missed what would probably have been his greatest year. He standards, very good. The team ended the year 22–6, with a played the game with all-out effort and total focus.” sparkling 16–2 SEC record. Casey, who by his own admission Most Kentucky fans will tell anyone who will listen that lost his quick first step, performed like a “bulldog on the Casey’s injury, and his resulting redshirt season, cost UK a floor,” according to Joe B. Hall. He averaged 17.0 points, 5.3 national championship in 1970. “Any way you look at it we rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, while shooting an amazing were set up for a huge year,” Mike Pratt said. “We had Larry 50.4% from the floor. But his excellent effort, along with Tom Parker, Tom Payne, Kent Hollenback, and Larry Steele’s considerable talents, was not enough to overcome a Western Kentucky University squad led by 6'11" former Allen County star Jim McDaniels, one of the best players to ever come out of Kentucky. UK lost to the Hilltoppers, 107–83, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Casey’s career notes are impressive, even to the most seasoned basketball experts: Career scoring average of 18.7 points per game; career rebound average of 6.8 per game; career assist average of 3.2 per game; career field goal percentage of 48.2%; and a career free-throw percentage of 78.5%. He scored 1,535 career points, 13th in Kentucky history (upon his graduation he was fifth all time). He was All-SEC three times, which only 25 other Wildcats can claim, and he was named to the All-NCAA Regional Team in 1968. Casey’s UK teams were a combined 67–16 (.807) overall, and 47–7 Mike Casey (34), Dan Issel (44), Mike Pratt (22), and coach Adolph Rupp. (.870) in SEC play.

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Photo: UK Athletics

Many Wildcat insiders theorize that Coach Rupp’s illness (diabetes) that season took away from the intensity and focus of the group. With “The Baron” not around the team as much as in previous years, they “didn’t take care of business” according to Pratt. The result was an 81–74 loss to Marquette in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Mighty Casey Adolph Rupp’s words, told to The Cat’s Pause, sufficiently sum up Casey’s career: “[He was] the best money player I ever coached. When there was money on the table, you wanted Mike Casey to have the ball in his hands.” When asked by ASeaOfBlue.com what his favorite memory of Coach Rupp was, Casey responded, “Him saying that I was the best money player that he ever coached was special. I appreciate it as time passes. For him to put me in the upper-echelon of players… that was pretty special.” Mutual admiration from two Kentucky legends.

Photo: Casey family

After UK After Casey left UK he was selected in the eighth round of the NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, but his injured left leg rendered him unable Mike Casey with his wife Joy and daughter Laura taken in July of 2008. to perform to the level of his preinjury days. He recovered, though, from the disappointment of his The last couple of years, with his heart, it was really hard on injury and went on to a highly successful career with Balfour, him. He’d say, ‘I’ve got no energy.’ He just couldn’t live the a manufacturer of class rings and graduation items. Casey life he had always lived.” traveled the Commonwealth, making friends as he went Upon Casey’s passing, Joe B. Hall told the Henderson along. Never afraid of conversation, he impacted the lives of Gleaner, “He was the consummate, aggressive, competitor. all he met, as well as the many Wildcat fans who only knew He didn’t have any weaknesses… It just kind of tears part of him through his exploits on the playing floor. Casey’s love of you away when you lose one that you’ve been so close to.” UK and the people of Kentucky might only be surpassed by In a recent interview, Hall added, “It was always exciting for the love he felt for his family, and his wife Joy. Simply put, it me to visit with Mike. When we had the opportunity to get may be his defining characteristic. together he exuded that spirit, you always felt better after Mike Casey lived the dream that so many young boys talking with him. He was so upbeat and positive. He was just in Kentucky have every night. From first shooting hoops an inspiration.” on the side of the family barn, to Sweet 16 champion, to So, how does the average UK fan say goodbye to a Mr. Basketball, to one of the greatest players in the history fallen Wildcat and hardcourt hero? I don’t have the answer of Kentucky basketball. Casey accomplished what only a to that most puzzling of questions. I have only this advice: handful of others have: Kentucky-boy running the gamut of Remember him often, remember him with fondness, remembasketball glory in his home state, and starring for its flagber him with a smile on your face, remember him with a ship university. basketball in your hand, and remember him with UK in your So the Commonwealth mourned on April 9, 2009, as heart. I think that’s how Mike Casey would want it. MSP Mike Casey left the Big Blue Nation much too soon. At only 60 years old, he suffered from congestive heart failure Ken Howlett graduated from Louisville Male High, attended the brought on by an infection he contracted in 1988. Mike Pratt University of Kentucky, and has been a lifelong UK fan along with his sadly recounted to the Lexington Herald-Leader the impact entire family. Ken is an editor at the SB Nation University of Kentucky Casey’s heart condition had on his life, “He loved to hunt, weblog ASeaOfBlue.com and a freelance sportswriter for Topper Nation Magazine and HighSchoolZone–The Magazine. loved to play golf with his clients, loved to work in his garden.

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Kentucky Honors Through the Years National Championships Year 1947-48 1948-49 1950-51 1957-58 1977-78 1995-96 1997-98

Coach Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Joe B. Hall Rick Pitino Orlando Smith

Retired Jerseys at the University of Kentucky

Won 36 32 32 23 30 34 35

Lost 3 2 2 6 2 2 4

Won 28 20

Lost 2 10

NIT Championships Year 1945-46 1975-76

Coach Adolph Rupp Joe B. Hall

Final Fours Year 1941-42 1947-48 1948-49 1950-51 1957-58 1965-66 1974-75 1977-78 1983-84 1992-93 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98

Coach Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Joe B. Hall Joe B. Hall Joe B. Hall Rick Pitino Rick Pitino Rick Pitino Orlando Smith

Won 19 36 32 32 23 27 26 30 29 30 34 35 35

Lost 6 3 2 2 6 2 5 2 5 4 2 5 4

SEC Tournament Championships Year 1932-33 1936-37 1938-39 1939-40 1941-42 1943-44 1944-45 1945-46 1946-47 1947-48 1948-49 1949-50 1951-52 1983-84 1985-86 1991-92 1992-93 1993-94 1994-95 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 2000-01 2002-03 2003-04

Coach Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Adolph Rupp Joe B. Hall Eddie Sutton Rick Pitino Rick Pitino Rick Pitino Rick Pitino Rick Pitino Orlando Smith Orlando Smith Orlando Smith Orlando Smith Orlando Smith

Won 21 17 16 15 19 19 22 28 34 36 32 25 29 29 32 29 30 27 28 35 35 28 24 32 27

Lost 3 5 4 6 6 2 4 2 3 3 2 5 3 5 4 7 4 7 5 5 4 9 10 4 5

Player Basil Hayden

No.

Height Position

Hometown

5'11"

G-F

Paris, KY

6'0"

Lexington, KY

Carey Spicer

6'1"

Lexington, KY

Forest Sale

6'4"

C-F

Harrodsburg, KY

John DeMoisey

6'4"

C-F

Walton, KY

Layton Rouse

6'1"

Ludlow, KY

Ken Rollins

6'0"

Wickliffe, KY

Alex Groza

6'7"

Martins Ferry, OH

Ralph Beard

5'10"

Louisville, KY

Wallace Jones

6'4"

F-C

Harlan, KY

Cliff Barker

6'2"

G-F

Yorktown, IN

Bill Spivey

7'0"

Warner Robins, GA

Cliff Hagan

6'4"

Owensboro, KY

Frank Ramsey

6'3"

Madisonville, KY

Lou Tsioropoulos

6'5"

Lynn, MA

Billy Evans

6'1"

F/G

Berea, KY

Gayle Rose

6'0"

Paris, KY

Jerry Bird

6'6"

Corbin, KY

Phil Grawemeyer

6'7"

Louisville, KY

Bob Burrow

6'7"

Wells, TX

Vernon Hatton

6'3"

Lexington, KY

Johnny Cox

6'4"

Hazard, KY

Cotton Nash

6'5"

C-F

Lake Charles, LA

Louie Dampier

6'0"

Indianapolis, IN

Pat Riley

6'4"

Schenectady, NY

Dan Issel

6'8"

Batavia, IL

Kevin Grevey

6'5"

Hamilton, OH

Jack Givens

6'4"

Lexington, KY

Rick Robey

6'10"

F-C

New Orleans, LA

Kyle Macy

6'3"

Peru, IN

Sam Bowie

7'1"

C-F

Lebanon, PA

Kenny Walker

6'8"

Roberta, GA

Deron Feldhaus

6'7"

Maysville, KY

John Pelphrey

6'7"

F-G

Paintsville, KY

Richie Farmer

6'0"

Manchester, KY

Sean Woods

6'2"

Indianapolis, IN

Jamal Mashburn

6'8"

