xt776h4cp37m https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt776h4cp37m/data/mets.xml Wildcat News Company 1986 Volume 10 -- Number 25 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 (1985-1986) coaches Sutton, Eddie players Walker, Kenny (Sky) Chapman, Rex McBrayer, Paul Harden, Roger assistant coaches UK vs. University of Florida (February 19, 1986) NCAA Men's Tournament (1986) SEC Men's Basketball Championship (1986) University of Kentucky Football (1986) Yarano, Don Claiborne, Jerry statistics schedules Cats' Pause Combs, Oscar The Cats' Pause, "March 1, 1986" text The Cats' Pause, "March 1, 1986" 1986 2012 true xt776h4cp37m section xt776h4cp37m Chapman Explodes For 37 Against Henry Clay Untoznib/ Archives seventy-five cents per copy Mm,^ 5 k'l-- I il Li ^ morrjafet 3. King Library - Nopti* University 25590 The Cats' Pause "spotlighting university of kentucky and southeastern conference' Rlt < | | r 2 r XZOmq Ul C > (/-; C N o ~* r 1 t >j 0 z ~u; r or VOLUME 10 - NUMBER 25 SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1986 LEXINGTON, K> &7i (oats/ &cui&& PUBLICATION NO. USPS 707.140 Published By WILDCAT NEWS COMPANY P.O.Box 7297 Lexington. Kentucky 40522 Second Class Postage Paid ill Lexington. Kentucky 40511 and additional Mailing offices Editor and Publisher OSCAR L. COMBS Staff Writer NICK NICHOLAS Staff Writer TODD HALLUM National Recruiting Columnist BOB GIBBONS Columnist LARRY VAUGHT Columnist BOB WATKINS Columnist JIM GRIESCH Columnist MEL HOLBROOK Columnist STAN TORGERSON Columnist DICKY BEAL Kentucky Basketball Recruiting RICK BOLUS Contributing Columnist JAMIE VAUGHT Sport Hobby Columnist JACK MAIDEN Business Manager DONNA COMBS Composition Coordinator DON COFFEY Staff Photographer GARY CROMWELL Circulation Coordinator WANDA HOOKER Crossword Puzzle Editor DAN KRUECKEBERG Published Weekly: Sept. I4-April 12 Monthly: May, June. July, August Advertising Representative WILDCAT NEWS COMPANY 2625 Regency Road Lexington, Kentueky 40503 Subscription Price $25.00 per year in USA S35.O0 per year in Canada Phone:(606)278-3474 Postmaster: Send Address Chajiges to THE CATS' PAUSE.P.O. Box 7297, Lexington. Kentueky 40522 Major College Scoreboard Standings SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE , Conference All Games W L Pit. W L Pet x-Kentucky 15 1 938 24 3 889 Alabama . 12 4 .750 19 6 760 Auburn..... 11 5 688 17 9 .654 Louisiana St 9 7 .563 21 8 724 Florida a 8 .500 14 11 560 Georgia ... 7 9 438 14 11 .560 Vanderbilt 6 10 375 12 13 480 Tennessee 5 11 313 12 13 480 Mississippi . 4 12 .250 11 14 .440 Mississippi Si 3 13 .188 6 19 240 x-clinched regular-season title OHIO VALLEY Akton....... Middle Tenn Murray St . . Austin Peay Youngstwn St Tennessee Ten E Kentucky Morehead St. .692 .667 667 583 .538 .385 .364 .083 19 18 16 13 11 12 9 731 .667 .640 .520 .423 .462 .429 .308 METRO COLLEGE ATHLETIC Memphis State 8 2 .800 23 3 .885 Louisville . . 8 2 800 21 7 750 Virginia Tech 5 5 500 20 7 741 Cincinnati 5 5 .500 11 13 .458 Southern Miss 5 6 455 15 10 600 South Carolina 2 7 .222 12 12 .500 Florida State 2 8 .200 10 15 .400 SUN BELT Old Dominion 11 3 .786 21 6 778 W Kentucky . 10 4 .714 21 6 .778 Ala -Brmnghm 9 5 .643 22 9 710 Jacksonville 9 5 643 18 9 .667 Va, Cmmnwlth 6 8 .429 12 15 .444 South Alabam 5 9 357 16 14 533 South Florida 5 9 357 13 13 .500 N.C Charlotte 1 13 071 8 19 296 ATLANTIC COAST Duke ...... 10 2 833 27 2 .931 N Carolina 9 3 750 25 3 .893 Georgia Tech 9 3 .750 21 4 .840 Virginia...... 7 5 .583 18 7 720 N Carolina St 7 6 .538 18 9 .667 Maryland . . 4 8 .333 15 12 556 Clemson ... 3 9 .250 17 11 607 Wake Forest . 0 13 .000 7 19 .269 ATLANTIC 10 x-St Joseph's 16 2 .889 22 5 .815 y-West Virgin! 15 3 833 20 9 .690 Temple..... 15 3 833 23 4 .852 St Bonaventur 10 8 .556 15 12 .556 Duquesne . 