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All-time Favorite Wildcat?
#1
As I get to be an old, old man, I have found that I like to reminisce about the good ole days and this includes the good ole days of University of Kentucky basketball.  With that in mind, I have come up with this question.  Who is you all-time favorite Wildcat player?  If you feel like, explain why you like them and also throw in your all-time favorite Wildcat team.
#2
I'll have to think  about it. Favorite team would probably have to be the team that won the '78 title since that was the first title for the Cats in my lifetime.  I also would have to list the '74/75  team that ended Indiana's 34-game winning streak in the Mideast Region final 92-90 . I loved seeing Bobby Knight's wife in tears. Indiana had beaten UK earlier that season by 24 points. Those Cats  went on to lose to John Wooden's UCLA team in the title game by seven points in Wooden's finale as coach.

Kevin Grevey was my favorite player on that '74/75 team. He is one of my all-time favorites as well.
#3
My all-time player was Jim Master.  I guess a close second was Kenny "Sky" Walker.  I met them both on the barnstorming tour Walker's senior year at Prestonsburg High School.

My all-time favorite team was the 1983-84 Final Four team.
#4
I’ll have to list two. Richie Farmer, first, more so for personal reasons, because I’ve known him since he was just a kid playing at Hacker Elem. in Clay Co., saw 95% or better of his high school games. The Duke game is the one and only time I’ve ever shed a tear over a UK game.
More recently, I loved D’Aaron Fox, to me nothing more exciting than the super-quick guard that can beat everyone down the floor with the ball in his hand and create plays. The night he totally embarrassed Lonzo Ball and UCLA is still one of my favorite Cal-era games.
[-] The following 1 user Likes Van Hagar's post:
  • Westside
#5
(01-18-2021, 09:00 AM)Van Hagar Wrote: I’ll have to list two. Richie Farmer, first, more so for personal reasons, because I’ve known him since he was just a kid playing at Hacker Elem. in Clay Co., saw 95% or better of his high school games. The Duke game is the one and only time I’ve ever shed a tear over a UK game.
  More recently, I loved D’Aaron Fox, to me nothing more exciting than the super-quick guard that can beat everyone down the floor with the ball in his hand and create plays. The night he totally embarrassed Lonzo Ball and UCLA is still one of my favorite Cal-era games.

I wish UK had a lot more Richie Farmers and less 5 star players, then Kentucky basketball would be Kentucky basketball again.
#6
(01-18-2021, 11:40 AM)Westside Wrote:
(01-18-2021, 09:00 AM)Van Hagar Wrote: I’ll have to list two. Richie Farmer, first, more so for personal reasons, because I’ve known him since he was just a kid playing at Hacker Elem. in Clay Co., saw 95% or better of his high school games. The Duke game is the one and only time I’ve ever shed a tear over a UK game.
  More recently, I loved D’Aaron Fox, to me nothing more exciting than the super-quick guard that can beat everyone down the floor with the ball in his hand and create plays. The night he totally embarrassed Lonzo Ball and UCLA is still one of my favorite Cal-era games.

I wish UK had a lot more Richie Farmers and less 5 star players, then Kentucky basketball would be Kentucky basketball again.


Richie, Pelphrey, Feldhaus, and Woods left it on the court EVERY time out. That team was fun to watch. However, it helps to have a five star stud like Mashburn who can dominate and be a go-to guy.

(01-18-2021, 09:00 AM)Van Hagar Wrote: I’ll have to list two. Richie Farmer, first, more so for personal reasons, because I’ve known him since he was just a kid playing at Hacker Elem. in Clay Co., saw 95% or better of his high school games. The Duke game is the one and only time I’ve ever shed a tear over a UK game.
  More recently, I loved D’Aaron Fox, to me nothing more exciting than the super-quick guard that can beat everyone down the floor with the ball in his hand and create plays. The night he totally embarrassed Lonzo Ball and UCLA is still one of my favorite Cal-era games.

A tear for that one and a tear and a tear for the Bengal-49er's last minute superbowl loss. Both of those were simply devastating. Sports can be absolute exhilarating or it can absolutely break your heart in pieces. Those two were heartbreaking.
#7
I’ve been watching since Keith Bogans and Tashaun Prince.