Bronx, NY

Burgess Carrey

in chronological order

Pitino’s Bombinos

How a Group of Misfits and Leftovers Put the “Wild” Back in Wildcats by J.L. Weill

t doesn’t take much to root for a winning team. After all, it’s built into the champion dynamic: The more success you have, the more folks pay attention. Seems simple enough. Because no one forgets the victor (though in hindsight many winners in NCAA hoops history have turned out to be rather forgettable), championships are the standard by which all teams are judged—a truism for any Division I program, but especially if you’re a blueblood program the likes of Kentucky. How then to explain, 20 years ago, how a squad with a pedestrian 14–14 record, no national television exposure, no All-Americans, and no NCAA hopes became among the most beloved teams in the winningest NCAA basketball school’s storied history? The answer is as complex as it is integral to understanding the depths of fanship within the Big Blue Nation. It’s a concoction that is part redemption, part release, part gambler’s bluff, and all heart. And the glory of it all was that it was so organic, bursting as it was, full-throated from a people so hungry to feel good about their basketball boys again that they produced a tsunami of energy and audacity; one powerful enough to lift a bunch of hoops vagabonds to heights they never thought possible. In important ways, the story of Pitino’s Bombinos includes something innately Kentucky: the power of hard work and selflessness to overcome the barriers of class and stature. And it all started thanks to some motivational tactics from a most non-Kentucky personality. As natural as the fit seems in retrospect, the hurricane of ego and confidence that was Rick Pitino was a tough sell to many Kentuckians at first. Accustomed to the soft-spoken drawls of Joe B. Hall and Eddie Sutton, many fans felt the

Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010 | 107

intrusion of the brash New Yorker from the NBA was an act of desperation on the part of athletic director C.M. Newton. Despite a sterling resume, Pitino had never coached a “bigtime” NCAA program. Couple that with the region’s cultivated genteel distaste for braggadocio and self-promotion and Pitino looked to be a tough pill, indeed. The search for a coach to take over Kentucky’s decimated powerhouse had been a very public one, with rumors and commentary connecting several high-profile names to the open job. As the names continued to disappear from the list or be debunked as baseless innuendo, it became clear that the job wasn’t an attractive one for an established coach. In many ways, to an outsider, it was understandable. Sure, the Wildcats had nearly unequaled fan support and a massive home arena, but they also lacked quality players and were facing years of sanctions as part of what would likely be a painful rebuilding process back to competitiveness. That is not to mention the hit the Wildcats brand had taken. At the time, Kentucky basketball was synonymous with “cheating,” perhaps best evinced by the now-infamous May 29, 1989 Sports Illustrated “Kentucky’s Shame” cover. How do you recruit to a place no one wants to go? But if he wasn’t necessarily the first choice for the job, Pitino never wavered in his determination to return the program to prominence, or in his intention to do it sooner rather than later. Aided by an all-star team of assistants including future college coaching standouts Ralph Willard, Tubby Smith, Herb Sendek, and Billy Donovan, Pitino set out to show that

The brash young New Yorker: Rick Pitino was a shock to the system of the blue bloods in Kentucky. 108 | Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010

his rapid-fire, full-court offensive and defensive scheme would work at Kentucky as well as, if not better than, it had at his previous collegiate coaching stops at Boston University and Providence College. At Providence, Pitino had ridden Donovan—then a scrappy and heady shooter—all the way to the 1987 Final Four. Now, in 1989–90, he would attempt to build around another scrappy shooter, the Wildcats’ lone contributing senior, Derrick Miller. Miller, along with junior Reggie Hanson, were the only upperclassmen to stick around once the bad publicity and impending sanctions began to drag the Kentucky program down. Leading scorers Chris Mills and LeRon Ellis bolted to Arizona and Syracuse, respectively. Center Mike Scott transferred to Wake Forest, and Sean Sutton headed to Oklahoma State. Miller, coming off a season where he averaged more than 13 points per game, decided to play it out. Miller had always been effective at getting the ball in the basket, but he never seemed to gibe well with the conservative and defensive-minded Eddie Sutton, often winding up in the beleaguered coach’s doghouse. Miller had been the thirdleading scorer on Sutton’s final team, but now he would be the centerpiece of Pitino’s fun-and-gun game. And thankfully for Pitino, Miller was just the sort of conscience-lacking shooter the new coach needed to implement his offense. By the time the 1989–90 season had wrapped, the former role player had posted six games of 25 points or better, including the first 40-point game by a Wildcat in Rupp Arena. On the season, the Georgia string bean would total a team-leading 19-plus points per game, and an All-SEC first-team nod. Hanson was another skilled but overlooked player for the Blue and White. Standing just 6'7", the former power forward would be forced to man the middle for Kentucky that first Pitino year, matching up with such standout big men and future pros as LSU’s Shaquille O’Neal and Stanley Roberts, Indiana’s Lawrence Funderburke, Kansas’s Mark Randall, Florida’s Dwayne Schintzius, and Georgia’s Alex Kessler. But what Hanson couldn’t match with bulk he did with brains and speed. Showcasing an ability to take bigger men out on the perimeter, and to slice through cracks in the opponent’s frontline, the Somerset, Kentucky native bullied his way to more than 16 points a contest, nearly double his point total as a sophomore. These two known quantities would be asked to provide the leadership and all-out effort Pitino demanded, with Miller named team captain. But for all their brilliance, it wouldn’t be the contributions of the upperclassmen alone that would become so infectious for the UK faithful. Rather it was the emergence of a quartet of spunky sophomores that would lift an also-ran Kentucky squad to competitiveness.

Photo on previous page: Staff/Getty Images Photo this page: Rogers Photo Archive/Getty Images

history and tradition

Pitino’s Bombinos

Top photo: Robert Laberge/Getty Images Bottom photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Reggie Hanson, pictured here as a Tubby Smith assistant in 2003, was the man in the middle for the Bombinos. The four forgotten recruits who would later become known as “The Unforgettables” all had obvious flaws. None had been a first-tier recruit, and all four were expected to be the fill-in backups on a loaded roster. It could be argued, too, that Sutton had felt compelled to even recruit the three Kentucky schoolboy standouts. The fourth member of the crew hadn’t even played as a freshman due to bad grades. But Deron Feldhaus, Sean Woods, John Pelphrey, and Richie Farmer had that extra spark in their blood that can overcome perceived inadequacies. Each had been counted out, and each had persevered. And because of their dedication, loyalty, and sheer unwillingness to accept prescribed defeat, the four paid a price in blood and sweat, but ultimately gained the bigger prize in becoming Big Blue legends. Feldhaus, the son of a UK multi-sport standout, was a hard-working, brawny forward with enough shooting touch to fit into Pitino’s plans. Never fleet of foot or terribly athletic, the Mason County product instead relied on unyielding drive and a knack for being on the right side of the bounce to pour in over 14 points a game for Pitino’s motley bunch. He would also finish as the team’s second-leading rebounder. Richie Farmer was already a legend before he ever suited up in the Wildcat blue. Having led his Clay County High School to a state title and capped a stupendous prep career with over 2,500 career points, including a memorable 51 in a Sweet 16 state final. But as with many past and future Kentucky prep

stars, especially those from smaller or rural regions, Farmer was deemed too slow, too small, and lacking the athleticism to play at the highest level. But one thing Farmer did possess, however, was the knowledge of how to win and what role he had in his team doing so. Often the player with his hands on the ball in crunch time, Farmer was the team’s best free-throw shooter and one of its toughest defenders. John Pelphrey almost never made it to Lexington. With just one scholarship to offer, Eddie Sutton had initially opted for the beefier Feldhaus over Pelphrey. But it was the skinny, redheaded Pelphrey who would go on to be named Mr. Basketball in the state that season. After threatening to go to Louisville, a scholarship offer came and Pelphrey—a gangly, fiery, cerebral player from Paintsville—took it, only to ride the bench for much of his first season at UK. But like his fellow sophomores, the exodus of talent meant more opportunity for the sweet-shooting forward, and he made the most of it. Showcasing a scrappy all-around game, Pelphrey scored 13 points per game, was the third-leading rebounder, and the team’s co-leader in steals. He was also a coach on the court for Pitino, fitting since he would later go on to become a top assistant for Florida’s Billy Donovan, as well as an SEC head coach in his own right at Arkansas. The only one of the four Unforgettables from out of state, Indianapolis’s Sean Woods was a pass-first point guard, and the engine that kept Pitino’s Bombinos moving. Woods averaged

John Pelphrey, Arkansas’ new head coach, almost never made it to UK. Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010 | 109

Rick Pitino coaches Sean Woods, the Bombino who would one day author the penultimate shot in the classic Kentucky vs. Duke game in 1992. over 4.5 assists per game in each of his three seasons, finishing with what was then the third highest assist total in school history. Woods was also a lockdown defender with quick feet, something the plodding if hustling 1990 Cats sorely needed in the backcourt. The final scholarship player was the lone scholarship freshman, a boost off the bench named Jeff Brassow. Originally from Houston, Brassow provided a spark with his disarming athleticism and penchant for hitting the timely three-pointer. But while all this may seem rather perfect a setup now— those Kentucky boys hustling their guts out, those forgotten souls shining when their turns finally came—at the time it looked likely to be a train wreck. The players remaining were just expected to do their best to survive. Picked dead last in the SEC, few expected the tattered Cats to reach ten wins, much less provide much challenge for the league’s heavyweights. But challenge is exactly what the Bombinos did.

