The above picture is of former Indiana great Isiah Thomas trying to steal the ball from f..."/> The above picture is of former Indiana great Isiah Thomas trying to steal the ball from f..."/>
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Inside The Numbers: AP Top 5 Matchups At Rupp Arena

By Corey Price

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The above picture is of former Indiana great Isiah Thomas trying to steal the ball from former Kentucky great Dirk Minniefield. That game took place on December 15th, 1979 at Rupp Arena. That game was important because it was the first time in Rupp Arena’s short-lived history (it was the 4th season that Kentucky had played there) that both Kentucky and their opponent were ranked in the top 5 of the Associated Press Poll heading into the game. The Wildcats were ranked #5 and the Hoosiers were ranked #1. And with today’s game against the Louisville Cardinals being another top 5 matchup, I decided to look at past top 5 matchups in Rupp Arena’s history. Here’s what I found:

December 15th, 1979: #5 Kentucky – 69 #1 Indiana – 58 (Attendance: 23,798)

  • Indiana led 39-36 at halftime
  • Kentucky outscored Indiana 33-19 in the 2nd half to win the game going away
  • Stat Of The Game: Indiana had more free-throws made (24) than field goals made (17)
  • Indiana finished the 1979-1980 season with a 21-8 record and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA Tournament
  • Kentucky finished the 1979-1980 season with a 29-6 record and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA Tournament

December 4th, 1982: #3 Kentucky – 93 #4 Villanova – 79 (Attendance: 23,884)

  • Kentucky led 48-35 at halftime
  • Kentucky outscored Villanova 45-44 in the 2nd half to complete the convincing victory over those other Wildcats
  • Stat Of The Game: Kentucky shot 63.6% from the field, making 35 of their 55 attempts
  • Villanova finished the 1982-1983 season with a 24-8 record and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament
  • Kentucky finished the 1982-1983 season with a 23-8 record and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament

January 22nd, 1984: #3 Kentucky – 74 #4 Houston – 67 (Attendance: 23,992)

  • Kentucky led 35-31 at halftime
  • Kentucky outscored Houston 39-36 in the 2nd half to increase their margin of victory against Phi Slama Jama
  • Stat Of The Game: Kentucky had 2 players record a double-double (Kenny Walker had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Melvin Turpin had 19 points and 11 rebounds)
  • Houston finished the 1983-1984 season with a 32-5 record and lost in the national championship game of the NCAA Tournament
  • Kentucky finished the 1983-1984 season with a 29-5 record and a Final Four appearance in the NCAA Tournament

February 9th, 1994: #4 Kentucky – 82 #3 Arkansas – 90 (Attendance: 24,326)

  • Kentucky led 47-41 at halftime
  • Arkansas outscored Kentucky 49-35 in the 2nd half to escape with the victory
  • To this day it still remains the only AP Top 5 matchup in Rupp Arena to involve a SEC opponent.
  • Stat Of The Game: Kentucky attempted 40 3-point field goals, making only 10 (25%)
  • Arkansas finished the 1993-1994 season with a 31-3 record and were the national champions of the NCAA Tournament
  • Kentucky finished the 1993-1994 season with a 27-7 record and a 2nd round appearance in the NCAA Tournament

December 12th, 1998: #5 Kentucky – 103 #2 Maryland – 91 (Attendance: 24,321)

  • Kentucky led 54-41 at halftime
  • Maryland outscored Kentucky 50-49 in the 2nd half, but it wasn’t enough to claim the victory
  • Stat Of The Game: Kentucky made more free-throws (30) than Maryland attempted (25)
  • Maryland finished the 1998-1999 season with a 28-6 record and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA Tournament
  • Kentucky finished the 1998-1999 season with a 28-9 record and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament

December 3rd, 2011: #1 Kentucky – 73 #5 North Carolina – 72 (Attendance: 24,398)

  • North Carolina led 43-38 at halftime
  • Kentucky outscored North Carolina 35-29 in the 2nd half for the comeback victory
  • The 8th largest crowd in Rupp Arena history
  • Stat Of The Game: Kentucky shot just 23.5% from 3, making just 4 of their 17 attempts

So, as you can see, today’s Kentucky/Louisville game will be the 7th time that there will be an AP Top 5 matchup at Rupp Arena. And, in the previous 6 such meetings, Kentucky holds a 5-1 record in those games. So I like Kentucky’s odds against Louisville today. Plus it’s the filthy Cards anyways, we should win regardless.

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