Thus disqualified were 6-foot, 4-inch Cliff Hagan, 6-3 Frank Ramsey and 6-5 Lou Tsioropoulus. They scored 600, 490 and 363 points, respectively, representing 66 percent of the team's scoring punch.
The decision to bow out of the tournament was, for the most part, heartily applauded as a sensible stand by UK authorities who had contended that an exception should be made in the case of the three boys, due to the fact that the NCAA itself was to blame for the predicament. Kentucky officials reasoned that it was the NCAA's suspension of two-seasons ago that created the situation of three good students finishing their scholastic work before their athletic eligibility ran out. And, it was further pointed out, the governing body's decision to disallow the three UK stars essentially made a farce of rules requiring athletes to make "normal progress" toward degrees. Except for the National' Collegiate Athletic Association rule which that body refused to waive on appeal by Kentucky, the Wildcats would have been strong, if not prohibitive favorites, for their fourth NCAA crown since 1948.
NCAA Champs Lost To Kentucky
With the Wildcats out of the national tournament picture, Holy Cross walked off with championship honors in the National Invitation and LaSalle's Explorersbeaten soundly by Kentucky in the UK Invitational Tournament last Decembercame through to gain the NCAA title. But experts the country over placed the final stamp of greatness directly on the Ruppmen by naming them national champions over both of the major tournament winners. "01' Kaintuck" was given top ranking in the Associated Press poll for the fourth time in six years and the Helms Athletic Foundation named the Cats as the nation's best basketball team for the fifth time in history and fourth time in the last seven years. Only the United Press, which conducted its poll among the nation's cage coaches and made final rankings before tourney play began, ignored the country's lone undefeated quintet. This poll rated UK second to Indiana's Big 10 champs, a team, that had already lost three games during the regular season and was to be handed another loss in the NCAA Tournament.
In becoming the first major college team to complete its season undefeated since Long Island U. accomplished the minor miracle in 1938-39, Kentucky scored 2,187 points, battering its 25 opponents, by an average margin of 87.5 to 60.3. The Wildcats hit 100 points or better six times.   In true champions' style, the Cats rallied to over-
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