110 | Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010

Spurned on by a revved up home crowd, Rupp Arena became a nightmare for opposing teams. Having been coached themselves by the ever-meticulous Pitino, who knew that the crowd could provide him an effective extra defender when stoked to peak hysteria, the Rupp Arena fans were magnificent, roaring made threes and hounding opponents’ misses. Many former UK players and staff have since remarked that they have never witnessed a Kentucky crowd as loud or as giddy as those in that season’s home games. And it worked. By season’s end, the courageous Cats and their hardworking fan base had worked a flawless 8–0 home conference record, something no UK team had done in four years. Included in that run was what stands today as an all-time Wildcats classic: a 100–95 upset of powerful LSU. From a basketball standpoint, of course, there were plenty of low points. Any 14–14 season would have them, and this one, while different, certainly did. It may be most accurate to describe the 1989–90 season as a journey, for the players, the coaches, and the fans. For the coaches, there was the newness of the situation. Rick Pitino was coming off two NBA seasons, where he went from coaching the likes of Patrick Ewing and Gerald Wilkins to instructing Richie Farmer and Jeff Brassow. Consider that two-time Kentucky All-American Kenny Walker was only the tenth-leading scorer (per game) on Pitino’s last Knicks team. Now the new coach had to create a conference contender from spare parts. For the players, there was the double whammy of a new system and, for most of the squad, the adjustment to playing every game. Only seven players played more than 400 minutes that season, and of those only three had played as many the season before. This meant coming up with increased stamina and getting used to the physicality and speed of high-caliber NCAA basketball. In part because of these reasons, the season’s opening was a rough one. Included in the club’s 6–8 start were five losses in a row, a 150–95 embarrassment at the hands of the Kansas Jayhawks, and a 121–110 pasting by #24 North Carolina. But if those first 14 games represented a sort of belated punishment for the program and its fans—after all, none of the players or coaches implicated in the original scandal were even around to suffer the rotten fruits of their labors—then the last 14 offered a glimpse of the glory and exhilaration that was to come. Scoring was never the problem for these Cats. Thanks to a liberal use of the three-point line, Kentucky crossed the century mark five times in the opening nine games. The problem was, too often, so did their opponents. As the young Bombinos continued to learn Pitino’s defensive system, a high-pressure trapping game reliant principally on deflecting the ball via

Photo: Getty Images

history and tradition

Photo: Patrick Murphy-Racey/Getty Images

Pitino’s Bombinos frantic double-teams, the defense improved dramatically. After allowing at least 90 points seven times in their first 14 games, the frenetic Cats only surrendered that many points three times the remainder of the season, twice in wins. The improved defense also meant more winning, and thus a boost in confidence. It’s perhaps unsurprising now, knowing as much as we do about Rick Pitino’s mindset, that his coaching style works best when the players are performing at a supremely confident level. But the players who stuck around weren’t necessarily doing so because they were Rick Pitino worked his miracles by working harder than anyone—even on the officials. exceedingly loyal. Certainly they all wanted to succeed at Kentucky, but there weren’t many opportunities for the likes of of people showed up, but they felt like they needed to help us. Pelphrey, Feldhaus, or Farmer at similarly high-level programs. We needed their help, and they cheered beyond belief.” Additionally, the program was coming off its first losing season So now, a full 20 years later, with a flashy and exciting new in a half-century. Creating a winning atmosphere wasn’t supcoach trying to revive a moribund Kentucky brand once again posed to happen overnight. But thanks to the nexus of effort, (albeit one nowhere near the nadir of that time), it’s fitting that ability, and (dare we say) destiny, that’s exactly what happened. we pause to recall the team that reminded many UK fans what Kentucky rose to a season-high 9–5 in the SEC after it was they had fallen in love with in the first place. the stunner over LSU at Rupp before reality finally set in. Because, while it’s easy to fall in love with a winner, it Finishing with three of four league games on the road, an excan be dangerous. As a fan, you lose sight of the reasons you hausted Cats team with a thin bench went 1–3. But the team used to love the program. Why you turned down the TV of underdogs still managed to produce an unthinkable 10–8 sound and turned up the radio call. Why you knew every conference slate. Given the situation he inherited, the players recruit’s name, even the ones that got away. When you get that remained, and the schedule bequeathed him, Pitino was caught up in what your rankings should be and not what your nothing short of a miracle worker, and by all accounts he team’s character is, you can easily get lost on your way to the knew it, too. championship podium as you try to crane your neck to see But what’s most important in recalling that transformative who’s watching. campaign isn’t the outcome of games alone. It was the charBut for one year, no one outside the Bluegrass was even acter and determination shown by the never-quit boys in blue able to watch. And that year, the rest of the basketball world that marked the team as special and drew the fans back. It was missed one hell of a show. MSP the mixture of a fresh start with some old-fashioned Kentucky toughness that re-sparked the Big Blue faithful’s imagination. A graduate of the Brooklyn College MFA program in Creative Writing, J.L. And it was the infectious nature of Rick Pitino’s personality that Weill has covered college and professional basketball for over a decade, including as a staff writer for DraftExpress.com. His freelance work has turned what could have been a demanding and restless home also appeared in fiction and nonfiction journals. Creator of and contributor crowd into an unmitigated asset. to ASeaOfBlue.com, an online community and blog dedicated to University “That was a cool time there,” Pelphrey said in a 2009 inof Kentucky sports, he currently resides with his wife and young son in terview with Scout.com. “When probation hit, the same number Washington, DC.

Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010 | 111

2008â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2009 SEC S TAT S A N D S TA N D I N G S SCORING

STEALS

Player-Team

3FG

Pts

Avg/G

Player-Team

Steals

Avg/G

1. Jodie Meeks-UK

122

102

399

24.9

1. Devan Downey-SC

2.94

2. Marcus Thornton-LSU

118

363

22.7

2. Nick Calathes-UF

1.94

3. Devan Downey-SC

120

318

19.9

3. Anthony Brock-UA

1.85

4. Nick Calathes-UF

295

18.4

4. DeWayne Reed-AU

1.81

4. Terrico White-UM

106

295

18.4

4. Phil Turner-MS

1.81

Rebounding

ASSISTS

Player-Team

OFF

DEF

TOT

Avg/G

1. Korvotney Barber-AU

111

181

11.3

2. Michael Washington-AR

142

3. Patrick Patterson-UK

4. Jarvis Varnado-MS

5. Tasmin Mitchell-LSU

Player-Team

Assists

Avg/G

1. Nick Calathes-UF

6.19

8.9

2. Courtney Fortson-AR

5.13

120

8.6

3. Devan Downey-SC

4.69

131

8.2

4. Dee Bost-MS

4.44

129

8.1

5. Garrett Temple-LSU

3.88

Conference Standings

FREE THROW PCT (Min. 2.5 made per game)

Eastern Division Conference Team

W-L

Pct

Player-Team

Overall PA

W-L

Pct

1. Jodie Meeks-UK

FTA

Pct

102

114

.895 .893

South Carolina

10-6

.625

76.8

74.9

21-10

.677

78.2

71.3

2. Mikhail Torrance-UA

Tennessee

10-6

.625

75.2

71.8

21-13

.618

78.4

72.5

3. Terrance Woodbury-UG

.817

Florida

9-7

.563

76.8

72.3

25-11

.694

77.1

67.4

4. Marcus Thornton-LSU

114

. 789

5. Jermaine Beal-VU

.787

Vanderbilt

8-8

.500

69.6

70.8

19-12

.613

70.5

65.6

Kentucky

8-8

.500

70.7

67.8

22-14

.611

74.1

66.3

Georgia

3-13

.188

61.9

74.5

12-20

.375

64.9

69.9

FIELD GOAL PCT (Min. 5.0 made per game)

Western Division Conference Team

W-L

Pct

Overall PA

W-L

Pct

Player-Team

FGA

Pct

1. A. J. Ogilvy-VU

145

.559

LSU

13-3

.813

76.1

68.6

27-8

.771

74.8

66.2

2. Alex Tyus-UF

148

.547

Auburn

10-6

.625

72.7

68.2

24-12

.667

72.8

65.4

3. Tasmin Mitchell-LSU

110

204

.539

Mississippi State

9-7

.563

74.4

74.5

23-13

.639

74.4

68.9

4. Korvotney Barber-AU

154

.539

Alabama

7-9

.438

73.9

74.9

18-14

.563

73.4

70.4

5. Patrick Patterson-UK

179

.525

Ole Miss

7-9

.438

72.2

73.9

16-15

.516

72.7

72.3

Arkansas

2-14

.125

70.1

78.2

14-16

.467

74.6

73.8

TEAM SUMMARIES Team

PF-PA

Avg Score

Margin

FG-FGA

Pct

3FG-FGA

Pct

FT-FTA

Pct

RebF

RebA

Margin

Alabama

1183-1198

73.9-74.9

-0.9

420-945

.444

80-215

.372

263-373

.705

608

590

+1.1

Arkansas

1121-1252

70.1-78.2

-8.2

415-996

.417

108-356

.303

183-281

.651

557

609

-3.2

Auburn

1163-1092

72.7-68.2

+4.4

430-980

.439

121-358

.338

182-302

.603

583

594

-0.7

Florida

1229-1157

76.8-72.3

+4.5

443-955

.464

145-373

.389

198-284

.697

529

575

-2.9

Georgia

991-1192

61.9-74.5

-12.6

356-916

.389

108-325

.332

171-257

.665

588

600

-0.8

Kentucky

1131-1084 70.7-67.8

+2.9

385-846

.455

94-257

.366

267-347

.769

581

530

+3.2

LSU

1217-1097

76.1-68.6

+7.5

431-953

.452

93-262

.355

262-359

.730

636

562

+4.6

Mississippi State

1191-1192

74.4-74.5

-0.1

389-943

.413

156-427

.365

257-355

.724

574

639

-4.1

Ole Miss

1155-1182

72.2-73.9

-1.7

414-965

.429

117-352

.332

210-306

.686

634

572

+3.9

South Carolina

1228-1199

76.8-74.9

+1.8

450-1031

.436

123-337

.365

205-340

.603

550

659

-6.8

Tennessee

1203-1148

75.2-71.8

+3.4

444-955

.465

106-328

.323

209-324

.645

559

544

+0.9

Vanderbilt

1114-1133

69.6-70.8

-1.2

384-853

.450

94-284

.331

252-363

.694

587

512

+4.7

The Race to 2,000 Wins Kentucky and North Carolina are Neck and Neck in the Race to Reach the 2,000-Win Milestone by Jon Scott

ometime during midseason of the 2009–10 collegiate basketball schedule, a milestone will be reached when, for the first time in college basketball history, a program will record their 2,000th victory. For many years it looked like the University of Kentucky would be a shoo-in for the honor, given the significant lead in all-time wins they had amassed since the mid-1990s. Last year the UK athletic department launched a webpage dedicated to the event (www.ukathletics.com/w2k/), and lined up sponsorships for it during a time when Kentucky still enjoyed a comfortable lead, even though the Universities of North Carolina and Kansas had made up significant ground in recent years. Kentucky looked to have the race in a delicate but manageable position early in the 2008–09 season, but a late-season swoon put the cushion in jeopardy just as the 2,000-win mark is coming into sight. Missing out on an NCAA Tournament bid,