Keith Bogans and Micheal Kidd-Gillcrest are mine
If you need any assistance or want to report a problem feel free to PM me and we will get it taken care of!  Thank you for choosing to be apart of the BGR community!
#BBFL
#8
This is a very tough question and I don't think that I can pick a single all-time favorite. I have great memories of listening as a young boy with my father to the UK teams play that featured Issel, Pratt, and Tom Parker. Listening to Cawood Ledford call UK basketball games on WHAS and to Jack Buck call St. Louis Cardinals on KMOX when I lived near Columbus, Ohio, also sparked my lifetime interest in radio.

Other favorites, in no particular order:

Kenny Walker
Sam Bowie
Mel Turpin, who could have been a great NBA player if he had not eaten his way out of the league. He improved more at UK than any big man ever to play there, IMO.
James Lee
Dwight Anderson, who may have been the quickest player ever to play for UK. Watch the "Blur" hit what may be the most amazing shot ever made by a UK basketball player:

https://www.si.com/college/usc/recruitin...t-anderson 

Eric Manuel, who got royally screwed in the Sutton/Casey scandal. The Suttons and Chris Mills went on with their lives largely unpunished. Manuel was banned from the NCAA for life and almost banned from the NAIA as well. IMO, UK's abandonment of Manuel probably cost him a careen in the NBA.

Roderick Rhodes, who is another player that I felt was unfairly abandoned by UK. Rhodes missed some big shots during his stay at UK but IMO, no player ever played with more effort for Kentucky. Pitino basically encouraged Rhodes to announce for the draft, which Rhodes was obviously not ready for, and when Rhodes decided to return to play for the Wildcats, Pitino told him that there was no room on the roster. Pitino was probably the second best coach in UK history but his treatment of Rhodes was classless, IMO.

Tony Delk
John Wall
Tyler Ulis
Anthony Davis, one of the most unselfish players ever at UK, and consequently one of the most under-utilized players ever. Davis should have been the focal point of UK's offense, IMO. He was a great asset to the team but as an individual, he would have been better off playing elsewhere. He was ready for the NBA before he stepped on the court in a UK uniform and Calipari wasted his talent on the offensive end of the court.

Lastly, Pitino's first UK team. It is hard to pick favorites off of that team. No UK team ever achieved more with so little individual talent.
[-] The following 1 user Likes Hoot Gibson's post:
  • Old School Hound
#9
Its going to be Bj Boston for me guys, the dude has "SO MUCH heart"

In all seriousness Jamal Mashburn aka monster mash for me. Kentucky was placed on MAJOR sanctions for accidemic an recruiting violations an even went as far as banning two players an no televised games for a good minute. When mashburn committed it solidified Kentucky as a future national contender again. Jamal mashburn is one of those guys that we all wish would have stayed another year & if not fouled out in the 1992 final four I don't think leattner would have hit the shot heard around the world. & Kentucky could be sitting at 10 chips to this day but it is what it is..
#10
(01-18-2021, 01:50 PM)Hoot Gibson Wrote: This is a very tough question and I don't think that I can pick a single all-time favorite. I have great memories of listening as a young boy with my father to the UK teams play that featured Issel, Pratt, and Tom Parker. Listening to Cawood Ledford call UK basketball games on WHAS and to Jack Buck call St. Louis Cardinals on KMOX when I lived near Columbus, Ohio, also sparked my lifetime interest in radio.

Other favorites, in no particular order:

Kenny Walker
Sam Bowie
Mel Turpin, who could have been a great NBA player if he had not eaten his way out of the league. He improved more at UK than any big man ever to play there, IMO.
James Lee
Dwight Anderson, who may have been the quickest player ever to play for UK. Watch the "Blur" hit what may be the most amazing shot ever made by a UK basketball player:

https://www.si.com/college/usc/recruitin...t-anderson 

Eric Manuel, who got royally screwed in the Sutton/Casey scandal. The Suttons and Chris Mills went on with their lives largely unpunished. Manuel was banned from the NCAA for life and almost banned from the NAIA as well. IMO, UK's abandonment of Manuel probably cost him a careen in the NBA.

