Your favorite KENTUCKY basketball moment of all time?

[delkfor3]

The "Lavender's probably right" thread on the bball forum, got me jonesing for some discussion of UK basketball history, and any of your favorite moments of all time. Was it the 78',96 or 98' NCAA titles, the day Tayshaun went nuts from the three aginst UNC, Patrick Sparks heroics at Freedom Hall aginst UofL or last years thumping of UofL? Dig deep, let's see what we can come up with.

I'll start, it was that night in 1998, when we cut down the nets. That team was no where on anyones list to win it all, but somehow, it happened. I feel no shame in admitting that I lost it when Cameron Mills went to the floor in tears, he got live a reality that many of us could only imagin when would shoot hoops in our backyards.

It seemed like only yesterday, but it was in my mind the greatest moment in UK basketball history. I don't think the best screenwriters in Hollywood could write a better ending for KENTUCKY basketball season, then that spring night in 1998.

[Littlemeyer]

At the time, when Patrick Sparks' three-pointer at the buzzer against MSU rolled in, that was the best 'moment' of all time for me. I'm not kidding...I nearly passed out. I was sitting on the couch when he got the ball, then I advanced to my half-crouch semi-sit when the ball was released, went to a full standing position when the ball first struck the rim, and then began jumping around the living room when it rolled in.

Of course, this all happened in a span of approximately 4 seconds. Couple this with the fact that I BELIEVED at the time that he was also fouled, meaning a game-winning FT was about to happen, the blood-rush to the head was too much to handle.

It was a fun moment, clearly bittersweet with the knowledge of what happened next.

The most fun I ever had watching a game on television was the 1993 Sweet Sixteen game against Wake Forest. A close second would be 2003 against #1 ranked Florida.

Most fun I've ever had watching a UK game live -- no doubt about it, 2005 SEC tourney semi-final against LSU.

[delkfor3]

If we had won that game, I am convinced that Sparks get's a statue in downtown Lexington. It was good enough for CBS to use on the opening of their games, "watch the Sparks fly".:thumbup

[Spanish Moss]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/FloridaCracker/ElginBaylorSeattle.jpg

[Terry L. Wildcat]

Spanish Moss wrote: I have many memories and I may change my mind on my favorite but tonight it has to be the 1958 Championship game between our Cats and the Seattle team led by AA Elgin Baylor. I was a boy of 14 and this was the biggest single event I had witnessed in my life up to that time. I can not describe the feeling I experienced that moment.

Elgin Baylor was a super player. He went on to a Hall of Fame career with the Lakers and became one of my favorite pro players of all time. The game plan drawn up by Rupp and Lancaster (after a tip from a man who Rupp didn't even know) was pure genius. It worked and UK had a championship. Baylor was the type of player an opponent had to shut down if they had any chance of winning. If you didn't he would hit you for about 50. He once had 62 in an NBA game.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/FloridaCracker/ElginBaylorSeattle.jpg




:cool:As I have discussed with Mr. Moss, this is my favorite Wildcat memory...I was twelve and in the sixth grade at Grandview Elementary in Newport, Kentucky...my dad was a big Wildcat fan and we listened to the game on his GE electric radio...althoughI have been alive for all seven this is the first championship I can remember celebrating...Johnny Cox, Vernon Hatton, Ed Beck, Lou Crigler and Adrian Smith. :cool::cool::cool::cool:

[Spanish Moss]

[Will Lavender]

delkfor3 wrote: Was it the 78',96 or 98' NCAA titles, the day Tayshaun went nuts from the three aginst UNC, Patrick Sparks heroics at Freedom Hall aginst UofL or last years thumping of UofL?

Mine is when Chuck hit that shot to beat LSU in the '05 SEC semifinals.

As I've written about before, my sister-in-law had just died and my wife's whole family took the trip to Atlanta. We were all sobbing like babies when UK won it and Chuck stood out in the middle of the court, pumping his fist.

There are some moments when the game merges into real life and becomes, in an instant, infinitely more important than mere sports.

That was one of them.

[bleedbluelady]

Too many to chose from. So, I'll just say mine is still to come. :cool:

[cumberlandredskin]

Probably the 75 IU game in the Mideast Regionals. I think it stands out because it was such an upset and that I watched it with my dad and uncle. They were the two biggest UK fans that influencedme to be a UK fan. That gamesolidifed for life that I would be forever a UK basketball fan.

[joneagin]

I have 4...even those this is supposed to be "favorite" not favorites.

1) Duke - UK 98 Not only the fact that it was revenge for 92, but also the fact that we came back from so far down. I had a friend (not a Duke fan, just a UK hater) call at halftime to brag. I called him after and he hung up.

2) Sparks shot against MSU. Most excited I have ever been by one specific UK play.

3)Sparks performance against UL his junior year. I took off work early to watch with a friend and was so depressed until we came back and won. Fantastic game.

4) Best moment I have seen live - UK vs UF when they were #1. Awesome game, awesome atmosphere in Rupp.

[jpay]

The closing seconds of the 1978 championship game. James Lee's Signature Dunk as time expired:thumbupWhat a topper for a great team.