Kentucky received a gift when they accepted an NIT bid and turned that into two extra postseason victories. Meanwhile after the North Carolina Tar Heels won the 2009 national championship game, they stood only four games behind Kentucky in all-time victories 1,988 to 1,984. Kansas is also relatively close with 1,970 wins to their credit. In the coming season, Kentucky could potentially reach the mark as early as December 21 in a game at home against Drexel. But with a new coach in John Calipari to go along with a large group of talented but new players, it’s possible North Carolina could continue to make up ground and steal the prize if Kentucky struggles early in the season. The December 5 game between the two schools could prove pivotal. Many Wildcat fans may have grown accustomed to Kentucky being the all-time leader in victories. Kentucky, after all, has led for most years since 1968–69, with the only lapse

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occurring during the early 1990s. This was a time when UK was digging out from probation and the North Carolina Tar Heels overtook them for six years (only to see the Wildcats take back the #1 position later in the decade when Kentucky beat a Tim Duncan-led Wake Forest team in the 1996 NCAA Tournament). But it hasn’t always been that way. In the early part of the century, the leaders in wins came primarily from Eastern schools. The Eastern influence should not be surprising given that these schools generally started playing The 2008–09 NCAA Tournament championship moved the Tar Heels within four games of Kentucky in all-time wins. the game earlier and also placed an emphasis on the game as compared to many other regions of the country at the time. There were assistant for the football program, and at times the job duties some exceptions, as talented coaches of the new sport began were handed off to a graduate assistant. Even after a full-time to fan out across the country and build powerful programs in basketball coach was installed, the Wildcat program’s fortunes their own regions. were a mixed bag until the late 1920s after John Mauer, and Temple University was likely the first school to assume more significantly Adolph Rupp, assumed the head coaching a commanding lead in wins as they racked up a significant position. It was under Rupp that Kentucky became a national number of victories in the 1890s, a time when the sport power and consequently their place in the all-time wins order of basketball had recently been invented and most schools rose out of obscurity. (including Kentucky) had yet to field a team. The Owls held According to currently accepted records, the Wildcats the lead until Yale overtook them in 1905. entered the top-ten in all-time victories in 1949, the same seaAccording to Gary Johnson, head statistician of NCAA son Rupp and Kentucky were celebrating their second NCAA Division I basketball, Fordham overtook the all-time championship. Tied with them for tenth place? The University wins lead from Yale in 1925 followed by the University of of North Carolina. Pennsylvania in 1934. The Penn Quakers were the first to hit The Tar Heels had started playing the sport in 1911, the 500 victory milestone, in 1936, and continued to hold the eight years after Kentucky and after most other schools along all-time win record until 1942 when Fordham briefly retook the East Coast. Despite the late start, UNC quickly made up the lead, only to be eclipsed by the University of Kansas the ground, primarily in the 1920s when they boasted a number of following season (1943). highly-regarded squads. By 1924, North Carolina had passed From that point on, Kansas and Oregon State leapKentucky in all-time wins as they were en route to a perfect frogged each other for the top spot over the course of 25 26–0 record and Southern Conference championship. years, only to be joined by Kentucky in the mid-1960s. Kentucky continued to win under Rupp and streaked up For its part, Kentucky was a relative latecomer to the upthe all-time charts. By the 1960s they were vying for the top per echelon of college basketball powers in terms of all-time spot alongside Kansas and Oregon State. When the 1968–69 results. The first decade worth of seasons, the Cadets (as they season was ready to begin, all three schools were within striking were called then) had no coach and followed a schedule set up distance of the 1,000 victory milestone. This was much like by the team manager. Predictably their record was uninspirtoday’s race to 2,000 victories but even tighter, with all three ing, as they had only one winning season prior to 1911–12 schools within four victories of each other under the accepted (a year coach Edwin R. Sweetland led the Kentucky team to victory totals at the time (although the actual win totals have a perfect 9–0 mark). since changed). Thereafter the program always had a basketball coach, The quest for 1,000 victories quickly became a two-team even though they typically performed double duty as an race as Oregon State lost eight of their first 13 games and

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history and tradition

The Race to 2,000 Wins

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dropped out of contention. Meanwhile both Kentucky and Kansas were streaking toward the mark with UK dropping two games early on and KU dropping only one. But just as the goal was within reach at 997 victories, Kansas inexplicably dropped two straight games, one to an Iowa State team they had beaten previously by 33 points. To make matters worse, they had loaded up their schedule early on (playing three more games than Kentucky had) and were due for some downtime. The Jayhawks could only sit idly by and watch Kentucky claim the crown in January of 1969. The Wildcats celebrated their achievement by wheeling a cake adorned with 1,000 candles onto the court. When the candles were lit the heat was so intense that the team members had to rush the court and blow them out before the icing melted. Former lettermen representing all previous decades were invited to the celebration, along with other dignitaries. The quest for 1,000 victories was not without its controversy at the time. Kentucky had actually claimed the record five games earlier as they had counted five victories in international games they had won during a tournament in Israel in the summer of 1966. The NCAA refused to count these as official games even though it was the organization that invited Kentucky to participate in the tournament. Rupp reportedly commented about the games, “If they weren’t important enough to count, why did they send us?” As it turned out, the NCAA’s stance was advantageous to UK, as Oregon State had also won a significant number of international exhibitions, games the NCAA also refused to count. Another issue at the time was that just as the mark came into focus, Kentucky finally got serious about critically looking back at their historical record. Just a few seasons earlier, the

The 1949 Wildcats, with coach Adolph Rupp, officially brought Kentucky into the top ten in all-time wins, tied with North Carolina.

school had thought its first basketball season was in 1905, when in fact the team had begun in 1903. A large part of the problem was that documentation of early games was incomplete and media coverage hard to find. For example, in an article from January 1969 in the Lexington Leader, Wylie Wendt, who had been a team manager for the 1906 squad, admitted that he had failed to include all the games Kentucky had played in the school yearbook. Upon inspection, 20 games had originally been scheduled for that season but records for only 12 could be found. This was not atypical of the quality of early records. To make matters worse, if there was a record of early games, they likely were washed away during the flood of 1928 when the UK basketball office (located in the basement of Alumni Gymnasium) was flooded. The groundbreaking work of reconstructing Kentucky’s early years was performed by new assistant sports information director Russell Rice. As Rice went through the tedious task of scanning newspaper microfilm to verify and reconstruct dates and scores from the early days, he discovered a few games that had previously not been reported. These games were forwarded to the NCAA and at least two were accepted into the official Kansas led the race to 2,000 wins in 1943, and is still close today. record that stands today.

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history and tradition

It is worth noting that adjustments to the official won-loss records of schools is commonplace. NCAA head statistician Gary Johnson mentioned that he receives adjustments to schools’ all-time records “every couple of weeks,” a practice that he encourages. Of all the schools vying for the top mark at the time and today, each one has had their record adjusted at some point as record-keeping gets better and basic research into the early years of programs is completed. Unfortunately for Kentucky and Mr. Rice, it only becomes news when one of the leaders makes an adjustment, such as during the race for 1,000 victories when Kentucky was criticized for updating their results. Similarly, news was made in July 1990 when Kentucky adjusted their record to account for a game in 1914 against the University of Louisville that pulled them into a tie with North Carolina for the all-time record. A year later, after conducting basic research of their history, the University of North Carolina adjusted their record to include five victories and one defeat not previously recorded. During the time of the early 1990s, UNC gained control of the all-time wins lead from Kentucky. The Tar Heels were the first to achieve the 1,500 victory milestone, during the 1990–91 season. As mentioned, Kentucky was able to regroup and retake the lead in 1996. They expanded it dramatically during the Matt Doherty era at North Carolina, only to see it contract once again in recent seasons to the current precarious state. As the 2009–10 season progresses and the mark comes into sight, it will be interesting to see if the race tightens,

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Author’s note: I would like to thank Mark Yakle, Phil Porretta, and Gary Johnson for their assistance with determining the top teams from the early part of the century. Without their valuable assistance, this article could not have been as detailed as it is. Jon Scott is a lifelong Kentucky fan who lives outside of Philadelphia and enjoys learning and writing about Kentucky’s basketball history. Jon maintains a comprehensive statistical database of the Kentucky basketball program, including biographical information of past players and coaches, articles, game details, and box scores of nearly every game Kentucky has played. The site can be found at www.bigbluehistory.net, and is freely available to the public.

