Is UK-UofL 'Dream Game Really Special?
Big Four Classic, To Me, Is Better
Dream Game.
Just a few short hours after this column was finished, the Wildcats and the Cardinals tipped off'Dream Game V in Rupp Arena amid weeks of hoopla and anticipation.
I use the term 'Dream Game' loosely because much of the
Dan Brandenburg
Cats' Pause Columnist
glimmer has worn off since that first tremendouly-heralded showdown on Nov. 26,1983, that Kentucky won 65-44 to avenge an 80-68 overtime loss exactly eight months to the day earlier in the Mideast Regionals.
The Cats won in a rout last year 85-51, handing Coach Denny Crum his biggest defeat ever and the Cardinals their worst loss ever in Freedom Hall.
This season's match looked to be very similar, at least on paper, as UK brought a No. 1 national ranking into the game while U of L languished among the unranked follow-ng a drubbing by Notre Dame in its season opener the previous weekend.
Not having the luxury of knowing the game's outcome at the time of this writing, I figured Kentucky would win by about 20.1 was a little more optimistic than Eddie Sutton who predicted a 14-point-or-less margin, but not quite as bold as Crum who said it may be 50 or 55 points in Kentucky's favor.
We all knew Crum was blowing a lot of hot air when he made that remark. But Sutton was, perhaps, more down to earth and closer to the mark. Sure, Louisville was mangled by David Rivers and Company. Sure, the Cards couldn't throw one in the ocean. But, this was not going to be the Cards' opener. And, chances are U of L's shooting percentage was going to increase to near normal.
But this was Kentucky-Louisville, a game where rankings and statistics could be tossed out the window. The battle lines were drawn weeks ago.
Yes, Kentucky was a definite favorite going in and the Cats have the better team, I believe. UK is blessed with a better backcourt than the Cards, more balance across the front line, more experience and more depth. And, not to forget another important factor, the game was to be played in Rupp Arena where Kentucky has won more than 90 percent of its games. It's like, "Yeah, this is our homecourt and we don't lose here, so just come in, take your lumps and get out."
Kentucky led the renewed series 3-1, having won two of the games in a big way. In the two NCAA tournament games piayed since 1983, Kentucky is 1 -1 with the lone loss coming in overtime.
Louisville was 0-3 in Rupp Arena and 1 -8 in the all-time series against UKin Lexington. In addition, Crum was 1-6 against Sutton and 2-4 against Kentucky.
The Wildcats have dominated the series more so than the overall success rates of both teams when you compare the entire seasons and this year should offer nothing different as far as the series is concerned.
But by now, this may all be hot air, also, if Eddie's Boys fashioned another rout or Denny's Kids pulled off the upset of the season.
Notes and stuff: The UK-U of L match also paired up a couple of former high school teammates  Reggie Hanson of Kentucky and Shannon Fraley of Louisville who combined to lead Pulaski County to the 1986 Sweet Sixteen championship.
Hanson, a redshirt freshman, was the Maroons' big gun all season, but it was Fraley, a walk-on true freshman, who hit the winning shot in the closing seconds of the title match.
Through the Wildcats' first three games, UK has had a different leading scorer and rebounder each time. Ed Davender (the most underrated player in the nation), Rex Chapman and Rob Lock had each led in scoring, while Lock, Winston Bennett and Cedric Jenkins had each
You can call the Louisville match a 'Dream Game' if you want, but the real 'Dream Game' to me now is the Big Four Classic.
Kentucky's 82-76 overtime win over Indiana would have to rank as one of the best games in UK history. Neither team led by more than six points and there were 20 lead changes  how much closer can you get?
The event finally took place years after it should have and it was big enough to pack the 40,000 seats of the Hoo-sierdome and draw in a live national television broadcast Sure, the Notre Dame-Louisville contest was a laugher but I don't think anyone wanted a refund after the UK-IU match rounded out the day.
So why go and fix something that ain't broke. Says India na coach Bobby Knight: Let's change it into a two-day tournament just after Christmas and it will be the biggest college basketball event in the nation, short of the Final Four.
Says Sutton: No way.
I agree with Sutton. I think it is already the biggest event short of the Final Four. Plus, neither team really needs two losses that early in the season, which is guaran teed to happen to one of the teams under the tourney format.
