< Previous8 @KentuckyMBB Let’s take a trip back in time. The date is October 15, 1995. The country is abuzz over the verdict in the O.J. Simpson murder trial just 12 days prior. Per- sonal computer users are still getting accus- tomed to Microsoft’s Windows 95, released on August 24. Dominating radio play, the No. 1 song on the Billboard chart is “Fan- tasy” by Mariah Carey. On the big screen, the No. 1 movie in America is “Se7en;” and future Kentucky Wildcat player Dakari John- son is a newborn, born on September 22. On October 15, right as the day begins, the Big Blue Nation is finally introduced to the 1995-96 Kentucky men’s basketball team at Midnight Madness in Memorial Coliseum. The event has a Cat Fan Forever theme, a parody of the “Batman Forever” film, re- leased earlier in the summer. For the biggest entrance among players, seniors Tony Delk and Walter McCarty came down from a lift and swung from ladders onto the court, dressed as Batman and Robin. From there, the team was off and running, literally. Over the next 168 days, the Wildcats embarked on a journey that no one will ever forget. So, on the 25th anniversary of that magical sea- son, let’s take a look back at the players and the performances that made the 1995-96 Kentucky team one of the greatest in men’s college basketball history. Before we dive into the season, let’s take a look at how the roster came together for the season. The Wildcats had nine lettermen returning from the 1994-95 team, including seniors Delk, McCarty, Mark Pope, and Jar- ed Prickett. Kentucky had lost four players from the previous season’s squad, though. Chris Harrison and Andre Riddick graduat- ed, Scott Padgett was declared academically ineligible, and Rodrick Rhodes transferred to the University of Southern California. To offset the losses, the Wildcats added six new players to the roster. Five of them were incoming freshmen, including McDonald’s All-Americans Ron Mercer and Wayne Turn- er. Also, junior Derek Anderson was eligible to play after transferring from Ohio State. The 1994-95 team ended their season with a disappointing 13-point loss to North Carolina in the Southeast Regional final of the NCAA Tournament on March 25, one game shy of their second Final Four appear- ance under head coach Rick Pitino. The team used that loss to fuel them to reach even higher levels for the upcoming 1995- 96 season. Prior to the season, Kentucky em- barked on a trip to Italy in August, winning “The Untouchables” The Silver Anniversary of the Golden Team | By: Corey Price, UK Communications and Public Relations Kentucky defeated Syracuse, 76-67, in the 1996 NCAA National Championship Game and finished the 1995-96 season with a 34-2 overall record.@UKSportsNetwork 9 four of five exhibition games against local professional teams. Most casual observers knew that Kentucky was the best team in college basketball heading into the 1995-96 season, and the Associated Press agreed. On November 13, 11 days before the Wildcats’ season opener, Kentucky was ranked No. 1 in the Preseason AP Poll. It was the Wildcats’ first time occupying the top spot in the Pre- season AP Poll since the 1980-81 season. On November 24, Kentucky opened the season against No. 14 Maryland in Spring- field, Massachusetts, for the Peach Basket Hall of Fame Tip-off Classic. It was just the third time that the Wildcats had played at the Springfield Civic Center, and they want- ed to avenge their first two games played there, losses to Duke in 1979 and 1988. Kentucky’s season debut got off to a rough start, as it trailed the Terrapins by as many as 11 points in the first half. The Wildcats regrouped in the second half and defeated Maryland 96-84, behind a career-high 24 points scored by Pope. This was Kentucky’s largest deficit overcome in a win all season. Also in the game, Delk sur- passed Derrick Miller for most career three- point field goals made in school history. Four days later, the Wildcats faced their toughest challenge of the regular season in No. 5 Massachusetts. The game was a part of the Great Eight, and it was the only time that Kentucky had ever played at the Palace at Auburn Hills. The Wildcats came out flat in the first half, trailing the Minutemen by as many as 19 points, their largest deficit of the entire season. Kentucky could not mount a come- back and, against future head coach John Calipari, the Wildcats suffered their first loss of the season, 92-82. Marcus Camby, the eventual consensus National Player of the Year, was the best player on the court, scor- ing a game-high 32 points. Kentucky quickly regrouped and started play in December with their annual show- down with Indiana in the RCA Dome on December 2. The game was close through- out, but the Wildcats pulled out the 89-82 victory over the Hoosiers and Hall of Fame coach Bobby Knight. Two days later, on December 4, Ken- tucky dropped to No. 5 in the AP Poll, their lowest ranking of the entire season. A cou- ple days after, on December 6, the Wildcats had their toughest game at Rupp Arena of the season against Wisconsin-Green Bay. Behind a career high six steals for Anderson, Kentucky defeated the Phoenix 74-62, its smallest margin of victory in a home game that season. On December 9, the Wildcats faced their first ranked opponent of the season at Rupp Arena when they took on No. 16 Georgia Tech. Once again, Kentucky had a flat per- formance in the first half, trailing the Yellow Jackets by three points at halftime. It was the first time that the Wildcats had trailed their opponent at halftime. Luckily for Kentucky they woke up in the second half, outscoring Georgia Tech by 26 points in the final 20 minutes to secure the 83-60 victory. The Wildcats suffered a loss to their ros- ter six days later on December 15. Due to recurring knee issues, senior Jared Prickett decided to sit out the rest of the season and apply for a medical redshirt. Prickett was eventually granted that redshirt. The next day, the Wildcats had argu- ably their greatest defensive performance in school history when intrastate opponent Morehead State came into Rupp Arena. Kentucky’s defense just suffocated the Ea- gles, setting or tying school records for worst opponent field-goal percentage (13.8%), fewest first half points allowed in the shot- clock era (14), most blocks in a game at Rupp Arena (16), and most rebounds in a game at Rupp Arena (62). Aided by Antoine Kentucky defeated No. 1-ranked Massachusetts, 81-74, in the national semifinal game. It was the fifth time in school history that UK defeated the No. 1 team in the Associated Press Poll.Walker’s career-high four blocks, the Wild- cats routed Morehead State 96-32. On December 18, Kentucky moved up one spot in the AP Poll to No. 4. The next day, the Wildcats played their annual non-con- ference game in Freedom Hall against Mar- shall, led by former UK assistant coach Billy Donovan. Kentucky’s defense was on point yet again, getting a season-high 21 steals, including a career-high six from Anthony Epps, and forcing a season-high 32 turn- overs. As a result, the Wildcats eased into a 118-99 win over the Thundering Herd. On December 23, as an early Christmas present for fans across the Bluegrass State, the annual showdown between Kentucky and Louisville took place in Lexington. In front of a Rupp Arena-record 24,340 fans, the Wildcats had no trouble in defeating the No. 25 Cardinals 89-66. It was Kentucky’s largest margin of victory against Louisville, 23 points, since December 27, 1986 (34 points). Also in the game, Delk surpassed Miller for most career three-point field-goals at- tempted in school history. The Wildcats did end up getting a present for Christmas, mov- ing up two spots in the AP Poll to No. 2 on December 25. To round out 1995, Kentucky traveled to New York to participate in the ECAC Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden. On December 27 and 29, the Wildcats scored easy victories over Rider, 90-65, and Iona, 106-79, to win the ECAC Holiday Festival for the second time, having also won it in 1992. Kentucky began play in 1996 with their SEC opener against South Carolina in Co- lumbia on January 3, the Wildcats’ first true road game of the season. In a theme seen throughout the rest of the season, Kentucky absolutely dominated on the road. Although the Wildcats trailed the Gamecocks by as many as seven points in the first half, tied for their largest deficit in a true road game all season, Kentucky did not give South Car- olina hope of a win for long. The Wildcats pulled away for the easy 89- 60 win, their largest margin of victory against South Carolina in Columbia (29 points) since December 13, 1976 (31 points). On January 6, Kentucky returned to Lex- ington for their SEC home opener against Mississippi. It was different venue, same result as the Wildcats soundly defeated the Rebels 90-60. In the game, McCarty set a career-high with six blocks. That was Ken- tucky’s largest margin of victory against Mis- sissippi in Lexington (30 points) since Febru- ary 6, 1971 (35 points). Three days later, the Wildcats traveled to Starkville to take on No. 12 Mississip- pi