Can any of you old timers talk about the JV teams that UK used to have?
- Thread starter Kerry Kat
- Start date
It was used to develop Nazr Mohammed and Oliver Simmons, primarily. Cameron Mills and Jason Lathrem played on it, too!
They looked like the one we rolled out on Sunday to get Kstate warmed up for the S16
JV? Nope that may hurt their draft stock too much. Stop being selfish with this improving the team crap.
JV used to play before Varsity in 70's at Memorial. My Sophmore roommate was recruited to play on JV, but, he choose not to play and concentrate on studies.
The 71-72 Junior Varsity was Kentucky's best. It went 22-0.
Kevin Grevey, Mike Flynn, Jimmy Dan Conner, Steve Lochmueller, G.J. Smith, Bob Guyette and others were on that team.
Kevin Grevey, Mike Flynn, Jimmy Dan Conner, Steve Lochmueller, G.J. Smith, Bob Guyette and others were on that team.
Cal won't even fill the 13 scholarships we have much less try to field a JV team in addition.
Also, this isn't 1975 or even 1995. Kids that want to come to UK aren't willing to play JV ball. These guys are barely willing to play for our varsity team for a whole year.
Also, this isn't 1975 or even 1995. Kids that want to come to UK aren't willing to play JV ball. These guys are barely willing to play for our varsity team for a whole year.
We always have 4 or 5 walkons it seems. UK is different than most, I bet there would be a few players out there that would be willing to play JV ball for a year or two to possibly get the chance to eventually play on the varsity. With the way we have injuries all the time there may be a player here or there on the JV that could help some from time to time.
I saw that group play one game in December of 1971. They played in Freedom Hall in Louisville as an added attraction to the UK-IU game, the first UK game I attended. I do not recall the opponent, but the JV team rolled by about 30 points. I was super excited to be going to the game, in part because I knew the JV team was playing. Living in Louisville, I has been following super recruits Mike Flynn and Jimmy Dan Connor in the Courier Journal sports pages, back when the Courier was a world class paper. At some point during the JV game, I asked a friend about the left handed guy on the team. I said he looks better than Flynn and Conner, who had been hyped by the Courier for a couple of years. The lefty was Kevin Grevey, a pretty good player.
Why would he do a thing like that? That means more basketball and who the hell would wanna do that? Besides these kids are to cool to play on a JV team these days. Except when it's do or die then they'll finally play on a NBA JV team.. the G League. But that's just crazy talk now to ask these kids to play any more basketball. That cuts into NIL and looking at other options for the next year where they will go play at if they are on a JV team. Lord, I know I'd hate to be the one to have to ask a kid to play JV in 2023. That kid liable to smack a man or stab you or do anything for asking him a question like that. Some of em could use a JV team but broken fingernails and sprained ankles would get mighty ugly awfully quick around here I got a feeling.
With the transfer portal, there is no way a school could stockpile enough players for that today.
For those who don’t know, I do have a mini website which covers UK’s freshman and Junior Varsity teams.
UK Freshmen & JV team History
UK Freshmen & JV team History
I know this is going to be hard to believe but the "Super Kittens" were as popular as the the regular team. That team had the Mr. fill in the blank state of I believe it was 6 states. Truthfully the fans thought that group would win a title or two when they moved up. Truth is they in the fans minds were a disappointment until 75 when Goose, Roby, Phillips, and Lee were added. Made it to San Diego and only lost because Wooden announced it was his last game. Truth is though that JV team was one hell of a team.
It might be a revenue generator as well. I would love to see it reestablished. It was before my time but I would assume it was a great tool to develop players while building a strong bond together. I think that’s missing these days. It was just an idea.
Teams had more scholarships back then, and virtually every school had a JV team. So every game was 2 games. First the JV game, then the varsity game.
The Super Kittens got a ton of press and caused crowds to fill the arena early to watch them.
That club went on to get manhandled by IU early in the '74-'75 Season. But in the NCAA Tourney we beat the undefeated Hoosier by 2 in one of the best games in NCAA history. Then that group went on to win the title in 1978.
Times were so different then. