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Four Years Ago
?Two weeks separate Jerry Claiborne's Wildcats and Wisconsin when the two collide in the Hall of Fame Bowl. Already, speculation has it mat the Wildcats will be facing their toughtest test of the year.
Dave MeClain's Badgers are led by 1984 preseason (Playboy) All-American Al Toon. Toon, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound split end also was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 1983. During his three seasons, the senior has recorded 127 pass receptions for 2,055 yards. Toon is a member of the Wisconsin track team, where he earned All-America honors in 1983 and '84.
No doubt about it, the Wildcats will have their hands full when they tangle with the Badgers on Dec. 29 at Legion Field.
Thanks to Butch Moore's clutch field goal. SMU was able to defeat Kentucky 56-54
al Rupp Arena. Not since 1983, when UK lost to Auburn 75-67 had the 'Cats lost a home game. The UK home-court streak, 23 before the game, came to a grinding halt.
Moore's timely basket fell through with four seconds remaining. James Blackmon's attempt from near midcourt went astray.
Junior Kenny Walker scored a game-high 19 points while Paul Andrews hit on a perfect four-of-four from the field for eight points.
Carl Wright and Moore netted 17 and 15 points, respectively, while 7-foot center Jon Koncak added 13 points and 15 rebounds.
Five Years Ago
?The Kentucky Wildcats rolled to a convincing 72-50 victory over host Kansas. Melving Turpin and guard Jim Master hooked up for 48 of UK's total and Kenny "Sky" Walker pulled down eight rebounds, tops on the night.
WILDCAT QUIZ
Tracking the '88*89 'Cats
1. Last week Kentucky lost its home opener to Northwestern State. How many times have the Wildcats' dropped their home debut?
a) 7 times
b) 10 times
c) 13 times
d) 14 times
2. UK guard Derrick Miller did something nobody else has ever done in the Great Alaska Shootout. What was it?
a) most points in a game
b) most three pointers in a game
c) most steals in one game
d) most combined minutes (three games) played
3) In the 1988 Alaska Shootout. Sean Sutton was credited as the tournament's No. 1 player in _?
a) steals
b) minutes played
c) assists
d) both a and c
4) True or False? Walk-on Jeff Ginnan played for Transylvania's JV team.
5) Besides UK's game with Louisville who else will the Wildcats play in Freedom Hall this season?
a) Georgia
b) Austin Peay
c) Syracuse
d) Indiana
6) True or False? On Dec. 20, Kentucky will host college basketball's "bad boy" Bobby Knight and his Indiana Hoosiers. And ever since *76. when Rupp Arena became UK's new home, the Wildcats have never lost to IU in Lexington.
7) Walkon Anthony Mathis scored his first collegiate point against which of the following teams?
a) California
b) Duke
c) Northwestern State
d) Notre Dame
8) The other UK walkon. Chris Jones of Russell, Ky., told 77ie Cats' Pause that while the Kentucky caravan was driving along in Alaska recently, something peculiar especially caught teammate Richie Farmer's attention. What was it?
a) an Eskimo
b) an Eskimo in a bikini
c) a moose
d) a moose in a bikini
9. True or False? In the 80s. UK has never lost a game in the UKIT Tournament.
10. True or False? Bowling Green has never been a participant in the UKIT.
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The Wildcats, with Master tossing in jumpers from the perimeter (10 of 13 from the field) and Turpin doing the damage inside, were able to race out to a commanding 35-20 halftime lead.
? Kentucky punter Paul' Calhoun was selected second-team All-American by The Sporting News, thus becoming the first UK All-American since Art Still back in 1977.
? Sophomore kicking specialist Chris Caudell was suspended from the UK football team for disciplinary reasons and will not be allowed to participate in the Hall of Fame game later this month in Birmingham. Kentucky and West Virginia hook up at Legion Field
? Kentucky placed three players on the All-SEC Academic football team. Ron Bojalad, Keith Martin and Scott Schroeder were the Wildcats who made the SEC's Honor Roll.
Eight Years Ago
^In a game that wasn't even close, Kentucky jumped out to a 19-2 lead and went on to defeat Alaska-Anchorage 91-56 in the first round of the University of Kentucky Invitational. Alabama-Birmingham won the other first-round game (91-81 over Idaho State) and will play Kentucky for the UKIT championship.
Kentucky's defense and some poor shooting by Alaska turned this affair into a laugher. The Seawolves made only three field goals in the first half.
Nine UK players logged between 14 and 27 minutes of action Eight of those scored between seven and 16 points.
