The University of Kentucky Athletic Department will celebrate the 1996, 1997 and 1998 men’s basketball teams on Feb. 18 inside Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center, athletic director Mitch Barnhart announced on Wednesday night.
It is one of the most heralded stretches in Kentucky men’s basketball history, with two national titles and an appearance in a third title game in three years. The reunion will be for the members of the team, coaches and managers beginning on Friday night and be capped with recognition during the men’s basketball game against Tennessee on Saturday. Tip time is set for 1 p.m. and the game will air live on CBS.
The 1995-96 team, dubbed “The Untouchables” by head coach Rick Pitino, rolled to its sixth national championship by stringing together 25 consecutive wins and posting a 16-0 mark in Southeastern Conference play. The dynamic duo of Tony Delk (17.8 points per game) and Antoine Walker (15.2 ppg) led the team to victory. Delk tied a championship game record with seven 3-pointers and the Wildcats withstood a late Syracuse rally to win the title by a 76-67 score.
The 1996-97 team, led by Ron Mercer (18.1 points per game) and Derek Anderson (17.7 ppg), posted a 35-5 overall record and won the league tournament title in their quest to repeat as champions. However, the team fell to Arizona in overtime by an 84-75 margin in the final game.
The 1997-98 team, known as the “Comeback Cats”, captured its second national title in three years under the guidance of Tubby Smith in his first year as head coach. The team overcame a 10-point halftime deficit against Utah in the national championship game. UK was 10-3 in games decided by 10 points or fewer and 7-1 in games decided by three points or less during the regular season. The players provided a balanced attack, as all five starters averaged more than nine points per game with senior guard Jeff Sheppard pacing the scoring at 13.7 points per game.
The current UK squad will take on Kansas on Saturday at Rupp Arena at 8 p.m. ET as a part of the annual SEC/Big 12 Challenge. The game will air on ESPN.
