1st Tournament win in 12 years

by -Zoso- on Nov 30, 2008 2:43 AM EST

Just listened to the post game radio show,made the comment that this is the first time in TWELVE years that UK has won a preseason tournament,not since the Great Alaska Shoot-out in 1996.I know we had a long Final Four drought,but was unaware of this stat.This was a great win tonight,and as cat fans we should expect to win these games,and not make excuses for losing.Good to get the monkey off our back since the Clinton adminstration.GO CATS!

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Interesting

Did you know the only SECT that Pitino failed to W was the 1996 tourney?

It mattered not.

by FortyYearCatFan on Nov 30, 2008 8:29 AM EST reply actions

I think it helped

Mississippi State was the #2 team in the country (by my reckoning, anyway, I don’t count Syracuse CBS cheat-factor) so the loss was no shame. Also I think the team was getting a big head from being so good, so I think it helped our focus.

by EEWildcat on Nov 30, 2008 12:31 PM EST up reply actions

UMass Was #2 And UK #1 Then

They flipped after the L to Miss St.

Miss St was Top 5 or 10 but not #2.

by FortyYearCatFan on Nov 30, 2008 12:47 PM EST up reply actions

I said in my book

Miss St made the final four and would have been in the final game if not for CBS cheat factor. So my top 3 are
1. UK
2. Miss St.
3. UMass

Miss St. had an outstanding team in March. UMass was one-dimensional (but good).

Your milage (and national polls) may vary.

by EEWildcat on Nov 30, 2008 1:00 PM EST up reply actions

Actually Miss St #25 Then

Entered NCAA ranked #19 after W over UK.

by FortyYearCatFan on Nov 30, 2008 1:13 PM EST up reply actions

Great, IMHO

We definitely aren’t off to as bad a start as last year, and several other recent years. It’s good to see us starting out better, hopefully we can spend the season perfecting our team rather than just getting a basic team going.

by EEWildcat on Nov 30, 2008 12:34 PM EST reply actions

2007 Team

Started 15-3 that year.

by FortyYearCatFan on Nov 30, 2008 12:47 PM EST reply actions

Stats are fun

I bolded a few “slow starts” – 3 losses before reaching 7 wins or 4 before 10 wins. 07 wasn’t that bad, given rankings of losses and the nice run they went on after that.

2008-09 0-2
2007-08 7-9 (ouch)
2006-07 4-3 (only top 25 losses- not as bad as it looks)
2005-06 10-6
2004-05 10-2 (great start!)
2003-04 11-2 (another great one!)
2002-03 6-3 (plus 1 exhibition loss)
2001-02 9-4
2000-01 4-5 (ouch again)
1999-00 4-4
1998-99 10-3
1997-98 10-2 (awesome, and we won the championship somehow!)
1996-97 0-1, then 14-2 (runners-up)
1995-96 1-1, then 26-2 (legendary)
1994-95 6-2
1993-94 11-2 (nice! but lost to a national team in exhibition – oh well!)
1992-93 11-1 (awesome)
1991-92 6-2
1990-91 4-2, then 10-3

by EEWildcat on Nov 30, 2008 1:31 PM EST up reply actions

And Overall W-L Results Not That Much Different

The 1991 thru 1997 teams didn’t finish as well as the 1998 through 2008 teams.

by FortyYearCatFan on Nov 30, 2008 2:37 PM EST up reply actions

All the best NCAA tournament teams started out well

1997-98 10-2 (NCAA Champion)
1996-97 14-2 (NCAA Runner Up)
1995-96 26-2 (NCAA Champion)
1992-93 11-1 (NCAA Final Four)

by EEWildcat on Nov 30, 2008 2:56 PM EST up reply actions

2009 Not Looking Good By Those Numbers

We’ll C what happens.

by FortyYearCatFan on Nov 30, 2008 3:01 PM EST up reply actions

12-2 heading into Louisville game looks very doable....

Baring any more “VMI’s”…

???

Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.

by vinceuk1 on Nov 30, 2008 3:07 PM EST reply actions

And after the Louisville loss to WKU the

game doesn’t look so formidable.

by bluecrip on Nov 30, 2008 7:04 PM EST up reply actions

Miami is a legit opponent

But if we can handle them at Rupp this Saturday, then I do agree.

Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."

by chirop1 on Dec 1, 2008 9:17 AM EST up reply actions

I'm not sure we will beat Miami.

It’s gonna take another Herculean defensive effort to beat them.

by bluecrip on Dec 1, 2008 10:23 AM EST reply actions

Tough ACC team for sure...

Dwayne Collins is gonna’ be a load in the paint… With their aggressive play, they are foul pron, so I’d like to see Harrelson start the game, and the way Stevenson has been playing, (or lack there of), he just might be starting by then…

Their Guards penetrate often and that could cause UK problems…

I feel UK can break their press easier then the last 2 opponents we played because they do not bring their bigs in the back court on the press, at least the game I watched…

Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.

by vinceuk1 on Dec 1, 2008 10:32 AM EST up reply actions

I was wondering this myself yesterday

I didn’t realize it had been that long since a regular season* tournament win.

*It can’t be a preseason tournament, right? I mean, the season has already started and even if it hadn’t the games count towards the regular season record.

"That's not a Sherman tank, it's Frank Thomas!" - Monkeyball

by JLeverenz on Dec 1, 2008 3:34 PM EST reply actions