1996–97 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team

The 1996–97 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented University of Kentucky in the 1996–97 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were coached by Rick Pitino in his eighth, and final, season at Kentucky as members of the East division of the Southeast Conference. They played their home games at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. They finished the season 35–5, 13–3 in SEC play to finish in second place in the East division. They defeated Auburn, Mississippi, and Georgia to win the SEC tournament. As a result, they received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed in the West region. They defeated Montana, Iowa, Saint Joseph's and Utah to return to the Final Four for the second consecutive year. In the Final Four, they defeated Minnesota to advance to the National Championship game against Arizona. Looking to repeat as NCAA champions, the Wildcats lost in overtime to Arizona 84–79.

1996–97 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
ConferenceSoutheast Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 2
APNo. 5
Record35–5 (13–3 SEC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaRupp Arena
1996–97 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
East
No. 6 South Carolina151 .938248  .750
No. 5 Kentucky133 .813355  .875
No. 17 Georgia106 .625249  .727
Vanderbilt97 .5631912  .613
Florida511 .3131317  .433
Tennessee412 .2501116  .407
West
Ole Miss115 .688209  .690
Arkansas88 .5001814  .563
Auburn610 .3751615  .516
Alabama610 .3751714  .548
Mississippi State610 .3751218  .400
LSU313 .1881020  .333
1997 SEC tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll

Following the season, head coach Rick Pitino left the school to take the head coaching job for the Boston Celtics.

Previous season

The Wildcats finished the 1995–96 season 34–2, 16–0 in SEC play to win the SEC regular season championship. They defeated Florida and Arkansas in the SEC tournament before losing to Mississippi State in the championship game. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest region. There they defeated San Jose State, Virginia Tech, Utah, and Wake Forest to earn a trip to the Final Four. In the Final Four, they defeated UMass in the National semifinal game and Syracuse in the championship game to win the tournament championship.

Roster

1996–97 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearHometown
G/F 3 Allen Edwards 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Jr Miami, FL
G 4 Steve Masiello 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Fr White Plains, NY
G 5 Wayne Turner 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
So Boston, MA
C 13 Nazr Mohammed 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
So Chicago, IL
G 21 Cameron Mills 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Jr Lexington, KY
G/F 23 Derek Anderson 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Sr Louisville, KY
G 25 Anthony Epps 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Sr Lebanon, KY
F 32 Jared Prickett 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Sr Fairmont, WV
G/F 33 Ron Mercer 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
So Nashville, TN
F 34 Scott Padgett 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
So Louisville, KY
C 42 Jamaal Magloire 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Fr Toronto
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Schedule

