xt7n5t3fzc9b https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7n5t3fzc9b/data/mets.xml Wildcat News Company 1986 Volume 11 -- Number 11 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 (1986-1987) coaches Sutton, Eddie players Manuel, Eric Chapman, Rex Scott, Mike Bromley, Rob University of Kentucky Football (1986) Claiborne, Jerry Velotta, Mike statistics schedules Cats' Pause Combs, Oscar The Cats' Pause,  "November 22, 1986" text The Cats' Pause,  "November 22, 1986" 1986 2012 true xt7n5t3fzc9b section xt7n5t3fzc9b Eddie Pulls Lever And Hits Recruiting Jackpot
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"SPOTLIGHTING UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE"
VOLUME 11   NUMBER 11
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1986
LEXINGTON, KENTU
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Seniors Go Out As Winners
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Mayes, Ransdell Star In Last Home Game
By Mike Estep
It was a game that few gave Kentucky a realistic chance of winning.
Certainly not the oddsmakers. The boys out in Las Vegas made the Gators solid nine-point favorites.
Everyone said that UK's only hope of even making the game respectable was to run the ball straight at the Gator defense, which was giving up over 175 yards per game on the ground. But the 'Cats leading rusher. Ivy Joe
Kenny Lange  A Happy 'Cat
Surely not the press, most of whom were already putting the finishing touches on the epitaph of this Kentucky team.
On paper, everybody said Florida, not Kentucky, would be the team that came out of Commonwealth Stadium with the win.
Looking at the pregame stats, it was easy to see why:
Everyone saw that each team was heading in the opposite direction. Florida, after getting off to a disastrous 1-4 start, had come back with four straight victories, including two in a row in dramatic, come-from-behind fashion against Auburn and Georgia. On the other hand, Kentucky had won just one of its last five starts, and that win was only a 12-pointer at the expense of a miserable, cellar-dwelling Vanderbilt club.
Everyone saw that Kentucky's defense, a woeful ninth place in the SEC against the pass, was scheduled to go up against the lethal Kerwin Bell-Ricky Nattiel combo. Bell, one of the nation's best passers, was fresh off a 272-yard performance in which he completed 20 of 31 tosses against Vince Dooley's Dawgs. Nattiel, who was ranked second in the SEC in receptions with 7.7 per game, had been on the receiving end of three touchdown aerials [from Bell-in that game*, despite rilaying'wifh a separated shoulder.
Hunter, was to watch from the sidelines due to a hamstring pull suffered in his record-breaking day against Vandy. That left UK with only Mark Higgs, who had been held to just 92 yards in a five-game stretch earlier in the season, and Marc Logan, as healthy backs.
Everyone kept poking their noses in the history books all week, and came to the conclusion that although Kentucky seemed to be able to play Florida close in recent years (narrow 27-15 and 17-15 losses), the 'Cats would still come up short.
In fact, the book on Kentucky said that they couldn't come up with a big win against any of the SEC powers that annually dot the UK schedule. The 'Cats were 1-13 under Jerry Claiborne against what some called the Big ThreeFlorida, Georgia and LSU.
But games aren't played on paper.
What no one took into consideration were the intangibles. Pride. Heart. Determination.
Nineteen UK seniors took the field Saturday against Florida for what would be their swan song in Commonwealth Stadium. And they banded together and decided that this game, this year, they would reverse that ugly trend. Somehow, some way, they would beat mighty-Florida,   ,, ,      ..., , ,
They did. When the final horn sounded
Saturday, Kentucky was on the long end of a convincing, hard-fought, 10-3 win.
"Everyone played together." senior corner-back Tony Mayes said. "The seniors called a meeting last night. We called a meeting and we just talked together among ourselves.
"We said we've put in too much hard workwe've been through winter workouts, spring ball and all this stuffto just let it all float away. I think all the seniors came out today, and all the other players wanted to help us win. We just put it all together."
"This was it for us," quarterback Bill Ransdell said. "We wanted to go out winners. People said we couldn't win the big game. We did it today. It's something to give everybody pride around here."
It was a fitting way for Mayes and Ransdell to finish their careers in front of the home folks. Both had been through the rough timesas redshirt freshmen during the 0-10-1 year. The dismal 5-6 season of a year ago. Both had been prime targets for disgruntled UK fans to vent their frustrations.
Mayes from his left cornerback position had been mentioned by many spectators in the same breath with their mother-in-law's cooking, "because he had burned so many times," in the last few years they said.