State, their only ranked SEC opponent during the regular season and only true road game against a ranked opponent of the sea- son. The Bulldogs proved to be not that dif- ficult of a test, with Kentucky winning 74-56 behind a career-high five steals from Delk. On January 13, the Wildcats returned to Rupp Arena for their border battle with Tennessee. There was concern going into the game that Anderson, Delk, and Mercer would not be able to participate due to a stomach illness. Much to the dismay of the Volunteers, all three were able to play. Although Kentucky had its lowest scoring output of the season, they still breezed to a 61-44 victory. Then, on January 16 in Baton Rouge, the Wildcats played their greatest 20 minutes of basketball in school history. Against Lou- isiana State, Kentucky could simply do no wrong on offense in the first half of action. The Wildcats set school records for most points scored in a half, 86, and largest half- time lead, 44 points. To put into context, Kentucky failed to score at least 86 points for an entire game 13 times during the 1995-96 season. The Wildcats took the foot off the gas in the second half, but still wound up with an 10 @KentuckyMBB Anthony Epps drives for a layup in Kentucky's, 89-66, win over Louisville.astounding 129-97 victory over the Tigers. The 129 points set a school record for most points scored in a true road game, and it was Kentucky’s highet point total in a game since February 27, 1956 vs. Georgia (143). Walker was the star of the game, scoring a career-high 32 points, including 28 in the first half. This was the Wildcats’ largest mar- gin of victory ever against LSU in Baton Rouge (32 points). On January 20, Kentucky took a break from SEC play to take on TCU at Rupp Are- na. The Wildcats’ offensive firepower was not left in Baton Rouge as Kentucky rolled to a 124-80 win over the Horned Frogs. The Wildcats made a season-high 16 three-point field-goals, including a school-record nine by Delk. Also in the game, Delk passed Mike Casey to move into 10th place on Kentucky’s career scoring list. The 253 com- bined points scored by the Wildcats against LSU and TCU set a school record for most points scored in a two-game span. Four days later, on January 24, Kentucky faced a rude awakening when they hit the road to take on Georgia, led by former Wild- cats’ assistant coach, and future Kentucky head coach, Tubby Smith. The Wildcats es- caped Athens with an 82-77 victory. This was Kentucky’s smallest margin of victory of the entire season, five points. The Wildcats end the month by returning home to take on South Carolina on January 27. Behind a career-high six assists for Mc- Carty, Kentucky soundly defeats the Game- cocks 89-57. The Wildcats begin play the next month with a home game against Florida on Feb- ruary 3. Kentucky has no problem with the Gators, cruising to a 77-63 win. On February 7, the Wildcats traveled to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt. Kentucky had their best shooting performance of the season, making 63.2% of their field goal at- tempts en route to yet another convincing road victory, defeating the Commodores 120-81. Two Wildcats crashed the glass, with Anderson (eight) and McCarty (11) set- ting or tying their career highs for rebounds. Kentucky handed Vanderbilt their worst loss ever at Memorial Gymnasium (39 points). Four days later, on February 11, the Wild- cats broke from tradition that had mixed re- actions from fans of the program. For their home game against Arkansas, Kentucky wore denim uniforms for the first time ever. The change in wardrobe may have been a factor as the Wildcats trailed the Razor- backs by as many as 10 points in the first half, their largest deficit in a home game all season. Kentucky was resilient though as they went on to defeat Arkansas 88-73. On Valentine’s Day, February 14, the Wildcats showed no love to their opponent, beating Georgia 86-73 at Rupp Arena. Pope had one of his best defensive performances, tying career highs with 11 rebounds and six blocks against the Bulldogs. Three days lat- er, on February 17, Kentucky returned to the road to take on Tennessee in Knoxville. The Wildcats’ road dominance contin- ued, as they blasted the Volunteers 90-50. That was Kentucky’s largest margin of vic- tory ever against Tennessee in Knoxville (40 points). On February 20, the Wildcats returned home to take on Alabama, led by future Kentucky assistant coach David Hobbs. Kentucky had no problem with the Crimson Tide, and took a 84-65 win. Four days later, on February 24, the Wild- cats