Roderick Rhodes, who is another player that I felt was unfairly abandoned by UK. Rhodes missed some big shots during his stay at UK but IMO, no player ever played with more effort for Kentucky. Pitino basically encouraged Rhodes to announce for the draft, which Rhodes was obviously not ready for, and when Rhodes decided to return to play for the Wildcats, Pitino told him that there was no room on the roster. Pitino was probably the second best coach in UK history but his treatment of Rhodes was classless, IMO.

Tony Delk
John Wall
Tyler Ulis
Anthony Davis, one of the most unselfish players ever at UK, and consequently one of the most under-utilized players ever. Davis should have been the focal point of UK's offense, IMO. He was a great asset to the team but as an individual, he would have been better off playing elsewhere. He was ready for the NBA before he stepped on the court in a UK uniform and Calipari wasted his talent on the offensive end of the court.

Lastly, Pitino's first UK team. It is hard to pick favorites off of that team. No UK team ever achieved more with so little individual talent.
Correction. The reason that I did not remember the behind the backboard shot that Dwight Anderson made is that he made it after transferring to USC, where he played as a Junior and Senior. I had forgotten why he transferred but from what I read, he became addicted to cocaine and never made it in the NBA. He had unlimited potential and blew it but for a short time he was one of UK's most popular players ever.

I remember UK trailing in a game and watching Anderson score the last 7 points of the game in the final 30 seconds, leading UK to a come from behind win. That was before the 3-point shot and a player scoring that many clutch points so quickly was an amazing feat.
#11
I can’t give love to my cousin Richie but I will say that my all time favorite is Cool Kyle Macy.
#12
(01-18-2021, 01:50 PM)Hoot Gibson Wrote: This is a very tough question and I don't think that I can pick a single all-time favorite. I have great memories of listening as a young boy with my father to the UK teams play that featured Issel, Pratt, and Tom Parker. Listening to Cawood Ledford call UK basketball games on WHAS and to Jack Buck call St. Louis Cardinals on KMOX when I lived near Columbus, Ohio, also sparked my lifetime interest in radio.

Other favorites, in no particular order:

Kenny Walker
Sam Bowie
Mel Turpin, who could have been a great NBA player if he had not eaten his way out of the league. He improved more at UK than any big man ever to play there, IMO.
James Lee
Dwight Anderson, who may have been the quickest player ever to play for UK. Watch the "Blur" hit what may be the most amazing shot ever made by a UK basketball player:

https://www.si.com/college/usc/recruitin...t-anderson 

Eric Manuel, who got royally screwed in the Sutton/Casey scandal. The Suttons and Chris Mills went on with their lives largely unpunished. Manuel was banned from the NCAA for life and almost banned from the NAIA as well. IMO, UK's abandonment of Manuel probably cost him a careen in the NBA.

Roderick Rhodes, who is another player that I felt was unfairly abandoned by UK. Rhodes missed some big shots during his stay at UK but IMO, no player ever played with more effort for Kentucky. Pitino basically encouraged Rhodes to announce for the draft, which Rhodes was obviously not ready for, and when Rhodes decided to return to play for the Wildcats, Pitino told him that there was no room on the roster. Pitino was probably the second best coach in UK history but his treatment of Rhodes was classless, IMO.

Tony Delk
John Wall
Tyler Ulis
Anthony Davis, one of the most unselfish players ever at UK, and consequently one of the most under-utilized players ever. Davis should have been the focal point of UK's offense, IMO. He was a great asset to the team but as an individual, he would have been better off playing elsewhere. He was ready for the NBA before he stepped on the court in a UK uniform and Calipari wasted his talent on the offensive end of the court.

Lastly, Pitino's first UK team. It is hard to pick favorites off of that team. No UK team ever achieved more with so little individual talent.
Really good post, Hoot, and good list. Rhodes and Anderson both showed flashes of just how good they could be, but neither quite maxed their potential. "The Blur" was a freakishly good athlete who could do things that few others could. And you are right about Davis. He could have dominated offensively the way he did defensively had he been more of a focal point. Probably one of the best talents to ever be at UK(as short-lived as it was). Davis was/is a winner. He sacrificed offensive stardom at UK because he was all about winning.

