Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

The Bluegrass State and the Wildcats

UNLV vs. Kentucky! I remember those games well and was surprised to see that the Rebels will go back to Lexington for the start of the National Invitation Tournament on Tuesday.

Then again, you had to figure Kentucky would get a home game. They won’t send Kentucky on the road. The NIT wants to make money.

The last time UNLV played Kentucky was in the second round of the NCAA tournament in 1985. It was 24 years ago from Sunday, to the day. I remember because I was there.

We had beaten San Diego State, 85-80, in the first round. The Aztecs had Leonard Allen, but I don’t remember much about that game.

Kentucky was unbelievable against us. They had Kenny Walker. They called him “the Skywalker.”

We started off slow, but at the end of the game we were playing well. Ed Catchings was hitting shot after shot. We closed the lead and I think we got it to within a point near the end of the game.

Ed had hit about three in a row. Then he passed it to Richie Adams on the baseline and Skywalker came from the other side of the basket – he must have jumped to the ceiling – and he blocked the shot.

They threw it the length of the court and got another bucket to close the game.

When we walked off the court, I was so devastated. Brad Rothermel, our athletic director who is such a great guy, came up to me and put his arm around my shoulder.

He said, Coach, you know that deal we put in your contract last year?

(They put something in my contract that said I would get 10 percent of the proceeds if we got into the tournament. I thought that was really wonderful.)

Brad said, I think Kentucky gave the same bonus to Kenny Walker in his scholarship. That was hilarious. It was such a heart-breaker, how we lost. Skywalker single-handedly beat us.

Rupp Arena in Lexington opened in 1976, and we played there two years later.

It was their Senior Night, and they had those great players. Rick Robey. Jack Givens. Kyle Macy. They were No. 1 in the country and went on to win the national championship that season for Joe B. Hall.

He’s one of my better friends. I love Joe B. Hall.

Nobody would play them on their Senior Night. A promoter called me and said, Tark, I can’t get anyone to play Kentucky on Senior Night. Will you do this for me? I’ll make it up to you. I’ll get you some games.

We wanted games back then.

I remember Jackie Robinson was hurt and couldn’t play. We only had six players. I didn’t even have five of my normal starters who were healthy. In the first half, Tony Smith was unbelievable.

We were ahead at halftime. Tony was hitting shots from all over the floor.

Don Chandler, Happy Chandler’s son, went with us. Happy was the former baseball commissioner who twice was the governor of Kentucky. Albert Benjamin Chandler was nicknamed Happy because of his jovial demeanor.

So they treated us pretty well because Don was with us.

Before the game, Happy came out and sang “My Old Kentucky Home,” and the crowd went absolutely nuts. Davey Pearl, the boxing referee, was standing next to me and I said, “Davey, this is the big time. We’re in the big time today.”

That was an incredible game.

In the second half, they killed us. We couldn’t stay with them. They beat us 92-70.

Tony Smith was devastated. He had a phenomenal game. On the plane ride home, Tony was so hurt. That was a real sign of character to me. Here he played on national TV and must have had 35 points, but to see him on that plane.

He still felt that loss all the way home. I’ll always remember that.

In 1980, Kentucky came to the Convention Center and beat us, 74-69.

So we lost to Kentucky in the second round of the 1985 tournament, and two weeks later I was in Lexington, where the Final Four was being played.

Joe B. Hall had left, so at the convention of all the coaches there were TV people grabbing every major college coach they could find.

They asked, are you interested in the Kentucky job? It was real interesting. All the coaches said the same thing. Oh, I’m very happy where I’m at, but if someone wanted to talk to me I’d listen.

Everyone wanted the Kentucky job! It’s a great job. But nobody would say it. I met with Abe Lemons and other coaches at Rupp Arena.

A TV camera comes around and asked me about the Kentucky job, and I said I didn’t want to talk. Then Abe gets up, and they ask him.

He said, “Absolutely! And I don’t even want a contract. I want the same deal they gave Rick Robey,” who was one of their great players. He said it right on TV.

It was great!

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy