February 24, 200719 yr I have always been suprised by how little respect this team seems to recieve when it comes to some of the best college teams all time. I know I'm a homer and have a bias but how many teams boasted the talent that this team had? You had Antoine Walker, Tony Delk, Walter McCarty, and Mark Pope all on NBA rosters for upwards of at least five to six years. Then you add guys like Ron Mercer and Derrick Anderson to the the mix and those were both guys who at any other college would have been the main go to guys. Throw in Wayne Turner and Anthony Epps both who were good college point guards who knew how to pass the ball and get to the basket. Then throw in Jeff Shephard who was ridiculous as part of UK's 1998 Championship team. Add Nazr Mohammed also in the NBA now. I think Cameron Mills was on the bench as a walk on for this team as well. Then you had Scott Padgett out mowing lawns all season while he got grades up so he could join UK in 96-97. I'd say this team top to bottom had few if any real holes and that seemed more evident as they went on to play in two more championships after this season. Still the '96 championship team never seems to be mentioned nationally as a great team in the respects of some of UCLA, UNC, IU, or even Duke's top teams. This team lost only two games all season and the two teams they lost to were fellow members of the Final Four that year. Even more impressive, Kentucky beat every team that the played that season seeing as they also beat UMASS and Miss St. that season. Does this team deserve to be among the best College Basketball has ever seen?
February 24, 200719 yr I have always been suprised by how little respect this team seems to recieve when it comes to some of the best college teams all time. I know I'm a homer and have a bias but how many teams boasted the talent that this team had? You had Antoine Walker, Tony Delk, Walter McCarty, and Mark Pope all on NBA rosters for upwards of at least five to six years. Then you add guys like Ron Mercer and Derrick Anderson to the the mix and those were both guys who at any other college would have been the main go to guys. Throw in Wayne Turner and Anthony Epps both who were good college point guards who knew how to pass the ball and get to the basket. Then throw in Jeff Shephard who was ridiculous as part of UK's 1998 Championship team. Add Nazr Mohammed also in the NBA now. I think Cameron Mills was on the bench as a walk on for this team as well. Then you had Scott Padgett out mowing lawns all season while he got grades up so he could join UK in 96-97. I'd say this team top to bottom had few if any real holes and that seemed more evident as they went on to play in two more championships after this season. Still the '96 championship team never seems to be mentioned nationally as a great team in the respects of some of UCLA, UNC, IU, or even Duke's top teams. This team lost only two games all season and the two teams they lost to were fellow members of the Final Four that year. Even more impressive, Kentucky beat every team that the played that season seeing as they also beat UMASS and Miss St. that season. Does this team deserve to be among the best College Basketball has ever seen? Maybe not the best ever but I believe top 10 IMO
February 24, 200719 yr Where do they not get respect? I've always seen them mentioned among the best ever...
February 24, 200719 yr Where do they not get respect? I've always seen them mentioned among the best ever... As have I.... and they belong in that discussion. They're top 10 for sure.
February 24, 200719 yr Author Where do they not get respect? I've always seen them mentioned among the best ever... I guess respect was the wrong term to use, Im meaning more the accolades or mention as one of the top championship teams. A better question would probably be where does this team belong amongst the top championship teams of all time? Or even top teams of all time cause I think we all can agree that sometimes great teams don't seem to win the Championship.
February 24, 200719 yr I also think that the 2001 Duke Blue Devils, the 1990 UNLV team, and the 1982 UNC team get no respect either
February 24, 200719 yr Author I also think that the 2001 Duke Blue Devils, the 1990 UNLV team, and the 1982 UNC team get no respect either Read post before yours, I kinda went back on what I said. The team is good but rarely mentioned in the same breath as some of the ones you just mentioned. Where does this team belong among the best?
February 24, 200719 yr A few years ago Mike Decoursey of "The Sporting News" picked that team as the best of the last 20 years. His assessment was "hidden beneath the 3 point shooting and 100 point games was the fact that this was the greatest half court defense the college game has ever seen". I would say that is pretty high praise.
February 24, 200719 yr Author A few years ago Mike Decoursey of "The Sporting News" picked that team as the best of the last 20 years. His assessment was "hidden beneath the 3 point shooting and 100 point games was the fact that this was the greatest half court defense the college game has ever seen". I would say that is pretty high praise. Welp, I guess we all got to sometimes make ridiculous threads then. I have rarely seen much on this team but will admit remembering during the Florida game where Dicky V or the other guy likened Florida's team to the '96 UK team in terms of talent.
February 24, 200719 yr They are always in "best ever" discussion. And they always seem to do well in those simulations.
February 24, 200719 yr Welp, I guess we all got to sometimes make ridiculous threads then. I have rarely seen much on this team but will admit remembering during the Florida game where Dicky V or the other guy likened Florida's team to the '96 UK team in terms of talent. This Florida team is nowhere in the same class as the 1995-1996 UK team. That team only lost two games, only one SEC game and I think that was in the tournament to Miss. State and had 5 or 6 first round NBA picks and at least 9 players who spent some time in the NBA. That team has to be the best college team in the last 20 years and other than the UNC team that won the title with Jordan and Perkins the best team in the last 25 years. The UNLV team that won the championship I would rank second in the last 20 years and the back to back Duke team I have third.
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