After the Tennessee game, out heroes exacted some revenge on Georgia with an 80-59 win in Lexington. This set up a huge rematch with Florida on Senior Night. I may have glossed over this earlier, but Kentucky had lost to Florida in January in what I like to call the ugliest basketball game ever played. Yes, I watched the Gardner-Webb game in its entirety, but at least one team played well in that one. The first UK/UF game was a giant piece of garbage. Florida carried the momentum of that win into a tie for the division lead and an eventual 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Unlike the good Florida teams of Billy Donovan, Lon Kruger had assembled a group of Gators that was actually likable. The backcourt was outstanding, though both Craig Brown and Dan Cross were UK killers throughout their entire careers. The forwards, Jason Anderson and Brian Thompson, were undersized and athletic, a matchup problem if Rod Rhodes ever got into foul trouble. The big men were perennial All A-Hole member Andrew DeClercq and the ever-popular Dametri Hill. As you may know, Hill earned the nickname “Da Meat Hook” because of his jump hook, and because he was 6’7” (pushing it) and 280 pounds (pushing it in the other direction). Florida was a force in 1994, and they brought it in this game. From Rupp Arena in Lexington, our announcers are Tom Hammond and BARRY BOOKER, in all caps because I think he’s great.

It was sad to see Rodney Dent in his uniform on the sideline (the only time he wore the uniform after the injury) because UK could have avoided losing all but one of the games they lost without him. Kentucky has come out flat on every Senior Day of my lifetime as a fan except 1996 and 2003. 1994 was one of the worst ones. Florida took advantage of their superior size and worked it inside for a couple of easy scores by DeClercq and Thompson. When Kentucky doubled Florida in the post, their bigs kicked it out to their dangerous guards. Cross made an 18-footer and a three, then Hill knocked down a Meat Hook and it was 11-3 Florida at the first timeout. A short jumper by Hill brought the lead to double digits. Jared Prickett missed a couple easy ones, to the surprise of nobody. Thompson connected on a contested baseline shot for UF to make it 15-3. Rick Pitino benched the starters, and it paid off immediately. Senior Jeff Brassow forced a turnover, then senior Gimel Martinez hit a three. After a sequence of bad calls that all went Florida’s way, Brown pulled up and nailed a three with a hand in his face, increasing the lead to 20-6. BARRY BOOKER is astounded at the hot shooting by Florida. Also, his natural speaking voice is one that sounds drunk. Another difficult shot by Brown kept the lead at 14, as the Gators were shooting 90% from the field, most of them on tough shots.

Florida continued the hot shooting throughout the half. A tough three by the Finnish Martti Kuisma made it 25-10. Every time Kentucky looked like they had some extra energy, Florida took the wind out of their sails with a ridiculous shot. Besides the tough shots, the usually tight Rupp rims were especially generous for Florida, as they seemed to get more shooters’ rolls than I’ve ever seen at a UK home game. Another garbage call drew the 3rd foul of the half on Rod Rhodes, who was doing everything he could to get the offense going, bless his heart. The tide turned when Florida’s Greg Williams drove to the rack and got swatted by Martinez. It was also a hard foul. Both teams exchanged some pleasantries, and the UK bench got called for a technical foul. After the FTs and a basket by Thompson, Florida was shooting 13-16 and was up 33-14. Much like the Tennessee game, the run happened instantly. Walter McCarty ruined 34 seconds of great Florida defense with a huge three. The press began to force loads of turnovers, as Tony Delk scored five quick points, then Travis Ford found my boy Andre Riddick on a breakaway for two. Prickett tipped in his own miss, then scored again after Riddick stole the inbounds pass. Just like that, the lead was down to nine. Florida would score whenever they beat the press, but that didn’t happen very much during this run. A Ford three made it 41-33. The halftime score was 44-34, but it was a huge testament to Kentucky’s intestinal fortitude to withstand the initial storm. When you have a 31-point comeback on your resume, ten points is nothing.

