Russ Smith taking his usual "open" shot--on his way to a team high 25 points, leading the Cards to a much needed "W".

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The post-Providence team meeting seemed to produce better body language as well as results, as the Cards rebounded from that humiliating beatdown–and losses in 4 of their previous 5 games– with a win finally.

Even though it came against a relatively weak DePaul team, Hey! Anything, ANYTHING to break that loser mindset.   Recent sports studies have shown–not surprisingly–that a loss will strongly statistically lead to another loss, until a win is achieved.  There is definitely a basis for such things as losing and winning “streaks.’

The game was not a pretty affair, and the Cards continued there woes in defending the 3 pt arc, allowing the Demons to nail over 43% from there–including 50% in the second half.   And this , plus a ragged 17 TO’s,  permitted DePaul to hang around all game long, even to pulling within 8 pts with still 3 minutes left to play.

But the scowling faces and sagging body language was not there, at least for now.

Gorgui played like a man possessed, dropping a double-double on the Demons, as well as blocking 4 shots

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Russ Smith and Chris Smith resurfaced after slumps, and with a determined Gorgui Dieng led the team.  Russ led the team with 25 pts–and actually had 6 assists and only 3 turnovers too.  Mind you he took 25 shots–and missed all seven 3-pointers he tried.  But the man made things cook.

Chris popped in 20 pts–including 4 for 5 on 3-balls, and added 3 boards.  After a severe slump,he has now put together two solid games in a row, and in interviews sounds like he mentally has his head screwed on right finally .

Senior co-captain recorded his second straight solid game, with 20 pts and 4-5 on 3-balls

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Gorgui– what can you say?  He arrives game time in a neck brace, asks the team doc if there is anything he can do to play, they give him  a shot –and he pounds in another double -double, with 13 pts and 14 boards…and 4 blocked shots.  My already high estimation of this young man just went up exponentially.

Kevin Ware was a bright spot, showing some nice moves to the hoop, and grabbing 4 bounds.

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Other bright spots?  Kevin Ware displayed some nice athleticism on some smooth moves to the bucket, and finished with 6 pts on 3-6 shooting–and added 4 big boards.  And Peyton Siva at least seemed more determined and focused–although his 7 assists would seem gaudier if not for his 6 TO’s too.  (Still no decent jump shot to keep opponents from sagging back  yet either…)

Peyton Siva dished 7 assists--but still had an ugly 6 TO'sto go with it. Later, he admitted his ankle had just come out of a brace and was still on the mend.

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And so now what is to come?  Well, we knew at the beginning of the season we had no true back-ups at center , or at the point.  Along the way we have also discovered that only Siva and Russ Smith can beat their man off the dribble– and that has limited Kyle Kuric’s and Chris Smith’s production relative to last season.  And continues to make the offense sputter for life at times.

By this time in the season, it is apparent what a team’s strengths and weaknesses are–to both the players, the fans, and definitely your opponents. Each team has that mix–and by you can only fight to maximize the good, and minimize the bad.

That’s where we are now.  Fighting to maximize our strengths–and fighting off a dose of team turmoil.

Can this team still achieve at least some degree of greatness as predicted pre-season?

We will begin to see very soon with tomorrow’s trip to #20 Marquette…

Check out the full set of game  photos of the game from HITH photog Matt Wickham at the right sidebar and at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylures/sets/72157628872412915/detail/.

Oh, yeah...the LadyBirds were there too...

Then I interviewed Peyton Siva, Chris Smith, and Rak Buckles– and posed some questions about the team meeting to them.  This is what I got:

• This was the first team meeting.  No other one had taken place previously.
• Who was the most vocal?  The answer to that one varied.  But what was clear from all three was that players that normally were quiet, “such as Kyle”, spoke up too.  Of the players not normally suiting up, Luke Hancock’s name was somewhat surprisingly and  prominently mentioned.
• The purpose of the meeting was to clear the air and let everyone know “we got each other’s backs with each other and with  Coach.”  Another was that “we were not having fun playing.”
• No other team meetings or team building exercises are planned right now, but as Peyton crowed : “Yeah we might go bowling–I got Rak’s number in bowling, tell ‘em, Rak!”

And at least a LadyBird or two…

Enough blather about injuries.  This was an effortless, heartless– yes, gutless– performance.

Anyone with eyes and a modicum of basketball IQ knew some foul brew has been cooking for a while on this team.  Now it has come to full boil.

This is not just Siva.  This is not just the players.  This is a total indictment of the team and coaches.

Other coaches and teams have had us sliced and diced for several games now.  And with little adjustment by us, by either our  players or coaches.

Over 40 years of watching Card Bball,  I have seldom seen such a gutless, futile effort against a foe whose players represent rejects by us–and who was a 7 point underdog to us.  It’s gutless when a mediocre rebounding team pounds you on the boards by a 40-25 margin.  That’s just lack of heart.

