I don't know how long this will be up on YouTube, but some kind fan has posted the entire 1995 SEC Championship game between Arkansas (the 1994 NCAA Champions) and Kentucky (the 1996 NCAA Champions). In my opinion, this is the best basketball game in SEC history. It's probably my favorite Kentucky game that wasn't also an NCAA Tournament game.
If you have a couple of free hours, and you're a UK fan -- or just a fan of good basketball -- this would be a great way to spend them.
I had totally forgotten -- if I ever knew -- that Walter McCarty was from Evansville.
ReplyDelete"Walter McCarty @waltermccarty
Delete"Excited to go see big brother Calbert Chaney tonight & watch IU vs UI. Never watched a game in Assembly. #HHS #evansvillesfinest
"12:30 PM - 9 Feb 12"
Great to see Anthony Epps again -- one of the very few people who won a KHSAA title in high school and an NCAA title with Kentucky.
ReplyDeleteKentucky 9 - 13 Arkansas (15:52 left in first half)
ReplyDeleteThis game tipped off early Sunday afternoon, as SEC Championship games tend to do, and I have the most vivid memories of being very nervous and anxious for the whole morning before it started.
Chris Harrison got into this game! I don't remember that at all.
ReplyDeleteKentucky 16 - 29 Arkansas (11:03 left in 1st half)
ReplyDeleteSheppard and Epps, who are sharing point guard duties, are getting slaughtered by Arkansas.
At this point, of course, I was pretty certain UK was done for.
Kentucky 20 - 35 Arkansas (8:00 left in 1st half)
ReplyDeleteI was eating lunch and watching in dismay.
The Razorbacks were actually up 35-16, but UK has scored two buckets in a row. The Cats cannot make anything from three-point range, while Arkansas is shooting over 60 percent from behind the arc.
They showed Pitino about a minute or so ago, and he looked murderous.
Kentucky 20 - 38 Arkansas (7:50 left in 1st half)
ReplyDeleteArkansas comes out of the timeout and Scottie Thurman hits another three. Arkansas is now 7-11 from three-point range, while the Cats are 0-4.
By the way, going into this game Pitino was 11-0 in SEC Tournament play, and UK had eliminated Arkansas from the 1993 and 1994 SEC tournaments.
ReplyDeleteKentucky 34 - 42 Arkansas (3:38 left in 1st half)
ReplyDeleteNow Arkansas has started making some turnovers, while the Cats are going away from the three-point shot and taking the game inside. Antoine Walker, a freshman who plays a lot like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, is really starting to make a difference.
I was starting to feel better. I always feel like UK can win if its offense is working.
Kentucky 39 - 45 Arkansas (2:01 left in 1st half)
ReplyDeleteMark Pope with a three! UK's first of the game.
And now the Kentucky fans at the Georgia Dome are really starting to go nuts.
Kentucky 39 - 48 Arkansas (1:19 left in 1st half)
ReplyDeleteBut then Arkansas hits another 3 (they're 8-13 for the game so far), and Delk (UK's best shooter) misses the front end of a one-and-one.
ARRRGGHHH!
Kentucky 44 - 50 Arkansas (Halftime)
ReplyDeleteArkansas was up 50-41 and had the ball with less than a 40 seconds to go, but Epps stole the ball. UK held for the last possession, and Epps drove the lane, scored and was fouled. He made the free throw to cut Arkansas's lead to six.
I'm pretty sure I spent most of the halftime walking around and around my little living room in Arlington, talking about the game with Mrs. GoHeath (who was doing stuff in the kitchen and dining room) and playing with Number1son. (Who had absolutely no interest in basketball.)
I do remember quite well that it was a really beautiful day in Arlington -- exactly the sort of March day that lets you know basketball season is almost over.
Kentucky 51 - 56 Arkansas (16:30 left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteWalker is now keeping Kentucky in the game. He didn't play that much during his freshman year -- about 14 minutes per game -- and then in this game, he suddenly looked like UK's best player. (Which, in terms of talent, he certainly was.)
Kentucky 51 - 56 Arkansas (15:43 left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteShot clock violation on Arkansas, and we get to a TV timeout.
It should be noted that the day before this game -- in the semi-final against Florida -- Walker had 21 points for UK.
Kentucky 53 - 63 Arkansas (12:41 left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteUK got to within three points, but then Arkansas went on a 7-0 run -- helped, in part, by a really dumb shot from Jeff Sheppard.
One thing that's obvious in retrospect is that Epps should be the point guard (not Sheppard) and that all of Roderick Rhodes's minutes should go to Walker. In fact, that's exactly what happened in 1996. But Pitino wasn't ready to pull the trigger on those moves this late in the 1995 season, and that's a big part of why UK was eventually eliminated by UNC in the Elite Eight.
Nice bounceback win for Roderick Rhodes's Cordia High boys' basketball team last night, 78-53 at home over South Floyd. In its previous game, Feb. 4 in the Lions surrendered 74 first-half points in a 133-49 loss at Letcher County Central in Whitesburg.
DeleteKentucky 58 - 66 Arkansas (11:39 left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteKentucky is playing pretty well on offense, but they just cannot get the stops they need to catch up.
Kentucky 60 - 72 Arkansas (9:06 left in 2d half)
ReplyDeletePitino is forced to call time as UK hits another stretch of turnovers. Sheppard is on the bench with four fouls, thanks to yet another dumb charge. Prickett lost the ball at mid-court, which led to a layup. And the Epps lost it at the top of the key, which led to a Corliss Williamson dunk.
At this point, I think I really didn't see much chance for Kentucky to come back. The Cats had already made several runs at Arkansas, they couldn't get over the top, and now they were starting to run out of time.
Kentucky 65 - 74 Arkansas (7:12 left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteDespite its big lead, Arkansas continues to take quick shots, thus extending the game and giving UK more chances to come back. That is not a mistake that UNC would make a few weeks later.
Corliss Williamson was SEC player of the year in 1994 and 1995, and he really deserved it.
Kentucky 67 - 74 (6:00 left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteDelk makes a reverse layup. Arkansas misses; UK calls time when Delk is trapped by the Arkansas press.
Kentucky 71 - 76 Arkansas (3:31 left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteA huge play by Walker. Arkansas has a five-point lead and the ball. The Razorbacks are trying to use some more time now, and they hold the ball for awhile -- but Walker makes a steal and is fouled, thus sending him to the line and stopping the clock.
Kentucky 73 - 76 Arkansas (3:18 left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteWalker makes both FT's. He has 16 points and 5 rebounds, and has been UK's best player throughout.
Kentucky 73 - 78 Arkansas (3:13 left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteBut then Walker commits a foul, and Arkansas makes both halves of a one-and-one. TV timeout.
Kentucky 78 - 78 Arkansas (2:01 left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteWalker drives the lane, misses, but gets his own rebound and scores to make it 75-78.
Arkansas misses a 3, and it turns into a run-out for Kentucky. McCarty scores and draws Williamson's fourth foul. He makes the FT and the game is finally tied! The blue half of the Georgia Dome -- there are over 30,000 people at this game -- goes berserk.
Kentucky 78 - 80 Arkansas (1:29 left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteArkansas works the ball to Williamson, who overpowers Mark Pope, scores, and is fouled. But he misses the FT, so UK is down only 2 with the ball.
Kentucky 78 - 80 Arkansas (36.8 seconds left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteMcCarty shoots a three and misses. (UK will finish this game going 3-18 from three-point range).
Arkansas has the ball and a chance to build a two-possession lead, but they dribble out the shot clock without even shooting the ball. UK takes over. (I don't know what happened to Arkansas there; they looked confused.)
Kentucky 80 - 80 Arkansas (20.2 seconds left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteSheppard, who is an idiot, tries to drive against the whole Arkansas front line, and misses a layup -- but Mark Pope gets the rebound for UK and is fouled.