Kentucky began the second half with the same intensity they used to close the first half. Prickett crashed the boards something fierce, something he did quite often in 1994. A Prickett putback and Ford three cut the lead in half within the first minute of the half. Another easy basket by Prickett made it 44-41, but Craig Brown answered back with yet another tough three. Florida was still hitting the tough shots, but the percentage was significantly lower in this half. Both teams turned up the intensity after the initial timeout by Florida at 44-41, as the lead stayed in the 5-8-point range. After a jump hook by Prickett, Rhodes stole the inbounding pass and burned Florida with a sweet move that you’d see on the And1 tour. Another steal and score for Prickett cut the lead to a point, but Florida threw over the press to find Thompson, who scored and drew a foul. With Travis Ford on the bench with four fouls, Anthony Epps once again provided the spark as he hit a three from the corner and drew a foul. FTs by Cross and a layup by Brown made it 63-57.

Kentucky caught a huge break when Rhodes drew the fifth foul on DeClercq, who had destroyed UK with 20 rebounds in Gainesville. Delk scored inside, then Rhodes made FTs, and the lead was 63-62. Rhodes played really well in the second half, drawing fouls and getting to the line. With the Gators leading 66-64, Ford found himself open from the corner and knocked down a three. Kentucky forced a turnover and Rhodes scored again on another sweet move of contortion. Another three by Ford, this one from NBA range, made it 72-68 Kentucky. Consecutive scores by Tony Buckets made it 76-70. With UK up 77-72, the Cats fouled Brown on a three. Brown made all three to cut it to a single possession. Florida fouled Martinez, who hit two clutch shots from the line. Florida cut it back to two with 6.5 seconds to go, then immediately fouled Rod Rhodes. Rhodes only made one of two, leaving the door open for Florida. Rhodes missing the second shot was a blessing disguise, as Florida couldn’t call timeout and set up a play. Cross missed the desperation three, and the good guys won yet again, 80-77. I think it’s the best Senior Day game of all time.

I’ll close out 1994 with a memorable game from the SEC Tournament.

I’m Seth Stogsdill, and it’s last call for BARRY BOOKER.

Coming off of the Mardi Gras Miracle, Kentucky seemed to be rejuvenated. They went into inhospitable Memorial Gym and beat a Vanderbilt team that was fighting like mad to get off the bubble. The 77-69 win was not as close as the score indicated, and everybody thought that the Cats could carry the momentum of the last two wins into Tennessee, where the Knoxville jinx was still in effect. But something strange happened in the second half of that Vanderbilt game that nobody noticed until long after the game was over. At one point in that half, with the Commodores making a run and Kentucky in the one and one, Vanderbilt committed a foul on Andre Riddick, who despite being my boy, was the worst FT shooter in recorded history. As Riddick walked to the line, Travis Ford point at him and Walter McCarty, then did some kind of cryptic gesture, which resulted in McCarty shooting the free throws and hitting them. Later in the half, a Vanderbilt player went over the back of Jared Prickett, and after Kentucky got out of the huddle, Gimel Martinez shot the free throws.

It was revealed that McCarty and Riddick were just doing what Ford told them to do, while Prickett and Martinez agreed to do the FT switch, so Ford, Prickett and Martinez did not make the trip to Knoxville. This meant that Kentucky would only dress EIGHT (8) players against the last place Vols. Of course, Tennessee was in last place for a reason: Wade Houston was a lame duck coach who was awful at X’s and O’s and not that much better at recruiting. The former Louisville assistant was part of a package deal that sent his son Allan to Knoxville with the hopes of NCAA Tournaments and SEC titles. The best Tennessee did with Allan Houston was an appearance in the NIT in 1991. The 1994 Volunteers actually had two players, Steve Hamer and Ed Gray, who would have brief stints in the NBA. Still, the team was bad. Unfortunately for the good guys, winning in Knoxville was rough for Joe Hall and Eddie Sutton, and up to this point, it was rough for Rick Pitino. Heck, Tennessee even beat the awesome 1993 team in Knoxville, so even though the Volunteers were in last place, with Kentucky dressing eight players and starting Chris Harrison of all people, this game was up for grabs to say the least. From Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee, our announcers are Tom Hammond and Larry Conley, who are rooting for their alma mater as always.