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
11/4/1996*
Athletes in Action W 79–62 
Rupp Arena 
Lexington, KY
11/20/1996*
Australia W 84–51 
Rupp Arena 
Lexington, KY
Regular season
11/15/1996*
No. 3 vs. No. 20 Clemson
BCA Classic
L 71–79 OT 0–1
RCA Dome (32,250)
Indianapolis, IN
11/28/1996*
No. 8 vs. No. 12 Syracuse
Great Alaska Shootout
W 87–53  1–1
Sullivan Arena (8,285)
Anchorage, AK
11/29/1996*
No. 8 vs. Alaska Anchorage
Great Alaska Shootout
W 104–72  2–1
Sullivan Arena (8,285)
Anchorage, AK
11/30/1996*
No. 8 vs. College of Charleston
Great Alaska Shootout
W 92–65  3–1
Sullivan Arena (8,285)
Anchorage, AK
12/3/1996*
No. 8 vs. Purdue
Great Eight
W 101–87  4–1
United Center (20,171)
Chicago, IL
12/7/1996*
No. 6 vs. No. 8 Indiana W 99–65  5–1
Freedom Hall (20,074)
Louisville, KY
12/9/1996*
No. 6 Wright State W 90–62  6–1
Rupp Arena (23,127)
Lexington, KY
12/14/1996*
No. 3 Notre Dame W 80–56  7–1
Rupp Arena (24,152)
Lexington, KY
12/21/1996*
No. 3 vs. Georgia Tech
Delta Air Lines Classic
W 88–59  8–1
Georgia Dome (27,842)
Atlanta, GA
12/23/1996*
No. 3 UNC Asheville W 105–51  9–1
Rupp Arena (23,891)
Lexington, KY
12/28/1996*
No. 3 vs. Ohio State
Rock and Roll Shootout
W 81–65  10–1
Gund Arena (20,562)
Cleveland, OH
12/31/1996*
No. 3 at No. 16 Louisville W 74–54  11–1
Freedom Hall (20,075)
Louisville, KY
01/04/1997
No. 3 Tennessee W 74–40  12–1
(1–0)
Rupp Arena (24,091)
Lexington, KY
01/07/1997
No. 3 Mississippi State W 90–61  13–1
(2–0)
Rupp Arena (24,038)
Lexington, KY
01/09/1997*
No. 3 Canisius W 68–45  14–1
Rupp Arena (22,883)
Lexington, KY
01/11/1997
No. 3 Ole Miss L 69–73  14–2
(2–1)
Tad Smith Coliseum (8,195)
Oxford, MS
01/14/1997
No. 3 at No. 24 Georgia W 86–65  15–2
(3–1)
Stegeman Coliseum (10,523)
Athens, GA
01/18/1997
No. 5 Auburn W 77–53  16–2
(4–1)
Rupp Arena (24,169)
Lexington, KY
01/22/1997
No. 3 vs. Vanderbilt W 58–46  17–2
(5–1)
Riverfront Coliseum (17,121)
Cincinnati, OH
01/26/1997
No. 3 at Arkansas W 83–73  18–2
(6–1)
Bud Walton Arena (20,320)
Fayetteville, AR
01/29/1997
No. 3 at Florida W 92–65  19–2
(7–1)
Stephen C. O'Connell Center (11,629)
Gainesville, FL
02/01/1997
No. 3 Georgia W 82–57  20–2
(8–1)
Rupp Arena (24,197)
Lexington, KY
02/04/1997
No. 3 at No. 25 South Carolina L 79–84 OT 20–3
(8–2)
Frank McGuire Arena (12,575)
Columbia, SC
02/06/1997*
No. 3 Western Carolina W 82–55  21–3
Rupp Arena (22,134)
Lexington, KY
02/09/1997*
No. 3 No. 18 Villanova W 93–56  22–3
Rupp Arena (24,277)
Lexington, KY
02/12/1997
No. 4 LSU W 84–48  23–3
(9–2)
Rupp Arena (23,981)
Lexington, KY
02/15/1997
No. 4 Florida W 85–56  24–3
(10–2)
Rupp Arena (24,191)
Lexington, KY
02/19/1997
No. 3 Alabama W 75–61  25–3
(11–2)
Coleman Coliseum (13,736)
Tuscaloosa, AL
02/22/1997
No. 3 at Vanderbilt W 82–79  26–3
(12–2)
Memorial Gymnasium (15,311)
Nashville, TN
02/25/1997
No. 3 at Tennessee W 74–64  27–3
(13–2)
Thompson-Boling Arena (20,241)
Knoxville, TN
03/02/1997
No. 3 No. 6 South Carolina
Homecoming
L 66–72  27–4
(13–3)
Rupp Arena (24,326)
Lexington, KY
SEC Tournament
03/07/1997
, JPS
(E2) No. 6 vs. (W3) Auburn
Quarterfinals
W 92–50  28–4
The Pyramid (20,000)
Memphis, TN
03/08/1997
, JPS
(E2) No. 6 vs. (W1) Ole Miss
Semifinals
W 88–70  29–4
The Pyramid (20,000)
Memphis, TN
03/09/1997
, CBS
(E2) No. 6 vs. (E3) No. 24 Georgia
Championship
W 95–68  30–4
The Pyramid (19,423)
Memphis, TN
NCAA tournament
03/13/1997*
(1 W) No. 5 vs. (16 W) Montana
First Round
W 92–54  31–4
Huntsman Center (13,832)
Salt Lake City, UT
03/15/1997*
(1 W) No. 5 vs. (8 W) Iowa
Second Round
W 75–69  32–4
Huntsman Center (14,387)
Salt Lake City, UT
03/20/1997*
, CBS
(1 W) No. 5 vs. (4 W) No. 12 Saint Joseph's
Sweet Sixteen
W 83–68  33–4
San Jose Arena (18,543)
San Jose, CA
03/22/1997*
, CBS
(1 W) No. 5 vs. (2 W) No. 2 Utah
Elite Eight
W 72–59  34–4
San Jose Arena (18,543)
San Jose, CA
03/29/1997*
, CBS
(1 W) No. 5 vs. (1 MW) No. 3 Minnesota
Final Four
W 78–69  35–4
RCA Dome (47,028)
Indianapolis, IN
03/31/1997*
, CBS
(1 W) No. 5 vs. (4 SE) No. 15 Arizona
National Championship
L 79–84 OT 35–5
RCA Dome (47,028)
Indianapolis, IN
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.

[1]

Rankings

Awards and honors

Team players drafted into the NBA

YearRoundPickPlayerNBA Club
199716Ron MercerBoston Celtics
1997113Derek AndersonCleveland Cavaliers
1998129Nazr MohammedUtah Jazz
1999128Scott PadgettUtah Jazz
2000119Jamaal MagloireCharlotte Hornets

[2]

References

  1. "Home". bigbluehistory.net.
  2. "1997 NBA Draft on". Databasebasketball.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
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