And Ransdell, although he holds many of the school's career passing marks, had heard the wrath of the boo-birds who held him largely responsible for UK's poor offensive showing in the four-game losing streak earlier in the year. After two outstanding years everybody said inflation had finally caught up with "Dollar Bill."
But Ransdell came through with what might have been his finest performance in Commonwealth Stadium, completing 20 of 23 passes on the afternoongood enough to set a new school record for completion percentage at 86.9 percent.
And it was Mayes who was the hero on the defensive side, collecting four tackles and breaking up four passes. But most importantly, it was the senior from Paintsville that stripped UF's Nattiel of the ball at the UK 32-yard line, and then pounced on the pigskin with 29 seconds remaining to seal the win.
"We were in man coverage and he broke across the middle and caught the ball on me," Mayes said. "It's something they teach us. If they've got you beat, go for the ball. I stripped him of it with one hand and recovered the ball.
"I couldn't have felt any happier. We needed it bad."
Kentucky did need the game badly. To keep their hopes alive for a winning season. To help in recruiting. For the seniors to walk out of Commonwealth Stadium for the last time as winners.
Many of the UK seniors were comparing this one with the big wins two years ago against Tennessee in Knoxville and over Wisconsin in the Hall of Fame Bowl.
"This win is probably the best win I've ever had," offensive lineman Joe Prince said. "I'll tell you, we've had some hard times lately. And I think this team has shown some character in coming back. Today we just weren't going to let Florida beat us.
"(The Tennessee game) was a big win and sweet for everybody. That was a great win. We were 8-3 at that point. But I think this one has to rank right up there because we'd never beaten Florida."
To center Ken Lange, the win over Florida was even better.
"Oh, this is the greatest feeling I've ever had," Lange said. "I came the long way. I've been here three years and I had to work hard to get where I'm at. It just all came to a ".T" today. It all came true, all of my dreams. All the hard work's just paid off." 		&7i& (jat&' ($au&&	
			
Liberty Bowl? You're Darn Right!
f
LIBERTY BOWL!
You gotta be kiddin'.
No fooling, these Kentucky Wildcats still have life and could be going bowling after all if. . . the Big Blue can pull off a major upset in Knoxville Saturday.
Officials of the Liberty Bowl have quietly passed the word to UK officials that representatives will be at Neyland Stadium Saturday and will be in the UK locker room after the game to issue an official invitation if Kentucky wins.
Until 4 p.m. last Saturday Kentucky's chances of earning a post season bowl invitation were somewhere between slim and none. Then, UK went out and played its best game in two years, walked away from Commonwealth Stadium with a 10-3 upset over Florida and a new-found level of confidence that it can play with the big boys.
UK's win coupled with two other SEC games really caused havoc with several post season bowls.
Prior to last Saturday, both Ole Miss and Mississippi State appeared to be absolute locks for post season action. Ole Miss sported a nifty 6-2-1 mark going against Tennessee and was a seven-point favorite.
State owned a 6-2-1 mark and was a slight underdog against LSU. Tennessee, at 3-5 was out of the picture. Florida, with a four game winning streak at 5^4, was in position to make a big move with a pair of season-ending wins over Kentucky and Florida State to earn a bowl slot.
As I said, that was before Saturday.
Tennessee upsets Ole Miss 22-10. knocking the Rebs to 6-3-1 and State was absolutely horrible in a 47-0 shutout at the hands of LSU. After being 6-1 earlier in the season. State is now 6-4. With State and Ole Miss colliding this Saturday, one of the two obviously will be staying home for the holidays. If they're not careful, both could get shut out of the picture. State has been outscored 120-9 in its last three games.
Florida is likely out of the picture, thanks to the upset loss at the hands of Kentucky. Meanwhile, Tennessee and Kentucky are the new darlings of the south. To the winner will go a bowl invitation to Memphis on Monday. Dec. 29.
For either Kentucky or Tennessee to receive a bowl invitation this year is a miracle after such terrible starts. You can rest assured that Saturday's winner will enjoy a very Merry Christmas four days after Dec. 25.
Oh ye of little faith.
Such was the beginning of this column a few weeks ago when Jerry Claiborne's Wildcats found themselves in the midst of a horrible four-game losing streak. By the end of that streak, few believers remained around Big Blue Country.
In fact, when the Wildcats returned home to face Vanderbilt after that heartbreaking 17-15 loss to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, fewer than 30,000 fans showed up on a cold, rainy afternoon to watch the Big Blue snap
its losing skid. ,,,   .    . , .....
. With the 'game being nationally televised,
most fans felt more comfortable sitting at home in front of a warm, cozy fire, not to mention the convenience of being able to switch the channel if the 'Cats failed to muster up any excitement.
My, how times have changed in two short weeks.
Make no mistake about it, the win over Vanderbilt didn't make future enemies shake in their boots. More importantly, the game instilled some new-found hope to salvage a season which many thought would be a bowl-contending squad back in August.
Those souls brave enough to suggest that the 'Cats could upset either Florida or Tennessee in the season's final two games were few and their intelligence was open to question.
Saturday's 10-3 stunning upset of Florida certainly provides a ray of hope as the 'Cats journey to Knoxville to take on another fast-improving SEC squad in Johnny Majors' Tennessee Vols.
Tennessee will prove to be just as tough, or tougher than the Gators. The Vols are experiencing a roller-coaster season. Thanks to several injuries, the Vols took a mid-season nosedive, but as the injuries have mended in recent weeks, the Vols have regrouped and been impressive in recent wins over Memphis State and Ole Miss.
It's been a long time since a Kentucky-Tennessee game (1980) has been played with neither team over the .500 mark. Such a situation would suggest little interest.
Far from it.
Kentucky, which seemed to be light years away from a bowl two weeks ago, now stands just a single victory from marching to Memphis for the Liberty Bowl.
History tells us that Kentucky won't score a lot of points this Saturday in K-town, so it could be that the Wildcat wide-tackle-six (where are critics now?) will be called on for another big effort.
Last year, the 'Cats were embarrassed by the Vols to the tune of 42-0. That loss came after one of Claiborne's most cherished victories as Kentucky's head coach.
On the final game of the regular season in 1984, Claiborne walked off the field at Neyland Stadium with his first win ever. Never before had Claiborne experienced a victory in K-town, not as a player, as an assistant coach or head coach.
Kentucky gutted out a 17-12 victory that day on the way to upsetting Wisconsin 20-19 in the Hall of Fame Bowl. Without doubt, those were and are the biggest two back-to-back wins for Clairborne since he returned to Kentucky.
The year before, UK lost a 10-0 decision to the Vols at Commonwealth Stadium. And Claiborne's first season at UK ended with a 28-7 loss to the Vols in Knoxville. That defeat saddled the 'Cats with an infamous 0-10-1 mark for 1982.
Last season's loss to the Vols has to rank among the worst three for the 'Cats under Claiborne. Kentucky battled for most of the first half before a long pass1'play-broke the bobnuo?, mors Icnft orb nsrlw .bib vsriT
'Cats' back. In the second half, the Wildcats quit on Claiborne for the first time since he returned to his alma mater four years earlier.
Since 1953, Kentucky has never given up more than 16 points and still beaten the Vols. Back in 1977 when the 'Cats cracked the Top Ten, the 'Cats won 21-17 over the Vols when the Derrick Ramsey-led 'Cats came from behind in the final five minutes to hold off the upset-minded Vols. And that took a long pass pass from back-up quarterback Mike Deaton to give Ramsey the needed field position to march the 'Cats in for the winning score.
Kentucky isn't likely to score 21 points this Saturday either. For the 'Cats to win, another superb defensive effort will be required. Plus, Kentucky's kicking game has to do an about-face. Those two phases of the game will determine the outcome this Saturday.
Clobber boards.
Every big-time college team has one. Florida is no exception. Clobber boards closely resembles those bulletin boards in the office lounge, only they're much larger.
Bulletin boards are used to post important messages to employees. Much is the same with a clobber board. The only difference in the two is that the bulletin board usually contains the truth. Clobber boards contain a little this and a little that, but mostly gossip about the team's upcoming opponent.
As the media gathered around Florida coach Galen Hall in the Gator lockerroom Saturday, the clobber board which had made the trip with the Gators from Gainesville sat in an awkard position in one corner.
On this particular day, the target was the University of Kentucky and Bill Ransdell in particular. Absorbing more than half the board was a huge four-color photograph of Ransdell with a "typed" quote attributed to Ransdell attached to the poster.
Obviously a motivational tool, the quote attributed to Ransdell said "they (Florida) were lucky the last two years. They're the luckiest team in America. Their luck is going to run out Saturday."
If the Gator assistant who came up with that quote only knew how true his invented statement would turn out, he could have been a very rich man on his way back to Gainesville.
Ransdell saved his best for last.
"It's the biggest win we've had here (Commonwealth Stadium) since I've been here," said the Elizabethtown product who has been the victim of much abuse in recent weeks.