Pope makes both FT's. The TV guys have some great shots of Epps on the bench, his head bowed down, both of his hands holding up crossed fingers as Pope shoots from the line.
Arkansas now get the ball and a chance to win.
Kentucky 80 - 80 Arkansas (5.5 seconds left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteArkansas is trying to get the ball to Williamson -- but Walker makes another steal! Kentucky calls time. Now they can win the game.
By this point, I was sitting on the floor about two feet from my TV. I lived in that house from 1993 to 2000, and UK almost never lost when I was in that position at that house.
Actually, Arkansas did get the ball to Williamson -- Walker stole it when Williamson tried to kick it back out.
ReplyDeleteCOME ON, UK!
ReplyDeleteKentucky 80 - 80 Arkansas (1.3 seconds left in 2d half)
ReplyDeleteLarry Conley figured that UK would give the ball to Delk or Sheppard, but instead it goes to Rhodes -- who hasn't played all that much today. (He only played 15 minutes in the whole game). Rhodes drives down the lane and is fouled. He goes to the line with a chance to put UK on top.
Now I am a pessimist, but at this point I finally thought UK was going to win. Rhodes made over 78 percent of his free throws in 1994-95, and he only needs to make one of two to put UK in the lead.
ReplyDeleteArkansas calls time. Rhodes is 5-6 from the line today.
ReplyDeleteEpps has now gone beyond the finger crossing. His back is turned to the court, and he is on his knees as if in prayer, waiting for Rhodes's FT's.
ReplyDeleteKentucky 80 - 80 Arkansas (end of regulation)
ReplyDeleteThere is only a 4.8 percent chance that a 78 percent free-throw shooter will miss two free throws in a row, but that's exactly what happens with Roderick Rhodes. In one of the saddest moments for any UK player, Rhodes misses both free throws and we go do overtime. Rhodes's reputation would never recover, and less than a month later, his career in Lexington would be over -- but not before he went 2-10 from the field (0-6 from three-point range) in the Elite Eight loss to UNC.
This was one of the worst feelings I have ever had as a UK fan. I just couldn't imagine that UK could still win this game after coming so close in regulation. Plus we lost in OT in the 1992 and 1993 NCAA tournaments.
ReplyDeleteRhodes is almost in tears on the UK bench, and Epps is trying to cheer him up.
ReplyDeleteKentucky 82 - 89 Arkansas (2:15 left in OT)
ReplyDeleteIn the OT, Kentucky is still trying three's and missing -- they've missed three so far in overtime. Meanwhile, Arkansas made one three and has three other baskets inside, as Williamson is just dominating Pope.
This was exactly what I expected after Rhodes's miss, so at this point I was just sitting there waiting for the game to end.
Man, that's rough. I've missed pretty much every pressure free-throw I've ever attempted.
ReplyDeleteKentucky 84 - 91 Arkansas (1:32 left in OT)
ReplyDeleteDelk missed his third shot in four overtime attempts. Arkansas held the ball until the shot clock was almost gone, and scored to go up 82-91. But UK immediately zipped down the court and Walker not only made a layup -- he also drew a foul.
Corliss Williamson (20 points, 7 rebounds) and Antoine Walker (20 points, 7 rebounds) are your BP Best Players of the game.
ReplyDeleteWait! That last foul was on Williamson -- and he has now fouled out of the game!
ReplyDeleteThat could be important.
Kentucky 85 - 91 Arkansas (1:35 left in OT)
ReplyDeleteWalker makes the free throw.
Kentucky 85 - 91 Arkansas (1:31 left in OT)
ReplyDeleteArkansas turns the ball over against the UK press. Kentucky takes over.
Kentucky 87 - 91 Arkansas (1:12 left in OT)
ReplyDeleteWalker misses a shot, but -- since Williamson is gone -- Pope taps in the rebound.
Arkansas beats the press and gets a runout, but Sheppard commits a foul. That's five on Sheppard, and he's gone. Arkansas going to the line.