[1daysoon]

The best moment was Sean Woods shot with 2 seconds in left against Duke in 92.

The worst moment was just 2 seconds away.

Then just when I had recovered from that, Cawood starts his farewell, and I lose it all over again.

[Russ24ky]

35 down at LSU and Evansville's own Walter McCarty hitting the 3 to put them ahead and the Travis Ford dance as he iced it at the foul line

[delkfor3]

bleedbluelady wrote: So, I'll just say mine is still to come. :cool:
With UK's tradition, you are absolutly correct.:thumbup

[delkfor3]

I gotta add Derek Anderson calmly and cooly sinking 2 technical FT's aginst Minnesota in 97' FF. One of those emotinal moments you never forget, I think had Pitino used DA somehow in Championship game aginst Zona, that we win.

[Rockober]

I was living in North Carolina and mine was the 98 Duke game. The whole second half. what a come back. I was so mad the first half sitting with 3 ACC homers and hearing them talk about a Carolina-Duke Final. They got real quiet the last 5 minutes of the game.3 straight Final Fours! I was in heaven.

[CARDSRTOAST]

Harry Lancasters' Funeral Over 100 Lettermen in the Church and the minister concluded with..Let's give Coach something he never got in life ...A Standing O... All of us applauded as the casket was carried out...Chills..:thumbup

[KY Native in IN]

Cliff Hawkins 3 from the "E" dang near midcourt at Tennessee a few years back....although sparks did a similar shot in Rupp last year....but i really liked cliff and his hustle!

[BigBlue75]

When Cameron Mills hit the shot that put us ahead of Duke, after being down by 17 points twice.

I also must give a prop here to Scott Padgett, who hit a pretty important shot a few minutes after that to start nailing down the coffin.

[Josh]

Too many to name, but I've always loved Cameron Mills' three against Duke. I've always loved that entire comeback. I also loved Tayshaun's five three's against UNC. The crowd was as loud as I've ever heard it.

[Terry L. Wildcat]

:cool:My favorite moment that doesn't involve an NCAA title game would be in 1975 when we beat undefeated Bobby Knight and Indiana 92-90...to this day, all I have to say to a Hoosier is 92-90 and watch them cringe :cool:

[Spanish Moss]

[Terry L. Wildcat]

Spanish Moss wrote: Terry L. Wildcat wrote: :cool:My favorite moment that doesn't involve an NCAA title game would be in 1975 when we beat undefeated Bobby Knight and Indiana 92-90...to this day, all I have to say to a Hoosier is 92-90 and watch them cringe :cool:

I will never forget that game. It is also my favorite non Final Four game. That Indiana team was so powerful and we took it to them for 40 minutes The IU v. UK rivalry at that point in time was as great as it gets. The two teams played like there was no tomorrow. Geat pick, Terry and I second it. :thumbup

:cool:I still get goose bumps telling this story so here we go again...I watched the game in Ft. Thomas with my parents...the game was played in Dayton so the team bus returned to Lexington on I-75...as soon as the game was over I got in my VW bug with a live Rolling Stones tape blasting and drove to Lexington...at every overpass along the way Wildcat fans gathered to wait for the team bus...it was just amazing and a statewide celebration...once the team got to Lexington they got a state police excort to Memorial for a celebration...one of the happiest moments of my life and the only game Bobby and the Hated Hoosiers lost in two years.:beer::beer::beer::beer:

[boomdaddy]

jpay wrote: The closing seconds of the 1978 championship game. James Lee's Signature Dunk as time expired:thumbupWhat a topper for a great team.
That is my favorite play, also. I remember the twin towers of Robie and Phillips. But I always couldn't wait until the enforcer, James Lee, got into the game. When he went to the rim, you best get out the way or risk losing a body part.

[CoquieKat]

When Cameron Mills hit the shot that put us ahead of Duke, after being down by 17 points twice.

I also must give a prop here to Scott Padgett, who hit a pretty important shot a few minutes after that to start nailing down the coffin.

This would be my pick as well. The look on Padgett's face after he hit that shot was priceless. "Bring it on!!!"

The Sparks 3-pointer at the end of regulation would be a close second.

Third--Nazr Mohammed's seemingly random shot to win the UK/Vandy game. That was 1998, wasn't it?

[catfanintn]

cumberlandredskin wrote: Probably the 75 IU game in the Mideast Regionals. I think it stands out because it was such an upset and that I watched it with my dad and uncle. They were the two biggest UK fans that influencedme to be a UK fan. That gamesolidifed for life that I would be forever a UK basketball fan.

This is no doubt my favorite game although I've seen so many good ones.

I remember listening to the Issel years on the radio with my dad, but really the team of Grevey, Guyette, Connor, and Pratt was and still is probably my favorite. They were the last Freshman team before the rule change and I recall as a freshman in high school listening to EVERY UK Freshman game that year on the radio. They almost exclusively played local smaller schools, but they OBLITERATED everyone they played.

I would absolutely love to have a video ofthe '75 IUgame, but have only seen parts of it over the years since then.