xt74xg9f5385 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt74xg9f5385/data/mets.xml Wildcat News Company 1985 Volume 9 -- Number 29 athletic publications  English Wildcat News Company Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. The Cats' Pause UKAW University of Kentucky Men's Basketball (1984-1985) coaches Hall, Joe B. Rupp, Adolph players Harden, Roger NCAA Men's Basketball Championship (1985) Rupp Arena McGuire, Al Seale, Frank recruiting statistics schedules Cats' Pause Combs, Oscar The Cats' Pause,  "March 30, 1985" text The Cats' Pause,  "March 30, 1985" 1985 2012 true xt74xg9f5385 section xt74xg9f5385 University Archives Margaret I. King Library - UN N() I 'SI'S 7117.1 III
Will (CAT NEWS < (IMI'ANY
l'(> IhiM 7j<)7 Irxin^liin. kciuili kv I0S2J fx-i nml ( '.lav. I'osla^i' I "-.lit I ill U'NJnglitIV KinliK kv Ills I 1 anil adtliin >n.tl mailing < ilikvs
Hall's Final Road Trip Ends
you've heard that Coach Hall was going to leave or Roger Harden is leaving or James Blackmon is leaving. You know it was a shock to a certain degree, and he'll be missed.
Were the rumors stirring about even before the St. John's game?
Harden: Yes, they were buzzing out there in Denver, but they were buzzing out in Seattle last year (Final Four) and down in Knoxville the year before ('83 Mideast Regional) when we got beat by Louisville. You just don't know what to expect and you just try to become 'dead' to those kind of rumors and wait on things, like Coach Hall's announcement, to really consider it to be official.
BRET BEARUP
Were you shocked about his resignation?
Bearup: Well, we've heard rumors, just like everybody else had, that it was  coming.   But then  again we'd
heard rumors the season before. The first we'd heard about it was when the story broke here in Lexington and we saw it on ESPN at like 6 o'clock and the game was at 8 (p.m.). He didn't say anything to us before the game so we were going out just assuming that he was going to stay. I was extremely surprised. I think it took everybody by surprise.
What about when the team was told?
Bearup: It was really an emotional thing. We left McNichols Arena and had gone back to the hotel and had our postgame meal and waited for Coach Hall to come. When he came in he told us that he'd resigned. It was a real difficult thing for him to do, but he'd been thinking about it for a long time. He wished us the best of luck and if anything he could do for us he wanted to do it. As you can see, there's a lot of emotion involved there. It was a touching scene.
[Continued On Page 11]
"Sky Walker
Roger Harden
Ricliard Madison
THE CATS' PAUSE
< ISCAR I. COMBS Editor and Publisher
NICK NICIIOIAN Staff Writer
TODD 11 AM AIM Staff Writer
J.C I MIMAS Prep Editor
BOH GIBBONS National Recruiting Columnist
IARRY VAIIG1 IT Columnist
BOB WATKINS Columnist
DANNY McKl-N/.ll-Columnist
MKI.IIOIBROOK Columnist
KICK BOLUS Kentucky Basketball Recruiting
IAMIKVAI (II IT Contributing Columnist
JACK MAIDI-N Sport Hobby Columnist
DONNA COMBS Business Manager
DON COl-'H-Y Composition Coordinator
OAKY CKOMWI'I.I. Staff Photographer
CIARKNCK M1U.KR. JR. Staff Photographer
WANDA MOOKKR Circulation Coordinator
DAN KIUIKCKKBKRG Crossword Puzzle Editor
Published Weekly: Sept. .1 - April 7 Monthly: May,.(tine, July, August
AdvertIslng Representative WILDCAT NEWS COMPANY
Regency Road I t-vliiglou, Kentucky 4050.1
Subscription Price
$25.00 per year in USA $35.00 per year in Canada
Phone: (606) 27H-.1474
I
Postmaster: Send Address changes to THE CATS' PAUSE. P.O. Box 72<)7. Uxington. Kentucky HIS2 J 1%ancA30, mS
,985 NCAA.
/Tj,KJNCAA.
Cats' Pause Publisher
UK Vacancy Vs. Final Four
The Final Four has finally arrived in Lexington, but the head basketball coaching vacancy at the University of Kentucky is attracting as much attention as the NCAA's grandest event, at least in the Bluegrass State.