This is not a pure talent issue.  While I have never thought we were a top 10 team and have said so since watching the first few games this season, I do firmly believe  we are a top 15-20 team in terms of sheer talent.

It’s something else.  And a big part must be team chemistry–or rather, lack thereof.

How do you solve this issue now– in mid season, and mid-meltdown?  Hell, I don’t know.

And judging from his stunned and confused look in his C-J post game interview video, I frankly doubt Coach Pitino knows how either….

Don't worry, be happy...the LadyBirds are here to make it all feel better....

I’ll share my thoughts soon on the current situation –and what possibly can be done to right the ship to salvage the hoped for  big year that’s turning small quickly.

For now…check out photos of the game by HITH photog Matt Wickham:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylures/sets/72157628770004657/detail/

We were sitting 7 rows back at half court, seats we only dream of at the Yum Center.  The arena was less than half full. The Cards looked menacing in their away black uniforms.   St. John’s starts 4 freshmen, no match for the likes of Kuric, Siva, Dieng or the Dynamic Smith Duo.

So Louisville again starts slow with St. John’s connecting of 2 early 3 point baskets.  But quickly the Cards turn up the defense and hold the Red Storm to but a light rain.  The Storm shoots 14% for the 1^st half as the Cards race to a 29 – 18 pt lead at half.    The cards hit a blistering 53% from the field including 62% from 3 pt land for the second half and bury the Red Storm 73-58.

Kyle Kuric had a good offensive performance but lacked on the boards and assists.  Peyton Siva was hampered by foul trouble, playing only 18 minutes and looking out of sorts while in there.  Gorgui Dieng just missed another double/double and showed why he is a defensive threat with 7 blocks.  Kevin Ware played a lot of minutes dishing out 4 assists but looking awkward on the 4 TO’s. Chris Smith looked good and Jared Swopshire had his best game on the boards with 9.

But the catalyst was Russ Smith coming off the bench to score 17 pts, 7 assists in 23 minutes in front of his hometown crowd and of course one proud grandmother !

Ever since Pey-Pey went out with a sprained ankle, and Russ emerged from his shadow, Siva has had maybe one good outing –and several truly bad ones, including the last two.

In fact, as Russ has come on even stronger in the last few games , Peyton has regressed just as fast, back to falling down on his drives, fouling out, TO’s–geez, you name it.

Is it a nagging injury? Severe ankle strains CAN linger. Four games back, I asked Pitino in the post game presser whether Siva’s ankle was still hurting and causing issues. Coach said no, it was just lack of conditioning due to missing practice time due to the injury. The next day, Siva tells Rick Bozich that his ankle was still sore…

I personally don’t think it’s his ankle or lack of conditioning at this point. I think Russ is in Siva’s head.

At the Card Chronicle, Carolina Cardinal made this point in one of the threads: ” Remember that last year they tried to make Russ the back up point guard, Siva’s understudy so to speak. And now he is the leading scorer and getting tons of rebounds and steals. Continuing the theatre reference, imagine how a leading man might feel if his understudy suddenly was the headliner…. One more thing, a few games ago, in a post game presser, Siva said that “Russ Smith was saving us……” . I thought it odd that he would use Russ’ first and last name. Teammates are generally much closer than that and far less formal. Struck me as an odd way to put it. Again, could be nothing but just struck me funny.”

ItsAllintheCARDS chimed in with this cogent thought: ” Also you gotta go back and look at every magazine article for preseason CBB. We had the high preranking and guess who’s picture was almost always sitting next to our name? ‘Siva’ He def might have put to much pressure on himself going into this year because every analyst said he was our only player in the top 100.”

So…is Russ in Pey-Pey’s head? It’s a question I plan to put to both Coach and Siva separately the next time I get a press pass (maybe this Sat *fingers crossed*)

We just took two “Denny Crum” losses.

As anyone familiar with our history knows, Denny used to schedule difficult games early in the season, and we always took our lumps. He did it to toughen the team, humble them so their minds would be more open to the need for improvement, and because our Conference schedules back then were not like the Big East gauntlet we have faced since 2005. That is why Denny’s teams seldom generated 12-0 starts, like a few of Pitino’s teams have done.

Obviously, Denny’s strategy worked. The fans accepted this logic– in large part because of Denny’s sheer brilliance in March. (He took us to a Final Four his FIRST year here, and to other ones every 2.5 years on the average through 1986. )

So…what am I saying here about this year’s team? Here’s my take thru less emotional lenses: 1) We have beaten some pretty decent teams this year during the streak. Ohio U. , Long Beach St. , and Vandy were no slouches. That alone showed some talent and grit–to keep the winning streak alive. Particularly in light of the injuries; 2) We finally played two top-notch, ranked teams. We lost but we had a chance to win in both games, and certainly were not blown out. Again– a show of more talent and grit even in the losses.; 3) Now that we have taken our lumps, I guarantee the team’s minds are more open to needing to improve. Maybe even Chane’s mind and mouth will be tempered. We have been measured against some of the best, and come up lacking–but only at this moment. I believe that same talent and grit we have shown throughout will now serve us well in striving to improve for the future.It least it SHOULD.

