The number 2000. What does it mean to you? Many people probably think of Y2K and the turning of the new millennium. For the Kentucky Basketball program and their fans, it's all about W2K. It's another win, another milestone, and another reason why Kentucky is the greatest tradition in the history of college basketball. Windstream Communications wants to celebrate Kentucky's rich tradition by partnering with Big Blue Sports Marketing to highlight the greatest moments of Kentucky Basketball wins as we look forward to celebrating the historic 2,000th win.
Although, the achievements of this great program are obvious, the road to W2K has been long and it all started with one man, "The Baron in Brown."
The program had a little more than 200 wins when legendary head coach Adolph Rupp took over the program in 1931. In 42 years, Rupp compiled arguably the most impressive coaching resume in the country and without a doubt the most powerful college basketball program. He finished with 876 wins at Kentucky, bringing home four national championship trophies. Nearly half of Kentucky's current win total is credited to Rupp. In fact, the four coaches that followed Rupp, Joe B. Hall, Eddie Sutton, Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith don't reach Rupp's win or national championship count, combined. Hall, Sutton, Pitino and Smith combined to win 867 games and won three national championships.
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Coach Hall, still a frequent visitor in Rupp Arena, won 297 games in 13 seasons at Kentucky. Hall, the long time assistant to Rupp, produced players like Givens, Robey and Macy. Behind these players, he won a national championship in 1978. Currently, he has more wins than any other UK coach, not named Rupp.
The job of bringing Kentucky back into the role of national power in the 1990s, was given to Rick Pitino. Pitino spent eight amazing seasons at Kentucky capturing 219 wins. He went to back-to-back national championship games in 1996 and 1997. In 1996, Pitino won the school's sixth national title by beating Syracuse. He is known for bringing a new game to the Kentucky program, one which involved a fast pace offense and three-point shooting. Pitino's "Unforgettables" from 1992 are still considered one of the programs greatest teams.
After Pitino left Kentucky for the NBA, Tubby Smith started one of the most successful coaching tenures in Kentucky basketball history. Smith is the only UK coach to win a national championship in his first year, 1998. He would spend 10 seasons with the Wildcats gathering 263 wins, third most out of all UK coaches. His 35 wins in 1998 are the most wins in a season for Kentucky.
Not only have great coaches contributed to the amazing win total for Kentucky, but great players as well. From the memories of the past with names like Hagan, Beard, Spivey, Nash, Riley and Issel to the names of the more current, like Mashburn, Delk, Turner, Prince, Hayes and Rondo, the tradition of winning has lived on. Kentucky has crowned 47 All-Americans, 15 of which were consensus first team All-Americans, more than any other Division I program.
These great players have showcased their talents best in front of college basketball's greatest fans. The Wildcats came into the 2009-2010 season with 1061 home wins throughout the history of the program. Kentucky has played their home games in four gyms, most notably Memorial Coliseum and Rupp Arena. In 25 seasons at Memorial Coliseum, Kentucky posted 306 wins losing only 38 games at the house that Rupp built. In 1976, the Wildcats began playing in Rupp Arena where they have tallied over 400 wins in over 30 seasons. In those 30+ years of Kentucky basketball at Rupp Arena, Kentucky has averaged more than 21,000 people per game every year. In addition, Kentucky has led the nation in attendance 20 times, including 13 out of the last 14 years. These dedicated fans have made Rupp Arena known as the biggest big game crowd in the country and have definitely contributed to most of the wins leading up to W2K.
The Kentucky basketball program has seen some great victories throughout the years. Games like the three overtime win against Temple in 1957, the 1000th victory against Tennessee in 1969, Joe. B. Halls first game as Kentucky head coach in 1972, beating undefeated Indiana to advance to the Final Four in 1975, the victory over Duke in the 1978 title game, the victory over Syracuse in the 1996 title game, the "Comeback Cats" victory over Duke in the 1998 NCAA Tournament and the smashing of No. 1 Florida in Rupp Arena in 2003. All victories are a part of this incredible approach to W2K.
