Today at 4 p.m. on ESPN, the now beaten but still #1 Kentucky Wildcats return home to Rupp Arena to take on the SEC leading, #23 Vanderbilt Commodores. Vanderbilt is the only remaining team left unbeaten in SEC play at 5-0, and are coming off a big victory against the Tennessee Volunteers down in Knoxville. Kentucky is coming off their first loss of the season against the South Carolina Gamecocks. Here are some numbers and facts of interests headed into today’s game:
Great 20 Game Starts In UK History
With a loss against the Gamecocks, UK ended up with a 19-1 record in their first 20 games of the season, one of the best starts to a season in UK history. The Wildcats have started 19-1 or better in their first 20 games seven times before. Here are those seven seasons and how they finished up the year:
1946-1947: Started 19-1, Lost to Oklahoma A&M 37-31 on 12/30/1946 in UK’s 12th game, Finished 34-3, SEC Regular Season and Tournament Champions, NIT Runners-Up
1948-1949: Started 19-1, Lost to St. Louis 42-40 on 12/30/1948 in UK’s 9th game, Finished 32-2, #1 in Final AP Poll, SEC Regular Season and Tournament Champions, NCAA Tournament Champions
1950-1951: Started 19-1, Lost to St. Louis 43-42 (OT) on 12/29/1950 in UK’s 7th game, Finished 32-2, #1 in Final AP and UPI Polls, SEC Regular Season Champions, SEC Tournament Runners-Up, NCAA Tournament Champions
1953-1954: Started 20-0, Finished 25-0, #1 in Final AP Poll and #2 in Final UPI Poll, SEC Regular Season Champions, Didn’t participate in the NCAA Tournament
1965-1966: Started 20-0, Finished 27-2, #1 in Final AP and UPI Polls, SEC Regular Season Champions, NCAA Tournament Runners-Up
1969-1970: Started 19-1, Lost to Vanderbilt 89-81 on 1/31/1970 in UK’s 16th game, Finished 27-2, #1 in Final AP and UPI Polls, SEC Regular Season Champions, NCAA Tournament Regional Finalist (Elite Eight)
1995-1996: Started 19-1, Lost to Massachusetts 92-82 on 11/28/1995 in UK’s 2nd game, Finished 34-2, #2 in Final AP and CNN/USA Today Polls, SEC Regular Season Champions, SEC Tournament Runners-Up, NCAA Tournament Champions
Patrick Patterson In Exclusive UK Company
Going into the Vanderbilt game today, Patrick Patterson has 1,328 career points, 665 career rebounds, and 119 career blocks. Those stats make him only 1 of 4 players in UK history to have 1,300 points, 650 rebounds, and 100 blocks. Here are the other 3 players in that exclusive club:
Melvin Turpin (1980-1984, 123 games): 1,509 points, 730 rebounds, 226 blocks
Kenny Walker (1982-1986, 132 games): 2,080 points, 942 rebounds, 122 blocks
Tayshaun Prince (1998-2002, 135 games): 1,775 points, 759 rebounds, 142 blocks
One-Loss Teams In The NCAA Tournament
Since the NCAA Tournament began in 1939, there have been 55 teams enter the tournament with only one loss. Only 6 of those 55 teams (10.9%) have gone on to win the NCAA Tournament. Here are those 6 teams:
1955: San Francisco (23-1 entering the NCAA Tournament)
1966: Texas Western (23-1 entering the NCAA Tournament)
1968: UCLA (25-1 entering the NCAA Tournament)
1969: UCLA (25-1 entering the NCAA Tournament)
1971: UCLA (25-1 entering the NCAA Tournament)
1974: North Carolina State (26-1 entering the NCAA Tournament)
9 of the 55 teams (16.4%) were NCAA Tournament Runners-Up (Last Team: 2008 Memphis, 33-1 entering the NCAA Tournament)
8 of the 55 teams (14.5%) reached the NCAA Tournament National Semifinals (Final Four) (Last Team: 1996 Massachusetts, 31-1 entering the NCAA Tournament)
