The 1978 Kentucky Wildcats basketball team went 30-2 and won the NCAA Championship. By the second week of the season, the Wildcats were ranked number one in the country, a ranking they did not relinquish for the rest of the year. The Wildcats were led by their terrific point guard, Kyle Macy, their great scoring small forward, Jack Givens and 6’10” center Rick Robey.
Jack "Goose" Givens
Senior Jack “Goose” Givens averaged 18.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game for the 1978 Wildcats. An excellent shooter, Givens shot 55.3 percent from the field and 76.1 percent from the free throw line in 1978. He was a High School All-American and a Second Team All-American for the Wildcats in 1978. Givens was the 16th overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft. Givens played two years in the NBA, averaging 6.7 points per game.
Senior center Rick Robey averaged 14.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game for the 1978 Wildcats. Robey was the third overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft. He played eight years in the NBA, averaging 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
Sophomore point guard Kyle Macy averaged 12.5 points and 5.6 points per game for the 1978 Wildcats. An outstanding outside shooter, Macy shot 53.6 percent from the field despite most of his shots being from outside and shot 89.1 percent from the charity stripe.
Macy transferred to Kentucky after his freshman year at Purdue. “He could run our offense better on the first day of practice than players who have been here for three or four years,” Kentucky’s coach Joe B. Hall said.
Macy was the 22nd overall pick in the 1979 NBA draft even though he still had one more year of college eligibility. After finishing his last year of college in 1980, Macy played seven years in the NBA. He averaged 9.5 points and 4.0 assists per game.
Kentucky started the season by pounding SMU 110-86. Givens scored 30 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. Macy scored 16 points and made 10 assists. SMU’s coach Sonny Allen said “I said they were number one before tonight and they didn’t do anything to change that as far as I’m concerned.”
After four more wins, Kentucky crushed St. Johns 102-72. St. John’s coach Lou Carnesecca said “Kentucky is the Cadillac of college basketball.”
After five more wins, Kentucky beat up on LSU 96-76. LSU’s coach Dale Brown said “They have a great team and I think they really have a good shot at the National Title.” Brown complained about Kentucky’s physical play inside. The next game, Kentucky beat Mississippi 76-56. Mississippi’s coach Bob Weltich said, “They are a very aggressive, physical, tough-minded, hard playing basketball team and that’s what you have to be to be a championship team.”
After beating Mississippi State 75-65, Kentucky traveled to Alabama. Alabama handed Kentucky its first loss, 78-62. Alabama used their quickness to press the slower Wildcats. Alabama’s Reggie King scored 28 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. “We were never in the game,” Joe B. Hall said afterwards.
After three more wins, Kentucky traveled to LSU. LSU beat the Wildcats 95-94 in overtime in a physical game in which 65 fouls were called. LSU won by dominating the boards and beating Kentucky at its own game. Kentucky didn’t lose another game and ended the regular season 25-2.
In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 13th ranked Florida State used their quickness to jump out to a 39-32 lead at the half. At the start of the second half, Hall benched Givens, Robey and starting shooting guard Truman Claytor. With 12:54 left in the game, Kentucky’s reserves cut the Florida State lead to 45-44. When the starters returned, Kentucky went on a 14-0 run. Kentucky won the game 85-76. After the game, Hall said “I want our All-Americans to thank the subs for keeping us in this tournament.”
In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Kentucky crushed 19th ranked Miami of Ohio 91-69. After the game, Miami of Ohio coach Darrell Hedric said “They’re awesome. We couldn’t beat that team if we played them 100 times.”
In the third round of the NCAA Tournament, Kentucky faced number four Michigan State and their star freshman, Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Michigan State led 27-22 at the half. The Wildcats got the ball to their point guard Kyle Macy. Macy scored 18 points, including 10 free throws in a row at the end of the game. Kentucky won 52-49. Kentucky’s defense held Magic Johnson to two of 10 shooting from the field and forced him to make six turnovers. Michigan State’s coach, Jud Heathcote, said “We told our kids whoever won this game would win the National Championship. We could have won it. Now, I believe Kentucky will win the National Championship.”
In the Final Four, Kentucky faced number five Arkansas. Arkansas used their quickness to force turnovers and block shots, but Kentucky held on to win 64-59. Givens scored 23 points. After the game, Arkansas’ coach Eddie Sutton said “Anyone who said Kentucky doesn’t have quickness has their head in a well. They wore us down.” Kentucky’s coach Joe B. Hall said, “We’re not celebrating. We want to win the championship. We’ll celebrate when it’s over.”
In the NCAA Championship game, Kentucky faced number seven Duke. Duke kept coming back, but Kentucky won 94-88. Robey scored 20 points and had 11 rebounds. Givens poured in 41 points against the Duke zone. After the game, Kentucky forward James Lee said “We would never have permitted a player to get so many open shots right in the middle of our zone.” Givens said “I certainly didn’t expect to get the shots I did. I took 27 shots from the field and hit 18. I hadn’t taken that many shots in any other game in my four years at UK, but the shots were there against Duke.”
Robey and Givens were named to the All-Tournament team and Givens was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament.
How would the 1978 Kentucky Wildcats do against the teams of today? How would they handle the shot clock and the three pointer?
Kentucky averaged 84.2 points per game, so the shot clock would not be a problem. Kyle Macy was an outstanding outside shooter and would have been even more deadly had the three-pointer existed in 1978. Jack Givens was a slashing scorer, who could put points on the board from inside or outside. The Wildcats front line included 6’10” Rick Robey, 6’10” Mike Philips and 6’5” James Lee, all of which were beefy, physical players. The Wildcats were an outstanding free throw shooting team, hitting 76.1 percent from the charity stripe. In short, the Wildcats had all the ingredients of a winning college basketball team. On the other hand, none of the Wildcats’ players had much success in the NBA. It is therefore unclear whether the Wildcats could hold their own against the best teams of today.
“It’s not a coach. It’s not a player. It’s pride, tradition. It’s a 5 year old with a cat paw on his cheek saying, “Beat Louisville!” It’s not a game. It’s not a season. It’s pride, tradition. It’s expecting to be dancing every year where most pray to be. It has no beginning. It has no end. It’s pride, tradition. It’s waiting for midnight madness when the March buzzer rings. Players that come are in awe of it. Players that leave treasure it. Players that oppose despise it. It’s pride, tradition. It’s getting the best from every opponent in hopes to top it. Rupp built it. Hall polished it. Sutton shamed it. Pitino restored it. Smith nourishes it. It’s pride, tradition. Keightly has served it. Happy sang to it. Cawood lived it. It’s pride, tradition. Digger hates it. Vitale and Packer are jealous of it. McGuire realized it. It’s pride, tradition. What is Kentucky Basketball? It’s “Blue and White” and “Go Big Blue” It’s “C!-A!-T!-S! Cats!, Cats!, Cats!” It’s pride, tradition. It’s more than a pastime It’s more than a hobby. To some it’s a religion. It’s pride, tradition. It’s K-E-N-T-U-C-K-Y on the jerseys. Win or Lose, that’s all that matters to me.”
- Kentucky is in its 106th season of basketball
- Kentucky is the all-time NCAA leader in wins with 1,985
- The Wildcats have won 7 NCAA championships
- The Wildcats have had 13 Final Four appearances
- Kentucky has made 48 NCAA Tournament appearances
- Kentucky has had the SEC Coach of the Year 33 times
- Kentucky has had the National Coach of the Year 9 times
- Over 90 Cats have been selected in the NBA Draft
- 42 retired jerseys are hanging from the Rupp Arena rafters
- Kentucky has had 46 All Americans
- There are 6 Wildcats in the Basketball Hall of Fame
- 9 player and 2 coaches have represented Kentucky in the Olympics
- There have been 12 SEC Players of the Year at Kentucky
As far as passion, that is something that is hard to quantify. Many fans seem to think that a good Kentucky team should have a few Kentucky kids on the roster that “understand the passion of Kentucky basketball…” I cannot remember the number of times that I came across a similar statement during the hours I spent researching Kentucky basketball. Passion is defined as “feeling very strongly about a subject or person, usually referring to feelings of intense desire and attraction, be very passionate about something” (Wikipedia). That’s a pretty decent summary of passion, but I still have to believe there’s more to the subject of Kentucky basketball.
In my opinion, Kentucky basketball is about winning. I believe it’s nothing more or nothing less. I believe when Kentucky is recruiting a high level of talent, winning basketball games and making historical runs through the NCAA Tournament that they are playing “Kentucky” basketball. When the team is struggling on the court, losing more than 10 games in a season and making a first or second round exit from the NCAA Tournament, then they are not playing “Kentucky” basketball.
Sources:
BluegrassPreps.com Wikipedia Wildcat Nation True Blue Kentucky
My memory goes back to the year the University of Kentucky basketball team became a very interpersonal part of my psyche. The year was 1978, and my blood started running true blue. I can still hear the sound of the basketball being arithmetically bounced across the across the hardwood floors, and the swishing sound of the net as the ball is tediously and precisely tossed high into the air to make another basket. These sounds of long ago still echo in my ear and mind.
The Mecca of basketball, Rupp Arena was filled with screaming fans rooting on some of the most memorable Wildcats of days gone by. The masters of the game; Melvin Turpin, the great Kyle Macy and Sam Bowie will continue to play forever in the back of mind. Coach, Joe B. Hall stalks the sidelines sending the Wildcats of yesteryear to many Big Blue victories. Joe B. Hall led the University of Kentucky to their fifth NCAA championship that year, finishing out his career at UK in the eighties with a record of 297 wins and 100 losses.
I was about ten or eleven when my dad and I started watching the Wildcats on the RCA family color television. My father instilled the excitement of winning into the very fiber of my mind. The love of sports and Rupp Arena was brought to life from that old color television screen. I had the best seat in Rupp Arena from my vantage point looking towards the old television. I would comfortably get all sacked out on the living room floor. My bag of potato chips in one hand, and my bottle of orange crush soda in the other I would comfortably be transported into the home of the University of Kentucky Wildcats, Rupp Arena.
I will be thirty-eight this year, but my dad has established a love for basketball which has never died. Kentucky did’t always play as well as they should have, and those were the times when dad would usually break out the Rolaids and the Winston Cigarettes and wade out those most memorable heart clinchers to the very end. So did it really matter if the Wildcats lost or won the game? Yes in a way, but for the love of the game is why my father and I keep rooting the Cats on to their next victory.
The Kentucky Wildcats were forced to sit out the 1952-53 season as a result of a point shaving scandal involving several Kentucky players from previous years. They practiced together three or four times per week all year and came back in 1953-54 better than ever. The fast-breaking 1954 Kentucky Wildcats basketball team went 25-0 and outscored opponents by an unbelievable average score of 87.5 to 60.3 per game at a time when teams shot approximately 35% from the field. The 27.2 scoring margin is still third in NCAA history. Kentucky’s Hall of Fame coach Adolph Rupp said “There is no question that this is the best team we’ve ever had at Kentucky and the finest team I have ever seen.”
Hall of Fame guard Frank Ramsey (19.6 pts., 8.8 reb.), Hall of Fame center Cliff Hagan (24 pts., 13.5 reb.) and forward Lou Tsioropoulos (14.5 pts., 9.6 reb.) were all seniors in 1953. They were all drafted by the NBA. Because Kentucky did not play the 1953 season, the three seniors had a remaining year of eligibility for the 1954 season. Although they graduated in 1953, they elected to return in 1954 and try to win the national championship. They took graduate courses in 1954 and played for the Wildcats.
Ramsey could drive to the basket or pull up and shoot from long range. After Kentucky beat St. Louis 71-59, St. Louis’ coach said “Frank Ramsey is the best college player in the country.” Hagan had a spectacular hook shot that he could hit from anywhere on the floor. Adolph Rupp said that Hagan had “the greatest natural touch of any player I’ve seen.” Tsioropoulos could pound the ball inside. All were great rebounders.
The starting five was rounded out by junior forward Billy Evans (8.8 pts., 7.3 reb.) and junior guard Gayle Rose (6.7 pts., 1.4 reb.).
The 1954 season got off to a rocky start. Southeastern Conference foes LSU, Tulane, Mississippi and Mississippi State had all played Kentucky in Lexington in 1952. In 1953, Kentucky would have traveled to Louisiana and Mississippi to play had the season not been canceled. For 1954, Kentucky was scheduled to play LSU, Tulane, Mississippi and Mississippi State in Lexington again. The four teams threatened to cancel their games with Kentucky rather than play twice in a row in Lexington. “In all fairness,” an LSU official said, “Kentucky owes us a trip down here before we have to go back to Lexington.” The Southeastern Conference schools held a vote and voted that the games would be played in Lexington. All of the teams but LSU agreed to abide by the vote.
Adolph Rupp was angered by the NCAA suspension. “I will never be satisfied until the men who suspended us hand us the national championship trophy,” Rupp said. “They’ll be no point shaving this year,” said Rupp. “When we run up one of those 95 or 97-point totals – and we used to do it often – and there’s still a couple of minutes to play, I’m not going to pull my boys up and have them stand around at midcourt and try to hold the score down so we don’t humiliate somebody. We’ll just keep playing our game and let the other guy worry.”
The first game of the season, December 5, 1953, Kentucky pounded Temple, 86-59. Cliff Hagan put up 51 points, nearly outscoring Temple on his own. On December 18, 1953, Kentucky beat St. Louis 71-59. St. Louis’ coach said that the 1954 Wildcats were “the sweetest operating team to watch that I’ve ever seen.” On December 22, 1953, Kentucky took on eventual NCAA tournament champion LaSalle and easily beat them, 73-60.
Before their first SEC game of the season against Tulane on January 16, 1954, Adolph Rupp told his players that Tulane’s coach led the efforts to suspend Kentucky from playing in 1953. “He’s on the floor now, the man that led the fight against you last year. For ever blister, every bruise, every black eye, every tooth knocked out last year, that little runt of a coach owes you. Tonight you pay them back for all of last year.” Kentucky crushed Tulane, 94-43. When asked what he thought of Kentucky, Tulane’s coach said, “That Kentucky team, whew!”
Kentucky rolled through the rest of the schedule and ended the season in a tie with LSU for the Southeastern conference title. LSU agreed to a playoff game in Nashville, Tennessee. Kentucky beat the eighth ranked LSU team 63-56 to complete a perfect 25-0 season. At the beginning of the next season, a Philadelphia newspaper story said “Apparently the University of Kentucky basketball dynasty is to continue forever.”
The NCAA declared Ramsey, Hagan and Tsioropoulos ineligible to play in the NCAA tournament because they had graduated before the start of NCAA tournament play. Rather than go to the tournament without their three best players, the Wildcats declined the invitation to play in it. Cliff Hagan couldn’t believe he, Ramsey and Tsioropoulos were being penalized for graduating in four years instead of five. “We were penalized for the year we were forced to sit out and that was for something we had not been involved in. If we had taken five years to graduate we wouldn’t have had a problem. So we were penalized for trying to do the right thing. Isn’t that something?” Frank Ramsey said “The rest of these boys and I were in high school when those things happened. Why’d they take it out on us?” When asked whether the 1954 Kentucky team would have won the NCAA tournament, Frank Ramsey said “In our minds, we felt we were good enough.”