9 9 500 14 13 .519 Geo Washngtn 7 11 .389 12 15 .444 Massachusetts 6 12 333 9 18 .333 y-Rhode Island 5 13 .278 9 18 333 Penn St..... 5 13 278 11 16 407 Rutgers 2 16 111 7 20 .259 x-clinched regular-season title y-won tiebreaker BIG EAST Syracuse .... 13 1 929 22 3 .880 St. John's 12 2 857 25 4 .862 Georgetown : 9 5 .643 20 6 .769 Villanova 9 6 .600 .19 12 613 Pittsburgh . . 5 9 357 14 11 .560 Providence 5 9 .357 13 12 .520 Boston College 4 10 .286 13 12 .520 Connecticut . . 3 10 231 12 11 522 Seton Hall 3 11 .214 13 15 .464 BIG EIGHT x-Kansas . 11 1 917 26 '3 .897 Oklahoma 8 4 667 23 5 .821 Iowa St ..... 8 4 .667 17 8 .680 Nebraska 6 6 .500 16 9 640 Missouri .... 6 6 .500 19 12 .613 Oklahoma St 5 7 417 14 11 ,560 Kansas St. ' 4 8 333 16 11 .593 Colorado . . 0 12 000 8 17 .320 x-clinched regular-season title BIG SKY Montana..... N Arizona Weber St x-ldaho St Nevada-Reno Montana St. . . Idaho ...... Boise St..... x-ineligible 9 4 .692 19 8 704 8 4 667 18 7 .720 7 6 538 17 9 654 7 6 538 14 12 538 6 6 .500 12 13 .480 5 8 .385 10 16 .423 4 8 .333 11 15 423 4 8 .333 10 15 .400 tor conference tournament BIG SOUTH Baptist..... 5 1 833 17 9 .654 x-N.C -Ashevill 4 2 .667 16 8 .667 x-Winthrop . . . 5 3 625 19 8 .704 x-Armstrng St. 5 3 625 13 9 .591 Augusta . . . 4 4 .500 10 16 .385 Radtord ..... 3 4 429 10 15 400 Campbell 3 5 .375 8 16 333 x-Coast Caroln 1 7 125 '7 16 304 x-Division I eliqiblity 1986 87 BIG TEN Indiana...... 10 4 .714 18 6 .750 Michigan 10 4 .714 '23 4 852 Michigan St. . 9 5 .643 18 6 .750 Purdue..... 10 5 667 21 7 .750 Illinois....... 9 6 600 18 8 692 Icwa ........ 8 6 .571 18 9 .667 Ohio St 6 8 429 12 12 .500 Minnesota . . 5 9 .357 15 12 556 Wisconsin 3 12 200 11 14 .440 Northwestern 2 13 133 8 17 .320 COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION Navy........ 12 1 923 22 4 846 Richmond .. 12 1 .923 22 4 846 George Mason 10 4 .714 16 10 .615 East Carolina 6 7 .462 12 14 .462 N.C -Wilmngtn 6 8 .429 15 12 556 Willim & Mry . 3 10 .231 7 18 280 American U . 2 11 .154 9 16 360 James Madisn 2 11 .154 4 22 154 EAST COAST x-Drexel 10 3 .769 15 11 .577 Bucknell..... 8 5 615 16 10 .615 Hofstra...... 8 5 .615 14 12 538 Lafayette .... 8 5 615 13 12 .520 Lehigh ...... 6 7 .462 13 13 .500 Delaware .... 4 9 .308 11 14 .440 Rider ....... 4 9 .308 8 18 308 Towson St. 4 9 .308 7 19 269 x-clinched regular-season title ECAC METRO F. Dickinson . 10 3 .769 18 7 .720 Marist....... 9 4 .692 14 10 583 Loyola. Md. . . 9 6 600 14 11 560 Wagner ..... 8 6 .571 13 12 .520 St. Francis, P. 8 6 571 10 14 417 Robert Morris . 6 8 .429 9 15 .375 Monrnoth. N.J. 4 9 .308 7 16 .304 Long Island U 4 10 .286 9 16 360 St. Frncs. NY 4 10 .286 9 16 ,360 ECAC NORTH ATLANTIC Northeastern 13 2 867 20 4 833 Canisius..... 13 4 .765 19 7 731 Boston U. 11 4 .733 17 7 .708 Siena ....... 10 5 667 18 6 .750 Niagara ..... 10 6 .625 14 11 .560 x-Harlford . . 9 7 .563 11 13 .458 New Hampshir 5 11 .313 11 14 .440 Maine....... 5 12 .294 7 18 .280 Vermont ..... 3 12 200 7 17 .292 Colgate , . 0 16 .000 1 22 .043 x-not eligible for conference title GULF STAR x-Sm Hstn St. 6 1 .857 24 4 857 x-Stephen Astn 7 2 .778 22 4 846 NW Louisiana 6 3 .667 10 16 385 SE Louisiana . 3 5 .375 9 17 .346 Nicholls St. . . 2 6 .250 7 13 .350 SW Texas St. 0 7 .000 5 19 .208 x-Division I eligibility 1986-87 IVY LEAGUE Cornell...... 9 3 .750 14 10 .583 Brown ...... 8 4 .667 14 10 583 Pennsylvania . 6 5 545 12 11 .522 Columbia ... 6 6 500 12 12 .500 Yale ........ 6 6 500 12 12 .500 Princeton ... 5 6 455 11 12 .478 Dartmouth 5 7 417 9 14 391 Harvard ..... 2 10 .167 6 18 .250 METRO ATLANTIC ATHLETIC x-Fairfield ... 12 1 .923 20 6 .769 lona ........ 9 5 .643 13 14 .481 La Salle ..... 8 6 .571 14 13 .519 St. Peter's . . . 7 7 .500 15 11 .577 Fordham ... 6 7 .462 12 16 .429 Holy Cross . . 6 7 .462 10 16 385 Army ....... 5 8 .385 9 16 .360 Manhattan ,. . 1 13 071 2 25 .074 x-clinched regular-season title MID-AMERICAN Miami, Ohio . . 14 2 .875 21 5 808 Ohio U. 12 4 .750 19 6 .760 Ball St 9 7 563 16 9 640 No. Illinois . . 9 7 .563 14 10 583 W. Michigan . 7 9 .438 12 13 .480 Toledo ...... 7 9 .438 10 15 400 Cent Michign 6 10 .375 10 15 .400 Kent St...... 6 10 .375 10 15 .400 E. Michigan . . 5 11 .313 9 16 360 Bowling Green 5 11 313 7 18 .280 MID-CONTINENT x-Cleveland St 11 1 .917 22 3 880 SW Missor St.. 7 4 .636 18 6 750 E, Illinois .... 7 5 .583 16 11 .593 Ill -Chicago . . 6 5 .545 11 13 .458 W. Illinois____ 6 6 .500 12 13 .480 Valparaiso ... 5 7 .417 9 16 .360 N Iowa ..... 3 9 .250 8 16 .333 Wis.-Green By 2 10 167 4 20 167 x-clinched regular-season title MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC Howard .... 10 1 ,909 17 7 .708 N. Caroln A&T 10 2 833 18 7 .720 Delaware St. . 6 6 500 9 15 .375 Copptn St. ... 6 6 .500 9 16 .360 Morgan St 5 5 500 5 18 .217 S Carolina St 4 8 .333 9 16 360 Bethune-Ckmn 4 10 286 5 21 192 Md.-East Shot. 2 9 ,182 3 21 .125 MIDWESTERN COLLEGIATE x-Xavier. Ohio. 10 2 833 22 4 .846 St Louis . 7 4 636 15 11 .577 Detroit ...... 7 4 636 13 13 500 Loyola. Ill 7 4 .636 12 14 462 Oral Roberts . 4 7 364 9 17 346 Butler ....... 2 9 182 9 17 346 Evansville 2 9 182 7 18 280 x-clinched reqular-season title SOUTHLAND NE Louisiana 8 3 .727 17 8 680 McNeese St 7 3 .700 17 8 680 Louisiana Tch. 6 4 600 15 10 .600 Arkansas St. . 6 5 .545 15 10 .600 Lamar....... 5 6 .455 16 10 .615 North Texs St. 4 8 333 9 17 346 Texas-Arlingtn 2 9 .182 12 16 429 MISSOURI VALLEY x-Bradley .... 15 0 1.000 28 1 .966 Drake....... 9 4 .692 17 7 .708 Tulsa ....... 9 6 .600 19 8 .704 Illinois St..... 8 7 .533 13 13 .500 Creighton____ 6 8 429 11 14 .440 Wichita St. ... 6 9 400 13 13 .500 Indiana St. . 4 10 286 10 15 .400 So. Illinois ... 4 10 286 8 18 308 West Texas St. 4 1 1 267 10 15 .400 x-clinched regular-season title PACIFIC COAST ATHLETIC x-Nev-Las Vgs 15 1 .938 27 3 900 Cal-lrvine . . , 10 5 .667 14 TO .583 New Mexic St 10 6 .625 16 9 640 San Jose St 8 8 .500 15 10 600 Fresno St ... 8 9 .471 15 13 .536 Futlerton St. . . 7 9 .438 14 14 .500 Utah St...... 7 9 .438 11 14 .440 Pacific ..... 6 9 400 13 13 500 Cal-Santa Barb. 6 9 .400 11 13 458 Long Bech St. 2 14 125 6 21 222 x-clinched regular-season title PACIFIC-10 Arizona ..... 11 3 786 20 7 741 Washington .11 3 .786 17 9 654 California ____ 7 6 538 15 8 652 Stanford..... 7 6 538 13 12 .520 UCLA ....... 7 7 .500 12 11 .522 Oregon St ... 7 7 500 1112 478 Arizona St .6 8 429 12 12 500 Washington St. 6 8 429 13 14 481 Southern Cat . 4 10 286 10 14 .417 Oregon ... 3 11 214 8 16 333 SOUTHERN x-Tn.-Chattang 12 3 800 19 7 .731 Davidson ... 10 5 667 17 9 654 Marshall .9 6 .600 18 1 0 643 Appalachin St 9 6 600 16 10 615 Western Carln 8 8 .500 13 13 .500 East Tennesse 8 8 500 12 14 462 Furman ____ 5 11 .313 10 17 370 VMI......... 4 11 .267 10 16 385 Citadel ...... 4 11 .267 9 17 346 x-clinched regular-season title SOUTHWEST Texas Christin 12 2 857 20 5 800 Texas...... 12 3 800 17 9 .654 Texas A&M .9 4 .692 15 10 600 So. Methodist 8 6 .571 16 9 640 Houston ..... 7 6 .538 13 11 .542 Texas Tech 7 7 500 12 13 .480 Arkansas .... 4 10 286 12 13 480 Rice ....... 2 12 .143 9 16 .360 Baylor ...... 2 13 133 10 16 .385 SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC Alcorn St. ...10 2 .833 14 11 .560 Southern U .9 3 .750 17 6 739 Jackson St. . . 9 3 750 13 12 520 Miss Valley .8 4 .667 15 9 625 Texas Southrn 5 7 .417 8 16 .333 Grambling ... 3 9 .250 1310 .565 Alabama St. . . 3 9 250 9 15 375 Prairie View . . 1 11 083 2 21 .087 TRANS AMERICA x-Ark.-L. Rock 11 2 846 1 8 1 0 643 Samford..... 8 6 .571 15 12 .556 Hardin-Smmns 7 7 500 14 12 538 Houston Bptst 7 7 .500 13 13 500 Mercer..... 7 8 .467 13 13 500 Ga. Southern . 6 8 .429 15 11 577 Centenary ... 6 8 429 11 16 .407 Georgia St. . 4 10 286 10 16 .385 y-Stetson ...... - - . 9 16 360 x-clinched regular-season title y-ineligible for title in 1985-86 WEST COAST ATHLETIC Peoperdine .10 1 909 22 4 846 Loyola. Calif . 