traveled to Gainesville to battle Florida. There was a brief scare in the game, when Delk exited the floor with seven minutes left in the first half with a right ankle sprain. Thankfully for Kentucky he was able to re- turn to the game. That did not bode well for the Gators as the Wildcats rolled to a 94- 63 win. Freshman Turner set a career high with eight rebounds in the contest. This was Kentucky’s largest margin of victory against Florida in Gainesville (31 points) since Feb- ruary 8, 1954 (42 points). On February 26, the Wildcats moved up one spot in the AP Poll, regaining their No. 1 ranking. The next day, on February 27, Ken- tucky faced off against Auburn in their final true road game of the season. The Wildcats struggled early, trailing the Tigers by as many as seven points in the first half, tying their largest deficit in a true road game all season. But, behind a career-high 15 rebounds for Walker, Kentucky came back to win by the comfortable score of 88-73. The Wildcats opened up the month of March with their final regular season game, taking on Vanderbilt at Rupp Arena. This was a special game as it was Senior Day for three great players: Delk, McCarty, and Pope. It wasn’t known at the time, but it ended up being the final home game for sopho- more Walker as well. The seniors and Walk- er went out in style, routing the Commo- dores 101-63. It was Kentucky’s 32nd con- secutive victory on Senior Day. As a result, Kentucky was simply per- fect in SEC regular season play, with an unblemished 16-0 record. It was the first time that the Wildcats were undefeated in SEC regular season play since the 1953-54 season, when they were 14-0. This was also Kentucky’s largest margin of victory against Vanderbilt in Lexington (38 points) since February 5, 1977 (40 points). With the regular season over, several Wildcats received various honors by the conference heading into tournament play. Delk was named SEC Player of the Year, and Delk and Walker were named First Team All-SEC. McCarty was named Second Team All-SEC, and Mercer was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. Kentucky began postseason play at the SEC Tournament in New Orleans. The Wild- cats were playing in the Superdome for the second time, having played there in the 1993 NCAA Tournament Final Four against Michigan. On March 8, the Wildcats took on Florida for the third time of the season in the quar- terfinals. The third time was not the charm for the Gators as Kentucky easily won 100- 76. This game made history as the Wildcats set a school record for longest single sea- son winning streak, at 26 games. Also, Delk passed Jeff Brassow for most career steals in the SEC Tournament in school history. On March 9, in the semifinals against Ar- kansas, Kentucky had yet another comfort- able victory, defeating the Razorbacks 95- 75. The win set up a championship matchup with No. 25 Mississippi State on March 10. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, they had arguably their worst performance of the sea- son with the SEC Tournament title on the line. For just the second time of the season, Kentucky trailed their opponent at halftime. The Bulldogs’ five-point lead at the break was the Wildcats’ largest halftime deficit of the season. Mississippi State’s lead bal- looned to 17 points in the second half and Kentucky simply could not mount a come- @UKSportsNetwork 11 Tony Delk was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player.back. As a result, the Bulldogs went on to defeat the Wildcats 84-73, Kentucky’s sec- ond and largest loss of the season. This was head coach Pitino’s first loss in the SEC Tour- nament, as he'd won his first 14 games in the tournament. The game essentially came down to shooting, as the Wildcats had their worst field-goal percentage of the season (33.3%), while Mississippi State had the best field-goal percentage among all opponents of the season (54.4%). Kentucky finished as runner-up, the first time that they had lost in the final of the SEC Tournament since March 6, 1982 against Alabama. There was one positive in the game as Delk broke Ed Davender’s school record for most career steals. The Wildcats’ school-record single season winning streak ended at 27 games. In the postgame, McCa- rty and Walker were named to the All-SEC Tournament team. Despite the loss, the night ended on a good note when Kentucky found out that they were the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Re- gion for the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The next day, on March 11, the Wildcats