How Top 20 fared
How the top twenty teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll tared last
1. North Carolina (4-1) lost to UCLA 89-84; beat Stetson 100-64, beat Miami. Fla. 122-77.
2. Nevada-Las Vegas (5-0) beat Memphis State 80-77.
J. Indiana (3-0) beat Notre Dame 67-62; beat No 13 Kentucky 71-66
4. Purdue (3-0) beat Illinois State 96-54, beat Connecticut 88-70
I Iowa (6-0) beat Missouri-St. Lours 89-64; beat Delaware 95-47; beat Loyola. Calif.. 103-80
6. Kansas (3-1) beat Southern U. 87-69. beat Washington 82-68; lost to Arkansas 103-86
7. Auburn (2-0) beat Armstrong State 94-54
. Alabama (2-1) beat Furman 96-69; tost to Florida State 72-71.
. Illinois (4-0) beat Chicago State 92-78; beat No. 12 Pittsburgh 99-97
10. Navy (3-1) beat Yale 93-62
11. Oklahoma (3-1) beat Texas A&M 93-79, beat Texas-Arlington 101-76
12. Pittsburgh (2-1) beat St Francis, Pa. 108-69; tost to No. 9 Illinois 99-97
II Kentucky (2-1) beat Texas Tech 66-60; tost to No. 3 Indiana 71-66
14. W Kentucky (6-1) beat Kentucky Stale 90-58, beat Mercer 98-67; beat Southern California 82-52.
15. Georgia Tech (3-1) beat Pennsylvania 84-57, beat Georgia 72-66
11 Georgetown (4-0) beat Grambling 96-52, beat St Leo 126-51.
17. Syracuse (4-0) beat George Washington 82-69, beat Oklahoma State 73-62; beat No 19 Northeastern 94-74.
11 North Carolina State (5-1) beat East Tennessee State 104-85, beat Western Carolina 96-75
11 Northeastern (4-2) beat St Joseph's. Maine 81 -54, beat Jacksonville 76-70, tost to No 17 Syracuse 94-74
20. Arizona (1-2) beat San Diego State 110-78. tost to Utah 68-67.
Thomas Making Doubters Into Believers
Has Been 'Cats' Most Impressive Big Man
When Kentucky "s Irv Thomas came out of Carol City High School in Miami. Fla.. his legend arrived on the Kentucky campus long before he played his first minute as a Wildcat.
At 6-foot-9 (he has since shrunk to 6-7) and 220 pounds, his high school coach Ernie Bell was comparing him favorably to NBA areat Dr. J.
"Irving is simply a great player, a complete one," Bell said at the time. "He does everything well and has the moves of a very talented player. I've never coached a better player in my life." His statistics seemed to back up his coach's statement: Thomas
	
	Mike Estep Cats' Pause Columnist
	
averaged in double figures in each of his four years in which he started at Carol City. He averaged 17 ppg and 10.2 rpg as a sophomore, 18 ppg, 15.4 rpg and had 95 blocked shots as a junior and finished his career with 18.6 ppg. 14.5 rpg and 5.3 blocked shots as a senior. In the summer before he came to Kentucky, Thomas also tore up the all-star game circuit, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 boards in the McDonald's All-Star Classic and erupting for 40 points in an AAU contest.
All the prep scouts were searching for adjectives to describe Thomas:
"Irving is the kind of a player who needs no refinement," said one recruiter. "He has all the tools to step right in and become the centerpiece of any offense. Irving is a player who can't miss, not matter what the so-called experts say."
"If there are five better forwards in the country, I would like to see them," one college assistant coach said following his junior season. "If there are, they should be in the National Basketball Association, because that's where Thomas will wind up in four years, or even sooner. He's that good."
Leonard Hamilton and Joe B. Hall apparently took the scouts at their word. Thomas was UK's only recruit that year, and he signed with Kentucky without ever setting foot in Lexington on an official visit.
'Kentucky is a big school desperate for a big forward." Thomas said then. "That suited my needs completely."
Kentucky and Irv Thomas. It looked like a marriage made in heaven.