(01-18-2021, 03:32 PM)Hoot Gibson Wrote:
(01-18-2021, 01:50 PM)Hoot Gibson Wrote: This is a very tough question and I don't think that I can pick a single all-time favorite. I have great memories of listening as a young boy with my father to the UK teams play that featured Issel, Pratt, and Tom Parker. Listening to Cawood Ledford call UK basketball games on WHAS and to Jack Buck call St. Louis Cardinals on KMOX when I lived near Columbus, Ohio, also sparked my lifetime interest in radio.

Other favorites, in no particular order:

Kenny Walker
Sam Bowie
Mel Turpin, who could have been a great NBA player if he had not eaten his way out of the league. He improved more at UK than any big man ever to play there, IMO.
James Lee
Dwight Anderson, who may have been the quickest player ever to play for UK. Watch the "Blur" hit what may be the most amazing shot ever made by a UK basketball player:

https://www.si.com/college/usc/recruitin...t-anderson 

Eric Manuel, who got royally screwed in the Sutton/Casey scandal. The Suttons and Chris Mills went on with their lives largely unpunished. Manuel was banned from the NCAA for life and almost banned from the NAIA as well. IMO, UK's abandonment of Manuel probably cost him a careen in the NBA.

Roderick Rhodes, who is another player that I felt was unfairly abandoned by UK. Rhodes missed some big shots during his stay at UK but IMO, no player ever played with more effort for Kentucky. Pitino basically encouraged Rhodes to announce for the draft, which Rhodes was obviously not ready for, and when Rhodes decided to return to play for the Wildcats, Pitino told him that there was no room on the roster. Pitino was probably the second best coach in UK history but his treatment of Rhodes was classless, IMO.

Tony Delk
John Wall
Tyler Ulis
Anthony Davis, one of the most unselfish players ever at UK, and consequently one of the most under-utilized players ever. Davis should have been the focal point of UK's offense, IMO. He was a great asset to the team but as an individual, he would have been better off playing elsewhere. He was ready for the NBA before he stepped on the court in a UK uniform and Calipari wasted his talent on the offensive end of the court.

Lastly, Pitino's first UK team. It is hard to pick favorites off of that team. No UK team ever achieved more with so little individual talent.
Correction. The reason that I did not remember the behind the backboard shot that Dwight Anderson made is that he made it after transferring to USC, where he played as a Junior and Senior. I had forgotten why he transferred but from what I read, he became addicted to cocaine and never made it in the NBA. He had unlimited potential and blew it but for a short time he was one of UK's most popular players ever.

I remember UK trailing in a game and watching Anderson score the last 7 points of the game in the final 30 seconds, leading UK to a come from behind win. That was before the 3-point shot and a player scoring that many clutch points so quickly was an amazing feat.


Here you go, Hooter. I remember it well. I went berserk!!!



#13
(01-18-2021, 04:48 PM)Old School Hound Wrote:
(01-18-2021, 01:50 PM)Hoot Gibson Wrote: This is a very tough question and I don't think that I can pick a single all-time favorite. I have great memories of listening as a young boy with my father to the UK teams play that featured Issel, Pratt, and Tom Parker. Listening to Cawood Ledford call UK basketball games on WHAS and to Jack Buck call St. Louis Cardinals on KMOX when I lived near Columbus, Ohio, also sparked my lifetime interest in radio.

Other favorites, in no particular order:

Kenny Walker
Sam Bowie
Mel Turpin, who could have been a great NBA player if he had not eaten his way out of the league. He improved more at UK than any big man ever to play there, IMO.
James Lee
Dwight Anderson, who may have been the quickest player ever to play for UK. Watch the "Blur" hit what may be the most amazing shot ever made by a UK basketball player:

https://www.si.com/college/usc/recruitin...t-anderson 

Eric Manuel, who got royally screwed in the Sutton/Casey scandal. The Suttons and Chris Mills went on with their lives largely unpunished. Manuel was banned from the NCAA for life and almost banned from the NAIA as well. IMO, UK's abandonment of Manuel probably cost him a careen in the NBA.

Roderick Rhodes, who is another player that I felt was unfairly abandoned by UK. Rhodes missed some big shots during his stay at UK but IMO, no player ever played with more effort for Kentucky. Pitino basically encouraged Rhodes to announce for the draft, which Rhodes was obviously not ready for, and when Rhodes decided to return to play for the Wildcats, Pitino told him that there was no room on the roster. Pitino was probably the second best coach in UK history but his treatment of Rhodes was classless, IMO.

