A look back on the 2021-2022 UK year: January

Greetings, BBN! As we continue our tour of the highlights from each month across UK sports and recap the greatest moments we start to run out of football wins to celebrate and get to focus the spotlight on the winter hoops! One particular one against Kansas stands out in particular, but all in all January had a lot to celebrate for UK. Let’s dive in:

1/1: Citrus Bowl Champs

Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images

After a highlight-packed season from one of the greatest wide receivers to ever wear a UK jersey, Wan‘Dale Robinson topped off his career in blue and white with an amazing reception that he took all the way to the 1-yard line to set up the Wildcats’ game-winning touchdown against the top-15 Hawkeyes to get Kentucky another 10-win season. It’s crazy how great UK has been in their bowl games—almost nobody wins four in a row. What a way to end the season and kick off the new year!

1/15: UK blows the doors off Tennessee

Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

107 points. 107. Just hours after legendary coach Joe B. Hall passed away UK honored him by putting up 107 points against a ranked Tennessee squad in front of a rocking Rupp Arena in a 28-point blowout victory. What a story and what a special game. If I was a coach I wouldn’t want to be honored in any other way!

1/29: UK runs Kansas out of Phog Allen

Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images

How do you beat a team that has a crowd that can reach 130 decibels during crunch time? By building a massive lead early and never looking back! The crowd quickly quieted and filed out early as the UK lead continued to grow all game long and completely ran the Jayhawks out of their own gym. It was one of the largest home blowout beatings Kansas had ever taken and completely changed Kentucky’s seed line forecasts. Definitely the signature victory of the season.

Other Memorable Moments:

• 1/19 UK Men’s Basketball erases first half deficit to win in College Station by six
• 1/25 UK Men’s Basketball escapes Mississippi State in overtime with Kellan Grady 3’s