We are in my mind a top 10-15 ranked team… with upside…. as Siva, Buckles, Van Treese, and Blackshear all get healthier, and as we now doubly focus on the areas we now clearly know need improvement.

We lost both those games because of two things that have plagued us since the beginning of this season: Lack of rebounding and scoring droughts. Again, these can be improved as injuries hopefully minimize, and as full practices can become the norm.

We may never be a great rebounding team and possibly not even a great scoring team. But…if we can minimize those weaknesses, and build on our strengths we can be a legit top 5-10 ranked team. And if we can get to that point, believe me, anything can happen come NCAA tourney time. Remember history again: the 1980 squad was not favored to win the title even with Darrell, and certainly the 1986 team was a surprise winner.

We are not far away from putting us in a strong position to be a legit contender. And that’s about all you can ever ask for, come time for the Dance…

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I say eat it Big Blue :   Cards 70 –  mildcats 69

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“There have been some great games over the years, but none so big. So much was at stake, and the winner went to the Final Four. The weight of the State was on the shoulders of the players and coaches.”

“There was only one–the original–Dream Game.”

Charles Jones, U of L center in The Game

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It was — and still is– the most important, most exciting, most meaningful

single sporting event

in my life.

I have never since been so thrilled for a game–and so tense about it’s outcome.

Yes, this was the ultimate “show me” game — against the sport’s dynastic power and for recognition in our own state as an equal.

And, yes, the feelings of tension and anger still well up as I write even these simple words….

Younger Card fans….

you just don’t know.

THIS ONE WAS FOR BLOOD!

24 YEARS !!

24 years of Big Blue condescension, ridicule, and refusal to even consider scheduling us

rising to a peak of hatred and revulsion with the smarmy, snarling UK AD Cliff Hagan

and a Joe B. Hall at his clumsy, arrogant worst.

Hell, they wouldn’t have played us in 1958-59 if they hadn’t been forced to!

And that year, Peck Hickman’s unranked Cardinals whipped Adolph Rupp’s second-ranked Wildcats 76-61 in the Mideast Regional semifinals on the way to U of L’s first Final Four.

Before that, Blue had refused to schedule us   since 1922!

UK was the dynasty, the traditionally dominant player on the national scene for decades. They had only recently been humbled by John Wooden and UCLA. The Cats had claimed five NCAA championships and had produced dozens of All-America players.

Louisville was the upstart, a successful program in its own right starting in the 40′s with coach Peck Hickman, and then regularly crashing the NCAA party in the 1970s under Denny Crum. Only three years earlier –in 1980–the Cardinals had finally won their first NCAA championship.

“I don’t think UK wanted to recognize that our program was on a competitive scale with theirs,” Denny Crum says. “They certainly didn’t want the media to recognize that.”

In those long 24 years, the teams had just missed meeting on a couple of occasions.

In 1975, both teams marched into San Diego for the Final Four.

Even then the fever for a match-up was hot. I was a senior at U of L at the time, and somehow managed to get a ticket in the student lottery– and went on my first airplane trip!

The game was in a small gym (around 15,000) in San Diego — basically a “home” game for UCLA. It was Denny’s second Final Four in his first four years, and he faced his mentor and perhaps the greatest college BBall coach of all-time. John Wooden. In what at the time was considered one of the finest games ever played (and deserves a story in its own right), U of L lost in overtime to top-ranked UCLA 75-74 in the semifinals; Joe B’s first Final Four team at Kentucky fell to the Bruins 92-85 two nights later.

(Wooden has been quoted as saying he feared Denny’s team the most. It has also long been rumored that Wooden announced to his players before the U of L game that he would retire, to fire up the Bruins.)

After Denny won his first championship in 1980, basketball aficionados throughout the nation began to clamor for a match-up. The NCAA committee seemed to want such a pairing too, and they started putting the Cards and the Cats in the the same Regional.

In 1982, Big Blue needed only to beat 11th-seeded Middle Tennessee State University in the tournament’s first round to earn a matchup with third-seeded Louisville. The Mildcats fell in a huge upset, 50-44. U of L then pummeled Middle 81-56 on the way to its second Final Four in four years.

“I really thought (that year) we were ready to play,” says Charles Jones, a 6-8 center for the Cards. “We were disappointed when they lost to Middle Tennessee State.”