9 2 818 17 8 680 San Diego ... 7 4 636 17 8 680 Gonzaga .... 5 6 455 1213 480 Santa Clara .5 6 455 10 15 400 Portland..... 3 8 .273 12 13 480 St. Mary's .3 8 273 10 14 ,41 7 San Francisco 2 9 .182 7 18 280 WESTERN ATHLETIC Wyoming ... 11 3 .786 17 9 .654 Texas-FI Paso. 10 4 .714 22 5 .815 Utah.......10 4 .714 18 8 692 Bngham Yong 10 4 714 15 11 577 San Diego St 7 7 500 9 16 .360 New Mexico 6 8 429 14 12 .538 Colorado St. 6 8 429 11 15 423 Air Force---- 3 13 188 9 18 333 Hawaii ..... 1 13 071 4 21 160 INDEPENDENTS Notre Dame ............. 19 5 792 Chicago St ............. 21 6 778 Pan American.......... 18 7 720 E Washington............ 19 8 704 Marquette ............. 16 8 667 New Orleans ............. 16 8 667 Dayton ................. 16 10 .615 DePaul ................. 15 10 600 SW Louisiana ........... 14 11 ,560 Tennessee St............ 14 12 .538 Miami, I la '........ 13 12 .520 Utica ................ 13 14 .481 Florida A&M ... ....... 12 14 ,462 U.S. Internatnl ... 717 .292 Brooklyn ................ 7 21 250 Cent Florida.........6 19 .240 Texas-San Antnio 5 22 185 A A 6(7/-)-' l/aaxe 1/s//j/k/>, V Hey Eddie, Can Ye Handle The Big Orange? Awright. Eddie Sutton. So you've won the Southeastern Conference title in a breeze. Or should we say with a tidal wave? Sure, you've amassed an amazing 24-3 mark, a top ten national ranking and even won seven of eight road trips in the SEC. Heck, you've even beaten Indiana, not to mention Louisville this season. Yeah, I know, your Cats have dumped Alabama and LSU not once, but twice this season. Okay, Eddie! You've proven your point. You're a pretty fair country coach. We've known that for years. Hey, we followed your Razorbacks here in Kentucky. And all your accomplishments have justified President Otis Singletary's decision in selecting you to carry on the great Kentucky tradition. Even ole Adolph is probably smiling up there somewhere in basketball heaven. But (ah, there's always a but in every juicy story) can you beat those Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville? Oh. you haven't heard about that little problem? Didn't the prez mention anything about that Eddie? Really? Well coach, meet Mr. John J. Barrett, the in. He's a Kentucky fan. Sorta. He loves the Big Blue, Eddie. Really and truly! But he has this problem. You see, John resides in Knoxville, Tennessee and he's been living a pretty lonely and miserable life these last seven years. It's been that long since Kentucky has beaten the Big Orange in Knoxville. John is a Cats' Pause subscriber, Eddie. And his $25 check each year is very important to our well-being. It helps pay a lot of bills. He writes us often, especially after every UK game in Knoxville. John has written us before the games in Knoxville. He's tried psychology on the Wildcats by challenging their so-called "lack of desire" to meet the Big Orange challenge. He's blistered their behinds with some not-so-kind remarks and he's suggested more than once that a new coach (pitty ole Joe B.) was needed, if for no reason other than to beat UT in Knoxville. Poor John has endured a long dry spell. UK hasn't won in Knoxville in eight years. Prior to a 68-57 win for the 1978 championship team, UK had suffered through another losing streak of five years. Knoxville is not one of Joe B. Hall's favorite "get-away fishing holes" to say the least. John finally gave up. I think. At least we haven't heard from John the past couple years. I believe he is still alive somewhere in Knoxville, Eddie. But when Melvin Turpin went completely wild, scored 42 points and the Cats still lost 65-63 back in 1983, well John sorta disappeared, fainted, died or something. Hasn't been seen or heard of since. No more letters to the editor. No more threatening phone calls. No more demands of resignations. No more psychological ploys. Presto. Vanished. Gone. Eddie, some people believe