Favorite Kentucky Wildcat Basketball Memories, Part 4

Today’s favorite Kentucky Wildcat Basketball Memory comes courtesy of Ken Howlett from A Sea of Blue. 

I have to admit; it’s very difficult to ascertain my favorite Kentucky basketball moment.  There have been so many majestic moments, moments when a fan feels on top of the world.  Those are the most special moments to most fans, moments of unexpected victory (1998 vs. Duke, and last year against Ohio State), moments of ultimate triumph, aka, the championship seasons, or games of terrific personal accomplishments leading to wins, for example, Jodie Meeks losing his mind in Knoxville in 2009, or in December of ’86, King Rex dropping what seemed like 50 points on the helpless Cards in Chapman’s seventh college basketball game (he scored 26 pts on 5-8 three-point shooting), or Cedric Jenkins with a last-second tip-in to beat UofL in December of ’87.

The Mardi Gras Miracle is another game dear to most UK fans of my generation, but I would have to settle on the Suffocats, led by Keith Bogans, beating No. 1 ranked Florida in February of 2003, as my favorite UK moment.

The Gators, the punks of the SEC, had a roster full of great talent and even greater egos, and were coached by Rick Pitino wannabe, Billy Donovan.  Led on the court by Matt Walsh, Anthony Roberson, David Lee, and Matt Bonner, Florida rolled into Rupp Arena the darling of ESPN and Dick Vitale (who were in the house that night), and the scourge of Kentucky basketball fans.   It was the nouveau riche versus old money.

As my brother Jason and I walked into Rupp, we could sense that familiar feeling of electricity in the air.  That UK team had been on a roll, throttling opponents with some of the best defense ever performed by any UK team — The previous five contests, the ‘Cats had won by an average of nearly 18-points per game, and were giving up only 58 points per game — This, after Tubby Smith peeled the lockeroom paint down at Vanderbilt after a lackluster first half against the ‘Dores only three weeks earlier.

The Suffocats, winners of 11 in a row as they faced Florida (a winning streak that would grow to 26-games), were in the middle of becoming the Suffocats, so to speak.  And Kentucky fans, knowing a great team when they see one, knew the team had a very real chance of sticking it to Florida and Eddie Munster look-a-like leader.

As the game started, with Jason and I perched near the top of Rupp Arena, surrounded by several thousand slightly insane ‘Cat backers, it was obvious from the opening tip what was about to unfold.  Whether it was the team feeding off of the crowd, or the crowd feeding off of the players, the Wildcats on that night had a definite pep in their step, and a look of confidence on their faces.  They seemed intently focused on the game at hand, and bent on announcing to the college basketball world their official arrival as national title contenders.

Then, the whistle blew, and the ‘Cats jumped on Florida, and I mean with a quickness.  The Gators, a good shooting team, made only 20% of their first half shots, as Keith Bogans lit ’em up for 15 first stanza points, propelling UK to a commanding 45-22 lead.

For the entirety of the first half the decibel level in Rupp was that of a Metallica concert … just almost unbelievably loud.  It was difficult to tell if the building was shaking because no one stood in place long enough to tell.  What was shaking was the head of Billy Donovan.  Shaking, as in, we can’t compete with this.

The high point of the night, though, was a thunderous Erik Daniels dunk which put the ‘Cats up by 29 points, 60-31, early in the second half.  The crowd was then, in a word, delirious.

Kentucky ended up winning 70-55, but it might as well have been 100-55.  UK dominated the game like few other games between two good teams.  The pure unadulterated manner in which the ‘Cats buried the Gators sent UK fans hurdling toward cloud nine, and victories like that are hard to come by.

So while there are so many great moments in UK basketball history, that game stands out in my mind, at least, as the pinnacle of basketball superiority as demonstrated by a Kentucky basketball team.  The fact that I was lucky enough to be in attendance, well, it was an experience I’m unlikely to ever forget.

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