Kentucky Basketball

Kentucky speedsters Rajon Rondo and the late Ralph Beard
The 2008-09 Kentucky Wildcats finished the season with a 22-14 record, their fourth disappointing season in a row. For the first time in 17 seasons the Wildcats missed the NCAA tournament. Kentucky's troubles over the past few years has meant the seemingly insurmountable lead in all-time wins has steadily eroded in the face of strong runs by both the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Kansas Jayhawks. To add insult to injury, the race to be the first to hit the 2000 victory milestone will likely come down to the wire part-way through the 2009-10 season, due to Kentucky squandering what once was a commanding lead.

Despite their second year under new coach Billy Gillispie in better shape both physically and mentally, the Wildcat started the season roughly with an unexpected loss to a physically outmanned VMI squad. This was reminiscent of an early season loss the previous year against Gardner-Webb. Unfortunately for the Cats, the following game didn't provide a reprieve as they faced the #1 ranked and highly regarded North Carolina Tar Heels and were beaten by nearly 20 points.

Despite the early setbacks, Kentucky was able to regroup and overcome some internal problems. They won the Las Vegas Invitational against a tough West Virginia squad and began to play well, with their only remaining non-conference setbacks two close games against ranked opponents (Miami and Louisville). Kentucky was starting to turn up the heat as the Southeastern Conference slate began. The Wildcats started 5-0 in conference games, and were sporting a new superstar in Jodie Meeks who now that he was healthy began to set scoring records. After earlier setting a UK Freedom Hall record of 46 points, Meeks scored a school record 54 points in an early-year game at Tennessee before a national audience.

But success was fleeting as Kentucky lost three straight games beginning in late January and never seemed to get back on track. Kentucky's other star player Patrick Patterson struggled with a hand injury which hampered his ability to catch and shoot the ball. Meanwhile opponents focused their defenses on stopping Meeks at all costs. With only spotty assistance from Kentucky's role players, the team struggled to score and keep turnovers down on the offensive end. Meanwhile Kentucky's nearly exclusive man-to-man defense struggled against quick perimeter-oriented teams who could spread the floor and take advantage of defensive breakdowns.

What once looked to be a hopeful season seemed to unravel as the season wore on. The team struggled down the stretch and lost more than they won. The constant pressure on Meeks became evident as his production declined noticeably and the rest of the team failed to pick up the slack. The bottom likely arrived during Senior Day when Kentucky lost in a must-win game to a listless Georgia team that had earlier fired their head coach. Kentucky squandered what once was considered a relatively high seed in the NCAA tournament to not even be considered a legitimate contender for the bubble. To their credit, the Wildcats accepted and played relatively well in the National Invitational Touranment, including a memorable and nostalgic game in Memorial Coliseum, before bowing out in the quater-final round.

Citing a difference of opinion over the responsibilities of being the head coach at the University of Kentucky, which includes assuring the well-being of the student-athletes, Billy Gillispie's Memorandum of Understanding between himself and school was not renewed. After once again courting Billy Donovan, who had turned them down previously to stay at SEC rival Florida, Kentucky signed Memphis head coach John Calipari to a lucrative long-term deal.

This team continued a long tradition of outstanding teams which represent the University of Kentucky basketball program. Kentucky basketball is comprised of talented players and coaches who form together as a single unit to work toward a common goal. The team plays an exciting brand of basketball which looks to get out and run, but one that also looks to execute offensively whenever possible and minimize mistakes. Defense is Kentucky's bread and butter, as they look to disrupt and shut down the opposing team's game plan. The team regularly faces some of the most challenging schedules in the nation against motivated opponents looking to make a name for themselves by beating the Big Blue.

There is no program in the nation with as devoted, knowledgeable or fanatical fans as the University of the Kentucky. It's no accident that Kentucky is generally considered the top college basketball program of all-time, or that Kentucky leads the nation in numerous statistical categories, both on and off the court. To keep up with the Cats, check out the Associated Press Rankings, USA Today/ESPN Rankings, the RPI Ratings or the Sagarin Ratings to keep up with the Cats.