The next year it happened. In 1983, UK beat a tough Bobby Knight-led Indiana squad, and U of L –with Razorback US Reed’s 50′ dagger a few years earlier still etched in their minds–edged a very difficult Eddie Sutton-coached Arkansas on a last second tip-in.

Finally…the Game was on!

And it was for the Regional championship, pitting two of the nation’s top programs against each other for a spot in the NCAA Final Four–and with both teams coming off recent NCAA championships- U of L in 1980, UK in 1978!

But there was of course a lot more was at stake when the teams took the floor at the tiny (12,000) and somewhat dingy old Stokely Athletic Center in Knoxville, Tenn.

“I can’t tell you how much more the game meant to U of L than to UK,” says Billy Reed. Then sports editor of The Courier-Journal, Reed incurred the wrath of UK’s coaches and fans for advocating a series between the two schools. “Had UK won that game they probably would never have played (the series).”

CBS and a national audience were focused on the game.

So that you have a true understanding of the intensity of the Game, take a moment and listen to the CBS pre-game show -particularly the classic John Tesch interviews with Denny at his cocky, sarcastic best and Joe B. at his clumsy worst –”Is that (camera) off?” ( You can also watch the entire game at Jerb’s site.)

My brother-in-law — a huge Card fan like me–managed to get tickets. We took our wives–both dyed deep Blue.

I was 29 at the time.

For six years, I had been working and living in Eastern Ky and I was definitely one of only a handful of U of L fans in that region — and EVERYONE let me know it.

I had been raised a UK fan –as most Louisvillians and Kentuckians were in that era. People younger than 50 do not understand this: Rupp was God in Kentucky, even in Louisville in the 50′s and 60′s. When Blue deigned to play at Freedom Hall, it was packed, and people were turned away.

The Cards did not fill Freedom Hall like that until the 80′s.

But after seeing Unseld play, and attending U of L, and being blinded by the brilliance of this new smart-ass coach from the West Coast who wore those so-trendy leisure suits– I had become a die hard Card fan.

You had to be a rebel in your own family and city back then to “come out” as a Card fan!

Now… I ached for –and dreaded –the Game.

If we won… supreme vindication…within our families, our city, maybe even our State. For our style of play…and our ideals (no need to go into race issues here- suffice to say UK did not integrate its BBall until the 70′s- well after U of L).

If we lost… oh God! It felt like we would never get over the hump then. More “little brother” nonsense, more feeling like a second class citizen in your own city, more daily abuse from family, neighbors, friends!

But I and most Card fans felt confident going into this game. Yes, Joe B and Denny each had one NCAA ring at that point. But Denny had taken the Cards to 4 Final Fours while Joe B had only the one. And the Cards were generally considered by impartial experts to have the stronger team in 1983. It had been clear for awhile–even in most UK fans’ minds–that U of L was at least equal to and probably better than UK from 1971-1972 to this point.

Yes, U of L “wanted” the Game more than UK–but let me tell you: UK feared the Game much, MUCH more.

I don’t remember much about the ride down, but I remember being somewhat surprised at how small the arena was. It was old and a bit musty. But every seat had a great view.

As you can imagine, the feeling in the crowd before the game was electric –I’ve seldom felt anything like that raw mix of emotions. Violence had been feared….

But then, just before the game started, in what is one of the most celebrated moments of the entire event, the cheerleaders from both schools locked arms and led the crowd in singing My Old Kentucky Home. The scene sent chills through me and thousands of others. Tears flowed openly in the emotion of the moment…

And then it was on!

From the opening tip it was war. Louisville fell behind quickly. The shooting of guard Jim Master and forward Derrick Hord bolted UK to a 15-6 lead, then 23-10. “I knew they would be tough,” Crum says of that Wildcats team. “Their players were as good as any in the country.”

I remember thinking that the Cards looked tight, and UK played a very steady, controlled game, never allowing our feared defensive pressure to find a crack.

Still, the Cards never panicked. Brothers Scooter and Rodney McCray began to take over inside, scoring six of Louisville’s next eight baskets. Charles Jones’ lay-up cut UK’s halftime lead to seven, 37-30.

Crum felt U of L had begun to take control. At halftime, “He told us not to worry about it,” Jones says. “He said ‘Let’s go out there and play ball.’ “

“There were no Knute Rockne speeches,” Crum says. “The incentive was there.”

UK once again jumped on the Cardinals at the start of the second half. Center Melvin Turpin’s hook shot gave UK a 43-32 lead with 16:38 left in the game.

Then the Cardinals took over.

In less than two minutes U of L outscored the Cats 12-2, cutting the lead to one point. The teams then traded baskets until a similar flurry put U of L up five, 58-53. I remember finally feeling some relief, thinking the Cards had finally rattled the Cats, and that we were ready to hammer the final nail in.

