Remembering them BLUEGRASS BLUES...as Kentucky WILDCATS Hoops went on Probation under Coach SUTTON only for Coach PITINO, the Untouchables, and Unforgettables to save UK Hoops

In 1988 the Kentucky WILDCATS Men's Basketball Team had the #1 Recruiting class in the nation coming in under then Coach Eddie Sutton. Sean Sutton, one of Eddie's two sons, also played on the team and the CATS were doing it big time in a big way literally and figuratively speaking.

Coming in in that 1988 Class was the WILDCAT 4 the Bluedude calls them:

2G/WF Eric MANUEL Macon, Georgia SOUTHWEST HS

2G/WF Chris MILLS Los Angeles, California FAIRFAX HS

PF LeRon ELLIS Santa Ana, California, MATER DEI HS

PF/C Shawn KEMP Elkhart, Indiana CONCORD HS

All four players were high-profile All-Americans and they were all coming to UK Lexington under Coach Sutton. Except there was one huge problem....the NCAA sniffed out possible recruiting violations in the recruitment of these four players and it came to a crashing halt before any of them were able to play a minute for KENTUCKY.

Manuel and Kemp were cited for reportedly ACT Test Scores, cars, and cash. Ellis and Mills were reported for just cash and cars.

Manuel ended transferring to an NAIA School and Kemp transferred to Trinity Valley CC in Texas near Big D because of their Grades they were ineligible to play in 1988 anyway. Mills and Ellis played Freshman Year at UK then Mills transferred to Lute Olson and the Arizona Wildcats and Ellis went to Jim Boeheim and the Syracuse Orangeman to play with Billy Owens of the Carlisle PA HS BISON.

With UK in all them violations they received the Death Penalty under the NCAA which means no NCAA Tourney appearances and no Restricted Scholarships for a few seasons. Who wanted that Top 5 job now vacated by Coach Eddie Sutton and Joe B. HALL before him.

In 1989 after stints at Providence College and the New York KNICKS it lead man Rick Pitino to Bring the CATS back to prominence and that he did. With limited Scholarships and no NCAA Tourneys Pitino had to recruit KIDS who would sacrifice limited resources to try to build within with 1 couple of scholarship players and mostly WALK-ONS.

The UNFORGETTABLES

Led in 1989-93 by guys like John PELPHREY (former Lead man at PIG SOOIE now back with BILLY Ball in the Swamp), Travis FORD (Kentucky HS Legend and current Oklahoma State lead man), Richie FARMER (from the Kentucky Mountain Tops....a mythical Legends as well), Sean WOODS (Indianapolis CATHEDRAL HS), and his 1st Big-Time MAJOR Recruit that UK back on the national scene..Jamal MASHBURN aka the Monster MASH (Bronx, NY CARDINAL HAYES...a consensus Top 30 Player nationally in 1990).

The UNTOUCHABLES

Kentucky and Coach Pitino eventually got through those tough years and went onto win the 1996 Championship vs the ORANGEMAN of the 'CUSE with the likes of Employee #8 Antione WALKER, Tony DELK, Ron MERCER, Walter McCARTY, Naz MOHAMMED,  Mark POPE, Jeff SHEPHERD, and Wayne TURNER. This same group lost in the 1997 National Championship Game to Lute Olson and the Arizona WILDCATS led by Miles SIMON (current NCAA ESPN College Basketball Analyst), Mike BIBBY (current Knicks PG), and Jason JET TERRY (current MAVS G).

From 1985 when Coach Sutton started at UK to 1997 when Coach Pitino left UK to take the C's Job in the LOGO......UK Hoops went to the very bottom....and then went straight to the top of the College Basketball World.

This is not the BLUEDUDE raining on the 2012 National Champs and UK but i work from what's in my head at the time......and this story came up over a  bowl of Oatmeal and a Good Cup of JOE. It's just some of that ole KENTUCKY Hoops Lore and that's it....Good and Bad.