Tennessee's reputation as a basketball power rests more on its ability to beat the Cats once each season in Knoxville, rather than the Big Orange's overall record. There could be some truth to that. Guess what? Coach Don DeVoe has never lost to UK in Knoxville. A couple of UK fans last spring even suggested that UK hire him to replace Joe Hall, figuring that the Cats would finally win in Knoxville. Some hoop experts say DeVoe is an awesome bench coach, that he lacks only good talent from having a top ten powerhouse. On the other hand, DeVoe's Tennessee teams are only 8-10 against Ole Miss. Eddie, are the experts saying Ole Miss has more talent than Tennessee? There's no question the Vols put all their marbles in one game when Kentucky heads to Knoxville. Just look at the DeVoe era. At Tennessee. DeVoe has enjoyed a fine Vol career winning percentage of .636 entering this season with 143 wins and only 82 losses. A quick check of the Vols record book shows just how much emphasis the Vols put on the Kentucky battle in Knoxville. Tennessee has enjoyed a flashy 6-1 mark in the game immediately following the Knoxville contest with UK over the past seven years. The Vols have also won all seven games against the Wildcats. So far, so good. But what about the game before the battle with the Big Blue in Knoxville. UT shows only a losing 3-4 worksheet. The "looking ahead to UK' theory is amplified when you notice that two of the three UT wins required four overtime periods and that the only victories came at the expense of Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Georgia. What does all this mean? I'm not really sure. Except that John J. Barret could care less about those victories over Indiana, Louisville, Alabama and LSU. This guy lives in Knacksville, not Bloomingdale, Loouieville, Baaton Rooge or Tuskalloosa or whatever you want to call the places. With the "Knockout In Knoxville" upon us, we wondered if J. J. is still alive. After all, we hadn't heard from him in over two years. A quick check of our subscription files shows that either John J. is still alive or his ghost is carrying on the tradition from a closet deep inside Big Orange Country. I suspect John J. has seen many of the Kentucky-Tennessee games in Knoxville, but I also suspect he rarely identifies himself to friends or acquaintances as a die-hard Big Blue fan. The man has gotta have a little pride. It wouldn't shock me if John J. comes out of hibernation this Thursday, if for no other reason than to see if this new kid (with a perm) on the block can conquer where others have failed. So Eddie, if you could just give him one moment of happiness, just one slim victory to enjoy for one short year. Well, you might have a friend indeed if you should ever need a friend. Oh no, Eddie. You're in great shape now. We mean sometime like the first season you don't go 24-3. Or the year you don't win the SEC title two weeks prior to the end of the season. Or you don't beat both Indiana and Louisville and you fail to take care of those messy chores in Tuscaloosa and Baton Rouge. After all, John, the III, cares only about one measley game played in Knoxville each winter. By the way Eddie, a few other people have suggested a win over the Vols in Knoxville wouldn't be a bad idea, if you'd like to have a new contract. It could be a vote of confidence after a so-so 24-3 start. Huh? You want to know how many people are crying for a victory over Tennessee in Stokely Athletics Center? Count all the people who live in Kentucky, Eddie. Then deduct those die-hard UL supporters. Add the Memphis State (they'refor whoever UL fans are against) fanatics. Double the final total to account for all those transplanted Kentuckians living outside the Commonwealth and soldiers stationed in the armed forces around the world. Then, you'll be somewhere in the ballpark. A good guess would be somewhere between five and ten million, including Georgia's Hugh Durham {you know he loves those Vols), but not counting Florida's zillion or so football faithful (they like that Majors fellow). Hey Eddie, I was just kidding. You really don't have to beat Tennessee in Knoxville. You're safe. Your five-year contract says so. Kentucky fans never talk about firing a coach until he's lost at least six games and you've got three to spare. Course, if you took a poll among your own players, you might be surprised to see how strong their sentiments are in turning the tables around in Knoxville. A Footnote To Above: Just moments after Kentucky's 80-75 victory over Georgia in Athens Saturday, Sutton was enjoying a lighter moment with his staff as he was preparing to do his post-game radio show when he threw his staff a curveball. "Fellas, you know I said this (Georgia game) would be the toughest challenge the rest of the regular season," grinned Sutton, "but I've changed my mind, it'll be Tennessee." Sutton is a pretty bright fella . . . to be a college basketball coach. Kentucky Ail-American Kenny Walker is one of eleven finalists for the coveted John R. Wooden Award awarded annually to college basketball's top player by the Los Angeles Athletic Club. The winner will be announced in the not too distant future. Walker, who could become t}ie school's No. 2 all-time scorer before he finishes, is also a top candidate for the Adolph Rupp Trophy and the James A. Naismith Trophy. All three awards go to players selected as the best in college basketball, but are voted on by different people. Others in the final running for the Wooden award are: Steve Alford of Indiana, Walter Berry of St. John's. William Bedford of Memphis State, Len Bias of Maryland, Dell Curry of Virginia Tech, Brad Daugherty of North Carolina, Johnny Dawkins of Duke. Danny Manning of Kansas, Mark Price of Georgia Tech, and Roy Tarpley of Michigan. Last year's winner was St. Johns' Chris Mullin. Ralph Sampson is the only player to ever win the award twice. While so much is being said about the upcoming battle with Tennessee, all that will be forgotten less than forty-eight hours later when 23,000-plus fans say goodbye to UK seniors Kenny Walker, Roger Harden and Leroy Byrd. There may be the Kentucky Derby and there may be Bardstown, Kentucky, but there's nothing quiet like singing "A/v Old Kentucky Home" at the home finale each season in Rupp Arena. To say there will be some wet eyes would be an understatement. Kenny Walker has already said it'll be an emotional time for him. Roger Harden admits he'll not hold back the tears and well, Leroy, knows the meaning perhaps better than both of them. He's the natived Kentuckian of the trio. That's to say nothing of the opposition. When LSU comes to town, fans come out of the woodwork. Nobody, other than the Big Orange, can stir up excitement on the hardwoods like Dale Brown and his Tigers. It'll be some kind of an afternoon. Perhaps it's only fitting the NBC-TV cameras will be here to capture this annual sendoff. Here's hoping the network's first game (Oklahoma vs. North Carolina State) doesn't go overtime and prevent the rest of the world from witnessing what Kentucky fans have come to cherish as one of the truly great moments in all of sports. Hey, Dick and Al. Keep the tissue handy. You'll need it. HITS AND MISSES . . . With all the coaching changes around the country, you'll see lots of new faces on the major college scene next year. Some are expected and a few could be very surprising. There are even rumors that retired UK coach Joe B. Hall could be lured back into the business after a year away from the rat race. Sportscaster Joe Dean says in the current issue of Basketball Times that several schools are interested in Hall and that he might be talked into coming back ... At least two current members of the UK staff have their names