There was a UK fan majority in the arena on this night, which is always cool for a road game. Kentucky abandoned its full court press for a 2-3 zone to conserve energy. Tennessee pressed Kentucky on the defensive end in the hopes that fatigue would set in, but these guys had to practice the ungodly conditioning exercises of Rock Oliver, so that didn’t matter much. The two teams traded baskets early on, as the Kentucky zone seemed to bother Tennessee. Kentucky was cold throughout the first half, as Tennessee slowly began to take advantage of the zone, which the Cats were obviously uncomfortable playing. The biggest offender in orange was Cortez Barnes, who made three quick threes. No, I do not know who Cortez Barnes is. Tennessee could have gone up by as many points as LSU did had they not been such a horrible team. Kentucky wasn’t hitting anything, but they were forcing a lot of turnovers. The lead remained in the 8-10 point range after the 4th three of the game for Barnes. The lone highlight of the half for Kentucky was the vicious gorilla dunk that Andre Riddick threw down off a missed three. Still, the offense was too out of sync to chip into the lead, as both teams pretty much went basket for basket for the rest of the half. Tennessee had a distinct advantage inside because Kentucky only had Riddick and McCarty inside. Rod Rhodes had to play some spot minutes at power forward, as I wonder why he and Pitino didn’t get along. The half ended as Anthony Epps found Riddick wide open on a busted play for another gorilla dunk, but the bad guys led 35-28.

Tennessee came out with guns blazing to open the second half. Cortez Barnes picked up where he left off, scoring five quick points to give Tennessee a 42-20 lead. A driving bucket by LaMarcus Golden made it 44-30, the biggest lead of the day for Tennessee. Unlike the LSU game, Kentucky’s comeback began immediately. Jeff Brassow hit a three, Tony Delk hit two FTs and then a runner, and the lead was trimmed in half in about a minute. After the 4th three by Barnes, Kentucky abandoned the zone and went back to the press, which proved to be more effective at preventing the Vols from getting good looks. Riddick was the most energized Wildcat, blocking Tennessee shots left and right and negating the once-dominant advantage Tennessee had in the paint. Delk cramped up and had to take a breather, and the offense struggled to get over the hump without him. A Brassow three triggered the next run for the big blue. Delk reentered the game and immediately hit a three, as you could tell that Kentucky was going to win this one based on the body language of everybody in orange.

However, it wasn’t over just yet. After a timeout, UT was still up 48-45, and there were still 11 minutes remaining. Barnes hit his 6th and final three to double the Tennessee, but Anthony Epps answered right back with a three that made UK fans go “No, no, no, YES!” It was one of the first times Epps took a big shot in his career, and like most of those shots, it was pure. Epps then pulled up again, this time from beyond NBA range, and he buried the three – awesome. Riddick made a twisting reverse layup and drew a foul, hitting the FT! It’s official, this may be the best game Riddick has ever played. After Hamer scored inside for Tennessee, Riddick found himself open again for a score and another foul, AND another FT. This play put UK up by one. After two Tennessee FTs, Riddick came through again with a gorilla dunk, as maybe the title of this game should be changed from “The Eight Players Game” to “The Andre Riddick Game.” A Delk jumper gave UK a 61-60 lead. After some FTs made it 64-60, Brassow hit a three that made the building erupt after Tennessee called timeout. A long two by Barnes cut it to 68-66, but Epps made two FTs, then he and Rhodes combined to steal the inbounds pass. His FT made it a 71-66 game. After trading baskets, Golden made a three to make it 73-71, but Rhodes hit two clutch FTs. A Tennessee basket with 12.6 seconds to go once again put the pressure on Rod Rhodes, who calmly buried the free throws to create the 77-73 final score. Rhodes didn’t make a single basket all night, but he knocked down 13-16 from line. Delk paced UK with 21 points, and Riddick added 18, a career high. Kentucky couldn’t have beaten any other SEC team under those conditions. It had to be Tennessee.

Senior Night is next, probably one of the best Senior Night games ever played.

I’m Seth Stogsdill, and I have no problem watching us beat Tennessee.

The 1993-94 season brought a lot of question marks to the table. How would Kentucky replace Jamal Mashburn? How would Travis Ford play without another superstar to draw attention from him? Which of the sophomores would step up and become the next great player? Would any of the three newcomers (Anthony Epps, Walter McCarty & Jeff Sheppard) make a huge impact? Could Rodney Dent become a major player inside and maintain the inside presence that he and my boy Andre Riddick established the year before? Would Gimel Martinez ever figure out how not to pick up cheap fouls? Nobody knew any of the answers to these questions going into the Louisville game (except the Martinez question, and the answer was no) because it was the first game of the season. Most people expected positive answers to these questions because Kentucky was #2 in the country in every preseason poll.

Louisville was #7 in the preseason polls, making this the most hyped Dream Game since Louisville’s peak in the 80s. This was also a Louisville team that was easy to hate. Almost all of their players were homegrown talents that narrowed their choices down to Louisville and Kentucky, only to choose the bad guys. Dwayne Morton was Mr. Basketball in 1990, and the recruiting war for this kid between the Cats and Cards was just filthy. Clifford Rozier was a transfer from North Carolina who visited Kentucky, and more nasty stuff followed. You can read all about these incidents here. The Cardinals also boasted 1993 Mr. Basketball Jason Osborne, UK killer Dejuan Wheat and the criminally underrated Greg Minor. I don’t know how hard UK went after Wheat, but I’m pretty sure we wanted Osborne something awful, but looking at how his career ended, it was probably for the best. Other homegrown talents for Louisville included Alvin Sims (Paris), Tick Rogers (Hart County) and Matt Simons (Shelbyville), but Denny Crum pretty much went with his starting five of Morton, Osborne, Rozier, Wheat and Minor. I also saw cult legend Beau Zach Smith, but I’m not sure if he ever got into the game. It was the first game of the season for Kentucky, Louisville and CBS, which was debuting its awesome college basketball theme that it still uses today. From Rupp Arena in Lexington, our announcers are Jim Nantz and Billy Packer in all of his cantankerous glory.

Tony Delk opened the scoring with a three, but Rozier established himself as a force early on and made a couple quick scores. Really, UK had a hard time stopping good big men in the Pitino era until 1996. Kentucky got off to a cold start, missing a variety of open shots. Baskets by Morton and Minor made it 11-5 Louisville, but after a vicious dunk by Dent, the press picked up and started forcing Louisville into some turnovers. It seemed like Louisville wasn’t prepared mentally because they could get whatever they wanted on the inside, but insisted on shooting the three, which was not one of their areas of expertise. There was one embarrassing moment early on when Rozier missed everything on a free throw.

Consecutive threes by Tony Buckets and Jeff Brassow gave Kentucky the lead. Riddick came in and proved to be more effective against Rozier than Dent. This is probably because the level of trash talk in Edison, GA is nowhere near where it is in Brooklyn. Threes by Ford and Delk extended the lead to eight points, as it became harder and harder for Louisville to get scores. Kentucky’s defense was scrappy and extremely active. McCarty unleashed his superstar potential with a sweet reverse layup along the baseline to give Kentucky the first double digit lead of the game. Kentucky challenged everything Louisville threw up at the rim and closed out the first half with a 39-28 lead.

At some point before halftime, Dwayne Morton aggravated a nagging wrist injury that sidelined him for much of 1993, and since he was often used to break the Kentucky press, it started to give him fits. The turnovers led to some easy baskets inside by Dent and Riddick, both of whom were playing very well. A trademark teardrop by Ford pushed the lead to 49-31, as Kentucky showed the run-making capability that would make the team so lethal in the years to come. Only the strong play of Cliff Rozier kept the game from being over at the first TV timeout of the half. A 9-0 run cut the lead in half, as the Cardinals were able to throw over the press for some scores. Rozier also drew the 4th foul on Andre Riddick, which contributed to the run. The Louisville freshmen, Osborne and Wheat, didn’t contribute jack to the run. Both guys definitely had first game jitters. Maybe that’s why the Dream Game hasn’t been first on the schedule since then.

Louisville would have cut even more into the lead had they shot a decent percentage from the FT line, but instead, they shot 17-31 for the game. A three by Brassow put a big dent in the Louisville run, but Rozier and Minor made consecutive buckets to make it 55-48. Morton countered a basket by Ford with a three to cut it to six, but then Delk made a huge three and it was 60-51 as Louisville’s players started to show serious signs of fatigue. Riddick crashed the boards for a couple of scores, then Ford hit Riddick on an incredible lob play. One last three by Delk made it 69-56 and broke the Cards’ backs. They couldn’t get over the hump after that point, as the starters had been carrying the load for 35 minutes and were just worn out. The final score was 78-70 with the good guys emerging victorious, but the score wasn’t that close.