When Joe B. Hall stunned the basketball world last Friday with his announcement, rumors and reports of rumors have been mounting with incredible speed. First, the front runner was Arkansas' Eddie Sutton, then South Florida's Lee Rose, then Purdue's Gene Keady and etc.
Since Hall's announcement, UK president Otis Singletary has named a five-man search committee which will come up with a recommendation as soon as possible, but not at the speed which would result in a poor choice.
Speculation has it that the new coach will be hired as quickly as this weekend or as late as a couple weeks. Since the national letter of intent signing date is fast approaching in early April, timing is of importance to many.
Time could be more essential to job applicants than Kentucky. Coaches who might be interested in the job, in all likelihood, will want to know their fate by next week because of recruiting situations at their current schools.
Kentucky might just not sign anyone else this season as a result of the timing of Hall's retirement. Even if a new coach is found within a week, it would give him little time to catch up by April 10 date, unless that particular coach brings some recruit with him who was being recruited by the coach's previous school.
Because the coaches' national convention is in Lexington, UK may be able to move more swiftly than usual.
+ +
+
Why did Joe B. Hall hang it up?
That question has been posed a hundred times since last Friday. Hall said he decided 13 years ago he would not coach as an old man and that he would retire by age 55. He did at age 56.
There are still those who believe there are other reasons. And there may be, but we'll never know.
Coaching colleagues and friends say they noticed a different Joe Hall this past season, a Joe Hall who appeared to be more relaxed and enjoying himself. Perhaps so and perhaps not.
It's difficult for me to believe Joe B. Hall wanted to quit coaching at the University of Kentucky. He loved Kentucky basketball and still does. He loved working with young people, but he despised the pettiness, jealousies and problems which arose from such a huge and powerful program.
Politicans and wealthy businessmen were always around, grabbing for a piece of the action. There were times when Hall appeared to succumb to some of the distractions.
But over the years, Hall experienced a weakening in the rope of loyalty around his program. Some who were so loyal eagerly wavered in their dedication and devotion to him in the later years. He sometimes had trouble distinguishing friends from foes.
There was a period when Kentucky backers talked of a dynasty compared to the John Wooden days at UCLA. They were unrealistic ones, but dreams nevertheless. And there was a total, united effort to build the program into the nation's finest. They succeeded at first.
There was construction of 23,000-seat Rupp Arena followed by the Joe B. Hall Wildcat Lodge and then the 1978 NCAA national championship. Everything appeared to be falling into place.
Somewhere along the line, loyalty began sifting away. It was first sensed after the departure of long-time Dick Parsons who was such a tremendous asset to Hall and his projects. He took care of the small details. After his departure, there was a void never filled.
Hall's on-court success continued, but the lofty goals never materialized and his enthusiasm appeared to diminish as problems seemed to mount.
Despite one of the country's top winning percentages, Kentucky often found itself playing not to lose rather than to win. Every game was a battle to defend the Wildcats' image against the underdog. Rarely did UK enter a contest as the Cinderella team. Even in victory, there were few rewards.
It was not unusual that Kentucky would find a team preparing for the Wildcats weeks away. Some rival schools discovered it was better to beat Kentucky once and lose three other games than to win three games and lose to Kentucky.
Coaches around the SEC for years have argued that to preserve their jobs, only two things were required, a winning season and a win over Kentucky.
When Joe B. Hall was forced by his own athletics board to play the University of Louisville a couple years ago, there were many who saw the end of the road a bit closer for Joe B. Hall.
Not that he was afraid of the Cardinals, but he viewed it as an encroachment upon the Kentucky program that the team's coach would be forced into such a situation.
After the orders were given, Hall said he would abide by the board's
wishes. Since then, UK has defeated Louisville two of three times, losing at Freedom Hall last December by a score of 71-64.
The decision to force him to play Louisville was by no means the reason why Hall decided to quit, but it was yet another small pebble which fell into the heavy load he had been carrying since he was appointed back in 1972 to succeed the legendary Adolph Rupp.