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Alumni Gymnasium, pictured here in 1958, was flooded UK records.

along with how much media attention it receives. In all likelihood, the national media attention will be inversely proportional to the margin between Kentucky and North Carolina. That is, the closer the two schools are to each other as the mark approaches, the more media exposure will be generated. Conversely, if the margin remains the same or widens in favor of UK, then less national interest will be shown. Some will question the importance of being first to reach the 2,000-victory milestone. While it doesn’t compare to a championship or even being the all-time wins leader, what sets in 1928 destroying many the mark apart from many other achievements is that it can only happen once in history, by one school. Most Kentucky fans would prefer UK set the mark, rather than see a rival such as North Carolina sneak by and beat them to it, especially since it serves as a bookend to Kentucky’s 1,000-victory milestone. If history is any guide, it’s clear that fortunes change as the years progress. Judging from results of the past 50 years and considering each program’s current status, Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, and potentially Duke all will be vying for the overall wins lead for decades to come. It wouldn’t be unusual to see the lead change hands numerous times over the coming years. It’s the shifting nature of this never-ending race that gives significance to a permanent mark such as reaching 2,000 victories. Let’s just hope that if Kentucky does indeed reach the milestone, they think long and hard before lighting a cake topped with 2,000 candles! MSP

The Mardi Gras Miracle Turns 15 Remembering the Greatest Road Comeback in NCAA History by Glenn Logan

hen the word “miracle” is used to describe an event, it usually implies divine intervention, an extremely unlikely occurrence, or just plain good luck. The Mardi Gras Miracle may have been all of those things rolled into one. Divine intervention? Maybe. On so-called Fat Tuesday, the day of excess just preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Christian celebration of Lent, you could make a case for divine intervention. The outcome, the comeback to victory from the biggest road deficit in Kentucky basketball and NCAA history, certainly qualifies for miracle status. And plain old good luck? Well, there can be little doubt about that, although skill and determination loomed even larger. This remarkable basketball game gets, surprisingly, somewhat lost among UK’s great moments, but after thinking back and remembering those amazing two and a half hours in 1994, it just gives a greater appreciation for the scope of the accomplishment the Mardi Gras Miracle represents. There have been many great comebacks in college basketball history, but never, even now, a bigger comeback than from 31 points in a total of 15 minutes and 34 seconds. That represents a net gain of almost two points per minute played, and that is truly a miraculous feat in a game between two very competitive teams. So, Sherman, set the Wayback Machine for the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, 9:00 p.m. EST, February 15, 1994, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and let’s relive the Mardi Gras Miracle.

The Setup: History in the Making Kentucky basketball was in a bit of a rebuilding phase in the 1993–94 season. Having just come off a year that saw Rick Pitino reach his first Final Four as UK head coach, the Wildcats had said goodbye to many of the players responsible for the incredible run of success between 1991 and 1993, and in the 1992 and 1993 NCAA tournaments. Of course, 1992

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Anthony Epps, and Mark Pope (who was sitting out his year in residence at the time of this game) would go on to win the national championship two years later, they were an inexperienced team at the time of the Mardi Gras Miracle. Dale Brown had been in Baton Rouge for 22 years with over 400 wins, second only to Adolph Rupp in the SEC, and he and his Bayou Bengals had been on a decent run of success at home against Kentucky, winning four straight home games against the Wildcats. Coming into this game, Kentucky had dropped two straight contests for the first time in the 1994 season to #4 Arkansas 90–82, and at #14 Syracuse, 93–85. In the previous two games, Rick Pitino felt that UK had lost primarily because they failed to get the ball into the hands of the post players, a shortcoming he was determined to rectify against the shorter inside defenders of LSU. The Tigers had few big people, and had been struggling from the perimeter, dropping their last two games to Alabama and Auburn, both on the road. Brown knew LSU was going to see a lot of zone defense from UK, as well as the usual Rick Pitino trademark, a scrambling full-court press capable of rendering opponents helpless and piling up points off of turnovers and steals. LSU was struggling a bit at 11–9 on the season and 5–6 in the SEC. Brown and the Tigers were

Rodrick Rhodes was supposed to be the main answer for the departed Jamal Mashburn. saw the Unforgettables’ jerseys raised to the rafters of Rupp Arena after coming agonizingly close to upsetting the #1 ranked and Christian Laettner-led Duke Blue Devils in what is still described as the greatest college basketball game ever played, and the last game Kentucky radio legend Cawood Ledford would ever broadcast. The Wildcats reprised that remarkable year with a Final Four appearance in 1993, ultimately falling to the Fab Five of Michigan 81–78 in overtime at the national semifinals in New Orleans. After the 1993 season, Jamal Mashburn, one of the all-time greats at Kentucky, moved on to the NBA. Leaving along with Mashburn, though through graduation, was shooting guard Dale Brown, and reserves Nehemiah “Junior” Braddy and Todd Svoboda. Of course, high school sensation and super-frosh Rodrick Rhodes was entering his sophomore year, and Kentucky had secured the commitment of highlytouted junior college transfer Rodney Dent (who would be injured in the Vanderbilt game and never play again in a UK uniform), Louisville point guard Anthony Epps, Washington transfer Mark Pope, and star of the 1998 Kentucky national championship Jeff Sheppard to replace their losses. Still, Kentucky was very young in the 1993–94 season, and even though a good number of the members of this team, namely Tony Delk, Walter McCarty, Jared Prickett, Jeff Sheppard,

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Andre Riddick scored the first point of the Mardi Gras Miracle on a free throw, Kentucky’s only lead for 38 minutes.

Photo on previous page: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images Top photo this page: Al Bello/Getty Images Bottom photo this page: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

history and tradition

The Mardi Gras Miracle Turns 15 trying to make their 11th straight NCAA tournament appearance, but they had a murderous schedule left, including highlyranked Arkansas and Louisville along with Kentucky. Kentucky was well on its way to securing a berth in the NCAA Tournament, but the rough patch they had hit before heading down to the bayou had Kentucky concerned. The Wildcats were feeling pressure from the fans and media not to drop their third in a row, something the team had not done since Rick Pitino’s first year as head men’s basketball coach. All in all, this was a big game for both teams— LSU to rescue their fading hopes at getting into the tournament, and UK to prevent a three-game skid that could put their season into a tailspin.

Photo: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

The Actors: Starting Lineups The starters for this fateful game were 6'9" sophomore Jared Prickett (#32) at power forward, 6'7" sophomore Rodrick Rhodes (#12) at small forward, 6'9" junior Andre Riddick (#10) at center, 6'1" sophomore Tony Delk (#00) at the off guard, and 5'9" senior Travis Ford (#5) at the point. This had been the lineup that Rick Pitino had been using for most of the 1993–94 Jared Prickett (here against Syracuse) started slowly, but hit a huge shot season, to decent success. The ’Cats were near the end of the half. 18–5 coming into the LSU game, but a string of three games against ranked clubs, #11 University of one total point had been scored in the game, a UK free throw Massachusetts, #3 Arkansas, and #14 Syracuse had taken a toll by Andre Riddick (notably a very poor free-throw shooter), on Kentucky, and now they were on the road in a town where which gave UK its only lead of the game until under one minthey hadn’t won a game in four years. ute to go in the contest. Jared Prickett’s first four shot attempts The Fighting Tigers of LSU started 6'4" junior Jamie came from point-blank range and resulted in two missed layBrandon (#4) at one forward, 6'8" junior Clarence Ceasar ups and two blocks. LSU came out firing from the perimeter (#22) at the other forward, 6'6" senior Lenear Burns (#21) at but were again cold. Kentucky was getting the ball into the center, 6'5" senior Andre Owens (#5) at one guard, and 6'6" post in good position, but LSU’s quickness, excellent defensive senior Sean Gipson (#12) at the other. LSU had a relatively position, and help inside, combined with the inability of either big back court and a very short front court, but had learned Riddick or Prickett to make short “touch” shots near the rim to overcome their lack of size with physical play, particularly had the UK attack stalled. Pitino had instructed the team to from Burns, Brandon, and Ceasar. feed the post at every available opportunity, but Dale Brown had the Tigers prepared for just that eventuality with quick The First Half: Kentucky Fails to Fire double-teams when the ball went into the low post. The first few minutes of the Mardi Gras Miracle did not proEven Kentucky’s usually reliable long-range bombers vide any hints of the drama to come. Both teams started out were off, with Tony Delk’s first shot barely drawing iron, and cold from the field, and after the first couple of minutes, only Rodrick Rhodes’s first three-point attempt clanging off the