10 of the 55 teams (18.2%) reached the NCAA Tournament Regional Finals (Elite Eight) (Last Team: 2004 St. Joseph’s, 27-1 entering the NCAA Tournament)
22 of the 55 teams (40%) didn’t reach the Elite Eight (Last Team: 2004 Stanford, 29-1 entering the NCAA Tournament)
Freshman Class Scoring Machine
With the 52 points scored by Eric Bledsoe, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, and John Wall Tuesday night against South Carolina, this season’s freshman class has now scored a combined 934 points this season, averaging an impressive 46.7 points per game. They are now only the 3rd freshman class in UK history to score at least 900 points in a season. Here are the other 2 freshman classes:
1974-1975 (Jack Givens, Dan Hall, James Lee, Mike Phillips, Rick Robey): 1,003 points (32.4 points per game)
1979-1980 (Sam Bowie, Tom Heitz, Derrick Hord, Charles Hurt, Dirk Minniefield): 982 points (28.1 points per game)
Vanderbilt: UK Giant Killers
With UK’s loss to South Carolina on Tuesday night, the Wildcats now have a 152-24 record when ranked #1 in the AP Poll. But, of all the opponents that UK has faced when ranked #1, their toughest challenge has been the Vanderbilt Commodores by far. Only two schools have beaten UK more than once when ranked #1 in the AP Poll and Vanderbilt has done it 4 times, the most of any opponent. Here are those 4 games:
March 3rd, 1951
SEC Tournament Championship
Jefferson County Armory, Louisville, Kentucky (Attendance: 8,000)
#1 Kentucky – 57
Vanderbilt – 61
Bill Spivey led UK in scoring with 21 points
Bob Smith led Vanderbilt in scoring with 15 points
January 6th, 1959
Memorial Gymnasium, Nashville, Tennessee (Attendance: 7,292)
#1 Kentucky – 66
Vanderbilt – 75
Billy Ray Lickert led UK in scoring with 14 points
James Henry led Vanderbilt in scoring with 29 points
January 6th, 1964
Memorial Gymnasium, Nashville, Tennessee (Attendance: 7,324)
#1 Kentucky – 83
#6 Vanderbilt – 85
Mickey Gibson led UK in scoring with 19 points
Roger Schurig led Vanderbilt in scoring with 22 points
January 13th, 1993
Memorial Gymnasium, Nashville, Tennessee (Attendance: 15,317)
#1 Kentucky – 86
Vanderbilt – 101
Rodrick Rhodes led UK in scoring with 19 points
Billy McCaffrey led Vanderbilt in scoring with 22 points
UK’s Various Records vs. Vanderbilt
UK’s overall record vs. Vanderbilt: 131-43 (.753) (lost last meeting, 4-6 last 10 meetings)
UK’s record vs. Vanderbilt at home: 74-14 (.841)
UK’s record vs. Vanderbilt at Rupp Arena: 30-2 (.938) (won last 2 meetings, 8-2 last 10 meetings)
UK’s record vs. Vanderbilt when both UK and Vanderbilt are ranked: 13-2 (.867) (won last 8 meetings, 8-2 last 10 meetings)
Other Various Records
UK’s overall record playing on January 30th: 22-2 (.917)
UK’s record vs. Vanderbilt playing on January 30th: 5-0 (1.000)
Largest crowd to attend a Kentucky/Vanderbilt game at Rupp Arena: 24,299 (February 6th, 1993 #2 Kentucky – 82 #11 Vanderbilt – 67)
RPI Rankings (As Of 9:30 P.M. January 29th)
Kentucky: 8th
Kentucky’s Strength Of Schedule: 78th
Vanderbilt: 18th
Vanderbilt’s Strength Of Schedule: 43rd
Pomeroy Ratings (As Of January 28th)
Kentucky: 11th
Kentucky’s Strength Of Schedule: 96th
Kentucky’s Non-Conference Strength Of Schedule: 182nd
Vanderbilt: 20th
Vanderbilt’s Strength Of Schedule: 23rd
Van
derbilt’s Non-Conference Strength Of Schedule: 107th
Sagarin Ratings (As Of January 28th)
Kentucky: 9th
Kentucky’s Strength Of Schedule: 120th
Vanderbilt: 14th
Vanderbilt’s Strength Of Schedule: 63rd
Kentucky In The Top 30 In Team Statistics