But he showed his character Saturday. He didn't do like the place-kicker at LSU who acknowledged his enemies by making obscene jestures at the fans.
Good guys don't always finish last.
In his last home game before Big Blue partisans, Ransdell dished out a record-shattering exhibition, completing 20 of 23 passes for an 86.9 percentage, erasing the old mark set by ,LSy.'s,AJan.Risrier, against Ole T-jbluoifc <;
Miss back in 1981. Risher connected on 21 of 26 for 80.8 percent. The record requires a minimum of 20 completions.
The record-setting performance also earned Ransdell SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors along with LSU's Tommy Hod-son who passed for 231 yards in beating Mississippi State 47-0.
What a day!
A day later UK basketball coach Eddie Sutton smiled, joked and talked about going to spring training in Florida during the spring instead of having to recruit.
"I've never had the opportunity to go to spring training before because I've always had to recruit, but this time, I'm going to take my bride Patsy and watch some baseball," said Sutton.
Maybe and maybe not Eddie. Did you forget about this thing called NCAA?
The championship game isn't played until
the final week of March and, well, stranger things have happened.
But back to the point.
Sutton's recruiting harvest last week ranks right up there with the best UK recruiting classes in history. Check out the namesEric Manuel, LeRon Ellis. Johnathan Davis, Sean Sutton, Deron Feldhaus and John Pittman.
Kentucky needed a great recruiting year and the Wildcats got just that. And the latest signees do not include Wake Forest transfer Mike Scott who could become a member of the Wildcats and plays immediately the second semester.
Combine that with the return of Winston Bennett next winter and the addition of freshman Reggie Hanson who walked on after losing to Propostion 48, and the 'Cats' future is unlimited.
As one Southeastern Conference coach said last week, "it looks like we're all going to be fighting for second place after this year."
Yep, Kentucky's opponents had better feast this winter. Next year they'll be playing to a different tune.
Speaking of Eric Manuel reminds us that basketball fans around Kentucky will have an opportunity to see this superstar and several other top prepsters on Dec. 20 at Rupp Arena.
Manuel and his Macon Southwest High team will be one of eight outstanding high school teams in the Thoroughbred Basketball Prep Classic (the old Hillbrook Festival) starting at 9 a.m.
Three of UK's signees will be playing in the event. In addition to Manuel, Mason County's Deron Feldhaus and Henry Clay's Sean Sutton will be involved.
The confrontation of the day could come when Macon squares off with Henry Clay. Reports out of Macon has it that Manuel will be playing guard this season so we could see a Manuel-Sutton matchup.
[Continued On Page 25] Fans!!!
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GAME PLAY-BY-PLAY:
POST-GAME:
ft        Bench Talk with Coach Jerry Claiborne and Tim Smile
ft Sports Call - listeners phone in questions and comments on the Kentucky Network
ft        Cats' Pause Sports Hotline with Oscar Combs
ft        Coach Jerry Claiborne's Big Blue Line with Cawood Ledford
ft        Fans in the Stands with Steve Hayes Interviews with early Wildcat rooters
ft        Cat Calls with Cawood Ledford and Ralph Hacker
ft Cawood's Look at Football
ft        Coach Jerry Claiborne Pre-game Show
ft        Wildcat Warmup with Ralph Hacker
ft        Hear All The Exciting Action with Cawood Ledford and Ralph Hacker Reporting
ft        Wildcat Wrapup with Ralph Hacker
ft        Kentucky Network Football Scoreboard
ft        Coach Jerry Claiborne Post-game Show
ft        College Football '86 Scoreboard - 2 hour phone-in program with the latest football scores plus special .features and interviews with John Asher Moem/>er- 22, /?cftT
UK Loads Up On Inside Talent During Early Signing Period, But Biggest Catch Of All May Be Georgia Guard Eric Manuel
By Nick Nicholas and Mike Estep
Kentucky coach Eddie Sutton and his staff desperately need players. The Wildcats, without the services of Winston Bennett, Cedric Jenkins and Todd Ziegler, are down to only eight scholarship members. They even had walk-on tryouts a few weeks ago. . .and added two players.
At the University of Kentucky? C'mon.
Well, it's true. But don't feel sorry the second-year Wildcat coach.
Low numbers this season don't compare anywhere close to next year's tally sheet. The first day of the early signing period Kentucky signed five, count 'em, five players. And then got another signee later in the week. Add Mike Scott and Reggie Hanson to the total and UK will have two players over the 15 player scholarship limit entering next season.