being tossed around the job market. Assistants Leonard Hamilton and Doug Barnes have been mentioned in connection with current vacancies. Hamilton, according [Continued On Page 33] Walker Shines In Home State Cats Claim 36th SEC Title With Win Over Dogs ' T've never been prouder of a group of young men than I am of these guys. They 're not the most talented bunch of players, but they don't know that. Somehow they figure out a way to win and they 're very team oriented. - Eddie Sutton Head Basketball Coach University of Kentucky Those words pretty much illustrate why this version of the Kentucky Wildcats won the school's 36th Southeastern Conference basketball championship Saturday in Athens, Ga. by turning back host Georgia 80-75. The win, Kentucky's 15 in 16 league contests this season, improved the Wildcats' overall record to 24-3 on the year and sent the Cats climbing in the nation polls over the weekend. In the new CNN-USA Today poll released Sunday, the Cats moved up to No. 5 nationally. Thanks to a superb 22-point, 9-rebound effort from All-American Kenny Walker and a 20-point, 7-rebound masterpiece from junior Winston Bennett. Kentucky never allowed the Georgia express to get uncranked. But Walker and Bennett weren't alone. James Blackmon came through with another stellar offensive show while Richard Madison came off the bench to add 6 points. Ed Davender, who didn't score a single point the first thirty minutes, hit two clutch baskets during the last twelve minutes when the Bulldogs tried ro rally back. And Roger Harden's floor work the final ten minutes helped preserve the big road victory. Walker, the All-American from nearby Roberta, Georgia came prepared to put his best foot forward in his last performance at the Georgia Coliseum. And Bulldog fans were just as prepared. Throughout pregame warm-ups, Georgia fans shouted, "turncoat, turncoat." When the television cameras began to roll, it was vintage Walker at his best. And at the game's end, it was Walker who was cutting down the SEC victory nets from one of the Georgia goals. In the first half alone. Walker hit six of eight from the field and hauled down five rebounds. At one point, Walker scored four of UK's six baskets midway in the first period, his last giving UK an 18-18 tie with 11:09 remaining. Walker's Basket Puts UK In Front For Good At 3:41 Walker put UK in front 32-30 with a short jumper from the baseline. Kentucky never trailed again in the contest. First half play was played on the pro level, moving up and down the court at a pace a 10-second clock would have been hard-pressed to expire. Inside, Bennett and Walker dominated the backboards to the tune of a 17-12 advantage for the Cats in the opening twenty minutes. Keeping the 'Dogs right on Kentucky's heels was Joe Ward's nine points along with six points each from Donald Hartry and freshman sub Toney Mack. Both clubs enjoyed sizzling shooting percentages in the first half with UK scoring at a 56.3 clip on 18 of 32 while Georgia was stride for stride at 55.6 percent on 15 of 27. Lr Dressed In Championship Fashion Walker & Blackmon Named Co-MVP's By Atlanta Chapter Of UK Alumni Assn. Kentucky provided itself with a little breathing room early in the second half, thanks to a quick baseline jumper by Blackmon. But Georgia came right back. Dennis Williams got a backdoor layup to slice the lead to 40-37 and then for the next five minutes the two clubs played on even terms. Until... Until a Georgia alley-oop failed. It may have been the difference in the entire game. Two similiar plays worked earlier, but not this time. Kentucky, clinging to a 46-44 lead after a three-point play by Horace McMillan at 15:52, got caught in another backdoor situation. The Georgia crowd was just beginning to fire up and a dunk would probably have been a big emotional lift. Big Georgia Play Backfires In Second Half Instead, the