I’ll peruse Jon Scott’s site to see what other games I should do from 1994 before the Mardi Gras Miracle. I know you people will be wanting me to do the Arizona game from the Maui Invitational (“Brassow comes up big”), but I regret to say that I have lost that tape. If a good game pops up, I’ll post it, but off the top of my head, it looks like we might be on a crash course with Mardi Gras, which I will try to make my greatest WGCGA ever.

I’m Seth Stogsdill, and yes, I have seen the schedule.

The picks got a lot more difficult to make as the draft continued, but I think both of us did pretty well. Of course, for those who are too impatient to scroll down, the first part of this fantasy draft can be found HERE. But now, it’s onto the second part, where we finish out our benches and I emerge victorious as I always do. All due respect to Kenneth, but my team is just better. There’s nothing wrong with a silver medal, though – even in a competition between two people. Let’s continue, shall we?

Kenny’s team (starters marked with an asterisk)

Dan Issel*
Tayshaun Prince*
Rajon Rondo*
Keith Bogans*
Rick Robey*
Chuck Hayes
Travis Ford

Seth’s team

Jamal Mashburn*
Ralph Beard*
Tony Delk*
Kenny Walker*
Sam Bowie*
Jack Givens
Cliff Hawkins

KC: Surely you don’t believe Cliff Hawkins is going to shut down Bogans or Ford, do you? I understand… playing catch-up since I beat you to the punch on Rondo. Let’s see – Chuck Hayes is my glue guy coming off the bench first, then Travis Ford keeps the treys flowing after that. After this, I have to give my big guys a rest, right? Of course. That’s why I forced your hand with Sam Bowie. So I can this guy all to myself. It may be early, but if I’m bringing this guy off the bench, I think I’m close to checkmate.

My Pick: Alex Groza C-PF.

SS: Good pick. Very good pick. Groza’s a good one. I have an offense guy and a defense guy coming off the bench, and now it’s time to go with a guy who can do everything. He was one of the best NBA players to ever come from UK, and represents Western Kentucky very well. My next pick is from Owensboro, and should have his jersey retired by the Atlanta Hawks.

My pick: Cliff Hagan (F-C)

KC: Not many teams run beyond an eight-man rotation unless you’re stacked. Possible, but you aren’t looking for much from the rest of the bench after number eight. Just guys waiting in the wings, people who will help improve your starters. Except with this number nine pick, I might just have to let this guy see some playing time. Yeah, he’s that good. In fact, he’s a national champion and if he weren’t injured in 1997, UK would have seen three in a row. Ladies and Gentlemen:

My pick: Derek Anderson (G)

SS: Coach Rupp never liked to play but about 6-7 guys, but I’m not Coach Rupp. I’m playing everybody on this roster. We’re up to nine now, and the decisions are getting tougher for me when it comes to old school vs. new school. I picked an old school guy last, so I’ll balance that out with another guy I watched help win a national championship. In fact, he won one with Derek Anderson. In fact, he played a bigger role in that championship than Derek Anderson and emerged as an extremely clutch player by playing out of his mind. I’m talking, of course, about Mark Pope, but this is not a GPA contest.

Here’s my actual pick: Ron Mercer (F-G)

Also, your earlier comment about Cliff Hawkins not being able to guard Travis Ford is asinine. Look at how great Hawk was at playing that crappy ball-line garbage. Imagine if he played in a real system how lethal he could have been.

KC: Good luck being effective in playing 13 guys. Sometimes you just have to make decisions about guys who would make your team better in practice as the season wore on, if of course these were real teams. You may try to alternate between new and old school, but I’m picking for specific reasons. And right now, I’m reaching for a slasher. At some point, there’s going to be foul trouble and some moves are going to have to be made. I still want a guy that will provide Rondo’s slashing abilities, but can finish. This guy never really showed up until the end of his career, but when he did… WOW.