What do you do?
It's been reported that Sutton may even sign one more player. When asked about having more players than scholarships he mentioned, "We don't have to worry about that until school opens in the fall. I'll sign 50 if I can.
"There are lots of options and I don't have to declare anything until next fall. I'm not going to violate any rules. Remember, every scholarship is a one-year committment. If I wanted to, I could have a new team every year."
' Headed for Lexington next season are: Johnathon Davis, 6-foot-8 forward of Pine Forest High in Pensacola, Fla.; Sean Sutton, 6-1 guard of Henry Clay High in Lexington, Ky.; John Pittman, 6-11 center of Terry High in Rosenburg, Texas; LeRon Ellis, 6-10 forward/center of Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif: Deron Feldhaus. 6-7 forward of Mason County High in Maysville; and Eric Manuel, 6-7 forward/guard of Macon Southwest High in Macon, Ga.
Here's a rundown of last week's signees for the 'Cats:
*JOHN PITTMAN  "It's very obvious that Eddie has been looking for a post player," Terry High coach Fletcher Walker told TCP. "I think this was their main objectiveto sign two or three big men. In Johnny they have found one."
Yes indeed. Pittman is a legitmate seven-footer (according to his coach he's actually 6-11-54 but is seven foot with tennis shoes on). Not since the days of Melvin Turpin has Kentucky had the opportunity to have a 'true' post man underneath.
The main concern with Pittman is will he pass the guidelines set forth by Proposition 48? Already he's taken the college entrance exam (SAT), failing to meet the required score. However, Pittman and the coach's son (Rusty Walker) were seen on many a day during the past summer studying for the college test.
According to his coach he has two more opportunities to take the test.
Last season, in only his second full campaign of organized hoops, he averaged 18.1 points per game while grabbing 13.6 boards per game. While netting "six or seven" block shots game, his average is somewhat misleading. Reportedly, his main competition was against opponents who were 6-6 or 6-5.
"The hardest adjustment for him will be facing people reasonably close to his size," says his coach.
"He's a very athletic kid," said sportswriter Kevin Wishard of the Herald Coaster in Rosenberg. "He's got a pretty good touch but he's not that good of a high school player yet.
He definitely has potential.
A first-team district selection by the coaches last season, Pittman, however, was named second-team district by a poll of sportswriters.
This summer in the Basketball Congress International Tournament held in Phoenix, Ariz., Pittman was selected to the All-Tournament team. Forty-eight teams, including squads from New York and Los Angeles, competed in the event.
Walker mentioned Pittman is in excellent condition but is more of a half-court player.
"He's improving every day," said Wishard. "As far as raw talent is concerned, he's got plenty of it.
"One of his big problems is that he's such a nice guy. He lets little people push him around. This was his main problem last year."
LeRon Ellis
Said Walker, "He's a boy in a man's body and he's getting ready to learn to play in a man's league."
*SEAN SUTTON - The son of head coach Eddie Sutton kept to his early agreement by signing with the Big Blue. Considered an excellent floor-leader, Sutton might be UK's point guard for the future.
His father already has indicated that Sean will "in all likelihood" be redshirted next season. He needs to strengthen up some in order to take on the big boys in SEC play.
Sutton, who has taken and passed his college test (ACT), is the leader of his team. His coach noted that if he goes down it would be like Kentucky losing Winston Bennett.
"I'm always intrigued when there is' a player that we would feel that would be good enough whose father is a coach," said Eddie Sutton while talking to a group of reporters at Memorial Coliseum the day Sean announced his college choice. "They're ahead of our time. He's been on our bench since he was about four years old."
"Coaches sons will always have an advantage over most players because they just know the game."
Sutton's shooting touch is suspect. According to his high school coach it's something which he's worked on during the summer months.
"He's improved his shooting tremendously," said Al Prewitt.
"He's a great passer," Prewitt continued. "He's a great team player and an excellent leader. Sean is extremely coachable.
"When he plays for his dad, he's going to have to play real sticky defense. I feel this is the one area that he, as well as most guys who go to college, really needs to work on. If he can go ahead and play the defense like his dad wants him to then before he graduates he'll be a definite asset to the University of Kentucky and its basketball program."
For Sean Sutton, who one day hopes to follow in his father's footsteps and become a head coach, it's a dream come true. Even at Arkansas he was amazed with the impact of Kentucky basketball. He got a first hand look at the Bluegrass hoopla when his dad's
Deron Feldhaus
Razorbacks lost to Kentucky in the 1978 Final Four at St. Louis.
"He was on the bench and he just saw all of the great enthusiasm that Kentucky had," said the UK coach. "He knew of the tradition because he's a student of the game.
"A couple of years after that. . .he made the comment, T want to play for you in all likelihood here at Arkansas, but if Kentucky calls I might have to go."
Call the Wildcats did.
*LERON ELLIS - While John Pittman might remind fans of Melvin Turpin. . .LeRon Ellis could bring back memories of former Wildcat star Sam Bowie. "They look a lot like," said Ellis' coach Gary McKnight in a recent interview with The Cats' Pause.
Ellis, like Bowie, is a big man who loves to run the court. He prefers the forward position, that is he likes facing the hoop instead of posting up underneath. In fact, with Kentucky signing Pittman his decision became even better.
"Oh he thinks that's the greatest thing because he doesn't have to play center," sai3 McKnight when asked how the two skyscrapers would figure into Sutton's scheme. "He'll just get better and better with more experience.
"He runs the floor so fluid that at times he even looks small. He's a thoroughbred.
LeRon is extremely quick and intelligent."
McKnight mentioned that Ellis' coordination skills are unbelievable for a man of his
Eric Manuel
stature6-10 and 230 pounds. From double pump jumpers to tipping in overthrown alley oop passes, reportedly this kid can do it all. Labeled by his coach as "a Danny Manning-type player."
"LeRon needs to extend his range in his shooting touch so he can hit the 15-footer," McKnight said.
In the classroom Ellis is also a steady performer. He scored a 900 on the SAT, which is far above the 700 required by the NCAA's Proposition 48.
By the time he enrolls at Kentucky, Ellis could reach the seven-foot mark. His coach says he hasn't stopped growing.
He was treated to in-house vists by Sutton, Lou Carnesecca. John Thompson, George Raveling and Jim Boeheim. According to McKnight, Ellis was really impressed, especially by Sutton and Carnesecca.
Last season Mater Dei finished its campaign with a 30-1 mark, losing in the finals of the Southern California championships. As a junior, Ellis was surrounded by three Division I players and two Division II signees. The team's lone loss ended its 59-game win streak, second best in California prep history.
He averaged 17.5 and seven rebounds last season. Naturally, McKnight is looking for his star forward to increase those figures.
Ellis' dad is an assistant at Southern California. After a visit to the Bluegrass state in mid-September, however, young Ellis decided to announce his intentions of becoming a Wildcat.
Did he ever have any second-thoughts?
"Never," answered McKnight. "USC bombarded him with literature but he did not talk to them. After his visit to Kentucky he said everything just fit into place."
?JOHNATHON DAVIS - Coming from the Florida panhandle, which isn't known for its basketball prowess, and carrying only 195 pounds on his 6-8 frame, his high school coach Bill Fryman said that Davis isn't likely to come in and be an "immediate impact player," but he definitely has the ability to develop into one down the road in his career.
"He's not the kind of player who will come in and dominate the SEC in his first year," Fryman said. "But he has the ability to rise to that level. Basketball isn't very big down here, a lot of the middle schools don't even have their own gyms. So he just hasn't had the opportunity to develop as much as
[Continued On Page 22] 	97i& (jots' &aa&e	Moem/mr> 22, /pc?f
		
Changing Seasons Noticeable In TCP Office
Callers Flood Phone Lines, Want Latest Info
Question.
To a sportswriter in Kentucky, you can tell the seasons are changing when:
A) the leaves start falling?
B) your utility bills start to skyrocket?
C) your car's Diehard starts to die fast?
D) the phone rings off the hook?
If I was talking about the weather, more particular from fall to winter, then A. B. and C would be appropriate answers. But I'm not.
The seasonal changes I'm referring to are the ones from football to basketball, basketball to baseball, etc. That's the scenario TCP's composition coordinator Winfred Jennings has put together for this particular articlethe end of another Kentucky football
Nick Nicholas
Cats' Pause Columnist
season while it's almost time to tipoff the Wildcats' hoop campaign.
When your beat involves the Kentucky Wildcats you know by the golden tones of the telephone that there is a change in the air.
Rrring, rrring, Nick! Telephone
That's Wanda our circulation director. For the past couple of weeks she's been flooded with calls concerning Kentucky basketball recruiting. And last Wednesday, the initial day high school seniors could sign with the college of their dreams, was murder around The Cats' Pause office.
First of all, Oscar was in Atlanta for the Southeastern Conference Media Days. So it was up to Wanda, Mike, Winfred and my