There were many who argued Hall would not survive four years, let alone a decade plus three years. There were championships, both NCAA and a NIT, not to mention eight SEC regular season titles. No one in the SEC stood close to his record.
There were disappointments, like the 1981 and 1982 losses to UAB and Middle Tennessee in the NCAA. But Hall always bounced back. The job he did this year was nothing short of phenomenal. Left for dead several times, UK bounced back to pull a pair of upsets in the NCAA by turning back Washington and UNLV before losing to a very talented St. John's.
Still, you wonder why he quit when the future looks so promising with Kenny Walker and Company returning next year. Sure, Joe said he would not leave the cupboard bare when he quit, but gosh, would you give up a Kenny Walker, not to mention Ed Davender, Roger Harden, Winston Bennett, Richard Madison and all the others?
Most likely, Joe B. became a little sentimental when he strolled around the campus of Regis College last week in Denver. Of course, his mind had already been set on quitting, but he had decided to quit before and later changed his mind.
This time, however, his mind wandered back to those days when he and Katharine were a very young couple, with kids still in their diapers. He soon realized much of his life had passed him by. His children were grown. There were toddlers around still in their diapers, but they were grandchildren and he had spent precious little time with them.
He realized he had been living in the fast lane. Any major college coach has to. There's daily practice chores, all the recruiting trips and then the social functions where the big-time coach is expected to make a show. It's all part of the job.
Most likely, Joe realized he had given his best shot. He had scored on more than one occasion. He had been a success, one of the most successful in his profession, and he had earned enough money to live in comfort during whatever kind of retirement he chooses.
Sure, he could have stayed and won
more games, won more SEC titles and perhaps another championship or two. But what would it prove? Nothing! Those who like him would still like him and those who despise him would continue to despise him. Joe B. is no dummy!
Can anyone stop big, bad Georgetown? Yes, and no. Yes, someone could, but no they won't. John Thompson and his Hoyas will become the first team to successfully defend their NCAA title since the John Wooden years.
It will be the fourth meeting of the season between Georgetown and St. John's and the Redmen would probably be the national champions in most seasons, but not this year.
Pat Ewing is just too powerful for the Redmen and unless there is a major upset in the making, it will be Georgetown advancing to the championship game on Monday night.
The Memphis State-VLllanova battle should be a classic. Both are good clubs and State has perhaps the edge in talent. But don't count the Wildcats out. We did in the preseason polls, and we've been reminded ever since.
Keith Lee is an All-American in anyone's book and William Bedford is no weakling. The Tigers have been living by the skin of their teeth, but if you'll notice recent NCAA history, the champion has usually escaped death a couple times along the road. I like Memphis State by two.
In the finals, this could be much better game than most anticipate. For one thing, Memphis State has size to match Georgetown. Remember I said size, not talent. State will keep it close, but John Thompson is going to be a champion for another year.
We'd like to take this opportunity to welcome all the great college basketball coaches and fans to Kentucky. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Lexington and we hope everyone is making your stay enjoyable.
Several thousand extra copies of The Cats' Pause is being made available to the public free this week through local hotels. It's our way of thanking you for coming to Lexington.
And if you enjoy us, we'd welcome you as subscribers to our sports weekly. It is published weekly except monthly in the summer. An order form is inside this edition.
-...- -+ - + + [Continued On Page 10] Final Four Will Always Be A Part OfMcGuire
A Cinderella Story In '77
From just the tone in his voice you get the impression that former Marquette Coach Al McGuire still takes his basketball very, very seriously. Though here's someone who can be serious and at the same time have a lot of fun.
The man who collects toy soldiers and rides motorcycles as hobbies is the same man who, along with Dick Enberg, is NBC's main squeeze for coverage of college basketball. And if there ever was or is an exciting announcer, it's Al McGuire.
McGuire has done so much for college basketball, not only in the coaching ranks but as an expert and imaginative commentator as well. Today he also goes on the road to various towns and speaks at local club functions and school banquets about the great game of collegiate basketball. What better person to converse about the game than a coach who guided a Cinderella-type team to the title in 1977?
Nick Nicholas
Cdls Pause Columnist
"I have an obligation to basketball and to help the coaches," said McGuire last week in a telephone interview.