But UK fought back, tying the game at 60 each with just over three minutes left.

We missed our shot, and UK had the ball with about 2:00 to go. This was bad. Very bad. There was no shot clock then. The Cats could just run the clock down for the game’s last shot.

And that’s what they tried to do. The moved the ball around for what seemed a lifetime until finally, with 20 seconds left, UK guard Dirk Minniefield faked Lancaster Gordon right and drove wide open to his left for a certain layup.

Out of nowhere, Charles Jones soared across the lane and tipped the shot away from the goal toward Scooter McCray. He fired a pass to his brother, who then fed Gordon, who redeemed himself with a short jump shot and a 62-60 Cardinals lead. Only eight seconds remained.

Wild CARDS cheers echoed off the old arena walls. High- fiving, raucous Cards fans –after having waited those many long years–were ready, oh so ready, for that final sweet vindication. Imagine the energy of caged animals not fed for a lonnnngg time. I (we) could taste it!

But Blue refused to lose. The Cats got the ball to Master, who nailed a 12-foot jump shot with less than a second left.

The Dream Game was going to overtime!

By this point, the tension was almost unbearable. There was what can only be described as wild-eyed pandemonium on both sides. I could barely speak, my voice so raw from the shouting. This most hoped for victory by the Cards had been snatched away at the last possible second. I was drained dead.

Accounts after the game indicated that some people literally fainted and had to be helped out…

And then… what followed was what many, MANY fans still believe are the best five minutes in U of L basketball history.

As UK’s Master said after the game, “It was like a cavalry charge.”

The Cards took control from the tip. Gordon hit a baseline jumper for a 64-62 lead, which he followed with another jump shot. Jones contributed two free throws. Guard Milt Wagner hit a layup, then two free throws, threw down an exclamation-point dunk and drilled another two free throws to cap a 14-0 run. Two more dunks– by Gordon and Wagner–and three late Kentucky baskets led to a surprisingly lopsided final score, 80-68.

U of L had shot an unbelievable 81% during the second half and overtime and had been perfect in the extra period, hitting all six of its field goal attempts and all six free throws.

And on defense?

“They were all over the floor,” said UK guard Dicky Beal. “They were just everywhere.”

The Cardinals had made 30 of their final 36 shots. Crum described the Cardinals performace as “I don’t think we ever played any second half or overtime any better than today.” He went on to marvel at how Kentucky could shoot 56% from the field during the game and still get beat.

After the game, fans roared while players cut down the nets. Gordon, the regional MVP, stood on a ladder holding the rim with one hand. In the other was a sign that said, “Cardinals Best in State.”

It was a game for the ages… one that is still unsurpassed in this intense rivalry.

Here are some of the interviews with the players before and after the game (just ck out the first 2 minutes.)

In Louisville, fans rushed from the Cardinal Inn out into the streets near campus. Students dangled from telephone poles and street signs. Fans drove throughout the city, hanging out car windows, honking their horns and waving flags.

Yes, we had been denied a seat at the family table for many, many long discouraging years.

And now, as we were seated at the head… it felt good. Oh so good….

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After the game, my brother-in-law and I were of course ecstatic — but our wives…not so much so. : – )

Very prudently, we avoided any razzing on the trip home–although sorely tempted. My sister, when asked for her account of the Game today, simply says she was “devastated.”

After the Game, an emotionally drained Card squad continued on to the Final Four that year, where they lost to the the Houston Cougar’s ‘Phi Slamma Jamma’ squad in one of the more memorable games of the 1980′s.

The Kentucky players–and Big Blue Nation– were heartbroken. Over a decade later, UK point guard Dirk Minniefield still couldn’t bear to watch a replay of what was the final game of his career. After finally being talked into it, Minniefield remarked, “I played pretty well. Everybody on our team did. We played as hard as we could. Louisville just played better. I can give them credit.” And then a pause. “But I still should have dunked that ball.”

(Even as recently as 2007,  Dirk was STILL in denial, blaming a joint he smoked the day  BEFORE  the Game for causing him to miss that layup!)

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The Game caused seismic changes in Louisville and the State of Kentucky.

The governor, legendary entrepreneur John Y. Brown (who had diplomatically worn a half blue, half-red sport coat to the Game), legislators and even the boards of trustees of U of L and UK began to talk about a series between the schools. Shortly after, they announced that they would begin playing each other.

And, so …the U of L-UK series was born.

Denny’s and Joe B’s careers had run remarkably parallel time-wise to each other. And, although he posted a fine record at UK, Joe B suffered in the bright light of comparison to our truly brilliant coach– 1 championship to Denny’s 2, and 2 Final Four’s to Denny’s 6!

The high-flying, full court pressing Louisville style of play had obviously prevailed. Three years later, Joe B was looking for a job.

