Saturday, October 16, 1999
Wildcats celebrate century
BY NEIL SCHMIDT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LEXINGTON, Ky. — When last we left college basketball, Duke lost the championship game and Kentucky claimed victory. UK publicists inundated the media the next day with “Team of the Decade” stat comparisons, trying to spin-doctor an edge over Duke.
This morning's Midnight Madness, though, aimed higher, adopting the theme, “America's Team of the Century.” As assistant sports information director Brooks Downing said, “What else would we call it?”
A crowd of 9,000 fans packed Memorial Coliseum late Friday night to celebrate the history of basketball's winningest team and cheer the first Wildcat team of the next century. They counted the minutes to midnight, a la New Year's Eve.
Call it Y2UK.
“The love, affection and affinity the fans have for these players, that's what makes Midnight Madness so special,” UK coach Tubby Smith said. “We have something special here.”
Smith dressed up the occasion by taking the court arm-in-arm with Miss America, Heather Renee French of Maysville, Ky.
“There is no place like Kentucky,” she said, drawing screams from the crowd.
French got to judge the dunk contest, for which she declared sophomore Tayshaun Prince the winner. Prince beat out senior Jamaal Magloire and sophomore Todd Tackett in the finals, taking off from the free-throw line on one dunk and switching the ball under his leg in midair on another jam.
The team on display this morning is the youngest UK lineup in 11 years. The celebrated trio of Wayne Turner, Scott Padgett and Heshimu Evans — six Final Four appearances between them — is gone, as are Michael Bradley and Ryan Hogan, who transfered out.
There was no shortage of excitement this morning. The 7,000 free Madness passes had been snapped up in 27 minutes a week ago, beating the mark of 45 minutes last year and 75 minutes in 1997.
Sports Stories
Rookie takes over free safety
BENGALS NOTEBOOK
Bearcats know success comes on the court
UC sees UAB as can't-lose
McIntosh makes XU debut
