Opening Night!

[Littlemeyer]

What's the first opening night you remember?

I'm sure I watched a few others before this, but the first one I can really remember being excited about was the 1986-87 opener with Austin Peay. This was Rex Chapman's first game as a Wildcat,and was the first season that I had all of the preview magazines and the Kentucky yearbook.

We won the game, but it was a close one. At the time, I didn't care. I didn't know Austin Peay from St. John's so it made no difference; a win was a win!

If we'd barely beat Austin Peay in an opener recently, I'd have gone ballistic.

[Will Lavender]

I'll tell you one that sticks in my craw.

Pitino's final year. I was in college, and we were in the pre-season NIT. We played Pitt and were whipped at Rupp. All I remember was Darren Morningstar and that big Puerto Rican kid Pitt had just running wild.

Had to watch the semifinals and finals of the NIT on ESPN and we weren't in it. Painful!

(EDIT: I'm getting this game mixed up with another game. The game I'm thinking of was Clemson, and it wasn't the pre-season NIT but some other pre-season tournament. UK lost to Pitt in '91. Morningstar had 27 in that game. The other guy I was thinking of was Orlando Antigua. Thank you Jon Scott! ___ you Darren Morningstar!:))

[Littlemeyer]

Will Lavender wrote: I'll tell you one that sticks in my craw.

Pitino's final year. I was in college, and we were in the pre-season NIT. We played Pitt and were whipped at Rupp. All I remember was Darren Morningstar and that big Puerto Rican kid Pitt had just running wild.

Had to watch the semifinals and finals of the NIT on ESPN and we weren't in it. Painful!

(EDIT: I'm getting this game mixed up with another game. The game I'm thinking of was Clemson, and it wasn't the pre-season NIT but some other pre-season tournament. UK lost to Pitt in '91. Morningstar had 27 in that game. The other guy I was thinking of was Orlando Antigua. Thank you Jon Scott! ___ you Darren Morningstar!:))





I think I remember both of those, Will. The game against Pitt....that was actually our second game I believe. Seems I recall crushing West Virginia in the first game. A highlight I can remember from that night is a fancy pass by Travis Ford on a fastbreak.

Was the Pitt game the one that Pitino got ejected?

Another bummer that just came to mind: 2000 against St. John's. :X:X Still peeved about that one.