The John Calipari era is here and the University of Kentucky continues to set the standard for excellence in college basketball as it nears W2K. Mixed with 43 SEC Titles, 25 SEC Tournament Championships and seven National Championships, the addition of win number 2000 certainly spells dynasty.
Keep an eye on ukathletics.com and listen to the radio broadcasts on the Big Blue Sports Network as Windstream Communications presents project W2K.
WIN # 1859 2004 vs. Mississippi State
January 23, 2004 | Starkville, Mississippi
Erik Daniels tipped in a desperation pass with no time left, as Kentucky knocked off previously undefeated Mississippi State in Starkville. The Wildcats won their 21st Southeastern Conference game in a row and gave head coach Tubby Smith his 299th victory.
The sixth-ranked Cats trailed by one with 2.5 seconds left in the game. Cliff Hawkins inbounded the ball from the sideline and lobbed a pass to Chuck Hayes down low. Mississippi State’s Lawrence Roberts knocked it loose before Hayes tipped it to a streaking Daniels who laid it in as time expired.
Kentucky raced out to an early start, leading the entire first half. After Hayes converted a free throw with 5:23 remaining in the first half, UK led the Bulldogs 33-15. Mississippi State began to battle back into the game and after baskets by Gary Ervin and Roberts, they trailed by only nine at halftime.
The Wildcats began to pull away in the second half, leading by 16 with 13:33 left in the game. The game seemed out of reach but the Bulldogs weren’t going to take their first loss without a fight. The Mississippi State rally began when Timmy Bowers hit a three-pointer with 4:13 remaining to cut Kentucky’s lead to six. Gerald Fitch missed a three for Kentucky and Roberts tipped in a missed field goal. Fitch missed another three and Winsome Frazier hit a jump shot on the ensuing possession.
Leading by two with 2:32, the Cats took a timeout. UK turned it over on the follow possession and fouled Frazier, who hit his first free throw attempt. He missed the second free throw, but Roberts grabbed an offensive rebound and laid the ball up for the Bulldogs’ first lead of the game.
Kelenna Azubuike scored for Kentucky with 1:32 left before Branden Vincent put back a missed three-pointer to regain the lead with just under one minute remaining. Trailing by one, Hayes turned the ball over with 31 seconds left and fouled Frazier. Frazier missed the front end of a 1-and-1 but Mississippi State got the rebound. Another missed free throw allowed Kentucky to get the ball back to allow Daniels to nail the final shot of the game.
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WIN # 1956 2008 vs. Tennessee | read more
January 22, 2008 | Lexington, Kentucky
It didn't look good. Kentucky was 7-9 and coming off back-to-back losses to Mississippi State and Florida. And to make things worse, the third-ranked Tennessee Volunteers were coming to town, led by former SEC Player of the Year Chris Lofton. The Vols were 16-2 and amidst an 11-game winning streak and Lofton, a Mason County native, was making a case for national player of the year honors.
Lofton wasted no time lighting up Rupp Arena, as he hit his first three-pointer two minutes into the game. After a layup and a three-point play by Lofton, Tennessee’s Tyler Smith hit a jumper to put the Vols up 16-10 with 11:08 remaining in the first half.
But the Cats would not go away. Solid inside play from Patrick Patterson and Perry Stevenson kept Kentucky in the game, as they combined for 19 first half points. After a late 7-0 run by the Wildcats, Lofton hit a three-pointer with three seconds left in the half to give Tennessee a 36-30 lead at the break.
As the second half began, the game went back-and-forth as Tennessee tried to extend its lead and the Cats tried to battle back. After a J.P. Prince dunk with 13:38 left in the game, UK faced a nine point deficit. The rally began as Patterson scored five straight points, and after back-to-back threes by seniors Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford, the game was tied 50-50 with 11:12 left to play.
