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OSCAR L. COMBS
CATS' PAUSE EDITOR/PUBLISHER
Rrrrring, rrrrring! Is that you, Chris Webber?
Ring, ring, ring.
Hello, is this Chris Webber's home?
May I speak with Chris?
Hello, Chris, I understand you're going to visit the University of Kentucky campus this weekend, that you've narrowed your choices of a future college to Michigan State, Michigan, Duke and Kentucky.
You still there, Chris?
Just wondering if you caught the game on television Saturday between Kentucky and Notre Dame and what was your reaction, but first I thought you might want to know what folks are saying down in the Bluegrass State about this young bunch of Wildcats.
You see, the live television ban pro-hbiting Kentucky from the airwaves is history so folks around the nation can now see college ballPitino syle that only Kentuckians witnessed a season ago.
And despite the fact Kentucky won't be allowed to play in the NCAA tournament next March, Wildcat players have formed their own tournament. It's a rather long one. It started last week against Penn and goes for 28 games. The entire regular season, Chris.
No, Kentucky isn't loaded with the talent of say, a UNLV or an Arizona, but it does have a strong foundation for the future. As soon as Rick Pitino can land another strong, talented inside player to go with freshmen Jamal Mashburn and Gimel Martinez, and a couple other recruits, watch out. It'll be tap city for those who have enjoyed UK's three-year absence from the NCAAs.
You still there, Chris? There are a couple other things you might want to hear.
Christmas may still be three weeks away but you couldn't tell it the way Kentucky basketball fans have been rejoicing since the Wildcats have stormed out of the gate with a perfect 3-0 record, including a pair of impressive victories away from friendly Rupp Arena.
Excuse me, Chris, but I gotta tell you this one story. This fella Pitino, he loves Italian food and he's got more business deals going than Donald Trumpcar washes, restaurants, his own personalized basketball, golf clubsyou name it and he's got a piece of the action.
And you'd think that type fella would have a pretty long Christmas list, right? Wrong!
I hear his list is so short that it doesn't go any farther than one, No. 1, as in the nation's No. 1 high school basketball senior. Have any idea who that would be Chris?
No kiddin,' Chris? Really?
Well, you could make this a mighty fine Christmas for the Pitino family, not to speak of about two million or so Kentuckians at the same time. They take their basketball pretty seriously down here. It's almost like life and death.
Ole Ricko has about everything down here in the Bluegrass and he's just plain tired of most toys other men dream of. All he wants for Christmas is one big,
talented basketball player to complete the puzzle that will take UK to the promised land of the NCAA tournament in 1992. If he gets just one more great frontcourt player, you'll see Kentucky playing right up to April Fool's Day and this will be no joke.
Hey, Chris, you gotta love this coach. Hey, he's a player's coach. Early to bed and early to rise. Plays basketball every morning at six o'clock. Always looking for a new challenge. No mountain is too tall, no sea is too deep.
Rick's already been to the Final Four, did that a few years age with Billy Donovan and a bunch of mirrors at Providence. That was pretty exciting but there were some non-believers. Some claimed it was luck. Wish I had such good luck.
After that he went to that big court in the sky, you know, the NBA and Michael Jordan country. He toyed around with the New York Knicks and the Big Apple. Got tired of the big city life after reintroducing Pat Ewing and Madison Square Garden to the NBA playoffs. The challenge had all worn off.
Having conquered the NBA, Rick wanted a real challenge. You gotta admit when he announced his intentions to take over the UK program and rebuild it, there were many skeptics. The NCAA did a masterful job of demolishing the UK program. Not much was left after LeRon Ellis and Chris Mills jumped ship, except some kids with hearts bigger than lions.
Hey, Chris, hang on, I won't be much longer.
In just over a year, Pitino has the 'Cats on track, back to the big-time. Everyone said there was no way UK could avoid a second straight losing season, an unprecedented string in Kentucky history. After all, Kentucky enjoyed over a half-century of non-losing seasons before Fid-die Sutton failed in his last try as the NCAA dangled the rope from the old oak tree.
But Pitino must have been raising rabbits in his kitchen because he somehow whipped up a 14-14 mark. It was almost 15-13, had the 'Cats not stumbled in the season finale at Notre Dame in March.
Perhaps that's why this Notre Dame game was so important to not only Pitino but the Wildcat players. Already this season, UK has beaten a team on a neutral court that it lost to last season. That's progress, Chris. If you don't believe me, ask this character named Rick Pitino.
Kentucky's victory over Notre Dame, no doubt, will push the Wildcats into the nation's Top 25 for the first time in three years as evidence begins to surface that the Big Blue program is alive and well once again.
Still there, Chris?