Failed To Live Up To Expectations Last Year
Two years later, the good folks around Lexington were wondering whether or not there should have been a quickie divorce. It was doubtful whether Thomas would be able to stick it out at Kentucky for four years, let alone make it in the NBA.
Playing behind Kenny Walker and Winston Bennett, Irv had a rough time adjusting to the college game. In an average of 4.3 minutes in 19 games, Thomas failed to produce the numbers many thought he would1.3 ppg and .9 rpg.
"Irv Thomas, I know, was frustrated last year as a freshman, but he is an outstanding athlete," said Eddie Sutton, who took over for Hall after Thomas had already committed to play for the 'Cats. "When we opened practice Oct. 15 a year ago, I felt like he would be in our top seven or eight. Perhaps our coaching staff didn't do a good job with him. I do believe he lost confidence, as many freshmen do when you start playing against some quality players."
You could afford to overlook his statistics last season. Not all freshmen, no matter what kind of reputations they bring with them, can come in and be impact players on a 32-4 ballclub. He was talented, after all. You could go down to practice every day and verify that. What was alarming, however, was the way Thomas reacted when he was placed in front of 23,000 screaming fans at Rupp Arena. He seemed to be lost. He committed 20 turnovers. Once, he even attempted to in-bounds the ball after a made free throw by one of his own teammates.
If this was the second coming of Dr. J., many fans around the state were ready to sue him for malpractice. Even Irv became somewhat of a doubting Thomas (pun intended). The rumor mills reported that Thomas was unhappy with his playing time at Kentucky. A published report in a Miami newspaper quoted Thomas as saying he was planning to leave the university
and transfer to the University of Miami.
Hard Work In Off-Season Has Made Difference
But Thomas stuck it out. He worked hard in the off-season. He played well on the team's tour of the Orient this past summer. Sutton hinted Thomas had regained some of his lost confidence, and suggested he may even be penciled into the starting lineup. And remember, this was before Bennett and Cedric Jenkins went down with injuries.
"Irv has come back with a tremendous attitude." Sutton said prior to the season. "We feel like the experience he gained in Japan should certainly help him. He's got the chance to break into the starting lineup."
When Bennett and Jenkins were lost in preseason drills, the matter was settled. Thomas, ready or not. would have to begin the season as a starter.
He's been making believers out of everyone since.
Against Austin Peay in the season opener. Thomas was three for five from the field, five for seven from the line and led Kentucky's inside attack in scoring with II points, including the game winner on a 10-foot jumper with 18 seconds left in the game.
Against Texas Tech, Thomas was once again the 'Cats most productive player in the paint, again scoring 11 points, and this time claiming seven boards.
The critics still weren't ready to concede that they had been wrong.
"Who has he played against?" they wanted to know.
Thomas In Action Against lU's Garrett
"Anyone could put up numbers like that against Austin Peay and Texas Tech," they said.
"He'll get his real test in Bloomington, against Bob Knight's team," they said with a smile. "We'll see how tough Irv Thomas is then."
He did. And they did.
In Assembly Hall Saturday, Thomas scored 10 points and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds despite being limited to only 28 minutes of action before fouling out (on a phantom charging call after he had claimed an important offensive rebound on a missed free throw). And all this was accomplished against two of the premier big men in the Big Ten this season6-11 Dean Garrett, a junior transfer who was an All-American in junior college last season and 6-7 forward Daryl Thomas, who was IU's main man inside last season.
"In high school I played a lot of center and played against bigger guys. When that happens, and there's a mismatch on the inside, I try to use my quickness more than anything. I feel it's to my advantage, being able to maneuver more on the inside against a slower guy," Thomas said, explaining why his best performance of his career came in the 71-66 loss to IU.
You can look at Thomas this season, see the change in his mannerisms, in his court savvy, and the difference from last season is like night and day.
Why the dramatic turnaround in Thomas' fortunes this season?
Confidence.
"I had a tendency to get down last year," Thomas said, "and with the playing time I've had this year I've been able to bounce back and use some of the experiences I had last year to my advantage.
"Confidence is the most important aspect of the game. You have to believe in yourself before others can believe in you."
Three games into the '87 season, the list of believers is growing by leaps and bounds.