Kentucky Wildcats not the only 25-0 team in UK history

For most teams, a 25-0 start would be the beat start in their school’s history. Not so for the 2015 Kentucky Wildcats. In addition to chasing the history of recent teams like 1996 and 2012, Kentucky also has another team in their history that went 25-0. That is the history of being the number one all time winningest program.  Mark Story recently took a look at the “other 25-0” team, the 1953-54 Kentucky Wildcats.

"Led by seniors Cliff Hagan (24 ppg), Frank Ramsey (19.6) and Lou Tsioropoulos (14.5), the ’53-54 Cats were a juggernaut. Kentucky’s average margin of victory for the season was 27.12 points a game. Only two teams, Xavier (six points) and LSU (seven), played the Cats within single digits. Last week, I asked Hagan, 83, via the phone from his home in Vero Beach, Fla., the key to such dominance. Noting that he, Ramsey and Tsioropoulos all played in the NBA, that he and Ramsey are in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and that swingman Billy Evans played on the 1956 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team, Hagan then chuckled. “I say this in all modesty, we had talent,” he said. Ramsey, the longtime president of the Dixon Bank in western Kentucky, still keeps regular work hours at age 83. He said the ’53-54 Wildcats had at least one similarity to the current Cats. They had the ability to match up with most any type of foe. Against smaller teams, Rupp would start the 6-foot-5 Tsioropoulos, the 6-4 Hagan and 6-1 junior Evans (8.7 ppg) in the front court with the 6-3 Ramsey and 6-foot junior Gayle Rose (6.7 ppg) at guard. Against bigger teams, Rupp would insert 6-7 sophomore Phil Grawmeyer (5.8 ppg) at center, play Tsioropoulos and Hagan at forward, and move Evans into the backcourt with Ramsey. Sophomore guard Linville Puckett (5.1 ppg) was also a regular contributor."

In addition to taking in some of the NBA All Star festivities, John Calipari did some recruiting over the weekend,.  Calipari checked in on current Kentucky Wildcats commit Isaiah Briscoe and recruit Chieck Diallo.

"John Calipari was in New York City on Sunday afternoon to watch UK signee Isaiah Briscoe and Roselle Catholic (N.J.) defeat UK recruiting target Cheick Diallo and Our Savior (N.Y.) 63-59 in a nationally televised game. Briscoe — one of three UK signees for the class of 2015 — had 29 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals to lead Roselle. He did most of his damage from the free-throw line, making 19 of 22 foul shots. Diallo — a top 10 player in the class of 2015 — had 16 points and eight rebounds. The 6-foot-9 center is still considering UK along with Kansas, Iowa State, St. John’s and Pittsburgh."

Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

With the impending snowstorms, the Kentucky Wildcats left for Tennessee last night, ahead of schedule.  John Calipari was still in New York, so Kenny Payne stepped in and met with the media last night.