Wildcat Logo

"I just thought it was the Kentucky fans coming in." - Coach Billy Gillispie in Atlanta after a tornado slams into the Georgia Dome.

"Really, UCLA's a great place as well, but they don't have the kind of environment they have here. The fans here have a passion." - Dick Vitale on Kentucky fans, December 23, 1999.

"Apparently the University of Kentucky basketball dynasty is to continue forever." - Philadelphia Inquirer, December 23 1954.

"Turner ... Burner .... and one" - Jim Nantz

"Kentucky has found the secret of basketball, that it's five guys playing together." - former University North Carolina coach Frank McGuire

"I see no reason to end the basketball season in February just so some of these schools can start spring football practice early... Someday they are going to wake up and realize that basketball is here to stay." - Adolph Rupp on his Southeastern Conference brethren in 1934.

"I'd just as soon freeze to death." - Actress Ashley Judd relating a story of being offered a University North Carolina - Chapel Hill jacket on a chilly movie set. - Lexington Herald Leader, August 15, 1996.

"It's not wise to come to Kentucky and try to run them off their court. Not too many teams have ever done that." - Mississippi State Coach Babe McCarthy in 1962.

"When you see Kentucky's fans, you just wonder. You think how wonderful it would be to go to their school. You wish you could trade places for a day, just so you could experience that feeling." - UCLA player Kris Johnson

"They had it before you, they had it during you, they'll have it when you're gone"...." - Al McGuire on Kentucky Basketball Tradition

"In the next four or five years, Kentucky will be at its best. It has taken a lot of hard labor, but down the road we will be at our best." - Rick Pitino in 1995


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Looking Ahead

John Calipari Splash Screen
The Big Blue Nation Welcomes John Calipari
The 2009-10 season finds the program with a signicant amount of turnover as players have seen the Tubby Smith, Billy Gillispie and now John Calipari regimes go and come to Lexington within a short time period. There is expected to be continued turnover as new styles of play are planned and old ties are broken and new ties are forged.

Gone from the 2008-09 squad is Kentucky's lone senior Jared Carter, who actually still has a year of eligibility remaining (due to an early-career shoulder injury which could open up a redshirt petition) although it appears he is exploring professional options at this time. Due to his injury along with an aversion to physical play, Carter never was able to play on a regular basis nor fully utilize his height advantage while at UK.

The frontcourt exhibits talent, but as with the previous year, struggled at the point guard slot which was left open after the departure of Derrick Jasper. Jasper's replacement for the 2008-09 season, Michael Porter was moved from being a backup shooting guard to play the point and while he gave great effort, Kentucky struggled to initiate their offense all season. Porter is on track to graduate early and has chosen to forego his final year of eligibility. DeAndre Liggins remains, who saw time at the point guard position where he showed flashes at times but overall struggled with turnovers, defending the three-point shot, scoring and effectively running the Kentucky offense. Another player, Kevin Galloway left the team when it became apparent that he would not see much time at the point guard position under the new coach. Calipari did sign two highly regarded point guard prospects, John Wall from Raleigh, North Carolina (who many consider to be one of the best point guard prospects in years) and Eric Bledsoe from Birmingham, Alabama.

Jodie Meeks, who had a phenomenal scoring season which landed him as a second-team All-American, was originally penciled in at the shooting guard position, however Meeks chose to remain in the 2009 NBA Draft where he was chosen in the 2nd round by the Milwaukee Bucks. This leaves a void, which may be filled at times by playing Bledsoe. Another option is Junior College transfer Darnell Dodson who is said to have great size and shooting ability. Darius Miller or Jon Hood (discussed below) could also potentially be moved over to play in the backcourt.

The front-court will be in far better shape as Patrick Patterson returns for his junior season rather than enter the NBA draft. Patterson, despite playing out of position, held his own in the middle to anchor Kentucky's offensive and defensive attack. He had a phenomenal season despite coming off an injury from the previous year which limited his off-season conditioning along with injuring his hand mid-way through the year which hampered his play. He is joined by senior forward Perry Stevenson who despite inconsistent play has been an important contributor to the Wildcats for two years. Shoring up the center position (and potentially allowing Patterson to move to power forward) are a pair of freshman recruits, highly rated DeMarcus Cousins from Alabama and Daniel Orton from Oklahoma.

At the wing Darius Miller struggled at times acclimating to the college game but as with many promising talents before him, began to blossom late in his freshman season. Miller is a versatile player who showed the ability to drive and create in the open floor along with a willingness to take and hit shots at critical points in the game. He recently was on the USA under 19 team which won the Gold Medal in international competition, providing Miller with valuable international experience. Ramon Harris who started much of his junior season despite suffering a number of injuries will likely also see time on the wing.

Freshman Jon Hood is not expected to contribute immediately, but will be looked upon as a key wing player with shooting range in the long term. One important but often overlooked contributor from the previous year was transfer Josh Harrellson who came in and manned the center position when Patterson was taken out to rest or due to foul trouble. Harrellson is limited athletically but has shown good toughness to go along with shooting skills and a desire to run the floor.

Other losses from the previous season's team include A.J. Stewart and Matt Pilgrim. Stewart often showed flashes of athletic play but mistakes on and off the court kept him from seeing consistent time on the floor. Pilgrim, who sat out a year after transferring from Hampton and thus never officially played for UK, was a valuable practice player but it was not projected that he would be in the regular rotation this coming year. In addition, there will be significantly fewer walk-ons this coming season than in years past. Landon Slone, a valuable walk-on contributor last season has already announced his desire to leave the program in order to play at Morehead State. Of last year's walk-ons, only Mark Krebs who has decent size to go along possessing good long-range shooting ability will likely remain.

Overall, this team has a new lease on life after a demoralizing home stretch run in the 2008-09 season which saw the wheels fall off the Kentucky team. With a new coaching staff and potentially new talent entering the program, there will be continued growing pains, but the sky is the limit as to what the team can achieve.

The schedule for Kentucky's 107th season won't be released until later in the year, typically around mid-August based on previous seasons. It is known the first game will be November 13th against Morehead State, a team that made the NCAA tournament last season. In addition, Kentucky will participate November 24 and 25 in Cancun Mexico where they will play two games in the Cancun Basketball Tournament sponsored by Triple Crown College Sports.

As usual, Kentucky's core non-conference schedule will consist of games against traditional national rivals at Indiana and home against North Carolina and Louisville.

The game against Louisville, held in Rupp Arena, will be a rematch of John Calipari with his long-time friend and adversary, former Wildcat Coach Rick Pitino

The game against the Tar Heels, reportedly scheduled for December 5, will be particularly intriguing as both programs are in a neck-and-neck race to be the first to reach the 2000-victory milestone. This game will also be held in Rupp Arena.

In addition there are indications of a game versus Connecticut in New York City. Austin Peay is scheduled for a game in Rupp Arena on December 19.

The remainder of the non-conference schedule will obviously need to be worked out. After the previous season where Kentucky's nonconference schedule rating was dragged down due to too many poorly rated opponents (which in turn hurt their chances in making the NCAA tournament field), Kentucky will be able to schedule smarter this year.

The SEC was down relative to the other major conferences but promises to get better as their young talent matures. The SEC does boast some of the best coaches in the conference with Billy Donovan at Florida, Bruce Pearl at Tennessee, Trent Johnson at LSU, Andy Kennedy at Ole Miss among others.

The 2010 SEC Tournament will be held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee March 11-14.

The NCAA Final Four will also be held in nearby Indianapolis IN, April 3rd and 5th at the newly built Lucas Oil Stadium. Regional sites include Syracuse New York, Salt Lake City, Utah, St. Louis Missouri and Houston, Texas. The nearest eligible 1st & 2nd round sites to Lexington include Jacksonville Florida, Milwaukee Wisconsin and New Orleans Louisiana.