Tony Delk
John Wall
Tyler Ulis
Anthony Davis, one of the most unselfish players ever at UK, and consequently one of the most under-utilized players ever. Davis should have been the focal point of UK's offense, IMO. He was a great asset to the team but as an individual, he would have been better off playing elsewhere. He was ready for the NBA before he stepped on the court in a UK uniform and Calipari wasted his talent on the offensive end of the court.

Lastly, Pitino's first UK team. It is hard to pick favorites off of that team. No UK team ever achieved more with so little individual talent.
Really good post, Hoot, and good list. Rhodes and Anderson both showed flashes of just how good they could be, but neither quite maxed their potential. "The Blur" was a freakishly good athlete who could do things that few others could. And you are right about Davis. He could have dominated offensively the way he did defensively had he been more of a focal point. Probably one of the best talents to ever be at UK(as short-lived as it was). Davis was/is a winner. He sacrificed offensive stardom at UK because he was all about winning.

(01-18-2021, 03:32 PM)Hoot Gibson Wrote:
(01-18-2021, 01:50 PM)Hoot Gibson Wrote: This is a very tough question and I don't think that I can pick a single all-time favorite. I have great memories of listening as a young boy with my father to the UK teams play that featured Issel, Pratt, and Tom Parker. Listening to Cawood Ledford call UK basketball games on WHAS and to Jack Buck call St. Louis Cardinals on KMOX when I lived near Columbus, Ohio, also sparked my lifetime interest in radio.

Other favorites, in no particular order:

Kenny Walker
Sam Bowie
Mel Turpin, who could have been a great NBA player if he had not eaten his way out of the league. He improved more at UK than any big man ever to play there, IMO.
James Lee
Dwight Anderson, who may have been the quickest player ever to play for UK. Watch the "Blur" hit what may be the most amazing shot ever made by a UK basketball player:

https://www.si.com/college/usc/recruitin...t-anderson 

Eric Manuel, who got royally screwed in the Sutton/Casey scandal. The Suttons and Chris Mills went on with their lives largely unpunished. Manuel was banned from the NCAA for life and almost banned from the NAIA as well. IMO, UK's abandonment of Manuel probably cost him a careen in the NBA.

Roderick Rhodes, who is another player that I felt was unfairly abandoned by UK. Rhodes missed some big shots during his stay at UK but IMO, no player ever played with more effort for Kentucky. Pitino basically encouraged Rhodes to announce for the draft, which Rhodes was obviously not ready for, and when Rhodes decided to return to play for the Wildcats, Pitino told him that there was no room on the roster. Pitino was probably the second best coach in UK history but his treatment of Rhodes was classless, IMO.

Tony Delk
John Wall
Tyler Ulis
Anthony Davis, one of the most unselfish players ever at UK, and consequently one of the most under-utilized players ever. Davis should have been the focal point of UK's offense, IMO. He was a great asset to the team but as an individual, he would have been better off playing elsewhere. He was ready for the NBA before he stepped on the court in a UK uniform and Calipari wasted his talent on the offensive end of the court.

Lastly, Pitino's first UK team. It is hard to pick favorites off of that team. No UK team ever achieved more with so little individual talent.
Correction. The reason that I did not remember the behind the backboard shot that Dwight Anderson made is that he made it after transferring to USC, where he played as a Junior and Senior. I had forgotten why he transferred but from what I read, he became addicted to cocaine and never made it in the NBA. He had unlimited potential and blew it but for a short time he was one of UK's most popular players ever.

I remember UK trailing in a game and watching Anderson score the last 7 points of the game in the final 30 seconds, leading UK to a come from behind win. That was before the 3-point shot and a player scoring that many clutch points so quickly was an amazing feat.


Here you go, Hooter. I remember it well. I went berserk!!!



Great video ole man, sincerely. I was sitting at work waiting for my wife to pick me up an my plant manager tried getting into conversion with me hearing the video I assume like I knew what I was talking about back in the 70s before my time. I'm humble enough to hear the good times & I LOVE reading yalls stories man, truely. Thank you. Books are not dead my friends. They are just electronical.
#14
Scott Padgett

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