However McGuire is not all business. Really basketball is not a business at all, but an enjoyment for NBG's colorful announcer.
Said McGuire, "The main thing in my life is to stay healthy and just have a lot of fun. If anyone comes to me with a big project then I'll say, 'See ya later.' I don't want any big projects, just little ones."
"I guess I'm semi-retired."
He describes himself as spoiled, fearless and very straightforward. If a coach's resume ever included characteristics, then those three would be high on the list. Though, the New York native's fearlessness and forwardness may have cost him and his '74 Warriors a national championship.
Against North Carolina State in the finals, McGuire was whistled for two technicals as he released his heated disposition on the officials in the first half. N.C. State, with, stars David Thompson and Monte Towe, took advantage of McGuire's temper and defeated the Warriors 76-64.
He blamed his fiery actions for the loss in the championship contest.
"I never thought I could lose my composure. . .but I just blew up in the first half," McGuire said. "(Though) I think N.C. State was an excellent ballclub."
In December of 1975 McGuire told the university that he was retiring at the end of the '77 season. No ifs or buts; he had decided to call it quits as Marquette's coach.
"The university was fair to me and I was fair to the university," said McGuire, who coached for 13 years at the Milwaukee campus. "I just knew it was over.
"I had a very nice career at Marquette."
His "very nice career'' at Marquette concluded in grand style -- with an NCAA championship.
McGuire's team brought a 20-7 record into the NCAA tournament. But even with 20 wins McGuire's Warriors were not given much of a chance to take home all the marbles. Marquette was the 32nd school invited to the 32-team party, so its chances weren't exactly immense.
His final team, however was a solid ballclub but not spectacular according to McGuire.
"Thad six or seven clubs better than that one," said McGuire. "But for some reason they just jelled at the right time."
Jelled at the right time is correct. Following a 15-point victory over Cincinnati in the first round, Marquette advanced to the Midwest Regional finals by ousting Kansas State 67-66.
Marquette was a sound ballclub. Butch Lee, whom McGuire called, "an absolute gem," led the team in scoring (19.6), followed by Bo Ellis (15.6) and Jerome Whitehead (10.5).
The Warriors earned a trip to Atlanta's Omni coliseum and the Final Four by beating ACC representative Wake Forest 82-68 in the Midwest Regional final.
It's ironic that a coach in a 'lame-duck' situation would reach the Final Four. To end a coaching career as one of the nation's four best teams is sweet, but to win it all, whether it's your first or last campaign, is a dream come true. McGuire's dream was to become a reality.
Marquette's slim victory over North Carolina-Charlotte (51-49), advanced the underdog Warriors against powerful North Carolina, led by All-America Phil Ford.
When the final seconds ticked off the clock, ending the '77 season, the Warriors and their coach found themselves on top. Led by Lee, the tourney's MVP, the independent school upended Dean Smith's Tar Heels 67-59 -- thus allowing McGuire to literally end his career a winner.
This writer can still remember watching the game on TV. Near the end of the contest, with the outcome already decided, the television cameras focused on a happy, teary-eyed McGuire. His dream was answered on that spring night in '77.
Al, was that a Cinderella script or what?
"Yes, yes, it definitely was," answered McGuire. "We were good but not that good. North Carolina was definitely a better ballclub.
"We played five games and won it. We had to go through a ritual because we didn't get seeded. We were down by 3 or 4 points at halftime, but we just kept coming back. Sometimes I think destiny had a thing to do with it. "The crying . . .it's something that just happens."
At the time of its championship, Marquette, finishing 25-7, had won the NCAA with more losses than any other title holder. It seemed a fitting ending to this Cinderella story.
The Final Four is still a great part of McGuire's life. Even though another network covers the elite college tourney, McGuire still does a championship preview on NBC the Sunday prior to the big game. And according to the basketball analyst, it's the only one of its kind. No other network does a one-hour preview in which another network (in this instance CBS) is carrying the actual event.
"The NCAA (Tournament) is truly where it's at," said McGuire, who's hoping for a first-time winner in this year's tournament. "I think CBS and the NCAA have done a magnificent job with it. It's very fluid." "The Final Four is a very unique thing."
That's a serious Al McGuire talking . . . doesn't he sound like he's having fun?
