Kentucky Searching For Upset No. 3
Could fate have the Kentucky Wildcats next week at Rupp Arena in the NCAA Final Four? Could the Wildcats be reliving the Cinderella story of 1958 when the Fiddlin' Five surprised the basketball world by winning the NCAA title in the Bluegrass State?
The obvious answer to those two questions is an absolute "no." At least, until you've thought about the possibilities for a few minutes.
Remember that 1958 team, the team with a mountain boy, a preacher boy and a city slicker among others. Oh, that team ranked fairly high compared to the current Wildcats, but like this current edition, the 1958 champs had trouble in more than just a few games. As the late Adolph Rupp once said, you wouldn't want to take them to Carnegie Hall. "They're more like fiddlers," summed up Rupp.
Joe B. Hall's 1985 Cats best lives up to their nickname. They really do fight like Wildcats. Throughout a season of ups and downs, the Cats kept coming back. Time after time UK was diagnosed as being "near death" by the experts. Coffins could have been ordered after the loss to Florida in the SEC Tourney.
Thankfully, the NCAA selection committee felt otherwise.
What transpired in Salt Lake City, Utah, last week, would have Brigham Young and Oral Roberts both very happy in the Wildcats' faith, faith to bounce back.
Perhaps Salt Lake City is just what the Wildcats needed all along. Out in the open country, the Kentucky players were away from all the pressure and hoopla of the east. Why, some of the reporters out there didn't even know who Kenny Walker was when he arrived.
While all the attention was being directed to the likes of Chris Mullins & Company at St. John's, and Eddie Sutton and his Arkansas Razorbacks, the Wildcats were quietly sitting in their corner. During press interviews prior to the Washington game, UK players were virtually ignored in favor of the bigger names.
For the first time in years, the Wildcats were not in the limelight. They were there only by the courtesy of the NCAA which didn't want to snub the host school of the Final Four, according to some people. Obviously, the Kentucky players didn't appreciate the accusations.
More importantly, Kentucky is beginning to jell like most of Joe B. Hall's teams have done in the past during tournament time. Except for 1981 and 1982, Kentucky usually fares much better than the average school at tournament   time.   Last   week was
evidence again.
When Kentucky upset No. 9 ranked UNLV Joe B. Hall's NCAA tourney record improved to 20-8, which just happens to be the best NCAA tournament record of anyone in this year's event.
There is not a more exciting player in the country right now than Kenny Walker. More importantly has been the play of his teammates who have been improving by leaps and bounds the last couple weeks.
Roger Harden has developed into the floor general that Hall has been looking for the past year and half. Ed Davender has developed into one of the toughest little guards in the country. His confidence and determination are unmatched and his talent is unquestionable. At the same time, Winston Bennett and Bret Bearup are quietly going about their chores, doine their job without all the fanfare.
A couple real pluses have been Richard Madison and James Blackmon. Madison, coming off knee surgery late in the season blossomed out in Salt Lake City and had reporters drooling over his sudden contributions. Ditto for Blackmon, the sophomore from Marion, Indiana, who came in with a great deal of confidence and provided the Cats with that third guard so vital in a stretch run.
With all those ingredients and superb  coaching  on  the sidelines,
Kentucky pulled its biggest two upsets in years. And those folks in Salt Lake City promptly penned UK as the "Cinderella" team of the 1985 NCAA.
For Kentucky to advance in Denver this Friday, upset No. 3 will be required when the Cats challenge St. John's, the second best team in the tourney right now. The Redmen are 32-2, one of only two teams to beat Georgetown this season, and possess a line-up which has four potential pro players on it.
Can Kentucky stop the explosive-ness of a Bill Wennington and Chris Mullin, a pair of Olympic stars. Does UK have anyone to hold down Walter Berry and Willie Glass. Will Florida Gator transfer Mike Moses dominate UK's guards.
Those who make their living at such things as predicting outcomes of basketball games sav St. John's is a solid 4-point favorite. But games are not won on paper, as clubs such as UNLV, Michigan, LSU and Kansas have already discovered.
While UK's bid to duplicate the Fiddlin' Five's feat is a very long shot at best (pretourney had UK a 150-1 longshot), the Wildcats are playing at the top of their game right now.
If there is a right time to hit a peak period, it is March in the basketball world. Remember when Marquette and Al McGuire supposedly didn't deserve an invitation back in 1977?
THE
EAST
1985NCAA.
CHAMPIONSHIP
PROBABLE STARTERS:
KENTCUKY
				PPG		RPG	
F	3h	-	Kenny Walker (6-8, junior)	22	 9	10	.2
F	25	-	Winston Bennett (6-7, sophomore)	7	2	5	h
C	2k	-	Bret Bearup (6-9, senior)	6	k	5	1
G	23	-	Roger Harden (6-2, junior)	5	0	1	5
G	15	-	Ed Davender (6-1 , freshman)	8	.h	1	h
ST.	JOHN	s					
F	21	-	Walter (6-8, sophomore)	17	6	8	3
F	30	-	Willie Glass (6-6, sophomore)	6	9	3	1
C	23	-	Bill Wennington (7_0, senior)	12	7	6	it
G	20	-	Chris Mullin (6-6, senior)	20	2		8
G	2h	-	Mike Moses (5_11, senior)	6	0	1	0
Well, Marquette went on to win the title.
Strange things have happened before and will happen again. Don't be surprised if Kentucky does it again Friday. After all, UK found Cinderella's slipper on the way West.
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Joe B. Hall will, no doubt, be getting together with some old friends this week in Denver. It was Denver, if you recall, that gave Joe B. his first college coaching experience at small Regis College. After a year as an assistant, Joe B. was named head coach and compiled a 57-50 mark at the Colorado school.
It'll also be homecoming of sorts for junior guard Roger Harden who was born in Denver and spent much of his childhood growing up in Colorado.
Just when it appeared Kentucky could be facing a long, tough season next year, the younger Wildcats blossomed like a flower in the spring sun.
With the arrival of 6-7 Irving Thomas and possibly another forward and a guard, Kentucky might be well set for next season.
Those concerned with guard play and low post play obviously didn't witness the Washington and UNLV games. Robert Lock and Cedric Jenkins give the Cats a solid future at that position although back-up help is needed. Jenkins looked like a true veteran against UNLV.
And what about those guards. That position will be one of the target areas in recruiting next season, but returnees should have UK in good shape for 1985-86. With Davender, Harden, Blackmon and Andrews leading the way, don't look for too many teams to pick on UK's backcourt in the future.
HITS AND MISSES . . .Wildcat guard Ed Davender says he's eager to face St. John's Friday because it will give him an opportunity to play against some of his old high school buddies. Davender's second choice when he decided on UK was St. John's . . .This week's West Regional in Denver offers a lot of possibilities. Kentucky, with an upset win over St. John's could meet Alabama (if the Tide should beat N.C. State) for a third time. The two clubs split in regular season. If the two should meet, it would be the first time two SEC teams have ever met in a
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