But even more important, Kentucky does not need to lose its home games against Indiana, Louisville and Notre
grabbed the rebounding honor.
Sutton: Keep Big Four The Way It Is
Dame, traditionally three of the most revered matches on the UK slate.
The Hoosierdome is practically a homecourt advantage for Knight and UK surely does not need that, either. Also, none of the teams need to play any of the other three twice during one regular season and that would more than likely happen if there are games between the teams scheduled outside of the Big Four.
Next season, Kentucky will play Notre Dame in the Big Four, Louisville in Freedom Hall and Indiana in Rupp. That gives Kentucky one home, one away and one semi-neutral game with the other three. It is a dream lineup and shouldn't be changed.
Stick to your guns, Eddie.
Should the Cats have survived the Louisville game with their undefeated record intact, their No. 1 ranking should also have persevered. But is it deserved?
Kentucky is most assuredly in the nation's top five, but maybe not No. 1. Not yet, anyhow. The Cats took the backdoor into the top slot on the heels of the No. 1 Heels' loss to Vanderbilt.
Had North Carolina won that game, even by one point, I don't think the win over Indiana would have vaulted UK into No. 1. Right now, Pittsburgh and North Carolina are the top two teams in the country in my book, with UK a close third.
But the Cats should enjoy the ranking while they can because it is extremely unlikely that it will last all season. An 18-game Southeastern Conference schedule, plus defending national runnerup Syracuse, lie ahead and it will take a little more consistency, balance and leadership for the Cats to still carry the No. 1 banner come March.
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Payne, who was two of five on bonus-baby attempts for the day, popped a 24 footer with :31 left in the half to trim the lead to 45-32. By the time he nailed his second three-pointer of the daya 20 footer with 2:21 remaining to be played to give Louisville (huh?) a 72-70 leadstrange as it may have seemed, it was a ballgame.
The meat of this sandwich, and U of L's attack all day long, was a spectacular effort from Herb Crook and Pervis Ellison.
Crook, the Metro Conference Player of the Year last season, returned from the vacation he took the week before against Notre Dame and lived up to his "Superb Herb" billing. Crook was 10 of 16 from the field, most of them coming with a hand in his face, and four of six from the line for a game-high 24 points.
And Pervis, well he was Pervis. "Never Nervous" grabbed a game-high 13 boards and added 20 points, the last two coming on a 10-footer from the left baseline to give the Cards a 75-74 lead with only 40 ticks showing on the clock.
It was only fitting then that the dramatic, second-chance tip-in from Jenkinswho has earned the nickname "Television Man" from teammate Derrick Miller because of his newfound propensity to come up with the big play in national TV gamesshould have provided the climax for this, perhaps the best of the five regular-season matchups.
So, The Series, even if it only produces a Dream Game once every four and a half years or so. is worth keeping.
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I'm surprised it doesn't. That certainly got us off and running.
Question: Would you describe the last play of the game?
Sutton: We drew up a play we call "three-box." We let the shooter (Chapman) screen across away from the ball. Then you have a double screen coming down. Rex Chapman screens away and Eric Manuel broke to the block. Then we had Rob (Lock) and Cedric double-screen down for Rex. Ed (Davender) took the ball over to the one wing and we were hoping to hit Rex corning off the double screen at the top of the circle. He was open but Ed was under such heat on the baseline that he couldn't see him. He took a good shot, you couldn't ask for a better shot than he took. I'm like EdI thought it was going in the hole. But it didn't. I want to emphasis that when you watch basketball as much as coaches do. it isn't the initial shot that so often beats the other team, but it's the second and third shots that win it.
VIEWPOINT
Letter! To The Editor
Be Smart, Keep Jerry
Dear Sir:
I anxiously await the arrival of my Cats' Pause every week. It's the only way to keep up with the 'Cats up here in Buckeye (Fire The Coach) Country. My wife and I got to see the football 'Cats a couple of times this year and truly believe UK is very close to breaking through the upper echelon of the SEC.
I was very concerned to read that many fans (?) are calling for coach Claiborne's head. I hope the administration of UK is smarter than Ohio State.
Jerry Claiborne is a great asset to our University. He has made Kentucky respectable and very soon will make them a feared team.
Give him the time, give him the support. . . and give me another year of The Cats' Pause.
Wildcat fan in Buckeye Country,
Gary Blanton Worthington, Ohio