Al McGuire State Tourney's Finest
NAMED TO THE ALL-STATE . . . tournament team last week after the final game of the Kentucky State High School Tournament at Rupp Arena were the following, left to right, front row: Wendell Quarles [Hopkinsville , Richie Farmer [Clay County], Jeff Griffin [Oldham County], Deron Feld-haus [Mason County], Jeff Quarles [Hopkinsville] Back row, left to right: Rex Chapman [Apollo], Mike Scott [Greenup County], Terrence Moorman [Doss], John Pelphrey [Paintsville], Lamont Ware [Hopkinsville], Woody Asher [Clay County] and Maurice Jones [Doss]. TCP Photo by Gary Cromwell
 1985 NCAA.
Mxnc^30.19X5
1984-85 MSU BASKETBALL ROSTER
ALPHABETICAL ROSTER
no.	player	p0s.	ht.	wt.	:lass hometown (high school)	
30	Vincent Askew	G	6-5	200	Fr.	Memphis, TN (Frayser)
42	DeWayne Bailey *	C	v6-9	220	Fr.	Memphis, TN (Melrose)
45	Willie Becton	F	6-5	215	Sr.	Memphis, TN (Douglass)
50	William Bedford	C	7-0	220	So.	Memphis, TN (Melrose)
31	Dwight Boyd	G	6-3	190	Fr.	Memphis, TN (Kirby)
43	Baskerville Holmes	F	6-7	190	Jr.	Memphis, TN (Westwood)
44	David Jensen	F	6-6	215	Fr.	Greenville, SC (Wade Hampton)
24	Keith Lee	F	6-10	220	Sr.	West Memphis, AR (West Memphis)
11	Ricky McCoy	_G	6-2	180	Sr.	Memphis, TN (Germantown)
34	Aaron Price ?	F	6-5	185	Jr.	West Memphis, AR (West Memphis)
10	Andre Turner	G	5-10	165	Jr.	Memphis, TN (Mitchell)
20	John Wilfong	G	6-2	170	So.	Memphis, TN (Briarcrest)
		NUMERICAL ROSTER				
no.	player	p0s.	ht.	 wt.	class hometown (high school)	
10	Andre Turner	G	5-10	165	Jr.	Memphis, TN (Mitchell)
11	Ricky McCoy	G	6-2	180	Sr.	Memphis, TN (Germantown)
20	John Wilfong	G	6-2	170	So.	Memphis, TN (Briarcrest)
24	Keith Lee	F	6-10	220	Sr.	West Memphis, AR (West Memphis)
30	Vincent Askew	G	6-5	200	Fr.	Memphis, TN (Frayser)
31	Dwight Boyd	G	6-3	190	Fr.	Memphis, TN (Kirby)
34	Aaron Price ?	F	6-5	185	Jr.	West Memphis, AR (West Memphis)
42	DeWayne Bailey ?	C	6-9	220	Fr.	Memphis, TN (Melrose)
43	Baskerville Holmes	F	6-7	190	Jr.	Memphis, TN (Westwood)
44	David Jensen	F	6-6	215	Fr.	Greenville, SC (Wade Hampton)
45	Willie Becton	F	6-5	215	Sr.	Memphis, TN (Douglass)
50	William Bedford	C	7-0	220	So.	Memphis, TN (Melrose)
HEAD COACH
Dana Kirk (Marshall, 1958)
1983-84 Metro Conference Coach of the Year
Overall Record: 223-132 (13 years) MSU Record: 99-48 (5 years)
As Dana Kirkenters his sixth season as Memphis State's head basketball coach, the Tiger mentor needs just one more win for 100 victories at MSU, which will add to the numerous awards he has already earned since taking over a "down" program at Memphis State in 1979.
In Memphis State's campaign of 1983-84, coach Kirk was fittingly named Metro Conference Coach-of-the-Year as he led the Tigers to a school record of 26 wins against only seven losses as well as the regular season co-championship and the Metro Tournament championship, for the second time in three seasons.
The Dana Kirk-led Tigers have been especially strong nationally in the past three years, winning over 78 percent (73-20) of their games, earning a first ever number one national ranking in 1983-83, and making three consecutive appearances in the "Sweet 16" round of the NCAA post-season tournament during that span. He was also named Coach-of-the-Year by Basketball Weekly after winning his first Metro Tournament in 1981-82.