dropped one spot in the AP Poll, ranked No. 2 in its final poll of the season. Also, se- nior Delk was recognized for his great play throughout the season, being named a con- sensus First Team All-American. The Wildcats began their march toward a national championship in Dallas for the first two rounds of the Midwest Regional. This was the only time that Kentucky has ever played at Reunion Arena. On March 14, the top-seeded Wildcats took on No. 16 seed San Jose State. Early on it appeared as though there might be a March Madness upset, with the Spartans leading the game as late as 4:30 remaining in the first half. Kentucky’s lead at halftime was just six points. The second half was a different story though, as the Wildcats outscored San Jose State by 32 points in the final 20 minutes en route to a 110-72 win. Kentucky set school records for most steals in an NCAA Tourna- ment game (17) and most assists in a single game (35). The 35 assists were also tied for the second-most in a single game in NCAA Tournament history. Both Epps and Walker had six steals in the game, tying Dicky Beal’s school record for most steals in an NCAA Tournament game. McCarty had the best offensive performance on the team, tying his career high with 24 points. Pope was a presence on defense with four blocks, tying Andre Riddick and Melvin Turpin for the school record for most blocks in an NCAA Tournament game. Two days later, on March 16, the Wild- cats played No. 9-seed Virginia Tech, ranked No. 16 in the final AP Poll, in the Second Round. Kentucky had no trouble with the Hokies, and earned a 84-60 win, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tourna- ment. The Wildcats’ 24-point margin of vic- tory was their largest in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament since the field ex- panded to 64 teams in 1985. In the game, Delk passed Kevin Grevey to move into fifth place on Kentucky’s career scoring list. Kentucky moved on to Minneapolis for the next two rounds of the Midwest Region- al. This was the first time ever that the Wild- cats had played at the Metrodome. On March 21, the Wildcats played No. 4-seed Utah, ranked No. 10 in the final AP Poll, in the regional semifinals. Kentucky continued their dominating play, cruising to an emphatic 101-70 win over the Utes. This was the Wildcats’ largest margin of victory against an AP Poll Top Ten opponent (31 points) since February 17, 1964 against No. 7 Vanderbilt (31 points). In the game, Epps passed Beal for the most career assists in the NCAA Tournament in school history. Two days later, on March 23, Kentucky took on No. 2 seed Wake For- est, ranked No. 13 in the final AP Poll, for a spot in the Final Four. With the aid of some hot long-range shooting, a season-best 63.6% from behind the three-point line, the Wildcats went on to defeat the Demon Deacons 83-63. Tim Duncan, future consensus National Player of the Year and No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, scored 14 points for Wake Forest. Epps had three blocks in the game, setting a career high in that category. Also in the game, Delk passed Jamal Mashburn to move into fourth place on Ken- tucky’s all-time career scoring list. This was the school’s 11th appearance in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament, and the first since 1993. In the postgame, Delk was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest 12 @KentuckyMBB Ron Mercer came off the bench to score 20 points during the National Championship Game. Regional, while Anderson, Delk, Epps, and Walker were all named to the All-Midwest Regional Team. This is the only time that Kentucky has had four players named to an All-NCAA Regional team. The Wildcats traveled to East Rutherford, New Jersey for the Final Four at Continental Airlines Arena, just two victories away from the ultimate prize, a national championship. Kentucky had quite the obstacle though ahead of them in the national semifinals. Their opponent: No. 1 seed, and No. 1 in the final AP Poll, Massachusetts, which had a 35-1 record entering the Final Four. The two teams knew each other very well, with the Minutemen handing the Wildcats their first loss of the season way back on Novem- ber 28. So, on March 30, the month was go- ing to end with an epic battle of basketball heavyweights. In terms of the final AP Poll, it was No. 1 vs. No. 2; it does not get much better than that. In the second meeting between the two schools, it was Kentucky this time that had control of the game, with an eight-point lead at halftime. In another scare for