ReplyDeleteClint McDaniel, a 76 percent free throw shooter for Arkansas, misses both FTs!
ReplyDeleteUK has the ball.
I wonder how many points Letcher County Central beat Clint McDaniel's team by.
DeleteKentucky 87 - 91 Arkansas (52.0 seconds left in OT)
ReplyDeleteWalker misses a shot in the lane. Arkansas ball.
I don't remember even rooting during any of this part. I think I was just sitting there feeling depressed, like Rhodes.
Kentucky 87 - 93 Arkansas (50.3 seconds left in OT)
ReplyDeleteDelk fouls McDaniels, and this time he makes them both.
Kentucky 90 - 93 Arkansas (39.2 seconds left in OT)
ReplyDeleteTony Delk, my all-time favorite shooter at UK, was 0-6 from behind the arc in this game -- but he finally makes one to bring the Cats to within three.
Kentucky 90 - 93 Arkansas (34.8 seconds left in OT)
ReplyDeleteUK fouls Corey Beck, the Arkansas point guard -- and he misses both FTs!
The Cats have the ball. Now I started getting excited again.
This is so crazy--all of these both-ends misses.
DeleteKentucky 92 - 93 Arkansas (25.1 seconds left in OT)
ReplyDeleteEpps quickly feeds to Walker, who makes a layup for his 22d and 23d points of the day.
OK, here's what happened next. It all happened so fast that I didn't appreciate it at the time.
ReplyDeleteArkansas in-bounds the ball into the corner. The Arkansas player tries to feed the ball under basket, but it is STOLEN BY EPPS! Epps tries to shoot immediately but misses. The rebound is tapped back to Epps and HE IS FOULED with 19.4 seconds to go.
GO, EPPS!
DeleteMcDaniel fouls out, and Epps goes to the line.
ReplyDeleteNow this part I remember very well. Mrs. GoHeath had been watching the game for some time, and she was in the living room while I was jumping around. And I told her that now, Arkansas had fouled the wrong man. Because they had fouled someone who grew up in Kentucky, and who understood the importance of MAKING FREE THROWS.
This is one of my top-10 moments of watching Kentucky basketball. All through the second half, Epps -- the Kentucky kid -- has been in agonies on the sideline worrying about whether his teammates will make their free throws. Sure enough, they let him down. But now, for once, a Kentucky fan from Kentucky gets to go to the line and TAKE THE FREE THROWS HIMSELF. Epps steps up with this great look on his face, like "I am so happy that I can shoot these myself and not worry about someone else missing them."
ReplyDeleteKentucky 94 - 93 Arkansas (19.0 seconds left in OT)
ReplyDeleteEpps, of course, drains both free throws. Arkansas ball.
This is UK's first lead since the score was 2-0.
ReplyDeleteKentucky 94 - 93 Arkansas (0.6 seconds left in OT)
ReplyDeleteScottie Thurman, one of my all-time favorite SEC players, the guy who beat Duke to win the 1994 national championship, shoots a three for the win -- and misses!
Delk gets the rebound and is fouled.
Williamson is lying on the floor in front of the Arkansas bench, with his head in his hands.
ReplyDeletePitino, thinking the game is over, runs onto the court and gives Epps a big hug.
Kentucky 95 - 93 Arkansas (Final - OT)
ReplyDeleteDelk makes the first one, misses the second, and the game is over. Rhodes, who did not play in the overtime, wanders off as if in a daze.
Epps gives Rhodes a big hug.
ReplyDeleteYou can see Cameron Mills and Allen Edwards -- who were little-used freshmen on this team -- wandering around on the floor.
Pitino has his arm around Bill Keightly, UK's famous equipment manager.
I have the most vivid memory of standing out on my sidewalk after this game was over, waiting for the tournament selections to be announced, and just being absolutely and perfectly happy.
ReplyDeleteIt's a blessing that we don't know how things are going to come out in advance. The burden would be too much for us.
Oh, man, this was great. Thanks for the play-by-play.
ReplyDelete