The 'Cats' exciting 98-90 victory over the Irish also had dozens of national sports reporters and a crowd of almost 40,000 buzzing about the exciting basketball magic second-year coach Rick Pitino
has weaved into Big Blue Country.
Did you read any of the press clippings, Chris?
And throughout the nationally-televised game by ABC-TV, color analyst Jim Valvano did not try to hide his enthusiasm for the Pitino-style game, so much so, that he predicted the Wildcats would be the team of the 1990s. In two years, Valvano said, Kentucky would be back in the thick of the race for NCAA laurels.
Still listening, Chris? What do you think? Sounds like a strong endorsement by Mr. Valvano?
One last thing, Chris, I don't know if you followed Kentucky that closely last season or not, but Kentucky was embarrassed, sorta, by Kansas about this time last winter. The score was something like 150 zillion to 80 or something like that. Folks around these parts are still trying to pinch themselves into thinking it was a bad nightmare.
But, Chris, it really did happen, the worst blowout you'd ever want to see, unless you wore the losing team's uniform. Embarrassed? Ever see 15 grown men walk out a gym with brown sacks over the head? That's what they should have done. The little Italian was breathing fire from the nostrils.
To say there were some bruised egos would be stating it mildly. In this day and time when you beat someone by 50 or more on your home court and you know you have to pay the visit back to the other team, well, you know what I mean.
This weekend, when you visit Kentucky, the Wildcats will be rolling out, er, I think, the welcome mat for the Kansas Jayhawks. Hey, Chris, do I see a smile creeping across your face? Say you wouldn't mind being involved in something like this?
Well, you can bet some 23,000-plus fans are licking their chops for this one. And oh yes, I don't know if any of the fans will be able to spot you, but if they do, don't be surprised if they plead with you about making sure Rick Pitino has a very Merry Chrismas.
Sorry I've taken so much of your time and I hope I haven't taken you away from your homework tonight, but thought you might enjoy having this little chat about the Kentucky program. Who knows, someday this brief history lesson might come in handy if you should decide to make Big Blue Country your own Kentucky home.
UK NO LONGER STEPCHILD
Two years ago Kentucky was the stepchild, and not a very dear one, at the Big Four Classic. Other schools' officials and fans snickered here and there, made un-tactful jokes, even did a little "kicking while the dog was down" routine, but the shoe was on the other foot Saturday.
Writers and broadcasters were saying nice things about the Kentucky program, how exciting the style of play the Wildcats employ and how the players
seemed to be so happy and loose on the court. And about how this Kentucky team was the only team among the four participants to leave Indianapolis with a perfect record.
Of course the media always loves an underdog, even if it is Kentucky.
On the other hand, the kicks were directed to the likes of Louisville where there simmers rumors of unrest and at Notre Dame where Digger Phelps' coaching ability continues to be the topic of great debate.
Even Indiana and Bobby Knight were subjected to taunts of why they aren't undefeated even though they rest peacefully in the nation's Top 10 and have a bright future ahead.
If you readers recall, I predicted in this very space some two years ago that what goes around, comes around. When Kentucky hit hard times, there were those detractors who laughed, giggled and devoured the Wildcats' shortcomings. Does misery love company? You'd better believe it and some UK fens are no different, but they should be.
Now hard times are beckoning U of L, what with the academic woes, Prop 48 and other rumors of malcontent.
I'd like for Kentucky followers to be not so forgetful about UK's past misfortunes and remember how Wildcat fans felt. Kentucky followers should find no glee in U of L's problems right now. Treat others as you'd have them treat you. Sure, some U of L followers took satisfaction, but not all of them. I even remember some rooting for UK in the Big Four two years ago when it wasn't fashionable for anyone to cheer for UK.
Hopefully, U of L rides out the rough seas and won't have to go through anything like UK has the past couple years. No one should take pleasure from another person's faults. U of L has enjoyed a great tradition over the years and hopefully will correct whatever needs to be corrected. Then, when UK puts a big loss on the Cardinals, it will really mean something.
UK AND THE HEELS
After Kentucky's return battle with Kansas on Saturday, it will be back to the road for one of the 'Cats' toughest assignments of the season, going into the Dean Dome for a confrontation with the North Carolina Tar Heels on Monday with ESPN covering the action.
It's quite possible the all-time victory lead will be on the line when the 'Cats ride into town. No big deal, says UNC's Dean Smith, but his team's followers might not be in total agreement.
With Kentucky on probation and going nowhere in the post-season, it's a given Carolina will take the lead sometime this winter and this could be the game. But you can rest assured it will be a real battle over the next five or 10 years.
UK athletics director C. M. Newton,
Please see, OSCAR COMBS, page 26