Delk, he missed about five minutes of game action in the second half due to cramps. He was able to return to the game though, and with his team-high 20 points, led the Wildcats to the monumental victory, 81-74 over the Minutemen. This was the fifth time in school history that Kentucky defeated the No. 1 team in the AP Poll, and the first time since March 12, 1994 against Arkansas in the SEC Tour- nament semifinals. It was just the second time that the Wildcats defeated the top ranked team in the AP Poll in the NCAA Tournament, also accomplishing the feat on March 22, 1975 against Indiana in the Mid- east Regional final. It was also just the fourth time in school history that Kentucky defeated a team with one loss or less entering the NCAA Tourna- ment. The Wildcats were opportunistic on defense in the game, setting an NCAA Tour- nament national semifinal game record with 12 steals. Camby led Massachusetts with 25 points. Now the table was set. Kentucky was one win away from the national championship. The team that stood in the way of history for the Wildcats was No. 4 seed, and ranked No. 15 in the final AP Poll, Syracuse Orangemen. The two schools were fairly familiar with each other, playing in the previous season at Rupp Arena, with Kentucky getting a 77-71 win. They also had a history with one anoth- er in the NCAA Tournament, with the Wild- cats defeating the Orangemen in the national semifinal in 1975. There was also a connection among the head coaches, as Kentucky head coach Piti- no was an assistant coach for Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim from 1976 to 1978. On April 1 against the Orangemen, in his final game in a Kentucky jersey, Delk had one of his best individual performances, making six three-point field-goals in the first half alone. That helped propel the Wildcats to a nine-point lead at halftime, 42-33. Then, with 11:12 remaining in the second half, Delk had one of the most memorable plays that will be forever remembered fond- Derek Anderson celebrates Kentucky’s sixth national championship at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J. 14 @KentuckyMBBly by the Big Blue Nation. Delk attempt- ed a three-point field-goal with Syracuse defender Todd Burgan chasing down the shot. The shot went in, with Burgan fall- ing into Delk, committing a foul. The shot occurred right in front of the Kentucky bench, with Delk’s teammates going crazy in excitement. Delk calmly knocked down the free-throw, completing the four-point play, and increasing the Wildcats’ lead to 13 points. That was Delk’s seventh three-point field goal of the contest, tying the record for most made by a player in the NCAA Tournament national championship game. The Orange- men did not give up though, cutting Ken- tucky’s lead to just two points with 4:46 left in the second half. The Wildcats would not be denied of their ultimate goal though, outscoring Syracuse 12-5 in the final 4:46 of the game. It was no April Fools’ Day joke; Kentucky defeated the Orangemen 76-67 to win the school’s sixth National Championship. It was only fitting that Delk scored the final points of the season for the Wildcats, a layup with 2.3 seconds left in the game. Delk led the team with 24 points, but it was Mercer’s 20 points off the bench that was critical in the Wildcats’ win. That was the most points scored by a player coming off the bench in the National Championship game. Not too shabby for a freshman. Kentucky set the National Championship game record with 12 made three-point field- goals. The Wildcats’ 22 assists were the second most ever in an NCAA Championship Game. In the game, Delk passed Kenny Walker for most career points scored in the NCAA Tournament in school history. In the post- game celebration, Pitino came up with a nickname for the team that perfectly de- scribed them, “The Untouchables.” Not surprisingly after the game, Delk was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, while he and Mercer were named to the All-Final Four Team. Mercer was the first freshman in school history to be named to the All-Final Four Team. There were so many great statistical ac- complishments regarding Kentucky’s epic run through the NCAA Tournament. Walker set the school record for most steals in a sin- gle NCAA Tournament with 17. Delk’s 113 points scored are the most by a Kentucky player in a single NCAA Tournament. Delk finished his career with 40 made three-point field-goals in the NCAA Tourna- ment, second most ever in tournament his- tory, only behind Bobby Hurley’s 42. The Wildcats led all teams in