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Statistics of past Kentucky Players and Teams

Here you will find the most complete statistical site devoted to any one college basketball program. Check it out, and let me know if there are any corrections or additions that should be made. - (Continually Updated)

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Top 10 Misconceptions surrounding UK and their basketball squad

I believe most every home page should bring something new to the internet rather than recycle the same information. In that vein, I have included my thoughts on some of the misconceptions that surround Kentucky basketball. Some have questioned me as to why someone would want to concentrate on what is sometimes negative or hard-to-defend areas rather than relive the many good aspects of the Kentucky Basketball program. My main answer is that while I generally don't like to dwell on the negative, I attempted to cover these topics because many of these issues simply are not covered anywhere else and some of the stories are important to tell. I could have put together material which illustrates the amazing accomplishments of such a storied program that is Kentucky Basketball, however much of this has been covered before in books, special edition memorabilia and videos spanning many decades. Most of this information is off the top of my head although I have gained much information from the Lexington Herald Leader Library along with other newspaper archives, magazines and books. If you have any facts or statistics to support or disprove me, I would appreciate .


Some Oldies but Goodies


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Kentucky Articles

From time to time, I might have something I want to write about or provide which doesn't fit into the 'detractors' format as above. So here is that place.

Kentucky Detractors

Every great program will attract its share of detractors and Kentucky has plenty of them. Whether they think UK is a bunch of cheaters, they don't like the coaches, the fans, the style of play or they just think UK wins too much, there's always going to be someone who roots against the Cats. I've put a list together of the top ten detractors of the basketball program. This page is intended to tell a little about the background of each person, the apparent reason for their dislike of the program and includes some anecdotes and quotes about the subject. All in the name of fun. A nationally known sports columnist loved it so much he was moved to pronounce it as "quite a list. An amazing list in fact." (More is available about that also.) Contributions to the Top-10 page are greatly appreciated.

I've also written two book reviews which I believed unfairly criticized Kentucky. The first review is of Raw Recruits from the perspective of a Kentucky fan. The second review is of a recent book And The Walls Came Tumbling Down which attempts to drag former coach Adolph Rupp's name through the mud.

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Historic Kentucky Rivals

From time to time, I will write up a short history of the rivalry between Kentucky and some of their historic foes in preparation for an upcoming game. The ones which are done are highlighted below. Hopefully someday the rest will be filled in.

Non-Conference Rivals

Conference Rivals

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NCAA Tournament Pools

While not directly related to Kentucky basketball, I do have a definite opinion about how to run an office pool when NCAA Tournament time rolls around. In the past, I've run a pool that is easy to maintain, fun and doesn't require that you buy any software you don't already have.

UK Media Outlet Links

Print Media Outlets

Television Media Outlets

Radio Media Outlets

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Wildcat Blogs and Discussions

Wildcat Blogs

Wildcat Tweets

Wildcat Chat, Mailing Lists and other Discussion Groups

Talking about the Wildcats has been a tradition in Kentucky for over 100 years. With the internet, this tradition has taken on new forms with many different sites and formats popping up through the years. For fun, I put together a rough timeline of the various discussion groups, many which are included below.

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General Information Links

Team Profiles

General UK Information Links

Wildcats in the NBA

For a list of former UK players playing overseas, check the following link.

Individual Pages of Current and Past Wildcat Players & Coaches

General College Basketball Links

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Merchandise Links

UK Merchandise Outlets

Miscellaneous UK Merchandise

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UK Homepages

Below are some home pages of other Wildcat Fans. If you think your page should be listed or know of others, .

Search Yahoo! or the venerable Webring for more Kentucky Wildcat Pages.

This site and others can be searched through this link.

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Conference Information

Sometimes if the Cats aren't on TV and you can't get onto their radio site, you can catch them through their opponents broadcasts. For Kentucky, that would be the nasty Southeastern Conference.

SEC Logo

Radio Broadcasts


Athletic Home Pages

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Please send all additions/corrections to


Last Major Update May 20, 1996

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