Yes, this game–the Game –was the tipping point.

We had gotten that first NCAA championship–but we hadn’t won our own State, yet. Now we had not only that inter-family vindication, but we also had cemented our position among the all-time basketball powers in the national consciousness. Denny put down his final exclamation point for emphasis in ’86.

There is little question today whether U of L and UK should play each other in all sports. There is now at least grudging mutual respect.

Our own city of Louisville — previously dominated by UK fans — also began the major change to where the vast majority of Louisvillians are now Cards fans.

And the State of Kentucky — well, it’s still Blue.

But there is little doubt that there are a lot more Cardinals flying high throughout the State today because of

The Game.

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The following are memories of the Game that fans have sent to me. The very last one is one from my brother-in-law, Matt, who got us tickets for the game –and remembers some great details I had forgotten.

If anyone has any pictures or others story to share, please send them or leave a comment!

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I was there as a 14 year old

by neverwrongponchowright

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Actually if you will remember this game was pre shot clock days and the scored was tied at 64 at about the 2 minute mark and Kentucky held the ball till the Minniefield drive at about the 18 second mark. We all know that Jones blocked it we get a fast break and Gordon banks one in with about 10 seconds or so that set up the end. No 3 point line in those days either. Guys like Wagner, Jeff Hall and Jim Master would have had field days back then.

I was 7 yrs old. yet I remember it like it was literally yesterday!

UofLCardsFan

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I was 12. It was truly the most intense atmosphere Ive ever been to, even more so than the National championship games.IMO The best part of the whole weekend, with the exception of the overtime, was the tip at the buzzer in the sweet 16 game. Up to that point I was just sick that we were that close to getting to beat the hell out of UK finally and it was so close to slipping away. The year before in the tournament we were supposed to play them in the second round but they lose to middle tenn. st., I still think they threw that game just so they didnt get beat down by us.

Timb23

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I watched the ot on youtube a while back and it was as good as I remember. I thought we were toast at the end of regulation but that goofy Minnifield thought he could drive on Charles Jones – wrong. Blocked shot and Gordon bank shot and only Master saved them to take it into ot.

IamReady

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I was 29 years old and campus minister at the U of K…. it was fun “jawing” with the students and good naturedly watching the game together at our student center…it became wonder “fodder” for conversation for the next few years..

they were very good natured about the loss and it was edifying to see how they warmed up to some of the UL players afterwards.

In 1988 I was talking to Lancaster Gordon in a private health club (Louisville)…we talked about the Lakers and his time at UL….it was fascinating to listen to him vividly recall the small nuiances of the game itself ….and how defensive errors nearly cost them dearly near the end…. they just didn’t think Masters could beat them, unfortunately he had the game of his life in that loss.

Westport68

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Cardinaldave

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That article brought up a lot of good memories. I was 15 when they played that game. At that time, I was awestruck by these Louisville players. I consider them to be my first heroes in life and I still feel that way. They were 1st class all the way.

Before the Pitino era, a friend’s wife decided it would be a great gift to get her husband a copy of the 1st Dream Game. She called the UofL athletics office and spoke with one of Denny’s former assistants. I believe his name was Jones. He was one of Crum’s long-time assistants (the other great being Wade Houston). He kindly responded he would look around and see what he could find. A week later she received in the mail, not only the Dream Game, but also the Houston Final 4 game and the ’86 championship. We spent all night watching all three games. Even in a loss, the Houston game was great to watch as was the ’86 game. But nothing was more exciting than to watch the ’83 game again. As thrilling as the comeback in the 2nd half was, the overtime was pure magic. They released the ’80 championship on DVD to celebrate its 25th anniversary and I suspect they’ll do the same for the ’86 game as well. More than anything I’d like to have the ’83 game in my library.

AACards

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That game still gives me chills thinking about it. I personally felt I had so much at stake because of the trash-talking I’d done against all the other UK fans I’d grown up with. It was put up or shut up time and I was praying they’d take care of business like I knew they could. And while they scared me for the most part of 40 minutes despite still playing very good ball, I couldn’t ask for more from that overtime. To this day, about as good a five minutes of basketball that I’ve ever seen anyone play. Absolutely amazing.

Shooze

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‘ve noted that most on this board are ‘fairly’ young and only think of UL in terms of their generation. I go back almost 3 generations of being a UL fan; and, I’m here to tell you the real UL vs UK dream game was in the 1958-59 basketball season. I was there; and, also present, at the previous game against Eastern KY at the old arena in Lexington.

After beating Eastern 77-63 in the game before the big one I was in 7th heaven; the minute the game was over UK fans in the arena were chanting something like, “We finally get to stomp your ass”.

It was hard to scrape up the money to go to the NCAA Mideast regional at Evanston, Illinois where finally after decades UL would meet then #2 UK. I had my future mortgaged to cover bets with rabid UK fans I knew.