NCAA Tournament play in scoring (89.2 points per game), three-point field-goal percentage (45.4%), assist-to-turnover ratio (2.01:1), and steals (11.8 per game). Here is how Kentucky’s team tourna- ment totals stack up against other teams in NCAA Tournament history: 535 points scored (fourth most ever), +21.5 points per game scoring margin (fourth largest ever), 143 assists (most ever), and 71 steals (sec- ond most ever). In terms of the entire season as a whole, the Wildcats finished first in the country in assists per game (21.8) and scor- ing margin (+22.1 points per game), while finishing second in the country in scoring offense (91.4 points per game) and steals per game (12.1). Kentucky not surprisingly set several school single-season records as well. Among those are most total points scored (3,292), most field-goals made (1,198), most assists (783), most steals (435), best three-point field-goal percentage (39.7%), and most turnovers forced (799). The Wildcats had their highest scoring of- fense (91.4 points per game) since the 1974- 75 season (92.2 points per game), while also having their largest average scoring margin (+22.1 points) since the 1953-54 season (+27.2 points). Simply put, no matter how you slice it, Kentucky had one of the most dominant and impressive seasons in men’s college basketball history. And ESPN agrees with that statement. In preparation for the release of their Col- lege Basketball Encyclopedia in 2009, ESPN assembled a committee of 19 former coaches and players and media experts to reveal their list of the 15 greatest teams in men’s college basketball history. The 1995-96 Kentucky squad was ranked No. 10 on that list. As always, with team suc- cess comes individual success. Nine players on that team’s roster went on to play in the NBA. Four players from that team have been inducted into the University of Kentucky Ath- letics Hall of Fame: Delk, Mercer, Walker, and Turner. And on February 21, 2015, Delk had his jersey retired at Rupp Arena. So, as we celebrate the silver anniversary of that historical team this upcoming season, just remember that everything about that team was simply golden. Tony Delk scored the most points ever (113) by a Kentucky player in a single NCAA Tournament. @UKSportsNetwork 15Q&A with Tony Delk Q: Before the start of the season, the team went to Italy in August for a five-game exhibition tour. What were the takeaways from the trip that you felt helped the team chemistry as a whole and you improve as a player individually? A: I thought we had great chemistry from the 1994-95 season. We ended that season with a tough loss to North Carolina. That 1995-96 season, we just returned all the players from our previous year with the addition of Derek Anderson, Wayne Turn- er, and Ron Mercer. Competing overseas against pro teams and winning games, we knew it was going to be tough for college teams to play with us. Q: Did you like the idea of you and Wal- ter McCarty being portrayed as Batman and Robin for Midnight Madness? Were you ner- vous at all with your dramatic entrance as well? If you had to do it over again today, what superhero would you like to portray? A: It was a fun night for Walter and me, playing Batman and Robin. There was no pressure for me to go out there and perform on the big stage. Walter and I were college roommates from 1992 until we graduated. I could not have had a better teammate than Walter McCarty. If we had to do it all over again I would still want to be Batman. Q: Most fans vividly remember your NCAA Tournament Championship Game, re- cord-tying seven made three-point field-goals, including the four-point play with about 11 minutes left in the game. Excluding those, what else would you consider your favorite game and your favorite play from that season? A: There were so many great moments during that season. The one game that comes to mind is the LSU game. We were up 44 points at halftime. Probably was the best half of basketball that I have ever played with my teammates. It was the first time, in all the games I played at Kentucky, that coach Pitino just walked in the locker room and said we’re not pressing in the sec- ond half, with a smile on his face. It was the first time we could walk on the court knowing the game was over. I told the guys the game is not over until the final buzzer sounds. I was one of the few guys that were still on the team that came from 31 points down to beat LSU as a sophomore. Q: Obviously, Massachusetts and Missis- sippi State were difficult games for the team. Excluding the two losses, who