play called by coach Hugh Durham from the sidelines backfired when Dennis Williams tried to stuff the ball instead of laying the ball off the glass. The ball bounced back and UK then scored six straight points to take a commanding 52-44 lead. Durham acknowledged it was a big missed opportunity. "You don't have to dunk it," Durham said. "Vern Fleming (ex-Georgia All-American guard) didn't dunk it in four years." Kentucky eventually enjoyed a ten-point lead at 56-46 on a Walker jumper from the lane, but Georgia refused to throw in the towel. The Bulldogs slowly pecked away at the Kentucky lead and got within six on six different occasions down the stretch. But it wasn't until 0:37 that Georgia really gave UK a big scare. After a miss from the free throw line by Ed Davender on a bonus shot, Anderson rifled in a sizzler from the right of the key to close the score to 75-71. Winston Bennett hit one of two free throws at 0:32. Then Donald Hartry canned a long jumper from 24 feet to get the Dogs within three (76-73) at 0:24. A pair of Bennett free throws at 0:19 insured the win with a five-point cushion at 78-73. Despite leading the entire second half, Sutton was never comfortable with the small margin. I never felt secure in this game, even when we had a 10-point lead," said the UK head coach. "Georgia's been pretty successful lately in making great comebacks. They did it at Mississippi State and the other day against Auburn (although Auburn still won). That had us worried." Was the win especially sweet for Walker, playing his final game in Athens? "I'm very happy for Kenny, for us to be able to win an SEC championship in Georgia," said Sutton. "I know he was excited with his parents and friends here to watch." And just how good are the Wildcats, a team which won a piece of the title with a week and half remaining in the conference race. Just how good a champion is this team when compared to others? "I feel we didn't win it," beamed Roger Harden. "We ruled it." Hum! 97ie< gate' & r Kentucky-Georgia Game Notes And Tidbits The crowd of 10,826 was the largest of the season for the Bulldogs at Georgia Coliseum. Some 4,000 student tickets are reserved for each home game, but Georgia students reportedly took only about a 1,000 with the remainder being bought up by the public . . . The public as in Kentucky. At least 1,200 Wildcat fans made their way to Athens for the game, including large groups from Western Kentucky and the Atlanta chapter of the UK Alumni Association . . . After the game, the Atlanta group named Kenny Walker and James Blackmon as co-winners of its annual MVP award at the Georgia game . . . The same group presented a cake to coach Eddie Sutton after the Cats won the SEC title . . . Sutton wasn't the only person with a cake after the contest. Kenny Walker strolled toward the team bus after the game, carrying a homemade cake from the finest bakery in the land, his home. Scoops And Comments On The Wildcats Senior Wildcat guard Roger Harden picked up six assists, giving him a total of 185 for the year, leaving him just three short of Dirk Minniefield's single season record of 188. Harden should set a new record in Knoxville on Thursday. If he does, Words of Wisdom what a finish for the senior from Indiana. All Harden has accomplished this season is: (a) kept a lease his starting position which some insisted he would lose (b) set a season record for assists (c) become the best shooting guard (over 53 percent) on the club (d) hit game-winning shots in not just one, but two games and in two of the toughest places in the country, at Baton Rouge and Tuscaloosa (e) named player | OFFICIAL NCAA BASKETBALL BOX SCORE wu_a VISITORS (<.Mt Hunt, nftf) $ir 1<)36 SiteJlai HOME 1-, nf 2Vf5.2> Gm.-li-l-'i''-a0- 0~<)M FG V 1.1 H.1I Jl-Hl a*H*" ' I ... _ULf_ji7iJl Bfoun* FT %: 1.1 H.I. 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