The game was a real nail bitter, somewhat similar to the 1983 meeting. In the first half, UL could do no right and trailed by 15 points at the intermission. A big red-headed fellow, Don Goldstein, from New York was our shooter. Coach Peck Hickman must have given a whale of a half-time pep talk as UL came out on fire. Now it was UK who could do no right and UL went on to win 76-61 (by 15). That’s a 30 point swing in the second half.

UK coach Rupp was unable to talk after the game and it was days later he finally admitted to Peck Hickman that, “You (UL) really kicked out butts.”

I sure wish video (movies back then) was available of that game on DVD. Maybe UL has film buried in some archive somewhere. But, unlike today, filming of games wasn’t as prevalent back then.

Unfortunately, UL lost next game to WVa (Jerry West) in a good game. I think they were totally worn out.

That was the first of second year the NCAA finals were held in then fairly new Freedom Hall which for years was the biggest indoor arena in the country for basketball. 6 or 7 championships were held here through the mid60s.

None of this should be taken as anything against the 1983 game which is one of my all time favorites too; and, of course, was the first to carry the “Dream Game” moniker.

Swamp Daddy

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And now, from my brother-in-law, Matt, who went with me to the Game:

Dream Game 1983 – Leaving Las Ville

1983 was a hopeful year for the Card Fans. We still had lingering karma from the 1980 championship, and we all thought we had the team to do it again. Little during the season occurred to sway our opinion. We lost to UCLA (we were robbed), and we beat a lot of very good teams. We strung together a couple of streaks, including beating NC State, which we didn’t think much of at the time. Milt “Ice” Wagner sank two clutch free throws to defeat Memphis in the regular season, and then we beat them again in the Metro Conference semis. We went on to win the conference tournament, and were waiting for a great draw in the NC-dubs. I don’t really remember when it started happening, but sometime around that time I started to feel that Louisville always got the short end of the stick in the draws. Instead of a slot in the Mideast, where they would have played in Freedom Hall, they drew the Midwest along with Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, and a tough Indiana team. Denny said it was the toughest region. We all saw the possibility of the Kentucky game, but we knew it wasn’t a sure thing, since we were disappointed when Kentucky lost to Middle Tennessee in 1982 to kill our joy.

We were sure that Kentucky was avoiding playing Louisville, since the 1980 team had taken the national spotlight and Louisville was on a roll. If you were a Kentucky fan, you saw your beloved team in a transition period, with at least some loss of prestige. You probably knew you were the second best team in Kentucky, but you didn’t need any proof. The average Kentucky fan was in denial in the 80’s.

Kentucky beat IU in a close game, and the Kentucky fans and students lined up their tickets to Knoxville. Louisville had to go against a tough Arkansas team, which sunk the hearts and minds of Louisville in 1981 with the name US Reed forever etched into our minds when he sank a 50 foot prayer to end our run. This game was a cardio cards game as well, with this game ending in the final seconds with a miss by Ice and a tip-in by Scooter McCray. The impossible dream was set!

I remember the next morning being a turning point in my card fandom. The paper and the rest of the media jumped all over it, and didn’t hold back on any sensationalism. I had to look up the headlines, but the Louisville Times headline was WAR! in gigantic Pearl Harbor sized type. The papers printed special sections for the first time, and if you were a sports fan in Kentucky, you quickly got caught up in all the excitement.

I never got to see an NCAA semi or final in person, and fewer Louisville games in Freedom Hall than I would like. I was a poor working man at the time, with some prospects and a 1983 Renault Alliance 1.4 liter that I bought in 1982 at around a 14% interest rate. George C. Scott was touting the paint job on the car, and it surprisingly won the 1983 Motor Trend Car of the Year. It was about the only thing I could afford, as the government tried to kill inflation, I felt like they were killing me with a 13% mortgage to boot. But I was determined to see this game. The next day, I scoured the classified ads in every publication available to see about tickets. After a few calls, I found a UK student in Lexington that had 4 seats together for $50 bucks each. I couldn’t believe it. I called Frank, and he agreed to spring for the tickets if I could get them. (Thanks again Frank).

We set up the trip with myself and my wife Robin picking up the tickets at a typical UK off-campus apartment. I remember being a little wary about the ticket drop, but there was kind of a festive air about it, and to the best of my recollection the UK student said something about you guys will probably win it, good luck and all. Its kind of hard to understand now, but there were not a lot of confident UK fans, and a lot of them just did not want to go to the game. They had all the tickets, because they knew they were in, and we just appreciated being able to buy them.