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rim. The UK press, which had forced many an opponent into turnovers that resulted in easy baskets, was also ineffective and getting beaten by LSU with some regularity. At the first TV timeout with about 15 minutes left to go in the half, the Bayou Bengals lead 9–3. Neither team was distinguishing itself offensively. As the game continued into the middle section of the first half, Ronnie Henderson came in off the bench for the Tigers and almost immediately hit a three-point jumper from the right wing. Kentucky had been in a zone the entire game trying to keep LSU’s athletic slashers out of the paint—the book on LSU was that they were inconsistent from the perimeter and more dangerous if you let them get the ball into the lane because of good offensive rebounding. Even though he came off the bench, Henderson had often been the go-to shooter from the perimeter for the Fighting Tigers, and was a McDonald’s All-American, having averaged over 30 points per game in high school. A minute later, Henderson had hit two more threes from the wing, and with seven Rick Pitino’s game plan did not survive contact with LSU. minutes left in the first half, Kentucky was down 28–17 on 38% shooting. LSU, on the other hand, was smoking the nets, Ronnie Henderson was 3-3 The Wildcats found themselves down 46–25 with a full two from the arc, and Clarence Ceasar had nine points on a comminutes remaining in the first half, and LSU had all but bination of three-pointers and inside scores. Walter McCarty abandoned the post and slashing game for the wide-open peled the Kentucky scoring off the bench with eight points. rimeter shots that Kentucky’s zone and ineffective press were Kentucky continued to sit in a zone for much of the first yielding. Adding to Kentucky’s problems, four out of UK’s half, and LSU continued to punish them for it. Thankfully for starting five players had yet to score a single point. UK, 6'8" senior pivot Gimel Martinez was having the game Then, suddenly, the Wildcat press began to take effect of his life, totaling 12 points off the bench in the first half on and the Bayou Bengals turned the ball over several times in a variety of shots from inside and out. Martinez and McCarty succession, resulting in a Jared Prickett lay-up and a Travis represented the vast majority of Kentucky’s points, and were the Ford three-pointer. But LSU was also getting into Kentucky’s only bright spots in a dull and listless first half for the Wildcats. head, and Ronnie Henderson and Rodrick Rhodes got into As the half wound down, LSU continued their torrid a shoving match near the end of the half, prompting Tim three-point shooting with Ronnie Henderson hitting his Higgins, one of the officials, to call time out and counsel both fourth, fifth, and sixth threes, and Clarence Ceasar conplayers. Immediately after the resumption of play, Rhodes necting on one. LSU was shredding UK’s press and getting shoved Henderson to the ground and was hit with his second all their open looks not in the half court, but in transition. personal foul with 15 seconds to go. LSU then returned the favor, fouling Walter McCarty Mardi Gras Miracle Halftime Statistics as he went to the hoop with Starter Bench no time left on the clock, so Team FG% 3-Pt FG% FTM FTA FT% Rebounds Turnovers Total Pts. Pts. Pts. the half ended with McCarty Kentucky 38 21 3 7 43 13 8 9 23 32 shooting two free throws, only LSU 50 69 7 9 78 24 10 24 24* 48 one of which he made. Rick *Ronnie Henderson had 22 of the 24 bench points for LSU

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Photo: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

history and tradition

The Mardi Gras Miracle Turns 15 Pitino was so disgusted he didn’t even stay around to watch McCarty’s attempts from the charity stripe. UK wound up the first half 3-12 (25%) from three, with LSU hitting on 9-13 (69%) from behind the arc. Interestingly, Kentucky’s mini-run to end the half coincided roughly with a Pitino decision to abandon the zone for a man-to-man with about 3:31 left in the first half.

Intermission: The Most Insignificant Score of All The first half had seen both a breakdown of Kentucky’s transition defense, and some very hot shooting from LSU’s Ronnie Henderson and Clarence Ceasar. Rodrick Rhodes played a very poor half on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball, many times failing to recover against Henderson and giving him open looks which he subsequently made. LSU was scoring most of their points off the UK press in transition, or in transition after missed shots. When Kentucky did get LSU into the half-court, the Tigers were doing a good job of getting the ball into scoring position, forcing help, and then kicking out to open shooters. Put simply, LSU put on a clinic of how to play “small ball,” and Kentucky’s zone defense was totally inadequate. But even though UK was down 16 points at the half, the little spurt at the end seemed to give Rick Pitino a bit of hope, and the man-toman defense Pitino went to in the last three and a half minutes of the game really slowed down LSU. This is a point to remember going into the second half.

the game. Gimel Martinez, a much better perimeter shooter than the other Kentucky big men, made a very early appearance in the second half and continued to contribute shots and rebounds. For LSU, Dale Brown decided to start the white-hot Ronnie Henderson in the second half instead of Sean Gipson, which got him better perimeter shooting but less experience. Brown probably figured it made sense to start a player who had piled up 24 first-half points, though, no matter what the balance of the equities, as long as he wasn’t in foul trouble. With the lineup changes in place, the second half began with UK scoring on a Tony Delk three-pointer from the top of the key on the very first possession. Kentucky remained in the man-to-man defense they had been using since late in the first half and decided to scrap the zone for this game.

Photo: Andy Lyons/Allsport

The Second Half: Anatomy of a Comeback Pitino decided to shake things up right off the bat, benching Rodrick Rhodes and Jared Prickett in favor of 6'5" senior swingman Jeff Brassow and 6'9" sophomore Walter McCarty. The other three starters, Delk, Ford, and Riddick, returned for the start of the second stanza. The idea was, given the current deficit, the original plan for going down inside to Prickett and Riddick to exploit LSU’s lack of size was no longer viable. Pitino decided it made more sense to go small like LSU, and get more perimeter shooting and better defensive quickness in

Prickett missed plenty of these in the first half vs. LSU. Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010 | 121

Anthony Epps was a freshman, but he gave Travis Ford some much-needed help at the point. Not to be outdone, Clarence Ceasar quickly showed that his hot shooing hand had not cooled in the halftime air, and with a shout of “Hail, Ceasar!” from the crowd, buried a three and a two in quick succession, pushing the LSU lead to 57–37. Then, with approximately 17:00 minutes to go in the second half, a wild scramble for the ball resulted in an intentional foul on Travis Ford. Ford grabbed Ceasar as he picked up the ball, but the officials didn’t see that. Instead, after Ford got up and ran back to protect the basket, he wound up grabbing Andre Owens around the waist as he was headed for an apparent lay-up, and the intentional was called. Soon after that, LSU’s Jamie Brandon hit yet another three-pointer, and with 16:39 remaining in the game, Rick Pitino called his nextto-last timeout, but he wouldn’t call his last until the game’s final seconds. Things were looking very dire indeed for the Wildcats, now down by 25 points, but the LSU wrecking crew was not quite finished putting their stamp on the faces and psyche of the 1994 Wildcats. Ford, who had been playing very badly, found himself benched out of the timeout, and Anthony Epps entered the

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game at point guard for the Wildcats. Ceasar scored again and again, and suddenly, Rick Pitino’s #11 Wildcats found themselves down an astonishing 31 points, 68–37 with 15 minutes left to go in the game. As amazing as this deficit might have seemed at the time, the tide was about to turn in favor of the boys in Blue and White. Even as most people tuned into the game were calling it a night in TV land and heading to bed rather than finish watching a fait accompli, the Wildcats were embarking upon the most remarkable comeback in Kentucky history. It began innocuously enough. Everyone expected that the Wildcats would make a run, and nobody who knew Rick Pitino believed he would simply lay down to defeat, nor would he allow his charges to do so. But no one, arguably in the entire nation, imagined what would happen over the next 15 minutes and 34 seconds. It began when Rodrick Rhodes got fouled and made a couple of free throws, and then UK got a stop and an inside basket by Riddick resulting in a Dale Brown timeout. The Wildcats’ journey into the history books had begun. Kentucky’s furious pressing now began to bite and LSU started turning the ball over repeatedly. Besides LSU missing opportunities to score with their hot shooters, the turnovers were giving UK open looks from the perimeter. Kentucky made a series of plays starting with a miracle basket by Rhodes while he was being mugged by Lenear Burns. Somehow, the wild shot he threw at the basket went high off the backboard and down, resulting in a three-point play “the old fashioned way.” Two three-point shots by little-used reserve guard Chris Harrison and another by the smoking hot Walter McCarty (then his third, but not his last or biggest) helped shave 13 points off the lead. LSU began playing not to lose rather than to win, and a combination of turnovers, bad shots, and poor free-throw shooting lead them into a four-and-a-half minute scoring drought with 11:23 left in the game. Despite yet another five-point outburst by Ronnie Henderson who now had 30 points, with 8:30 left in the game, the Wildcats were down 77–63. Kentucky had knocked 17 points off the 31-point advantage the Bayou Bengals had at the 15:34 mark, and it was easy to see that Dale Brown and his team were beginning to lose control of the game. Rick Pitino urged the Wildcats to press ever harder, and was working extremely hard to manage the players’ minutes to prevent them from wearing down. UK had gone to a man-to-man with about three minutes left in the first half and had stuck with that defense the entire second half. As if to emphasize the coming LSU apocalypse, Jeff Brassow hit two threepoint shots back to back, and then Rodrick Rhodes finally hit a three to start a panic among the LSU team and fans,

Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

history and tradition

Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The Mardi Gras Miracle Turns 15 as Kentucky cut the margin to ten, 82–72. Walter McCarty continued his terrific play with a thunderous inside dunk after a steal on the ensuing LSU inbounds play and the LSU advantage was down to eight, 82–74. Play had been very physical all night, and Pitino urged his players to guard ever closer. This resulted in an LSU parade to the free-throw line, but the Tigers had lost their magic touch, and very few free throws fell. Kentucky made sure to secure the rebounds, and the game began to look almost like the infamous “Hack-a-Shaq” strategy, deliberately sending Titus and Ceasar, LSU’s worst free throw shooters, to the line. So, while the Tigers were in the one-and-one, missed front-ends abounded and resulted in what were effectively turnovers. Even normally reliable free-throw shooters caught the bug and consistently missed at least one, even when UK got to ten fouls in the middle of the second half. But the fouls eventually caught up with both teams, sending both Burns and Rhodes to the bench with five fouls each in quick succession with about 6:30 left in the game. The drama, though, was just beginning. With 6:00 left, UK had seven three-pointers in the second half, and was shooting from outside almost exclusively, even with the game now back in doubt. The intensity of the UK defense had forced the Tigers into a wild, frenetic, and ugly up-and-down game with a lot of mistakes. There was little half-court basketball being played, only a kind of track meet by ten nearly exhausted young men. Kentucky continued its strategy of fouling the Tigers worst free-throw shooters and sending them to the line, and LSU obliged by missing free throw after free throw. At just under the three-minute mark, Ford buried a three-point shot from the left wing that brought the game to within six. The crowd had become largely silent from the shock of seeing their team somehow lose what was once a 31-point bulge. Dale Brown was substituting, coaching, yelling, and prowling the sidelines, but it seemed that nothing he or his team did could stem the now rolling Big Blue tide. The score was UK 82, LSU 88. Rick Pitino was substituting Andre Riddick for defense, Walter McCarty for offense, and it seemed like the Wildcats got deflections or fouled every single LSU possession, providing dead balls for just that scenario. But as you would expect in a game like this, the drama had not yet ended. After seeing their lead cut to six, the Tigers came down on the inbounds and ran a bit of offense for perhaps the first time all half, and Ronnie Henderson nailed a three from the left side to put LSU’s lead back up to nine. On the ensuing inbounds play, Travis Ford committed a traveling violation, turning the ball back over to LSU. Suddenly, with 3:00 to go, it looked as if the Tigers would find a way to hold on after all.

But as quickly as the momentum changed back to LSU, the fickle lady decided she looked better in Blue and White. On the inbounds play after the Ford turnover, UK stole the basketball for a Riddick lay-up, cutting the lead back to seven. LSU scored again, but Brassow once again hit back-to-back three-point shots to cut the LSU lead to three with 2:00 left in the ball game. Clarence Ceasar was fouled, and uncharacteristically made both free throws to return the LSU lead to five. But at this point, Kentucky was obviously the fresher, more focused, more determined team. The Bayou Bengals looked like they were hanging on with their fingernails, and with 1:45 left to go, Tony Delk drilled a three-point shot near the top of the key that brought Kentucky within a single basket, 95–93. On the ensuing LSU possession, instead of running the offense Dale Brown instructed, Ceasar jacked up a quick three-pointer from the left wing which clanked off the rim. After a Kentucky turnover, Roman Rubchenko, LSU’s backup center, fouled Brassow going for a rebound with just under 1:00 left, fouling out of the game and sending Brassow to the line. Brassow, one of

Travis Ford, now the coach of Oklahoma State, struggled in the Mardi Gras Miracle for most of the game, but came up very big near the end. Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010 | 123

history and tradition

the big heroes of this amazing game, having made four of his six three-pointers, stood at the line with an opportunity to finally erase the last remnants of the 31-point deficit UK had faced only 14 minutes before. History will record the next sequence of events as one of the greatest in Kentucky history. Brassow missed both freethrow attempts, but after a bit of a scrum, Kentucky wound up getting the ball back twice on baseline out-of-bounds plays. With 31 seconds remaining on the game clock, and 16 seconds on the shot clock, the Wildcats were down by one measly basket and had the ball on the right baseline to inbound. That slim LSU lead would not survive the second inbounds play. On the inbound pass, Kentucky swung the ball around and into the key. Walter McCarty faded toward the left corner and on a quick, short pass by Tony Delk, found himself wide open in the deep corner. He made the three-point shot heard ’round the nation right in front of the Kentucky bench, which was urging McCarty to shoot. McCarty’s iconic toothbared shout and fist pump in celebration as he ran down the court to get back on defense is still among the most recognizable pieces of footage in Kentucky basketball history.

124 | Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010

Mardi Gras Miracle Final Statistics Kentucky

FTM

FTA

REB

AST

Tony Delk

FGA 3ptM 3ptA 8

PTS 9

Chris Harrison

8 10

Travis Ford

Andre Riddick

Rodrick Rhodes

11 14

Jeff Brassow

Jeff Sheppard

Anthony Epps

Jared Prickett

Walter McCarty

Gimel Martinez

Totals

LSU

FGA 3ptM 3ptA

FTM

FTA

REB

AST

PTS

Jamie Brandon

Andre Owens

David Bosley

Sean Gipson

Ronnie Henderson 12

Lenear Burns

Clarence Ceasar

Brandon Titus

Glover Jackson

Roman Rubchenko

Totals

Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images

Tony Delk drilled a huge three from the top of the key to bring UK within a basket.

In dramatic fashion, on the strength of an amazing threepoint shooting display, Kentucky had finally forged the slimmest of leads from the sparse metal of a 31-point deficit. The comeback was completed on the back of an unprecedented 59–27 run, and the destruction of the LSU effort was absolute. It was a seminal moment in UK basketball history, and those determined Wildcat fans who refused to stop watching the game after all reason told them it was over were rewarded with a memory for a lifetime. But the game was not quite over yet, and neither was the scoring. With 11.5 seconds remaining, LSU called their last timeout. There was still a decent chance the formerly hotshooting Tigers could break the stout hearts of the Wildcats with a late shot of any kind, even a couple free throws. The crowd was in a state of shock, and both teams seemed fully aware of the situation. After the LSU timeout, UK immediately called time after they saw the LSU lineup. This was Pitino brinkmanship at its finest, and a great young coach at the top of his game performing at the highest level. UK was up 96–95 when the ball went into play. Jamie Brandon made a driving attempt at the hoop, missed, and Tony Delk came down with the biggest rebound of the game and was immediately fouled. Delk sunk one of two to make it 97–95 UK—still within LSU’s reach. Gipson then fell down on the long inbound pass and was called for the travel. On the ensuing play, Travis Ford was fouled and made two free throws

The Mardi Gras Miracle Turns 15 Greatest Comebacks in NCAA History

had UK been able to overcome the Golden Eagles. Final Result Date Deficit Pts/Min Notes Despite its name, the Mardi Gras Miracle Greatest home and overall, Duke 74 12/30/1950 32 22:00 1.45 was no miracle—it was the product of a coach before 3-point shot Tulane 72 Greatest road and Pt/Min Kentucky 99 understanding the game situation that he and 02/15/1994 31 15:34 1.99 comeback LSU 95 his team found themselves in, and coming Highest scoring, before N. Mexico St. 117 01/27/1977 28 33:49 0.83 up with a strategy to get the contest back to 3-point shot Bradley 109 Princeton 50 a respectable level. Rick Pitino remembered 02/09/1999 27 15:11 1.78 Greatest percentage of score Penn 49 it in his book Rebound Rules: “If I had called UNC Charlotte 79 11/29/1995 26 15:00 1.73 everyone into the huddle with 15 minutes Tennessee 76 left and said, ‘We’re definitely going to win,’ with 2.2 seconds remaining to seal the game for the ages for that would have been false bravado and the players would Kentucky, 99–95. Ford’s immediate, desperate celebration have seen through it. One thing you must do in the face of after his second free throw bounced around and went down adversity is to be honest with yourself, and with the people was a fitting testament to the incredible, overwhelming emoyou’re trying to lead. Acknowledge the difficult spot you’re tion of a team drained of their last drop of effort and sweat in in and commence digging out of it. Don’t point fingers, an unforgettable contest. don’t recriminate, and don’t make excuses. Stay positive and get to work.” The Aftermath: Historical Context Pitino’s strategy was simple: force turnovers whenever The game had consequences for both teams. After this drapossible, and when that failed, try to put LSU’s two weakest matic home loss, LSU went into a season-ending swoon and failed to win even one more game that year. Needless to say, that broke Dale Brown’s 11-year string of NCAA Tournament bids, and marked the first year of a four-year decline in LSU basketball that ultimately ended Brown’s marvelous tenure in Baton Rouge. For Brown, the Mardi Gras Miracle was a harbinger of his decline and eventual fall. The Mardi Gras Miracle still represents the biggest comeback on the road in NCAA history, an amazing accomplishment and testament to Rick Pitino’s remarkable coaching acumen. At this point in his career, Pitino was on a brilliantly upward trajectory, and two years hence would be coaching his first and only Kentucky national championship team. Pitino would go on to reprise that effort with another run to the national finals, but an unfortunate early-season injury to star guard Derek Anderson and a remarkable game by Arizona freshman Miles Simon would deny him a chance to beat his assistant coach and protégé, Billy Donovan, to back-to-back NCAA championships. Perhaps because he thought that there was no “up” from where he was, Pitino decided to accept the Boston Celtics head coaching position and left the Kentucky Wildcats in 1997. But at this point in 1994, the game had consequences for UK as well. Kentucky would lose only one more conference game on its way to the SEC Tournament championship over #17 Florida in March, and on to #3 seed in the NCAA Tournament’s Southeast region. UK’s first- and secondround games were held in St. Petersburg, FL. UK lost in the second round to Marquette and, interestingly enough, would Walter McCarty, in the game of his life, hit the three that have faced #2 seed Duke University in the regional semifinals put Kentucky ahead from the left corner.

Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images

Time Remaining

Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010 | 125

history and tradition free-throw shooters, Brandon Titus and Clarence Ceasar, on the free-throw line at every available opportunity. He also claimed that “high-percentage shots” were part of his plan and perhaps that is so, but in reality most of the shooting that really made the difference came from beyond the arc, and many of those shots were from well beyond. The simple fact is that Kentucky got very hot from three-point range, and that, combined with the gradual breakdown of LSU’s team discipline in the face of a relentless, scrambling Kentucky team, made the difference. It is also interesting to note who saw minutes in this game. Pitino’s original strategy had been to get the ball into the post and take advantage of LSU’s smaller inside players, which demonstrates that in basketball, just as in war, no plan survives contact with the opposition. After the game got out of hand, Jared Prickett, who was a poor perimeter shooter, ball-handler, and below-average defensive player, almost never saw the floor again. Instead, Pitino played his longest, most athletic big guys along with his very best shooters. The tactic worked just like Pitino hoped, and the result of the new ad hoc plan was as shocking as it was perfectly executed.

Conclusion

126 | Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010

Rick Pitino was at the height of his powers during the Mardi Gras Miracle. powerful lens of the withering defensive pressure and blistering three-point shooting of Kentucky. History will forget the rest of LSU’s season, except in Baton Rouge and occasional articles like this, and even the rest of the Wildcats season since it represented a rare early exit from the NCAA Tournament in a long run of success by Pitino teams. But the Mardi Gras Miracle is as timeless as the Kentucky vs. Duke game in 1992, the unforgettable run to the national title in 1978, Rupp’s Runts, or the Fiddlin’ Five. It is a part of Kentucky’s history that illustrates, perhaps better than any other moment, that when teams take the floor with K-E-NT-U-C-K-Y on the front of their jersey, the letters on the back are as meaningless as the color of the opposing coach’s eyes. Things may be improbable, unlikely, or unprecedented for Kentucky, but impossible is a word that is missing from the Wildcats dictionary, and the Mardi Gras Miracle helps us to remember why. MSP Glenn Logan is a lifelong University of Kentucky basketball fan. He is a small business owner, freelance writer, and managing editor of the SB Nation University of Kentucky weblog ASeaOfBlue.com, one of the largest and most popular UK fan sites on the Internet.

Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Kentucky fans have a tendency to remember national championships and heartbreakers like Christian Laettner’s dramatic shot, and forget some of the heroism of the nation’s most storied basketball team. We too often forget Sean Woods’ improbable runner that created the circumstances for Laettner’s disastrously perfect shot, Patrick Sparks’s three remarkable free throws that allowed Kentucky to beat Louisville in 2004, or Sparks’s equally remarkable three from the top of the key that allowed Kentucky to go into overtime against Michigan State in the 2005 regional final in Austin, TX. We sometimes forget the really great moments in favor of momentous outcomes. The Mardi Gras Miracle was one of the proudest moments in a long line of proud moments for Kentucky basketball that stretches back to the early part of the 20th Century. It still reigns as one of the greatest comebacks in NCAA history, and is all the more remarkable for being a game that was utterly pivotal for the team that Kentucky was coming back on. It wasn’t as if LSU wasn’t talented—they were plenty talented and experienced enough to beat the young Wildcats at home in Baton Rouge. But Rick Pitino was on the high part of an upward curve toward the pinnacle of his success as an NCAA coach, a curve that Dale Brown was on the opposite side of. Truly, that was the difference. Pitino’s young charges believed, and Brown’s more experienced cadre doubted—doubt that was magnified dramatically through the

The End of the Matter by Glenn Logan

o now we come to the end of the inaugural Wildcat Tip-Off. This has been a labor of love for all the authors of this Annual, and like all you ladies and gentlemen of the Big Blue Nation, everyone who participated in the creation of this magazine is anxiously awaiting the dawn of a new season, a new hope, and a return of the Kentucky Wildcats to the pantheon of elite college basketball teams. During the publication process we thought of some topics we wanted to cover in addition to the features presented. We will cover those tidbits in this article, as well as look at some of the questions that remain about the Wildcats 2009–10 season.

dedicated himself to the Kentucky program, even though he is largely overlooked by most of the Big Blue faithful in favor of the higher-profile players. But without the efforts of Krebs and others like him, Kentucky would not be the program it is today. When we remember that such notables as Ravi Moss, Cameron Mills, and even Anthony Epps (for the briefest of periods) either intended to walk on or actually did walk on to the team and became important contributors. So even though Krebs did not make the player profile section of this book, it’s only fair that we acknowledge him where we can, and welcome him to his final year as a Wildcat. Mark, the Big Blue Nation thanks you and acknowledges your contribution, and we regret that we could not get you into the space you would normally have filled.

Mark Krebs First of all, it is important for us to recognize Mark Krebs. Krebs is a former walk-on for the basketball team in 2007–08 and 2008–09, and has now been granted an athletic scholarship for 2009–10, his senior season. Mark played his high school basketball at Newport Central Catholic in northern Kentucky, was Ninth Region Division 2 Player of the Year in 2005, and is a terrific student. Last year, Mark played in 13 games and logged 25 total minutes. His season high of five minutes came against Mississippi Valley State. Krebs is another in a long line of Kentucky walk-ons who have finally found their way, however briefly, onto scholarship. Mark is a great team player and a fine person who has

Questions that need answering With this shiny new Kentucky team made up of almost 50% brand-new players, the big question most of us will be asking is: How long will it take for them to “gel” as a team and begin to play the kind of Kentucky basketball that has been painfully absent from the Wildcats for the last 48 months or so? Of course, answering that question is hard, but we can get some guidance from history. John Calipari made an immediate impact when he arrived at Massachusetts, taking a team that had not seen a .500 season in four years to an NIT appearance in his second year, after his recruiting began to

Mark Krebs Career Statistics Year

GP-GS

Min/ Avg

FGFGA

Pct

3-3A

Pct

FT-FTA

Pct

OffDef

Rb Tot

Avg

PF-FO

Ast

Blk

Stl

Pts/ Avg

2007-08

4-0

3/0.8

1-1

1.000

1-1

1.000

0-2

.000

0-1

0.3

0-0

3/0.8

2008-09

13-0

25/1.9

1-4

.250

1-4

.250

0-0

–

0-4

0.3

1-0

3/0.2

TOTAL

17-0

28/1.6

2-5

.400

2-5

.400

0-2

.000

0-5

0.3

1-0

6/0.4

Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010 | 127

history and tradition But compared to last year’s measly two NCAA Tournament teams from the SEC, that’s a significant upgrade, and that means the quality of the competition in the SEC this year will be far better than the down 2008–09 season. Upperclassmen make the biggest impact on how good a team will be, and the SEC in 2009–10 will be filled with quality upperclassmen. So even if Kentucky looks to be the class of the conference, the SEC will not be the butt of jokes like it was last year.

Closing the books It has now been 11 years since the last Kentucky Final Four, and the anticipation is palpable around the Big Blue Nation that this year could end that long dry spell of the Wildcats playing into late March. This year’s Big Blue Madness threatens to shatter all attendance and viewing records, and the Calipari era at Kentucky is definitely going to be hyped to the moon by literally everyone in the sports media. No matter what happens this season, it seems clear that Kentucky basketball is finally back from its four-year hiatus, and as we look forward with barely-contained excitement toward October 16 at 7:30 p.m., let’s all enjoy the feeling of rejoining the nation’s elite in the favorite pastime of the Commonwealth. GO ’CATS! MSP Glenn Logan is a lifelong University of Kentucky basketball fan. He is a small business owner, freelance writer, and managing editor of ASeaOfBlue.com, one of the largest and most popular UK fan sites on the Internet.

UK fans are wildly excited about this year’s team, and we’ll be seeing some real Midnight Madness come October 16. 128 | Wildcat Tip-Off 2009–2010

Upper photo previous page & lower photo this page: Andy Lyons/Getty Images Background photo: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

take hold. At Memphis, Calipari took what was a sub-.500 club for the two seasons prior and got them to the NIT in his very first year. Neither of these situations are directly analogous to Kentucky. Both UMass and Memphis were somewhat devoid of high Division I talent when Calipari arrived on the scene, and he was not able to achieve a #1 recruiting class right away like he has at Kentucky. History tells us that it does not take Calipari long to get going, and the first year he instituted his Dribble-Drive Motion offense at Memphis (2005–06), the Tigers went 33–4. That’s encouraging, but Memphis had more experience with Calipari as coach that year, also. The second question is how Coach Calipari will mete out playing time to keep all these talented players happy? Fortunately, history shows that Calipari has been able to keep a plethora of talent satisfied and playing together, so we can expect to see something similar at Kentucky. Patrick Patterson, Perry Stevenson, and Ramon Harris also return with significant experience at Kentucky, so it seems likely that the infusion of new talent will have plenty of leadership to help them see their way through. Third, how good will the SEC be this year? With the extensive number of returning stars, the easy answer is, “Much better than last year.” But how much better? It seems likely that Tennessee, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Florida, and Ole Miss will be pre-season favorites to join Kentucky in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Vanderbilt, LSU, and perhaps one other team (Arkansas?) could get in, but I think most pundits would tell you that six or seven teams is about the maximum the SEC can expect.