Born July 23,1935, this native of Logan, West Virginia has earned a reputation of turning around and adding life to beleagured basketball programs. In his first tenure as a head coach at Tampa, he led them to a 17-9 record his second year (1967-68) at the helm, but had the rug pulled out from underneath him when Tampa dropped intercollegiate athletics in 1971.
Following a five-year stint as an assistant coach at Louisville, Coach Kirk was awarded a head coaching position at Virginia Commonwealth, where he won over 71 percent of his games in three years, including a 24-5 mark during his second season with VCU in 1977-78.
After a 20-5 campaign in 1978-79, Coach Kirk answered a plea from the Memphis State administration to take over the Tiger program, which suffered through a 13-15 mark that same year.
1985NCAA.
CHAMPIONSHIP
MEMPHIS STATE		UNIVERSITY MEN		S BASKETBALL		1984-	85   INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS						roR	ALL GAMES			
RECORD (*-L):	31-3 (15	-O HOME	10-3  AWAY; 6		-U NEUTRAL;		3-1   METHO ATHLETIC					4-0 NCAA		TOURNAMENT)			
	CP-CS	M1N/AV	FGM-FGA	FGS	FTM-FTA	FTi	KEB/	AVG HI		AST	STL	BLK	to	PF-DQ	PTS/AVG		
24 LEE.K	34-34	1118/33	263-527	. 499	152-196	.776	316/	9	3 18	51	23	45	89	118-4			
50 BEDFORD,*	34-34	1067/31	175-321	.545	68-101	.673	258/	7	6 17	33	13	90	65	85-2	418/12.	3	i
l(t TURNER,A	33-33	1 t 17/33	149-296	.503	79-110	.7 18	75/	2	3 C	221	51	A	85	5U-0	377/11	4	g 3
13 HOLMES,B	34-33	1029/30	132-247	. 534	63-85	. 74 I	204/	6	0   1 1	45	23	3	38	83-0	327/ 9	0	24
JO  ASKEW,V	34-31	1137/33	114-222	.514	59-92	.641	110/	3	2 7	163	34	4	75	54-2	287/ 8	4	
15 BECTON,W	33-1	466/14	76-144	.528	21-29	.724	109/	3	3 1U	33	19	:'a	17	42-0	173/ 5	2	
Jl   BOYD,D	33-2	397/12	39-106	.368	22-33	.C67	36/	I	1 4	32	5	7	20	26-0	100/ 3	0	
20 1LF0NG,J	27-1	236/7	16-47	.340	18-23	.783	20/	0	7 3	19	11	0	14	27-0	50/ 1	9	. 
11 McCOY.R	19-1	97/3	7-19	.368	19-25	.760	12/	0	6 2	13	1	0	7	12-0	33/ 1	7	7.
12  BAI LEY,0	26-0	171/5	18-37	.486	6-8	. 75U	43/	1	7 7	b		8	15	20-0	42/ 1	6	6
			7-17	.412	9-11	.818	15/	0	9 3	0	0	1	3	2-0	23/ 1	4	5
MEMPHIS STATE	UNIVERSITY		396-1983 395-2114	.502 .423	516-713 386-547	.724 .706	1272/37.4 1 115/32.8			464	226	76	3 a a	653-16	2T7S/64.		0
MEMPHIS STATE  UNIVERSITY  MEN'S  BASKETBALL  1984-85  SCHEDULE AND HESULTS
OPPONENT
ARKANSAS STATE SOUTHERN CAL MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UCLA
8 MISSISSIPPI (10T) 0 MISSISSIPPI STATE 0 KENT STATE 10NA
DELTA STATE 0 SOUTH CAROLINA TENNESSEE STATE SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI TULANE 0 LOUISVILLE  FLORIDA STATE 0  VIRGINIA TECH CINCINNATI VIRGINIA TECH 0 KANSAS  CINCINNATI
FLORIDA STATE SOUTH CAROLINA  TULANE
VA. COMMONWEALTH  SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI l DETROIT
LOUISVI