was the tough- est opponent of the season in your opinion? A: Those were two tough games that we lost. It would be hard to pick one over the other. I was hoping both of them would make it to the Final Four and they did. It was going to be a story of stories when you get a chance to face the two teams that had beat- en you. One loss came early in the season and the second loss ended our 27- game winning streak. Q: What opposing player from that season was your toughest to de- fend? A: The toughest player for me to guard that year was Darryl Wilson. Our games were very similar. Darryl was a three-point shooter, he could put the ball on the floor, and he had a high basketball I.Q. Q: What opposing player from that season de- fended you the toughest? A: That would have to be Wilson as well. It was like he knew my ev- ery move and he had studied my game. He played defense without fouling. He was a very disciplined defender. Q: Rupp Arena can be an intimidating en- vironment for many opposing teams. What, in your opinion, was the toughest opposing environment that you played in that season? A: I thought Barnhill Arena in Fayette- ville, Arkansas was the toughest to play in my freshman season. That arena became Bud Walton Arena years later. During the 1995-96 season we did not lose any road games. The only two games we lost oc- curred at a neutral site. Q: You were a part of two teams in your first three seasons at Kentucky that came close to achieving the ultimate goal of a na- tional championship (Final Four in 1992-93 and Elite Eight in 1994-95). What was the journey like, building up from your freshman season to winning a national championship in your final game in a Kentucky jersey? A: My first Final Four appearance, I was more of a role player that was not getting many minutes. I knew my game would have to im- prove over the next couple of seasons if we were going to get back to the Final Four. We suffered a tough loss to a talented North Car- olina team in 1994-95. I was excited to come back and play my final season with so many talented players, knowing we would have a chance to win a national championship. Q: In 2009, for the release of their Col- lege Basketball Encyclopedia, ESPN assem- bled a panel of 19 former coaches, former players, and media to rank the greatest men’s college basketball teams of all-time. The 1995-96 Kentucky team was ranked No. 10 on that particular list. I know that it is hard to compare teams from different eras, but in your opinion, where in history do you think the 1995-96 Kentucky squad belongs among the all-time great college basketball teams? A: I think we are definitely a top-five team of all time. I can start getting into the numbers and the players, but to me, that’s all a waste of time. I think our style and how we played would be dominant in any era. Q: Head coach Rick Pitino came up with the nickname “The Untouchables” for that title-winning team. If you had to create your own nickname for the team, what would it be? A: I do not think I would change the name that coach Pitino gave us. “The Un- touchables” is a special name the coach gave us. I really felt our team was untouch- able when we stepped on the floor. I’m sticking with “The Untouchables.” Q: Looking back, now a quarter-centu- ry removed from that special season, what would you like to be the lasting memory and legacy for the team as a whole and you as an individual? A: We were a team that enjoyed spend- ing time on and off the court together. We played the game the right way. We had a bunch of unselfish guys that enjoyed shar- ing the spotlight. We had an unbelievable coaching staff that allowed us to play to our strengths. That was the best team that I played on in my career. Q: Is there any special message that you want to send to fans of the Big Blue Nation as we embark on the 25th anniversary of that “Untouchable” season? A: I can’t believe it’s been 25 years since we cut down the nets. I can remember putting on those denim uniforms for the first time, not knowing that they would be one of the uni- forms we wore towards winning our national championship. It was a joy playing in front of the best fans in the country. I remember arriv- ing at Kentucky as a freshman, not knowing what the future was going to hold. Coming from Tennessee, the Kentucky faithful em- braced me and allowed me to come into their hearts. The love Kentucky showed me will stay with me for the rest of my life. 16 @KentuckyMBB110920 BBN Tonight RUPP Ad.indd 1110920 BBN Tonight RUPP Ad.indd 111/9/20 4:39 PM11/9/20 4:39 PMNext >