My Pick: Joe Crawford

SS: Well, if you’re picking based on needs, I’ll try one. Who knew that’s what you had to do when picking a fantasy team? Anywho, I’m very pleased with my starting lineup. Off the bench I have shooting, ball handling, defense, athleticism and…no size. Your team has Issel. There will be foul trouble. I need a big man. I need a guy who can rebound, and more importantly, take up some space. I’ve got just the guy.

My pick: Dinner Bell Mel Turpin

That’s right, I have the entire 1984 frontcourt on my team. Now what?

KC: Here’s the thing, my need was for a scoring slasher. That’s pretty good for a fantasy team, no? You can have Mr. Turpin. I’m still not losing the size battle. Or the defense battle. Or the shooting battle. I have Rondo and Ford to back him up. Prince, Issel and their backup so far, Chuck Hayes. I have Keith Bogans and his backup, Derek Anderson. Rick Robey and Alex Groza. Crawford can tween and play guard or wing. Some people would say I have two starting fives. Pretty nice huh?

So let’s get another big guy down there. Why lose the advantage I already have?

My Pick: Scott Padgett.

SS: My next pick would probably actually be the first guard I brought off the bench. He could do things with the ball that no other UK player could, and he’s one of Rupp’s Runts, which means the fans would love him (like they really do). I think he’s the second most popular player to ever wear the jersey, and a dang good one at that.

My pick: Louie Dampier

KC: Louie’s a good pick. He’s been on my radar, but I’ve decided to go with more recent players and taller guards, besides Travis Ford of course. My number 12 guy has a great name and a great game. Although listed as a F-C, he’s undersized for today’s game. Still, I can’t pass him up.

My Pick: Cotton Nash

SS: (Smacks self in head like a V8 ad)

Well, I just have to make this pick now. Fun fact: We’ve chosen every one of the top 10 scorers at UK - except one. One of the heralded class that was the last one ever recruited by the Baron, I can’t believe I’ve left this guy off of my list for so long. He’s as good a shooter as there has ever been, and he helped bring the program out of its post-Issel doldrums.

My pick: Kevin Grevey

KC: I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist rounding out the top 10. No bother to me. I think my team would just gel like none other in a real game. I have all the wheels in place and pieces put together to run my well oiled machine. So consider this just a celebratory pick.

My Pick: John Pelphrey.

My team:
Dan Issel*
Tayshaun Prince*
Rajon Rondo*
Keith Bogans*
Rick Robey*
Chuck Hayes
Travis Ford
Alex Groza
Derek Anderson
Joe Crawford
Scott Padgett
Cotton Nash
John Pelphrey

I believe I win… there’s no trump card left for you.

SS: I pick Andre Riddick. The reason? He’s my favorite player and since my first 12 would most likely blow out your first 12, then so help me God, I can let my favorite player be on my team. And besides all that, he’s fourth all time in blocks, and he played a limited role in all four years. Also, if any of your guys acts out of line, Andre will choke him like he did to Rasheed Wallace.

Apologies to Wah Wah Jones, Bill Spivey, Frank Ramsey, Pat Riley, Mike Casey, Mike Pratt, Mike Phillips, Kyle Macy, Rex Chapman, Antoine Walker, Walter McCarty, Jeff Sheppard, Nazr Mohammed, Jamaal Magloire, Gerald Fitch, Erik Daniels, Randolph Morris and Patrick Patterson (maybe a year from now - right, Patrick?).

My team consists of:

G - Ralph Beard
G - Tony Delk
F - Kenny Walker
F - Jamal Mashburn
C - Sam Bowie
G - Louie Dampier
F - Jack Givens
F - Kevin Grevey
F - Cliff Hagan />G - Cliff Hawkins
F - Ron Mercer
C - Andre Riddick
C - Melvin Turpin

This pleases me. KC, your cockiness knows no bounds. Ask any UK fan with a brain and they’ll tell you my team is far superior. I know it’s unfair to compare games from the present day to games from the 40s and 50s, but my team has better winners. You have seven guys who didn’t go to a final four. I only have one. No time for losers, because I am the champion of the world.

I’m Seth Stogsdill, and how does defeat taste, KC?