Assists Per Game: 27th (16)
Blocks Per Game: 6th (7.2)
Field Goal Percentage Defense: 11th (37.8%)
Field Goal Percentage: 13th (49.3%)
Fouls Per Game: 26th (15.9)
Rebound Margin: T-2nd (+9.7)
Scoring Margin: 9th (+16.4)
Scoring Offense: 11th (82.1)
Vanderbilt In The Top 30 In Team Statistics
Blocks Per Game: 19th (5.9)
Field Goal Percentage: 7th (49.8%)
Scoring Margin: 27th (+12.5)
Scoring Offense: 25th (79.5)
Kentucky Players In The Top 50 In Individual Statistics
Assists Per Game: John Wall, 2nd (6.6)
Field Goal Percentage: Patrick Patterson, 3rd (61%) DeMarcus Cousins, 34th (54.9%)
Rebounds Per Game: DeMarcus Cousins, 32nd (9.7)
Steals Per Game: John Wall, T-50th (2.1)
Vanderbilt Players In The Top 50 In Individual Statistics
Assist-To-Turnover Ratio: Jermaine Beal, 49th (2.31 to 1)
Field Goal Percentage: Jeffery Taylor, T-40th (54.5%)
Kentucky Individual Game Records vs. Vanderbilt
Points: 42, Louie Dampier (2/2/1966)
Rebounds: 22, Dan Issel (1/6/1968)
Assists: 10, Dirk Minniefield (1/23/1982) Anthony Epps (2/22/1997)
Steals: 6, Jamal Mashburn (1/15/1992)
Blocks: 9, Sam Bowie (2/21/1981)
Free Throws Made: 17, Cotton Nash (1/8/1962)
Field Goals Made: 18, Louie Dampier (2/2/1966) Dan Issel (3/1/1969)
3 Point Field Goals Made: 6, Derrick Miller (2/7/1990) Travis Ford (1/13/1993) Tony Delk (1/21/1995) Desmond Allison (1/22/2000) Rashaad Carruth (2/27/2002)
Vanderbilt Individual Game Records vs. Kentucky
Points: 41, Clyde Lee (1/5/1965)
Rebounds: 25, Clyde Lee (1/6/1964)
Assists: 14, Billy McCaffrey (1/13/1993)
Steals: 5, Tommy Springer (1/19/1980)
Blocks: 5, A.J. Ogilvy (1/12/2008)
Free Throws Made: 16, Alvin Rochelle (1/28/1956)
Field Goals Made: 16, Clyde Lee (2/16/1965)
3 Point Field Goals Made: 6, Barry Booker (12/31/1987) Scott Draud (1/27/1988) Barry Goheen (1/7/1989) Brendan Plavich (2/27/2002)
Memorable Game
March 5th, 2003
Rupp Arena (Attendance: 23,061)
UK Senior Night
#2 Kentucky – 106
Vanderbilt – 44
It was Senior Night at Rupp Arena as the Big Blue Nation attended to honor the collegiate careers of Keith Bogans, Jules Camara, and Marquis Estill at their final home game as Wildcats. This game was a total mismatch from the start and the game got ugly quick and often. UK came into the game with an 18 game winning streak and a perfect 14-0 record in the SEC. Vanderbilt, on the other hand, came into the game with a 7 game losing streak and a 3-11 record in the SEC. UK had a 10 point lead within the first 4 minutes of the game and a 20 point lead before the halfway point of the 1st half. The Wildcats were up by 19 points at halftime and went on to outscore the Commodores 58-15 in the 2nd half to go on to win the game by a whopping 62 points. Vanderbilt was futile on offense, shooting 30.6% from the field, 25% from 3 point range, and 22.2% from the free throw line. Nobody on Vanderbilt’s team reached double figures in scoring with Matt Freije leading them in scoring with 9 points. The Wildcats were hot shooting the ball, with 52.4% shooting from the field and 47.6% from 3 point range. Kentucky also played great fundamental basketball, turning the ball over only 9 times and stealing the ball 11 times. UK also killed Vanderbilt on the glass, outrebounding them 56-34. UK had 4 players in double figures with Erik Daniels leading the Wildcats in scoring with 20 points. Marquis Estill had 17 points, Kelenna Azubuike had 16 points, and Gerald Fitch had 15 points.
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