Charles Hurt, starting for the first time in place of injured Fred Cowan, led UK with 16 points. Dirk Minniefield added 15.
Freshmen Melvin Turpin and Bret Bearup were impressive off the bench, with 13 and 12 points, respectively..
?Alabama-Birmingham earned a lot of people's respect as the Blazers took Kentucky to the limit before losing 61-53 in the championship game of the UKIT.
UAB led at the half and had the host Wildcats on the ropes for most of the game.
Sam Bowie led Kentucky with 25 points and 12 rebounds, which earned the seven-foot center plenty of praise from the UAB head coach. Gene Bartow. After the game Bartow labeled Bowie as the No. 1 big man in the college game today. Bowie was the only Wildcat in double figures.
Chuck Verderber added nine points and Charles Hurt seven while Oliver Robinson led UAB with 12.
Dicky Beal who only scored two points was still sensational off the bench, adding his electrifying play-making skills to the 'Cats' win.
For his efforts Beal was named to the all-tournament team along with teammates Sam Bowie, the MVP, and Charles Hurt.
Robinson and Idaho State's Dale Wilkinson also were selected to the all-tournament team.
Idaho State defeated Alaska-Anchorage in the consolation game.
Twelve Years Ago
In the first round of the UKIT. Kentucky came to life after a horrible first 20-minutes of play to defeat Bowling Green 77-59. Kentucky played with very little emotion while building a 39-31 lead. The 'Cats were paced by Jack Givens' 28 points (who hit 13 of 23 shots).
Rick Robey scored 19 points and pulled down 14 rebounds while James Lee added 15 in an unfamiliar starting assignment. Kentucky was without the services of Jay Shidler.
Mike Phillips and Truman Claytor, who missed the tournament after breaking curfew.
?After opening the season with five impressive wins, Kentucky played poorly in the UKIT and paid for it in the championship game when Utah upset UK 70-68. Utah sophomore Earl Williams hit a last-second shot for the win. The loss was UK's first of year, its'first loss ever in Rupp Arena and broke a 16-game winning streak, longest in the country.
Kentucky, playing without suspended members Jay Shidler, Mike Phillips and Truman Claytor, could never get things going in its favor. Utah built an eight-point lead at the half, lost that lead and then was able to come back to pull out the victory.
Rick Robey led UK with 19 points while James Lee added 13 points and the same number of rebounds. Dwane Casey scored 12 but Jack "Goose" Givens scored only eight.
Utah's Jeff Judkins. the tourney's MVP. led Utah with 24 points. He was joined on the all-tourney team by Givens. Robey, Lee and Tony Robertson of West Virginia.
Kentucky football coach Fran Curci announced the signing of six players from the Bluegrass State to a Southeastern Conference letter-of-intent. Those players are: Sam Simpson and Charlie Jackson of Scott County: Chuck Smith and Mark Gillespie of Louisville; Greg Motley of Glasgow and Wendell Dean of Richmond.
? University of Kentucky offensive tackle Warren Bryant, an All-American. has been named the recipi ml if :he Jacobs Blocking Trophy, given annually since 1935 to the best blocker in the SEC.
? The Kentucky football program has lost assistant football coach John Cooper to Tulsa where he was named head coach. Cooper has been at UK since 1973. He has been on the coaching staff of four bowl teams.
? Following a lengthy investigation, the NCAA has turned in its penalty against the University of Kentucky. Its penady against the program is that the team will not be allowed on national or regional television next year nor will UK be permitted to play in postseason action. The coaching staff has been cut back in its allotment of annual recruits, too. Instead of the usual 30 scholarship the staff can give out, the 'Cats are allowed 25.
After next year, there will be no football sanctions.
As far as for the university's basketball program. . Joe B. Hall's Wildcats can only sign three players in the next two seasons, respectively. That was the lone penalty issued to the basketball program.
University of Kentucky's athletics director Cliff Hagan said the penalty against the basketball team was "unfair, based on the findings." Most of the violations pertained to recruiting.
Thirty Two Years Ago
? Sophomore Johnny Cox poured in 34 points as Kentucky downed Maryland 76-65 in a game played at Lexington's Memorial Coliseum. Cox outscored the entire Maryland team in the first half by a count of 20-17. He hit on 11 of 21 jumpers and all 12 free tosses. No other Wildcat hit for double figures.
However, in the rebounding category UK's Ed Beck had 11 while Johnny Brewer, in his initial start of the season, grabbed 10.
CORRECTION
In last week's Back Tliru the Wildcat Years the items listed in "Five Years Ago" should have been dated "Nine Years Ago."