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StumblePublished Sunday, March 15, 2009 | 10:31 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, March 17, 2009 | 4:08 p.m.
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!
Thanks for another great read, coach.
Makes you wonder, with the the Kentucky job maybe opening up real, real soon.. If Kruger goes in there and beats them, will he get an offer from Kentucky. Or is that the reason we're playing there so Kruger can meet discretely with their admin? ha ha j/k.
I wonder if Coach Tark can share with us what he thinks is our best chance/pathway to get back to where he got us, elite program status. Do we need to leave the conference we're in and seek a better TV deal, change our recruiting strategy, or do we just need to continue the path we're on, keep building and hope for the best?
Good questions Lenny, well, in that second graf. :-) Might be a little while til we get to them, with the season still going on ... thanks
I think the reason this game is being played is because CM Newton, former Kentucky athletic director, is the chair of the NIT selection committee. I'll detail that a bit more in a piece I'm filing for tomorrow from Lexington.
Yeah.... UK would never ever ever pursue an NIT coach. That is a program that is very used to immense success.
The season's still going? It'll be over 30 hours from now so, good you can ask him Wednesday, haha
Please ask Tark why he feels Arizona got in to tourney even though Lute is gone. What is the NCAAs angle on this one.
Thanks
Obviously, Coach Tarkanian still can't resist slamming UK whenever he gets the chance. The subtle barbs about Kenny Walker and Rick Robey receiving bonus money are cheap-shots. I'd venture to say that Coach Tarkanian broke many rules in his day and I believe the NCAA came calling on him several times if memory serves.
Anyway, Coach Tarkanian should get his facts straight before penning his thoughts to "paper". 1. Joe B. Hall was not fired. He retired in 1985. 2. Coach Adolph Rupp had been dead over 10 years in 1985 when you supposedly "met with him...sitting with Abe Lemons"!
Correction...let me get MY facts straight. Coach Rupp passed in 1977, so he hadn't be dead over 10 years in 1985, but still gone nonetheless.
Tarkanian's memory on many things in this article are off, but these are events that occured 25-30 years ago after all. He said UNLV was up at halftime against UK on senior night in 1978 -- Actually UK was up by one at the half and Tony Smith had 29 points -- here's the box score link to that game: http://www.bigbluehistory.net/bb/Statist....
How in the world did he remember meeting with Adolph Rupp in 1985?? Like the previous poster said -- he passed away in 1977. I mean that's something you just can't matter-of-factly say... like it actually happened! Was he talking to Rupp's ghost??
Good luck with that one Rob.
cant wait till this kentucky hillbilly mess is over with. they are about as bad as duke fans, i think i officially hate all teams that wear blue.. reno.. byu... duke.. now these clowns..
"Was he talking to Rupp's ghost?"
It's certainly possible....
Tark is God
Yeah, that would be difficult. He meant he was with Lemons and other coaches at Rupp (the arena) ... sorry about the confusion folks.
Was at the Memorial Coliseum this afternoon and it was pretty cool. Should be a great atmosphere for the game tonight.
Enjoy
Hilarious! Rob, you or someone has already changed the article to read that "Joe B. Hall had left.." (instead of the original which said he was fired) and also the quote from Tarkanian about meeting with Adolph Rupp. C'mon Rob, you know he didn't mean that he met "with Lemons and other Coaches at Rupp..." He really thought or wanted people to believe that he met with Adolph Rupp in 1985! I am laughing my butt off over here on the Southside of Lexington tonight!
Oh well...it's been a fun time bantering back and forth with you on this blog. Cats and Rebs in about an hour! GO CATS!
Oh and you should know Rob that you and your blogs were part of a local sports call-in show conversation tonight in Lexington, SportsCentral 590 (WVLK-AM).
hope we beat you by 20 and then you have 3 or 4 more wildcats transfer to unlv
HA HA HA HA HA Lexington sports radio, huh. Look what you started, Rob. Nobody can ever say anything true, I mean negative about their fallen from grace basketball team.
No wonder, we were invaded. Ah, you guys were fun, livened up the boards on here. Now get the hell out, before I grab my shotgun. Show you how we do it out here in the wild, wild west..
What kind of "deal" did the Shark give to Grandmama?
I'm sure it was lucrative considering Larry played for the greatest college basketball team in the history of hoops.
Having said that, I guess UNLV then was just as corrupt as Kentucky has always been.
Some of you Kentucky dudes would probably question your own grandfather's memory wouldn't you!
Where did Tark slam UK? Seemed pretty gushy to me.
I am a huge UK fan and I really enjoy Tark's insight and experiences. Of course, I love basketabll and I'm always ready to hear anything someone like Tark has to say! I added this story on my blog:
http://allkyhoops.com