STF State Rankings: #5 Kentucky

[photo taken at Rick Pitino's house]

The Bluegrass State has blue blood when it comes to hoops. Even casual fans know how big Kentucky and Louisville are in the history of the sport. Rupp, Crum, Pitino (he swings both ways, he's AC-DC), etc. The record books are full of Wildcats and Cardinals.

When it comes to the 2008 tournament, however, most fans are going to remember Ty Rogers and his miracle shot that powered Western Kentucky past Drake in the first round. STF sang the praises of WKU frequently last season, because they were loaded. Courtney Lee played well enough to go pro, and had the requisite backcourt mate in second-leading scorer Tyrone Brazleton. Throw in all-namer Orlando Mendez-Valdez and sharpshooting Rogers, and the Hilltoppers had enough for a Sweet 16 run. Oh, and their mascot Big Red is the balls, as well.

Murray State has had its share of success, garnering a surprising #30 ranking on ESPN's program prestige countdown. Eastern Kentucky has made the dance seven times without winning, but at least they've been there, eh? Morehead State's Eagles haven't made it since 1984, but did manage some upsets and Sweet 16 appearances in the mid-20th century.

All in all, not bad for a state we are conditioned to expect great things from.

2008 Breakdown

State winning percentage: .613
Number of teams: 6
NCAA Tournament teams: Kentucky, Louisville, Western Kentucky
Conference champions: Western Kentucky (tourney, tied for regular-season)
Most wins: Louisville, Western Kentucky (27)
Least wins: Eastern Kentucky (14)
Teams with winning records: Kentucky, Louisville, Murray State, Western Kentucky
Teams with single digit wins: None

Historical breakdown

Most Memorable Team: It's tough to pick just one team as most memorable when handed the embarassment of riches that is the tournament records of Kentucky and Louisville. For historians (and some of our readers fit that bill) Rupp's teams were very memorable, but most people know their achievements without remembering the players and specific events. I have fuzzy memories from my youth of enjoying Denny Crum and Louisville, and their 8 final fours and two championships are nothing to sneeze at, either.

That said (yes, I'm equivocating and agonizing, which is as it should be), I'm going with the 1996 Kentucky Wildcats, with the understanding that elements of that team won the 1996 championship over Syracuse, then lost to Arizona in the next Final, then won it all again over Utah in 1998. Nine future NBA players suited up during that fantastic era, including Derek Anderson, Ron Mercer, and Antoine Walker.

Top Player All-Time: We're going with former Cardinal Wes Unseld here. The big man averaged 20.6 ppg and nearly as many rebounds, with a mean of 18.9 boards over his collegiate career. Good job on UL, getting the local legend to stay at home for his college ball.

Favorite Coach: I've always loved Denny Crum, personally. He wasn't hilarious like many of the coaches we choose, but he did have his quirks, like the rolled-up program clutched in his hand all game long, and the bright red blazer that served as his outward expression of style. Heck, the guy does a radio show with former Kentucky coach Joe B. Hall, which is the height of bipartisanship, right?

Top Player 2008: Patrick Patterson might have taken this if he had been healthy all season. However, with the big boys at UK and UL playing a very balanced game, this honor falls to WKU's Courtney Lee. The 6'5" guard could do it all. He even cranked up his rebounding in the win over Drake, grabbing nine caroms. Nice all-around game for Courtney.

Best On-Campus Venue: Both Freedom Hall and Rupp are gems. But until Louisville gets their own Ashley Judd, I have to give the nod to the blue and white. Seriously, though. We love the atmo in Rupp, which is impressive with or without celebrity backup.

Best NCAA Venue: When the NCAA wants to play in Kentucky, they go to Lexington. Rupp hosted a regional in '02, and many first and second-round games in other years.

Most Prestigious Program (ESPN Style): #4 Kentucky Wildcats.

Best Nickname: Eastern Kentucky Colonels.

STF’s Favorite Program: We're unwilling and unable to take sides in the UK/UL battle. And you could probably tell from the intro that we have a lot of love for Western Kentucky. We think the Hilltoppers are coming strong from the Sun Belt, even if they lose their coach every time they have a good tournament showing. Big Red is welcome at our place any time, too.


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