Kentucky and Tennessee continued to trade baskets for the next nine minutes and after two Lofton free throws, the game was locked up at 60 with 2:19 remaining. Thanks to great defense, good rebounding and solid free throw shooting, the Cats pulled away down the stretch. During the next 90 seconds, the Cats prevented Tennessee from hitting a field goal and Bradley, Meeks and Patterson combined to hit eight free throws to put UK up 68-60 with 26 seconds left in the game. Bradley put the final touches on the defensive masterpiece by hitting four more from the charity stripe as Kentucky outlasted Tennessee, 72-66.
Patterson led the Cats with 20 points, Bradley scored 16 and Stevenson came off the bench to add 14; Lofton led Tennessee with 22 points.
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WIN # 1650 1996 vs. Syracuse (Championship) | read more
April 1, 1996 | East Rutherford, New Jersey
After an 18-year hiatus since its last NCAA title, the Kentucky Wildcats found themselves in a familiar place: the National Championship game. The top-ranked Wildcats (33-2) had gone undefeated in the conference before being upset by Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament title game. Despite the loss, Kentucky still earned a top seed in the Midwest region and bulldozed their way through the bracket, winning their first four games by a combined 113 points.
After beating UMass in the first Final Four game, the Cats found themselves matched up against John Wallace and Syracuse. Nicknamed “the Untouchables,” the Wildcats featured a lineup of Kentucky greats, including Tony Delk, Antoine Walker, Derek Anderson, Walter McCarty and Ron Mercer.
The Cats jumped out to an early lead and forced Syracuse into many early turnovers. Despite a slower game pace and cold shooting from the field, Kentucky took a 42-33 lead into halftime.
In the second half, Syracuse began to rally behind the efforts of senior John Wallace. Down ten with 9:19 left in the game, Syracuse sophomore Todd Burgan hit a three pointer and Wallace converted a three-point play. After a UK basket, Wallace scored eight straight points, cutting Kentucky’s lead to two. But that was as close as it got. McCarty and Anderson hit back-to-back shots, and the Cats continued to play good defense en route to a 76-67 victory.
Balanced scoring helped the Cats secure their sixth national championship, as four players finished in double figures. Delk hit seven 3-pointers, tying a championship game record, and finished with 24 points. Mercer scored 20 off the bench and Anderson and Walker each added 11.
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WIN # 1800 2001 vs. UNC | read more
December 8, 2001 | Lexington, Kentucky
It took Tayshaun Prince one minute and 43 seconds to hit his first three-pointer against North Carolina. It took him just 2:04 to hit the next four, all on consecutive possessions and his amazing three point barrage helped Kentucky knock off the Tar Heels for the 1800th win in program history.
It was fitting that UK’s landmark win came against the program with the second highest win total. It was also fitting that the Kentucky All-American had one of the best performances of his career, scoring 31 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
Prince’s shots, voted one of the top moments in Rupp Arena history, helped pace the Cats to a 79-59 victory. The first two shots came from the top of the arc; the third and fourth were from the top wing. The fifth three-pointer, widely regarded as one of the most memorable shots in Kentucky’s storied history, was launched just inches from the UK logo on the court, and the crowd at Rupp exploded as it hit nothing-but-net.
The Cats led 15-10 after Prince’s performance, and pressure defense and a raucous crowd forced the inexperienced Tar Heels into many turnovers. They stretched a five point lead into thirteen with 9:17 left in the first half, and never looked back. Prince finished 11-of-22, including 7-for-11 from behind the arc; Cliff Hawkins score nine for the Cats.
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WIN # 1568 1993 vs. Arizona (Maui Classic) | read more
December 23, 1993 | Lahaina, Hawaii
The 1993 Maui Invitational Championship game will go down as one of the most memorable wins in Kentucky basketball history. The Cats, led by senior Travis Ford and sophomore Tony Delk, were looking to get back to the Final Four, but they faced an early season test in Maui. Fresh off a 12-point victory over Ohio State, UK looked to win its first Maui Classic trophy.