We rendezvoused with Frank and Deb at the Holiday Inn on I-75 in Lexington, a famous place that everyone I know seems to use as a meeting point for going south. Not so odd in Kentucky, each car contained a set of UofL and Kentucky Fans in equal numbers (2 and 2). Each of us carried our respective colors, and we would root our teams on in typical fashion. Robin was a big Masters fan. Deb was a diehard UK fan. And Frank and I could hold our own in any arena in the country. So with great anticipation and fanfare, we headed down the winding road. I remember the Renault would go about 90 mph down the hills around London and beyond, and I could push it to 68 mph up the hills. It seemed like but a flash till we arrived for the big show.

The ambiance in the hotel was electric. We checked in and quickly got to the lobby bar. There were minor celebrities galore, and sports figures and team luminaries abounded. But I honestly can’t remember any of them. Maybe it was the Jack and Cokes we were consuming abundantly, or maybe it was the heady feeling that came with the Mardi Gras atmosphere. I do remember people without tickets trying to get them. I heard of $1000 courtside tickets, and all manner of transactions occurring around us. But the thing I remember most vividly was a pair of tickets going for face value just moments before we left for the game, probably around $24. Bottom line was that if you really wanted to get into this game, you could have done it.

The Knoxville Coliseum only seats around 12,000 {check this out}. We were in the upper deck, about 10 rows from the top, and towards the UK side. But I remember fairly good leg room and visibility. If you see the camera angle from the game, that’s about what we saw. It was all in all a pretty good venue for a game.

I will leave it to others to give details on the game itself. The game did not disappoint in any way. U of L center Charles Jones made one of the greatest blocks in UL history with the score tied 60-60, and UL drove the floor and scored with a short jumper to put them up 62-60 with 8 seconds. UK Jim Master hits a basket at the buzzer to tie it at 62 all.

I still regret this a little, it must have been the excitement and the need to relieve a little of the tension, but I got up and went to the concession stand to get a beer. By the time I got back to our seats, UL was up 6 in overtime and it never was in doubt from there. They ran 14 straight before UK scored. U of L won handily 80-62.

Another thing I remember was that UK players were classy throughout the game and afterwards in the interview. They came to play, and even though UL looked to have the better record and the better team, UK played like they didn’t know it, and when they got beat, they recognized U of L as probably the top team in the Nation. Except Louisville lost to the Phi Slamma Jamma in the semis in Albuquerque. They finished the season 32-4. Some say it was the altitude, others say that maybe beating Kentucky emotionally drained Louisville. I just remember that I don’t remember anything about the Houston loss. And remember the NC State team Louisville beat earlier in the year? They won the title that appears every year on your screen during March Madness with Jim Valvano running crazily out on the floor in celebration.

Billy Packard called the original dream game on TV, and every year Billy and Dick tout the great Duke/NC rivalry as the tops in college basketball. But Kentucky knows, and you know, and a large part of the sports nation knows that the Annual UofL/UK game is the original and the best Dream game in the country. They only thing that really comes close is the OSU/Michigan football game.

Lest you doubt the seriousness that UK fans take with the annual dream game, here is a random quote Googled off the net from a UK blog:

“BUT….I grew up as a small child hating UL, lived through the original “Dream Game”, and cried when UK was blow out in the OT. I waited in line for HOURS to get a student ticket to watch UK beat a sorry UL team. I give nose-bleed tickets to UK/UL to 2 uncles that bleed blue and it was like I had given them the winning powerball ticket. UK/UL is a passion. It is much more than a UK/TN or UK/Fla rivalry., although I do hate Tenn and recently learned to hate Fla. UK/UL IS unc/duke, it IS Kansas/Missou, not only is UK/UL a great rivalry it is one of the 5 greatest rivalrys in the country. When is the last time your family held an annual UK/Florida party???????? OH YEA I forgot, now Slicky Ricky coaches there. I wouldn’t root for UL to win a chess tourny, can’t stand to watch them win in football, girls’ BBall, baseball, or swimming for that matter.”

And so time goes on, and the dream continues. The Renault paint job that George C. Scott touted as the best in the world oxidized mysteriously in 5 years and flaked off. The 1986 Consumer Reports “Annual Auto Issue” surveyed owners after five years , and the 1983 Renault Alliance scored worst ratings in “Engine”, “Clutch”, “Driveline”, “Engine cooling”, “Suspension”, “Exhaust system”, “Automatic transmission” and “Manual transmission”. I managed to trade the vehicle in for another Renault that I bought in a giddy frenzy caused by mortgage refinancing my house for 8%, which blew a timing belt 4 years later, thus proving the definition of insanity is doing things repeatedly while expecting different results.

I still expect U of L to win every dream game every year. Regardless, we were young once, and we were there for the first one, and we have the liver spots to show for it.

Matt

(Kudos to Ptichenor1 and James Sutherland at the Card Chronicle for the above season greetings to all Card fans.)

The video below was shown on the Yum Center big screen for the fans before the College of Charleston game.