Kentucky led 91-90 with 40 seconds left in the game and opted to run down the shot clock. After a missed shot, Kentucky senior Jeff Brassow collided with Arizona’s Corey Williams while going for a loose ball. The officials conferred and decided that UK had a shot clock violation and the possession would to go Arizona.
Arizona inbounded the ball and Kentucky sophomore Rodrick Rhodes fouled Khalid Reeves with 5.5 seconds left in the game. In front of a packed Lahaina Civic Center crowd, Reeves converted both free throws, scoring his 30th and 31st points of the game. Down by one, Kentucky coach Rick Pitino opted to not call a time out. UK inbounded the ball and Rhodes pulled up for three with just under two seconds left on the clock. His shot hit the rim and went long, but Brassow tipped it in as time expired, giving Kentucky a 92-91 victory.
Ford led Kentucky with 25 points; Rhodes had 12 and Brassow finished with six points. The ’93-’94 Cats would go on to win the SEC Tournament and go to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Marquette.
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WIN # 1216 1978 vs. Duke | read more
March 27, 1978 | St. Louis, Missouri
After storming through the Mideast region and knocking off Arkansas in the Final Four, the University of Kentucky Wildcats were set to take on the Duke Blue Devils for the 1978 National Championship at the Checkerdome in St. Louis. Led by senior Jack "Goose" Givens and sophomore Kyle Macy, the Cats had compiled a 29-2 record that included a regular season Southeastern Conference championship and an SEC Tournament title.
Kentucky got out of the gate quickly, leading 21-8 before the young Duke team went on a 12-0 run to cut UK's lead to one at the 9:41 officials timeout. The game went back and forth, and with 57 seconds left in the first half, Duke's Gene Banks converted two free throws to pull the Blue Devils within one. On the following possession, Givens hit a pull up jumper over Duke's Mike Gminski and the Cats scored six straight to take a 45-38 halftime lead.
Early in the second half, Duke coach Bill Foster was hit with a technical foul that allowed Macy to convert two free throws as the Cats extended their lead to nine. Givens and Kentucky continued to pour on the points and lead by as many as 16 in the second half before the Blue Devils began to mount a comeback. Down six with ten seconds left, Gminksi hit a turnaround jumper and Duke called a timeout to setup the press.
After a quick screen, a long pass went to Kentucky senior James Lee. The 6'5" Lexington native got by Duke's Bob Bender and dunked with four seconds left in the game, as the Cats outlasted Duke 94-88.
Givens scored 41 points on 18-of-27 shooting and was named the tournamen's Most Outstanding Player, and the Cats brought home their fifth NCAA Championship.
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WIN # 1718 1998 vs. Duke | read more
March 22, 1998 | St. Petersburg, Florida
It’s a moment that makes every Kentucky fan flinch. It is showed hundreds of times each year, especially in March and it is quite possibly one of the most memorable moments in college basketball history. It’s Duke’s Christian Laettner hitting a turnaround jump shot to beat Kentucky in the 1992 regional finals. So it’s only fitting that UK’s 1718th win came against Duke in a regional final.
The Cats trailed by as many as 18 in the first half and went to halftime down ten, 49-39. It looked as though UK was going to get blown out, but in the second half, Wayne Turner and Jeff Sheppard turned it on and brought the Cats back into the game. The Cats used hot shooting and a full-court press to rally from 17 down.
Head coach Tubby Smith orchestrated the comeback from the bench, using a combination of many players to keep Duke on the defense. Slowly, Kentucky clawed its way back and finally pulled within one with 5:47 left in the game. Duke scored four points in a row and led 79-75 before Kentucky put the finishing touches on a historic comeback. Cameron Mills hit a three pointer before Turner put the final nail in the coffin, hitting a long shot from beyond-the-arc with 39.4 seconds left, capping off a 10-2 Kentucky run.
The win sent Kentucky to a third straight Final Four, where they would eventually win the seventh national championship in the history of the storied program. Sheppard finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds, Turner added 16 points, and Heshimu Evans had a double-double, with 14 points and 11 boards.
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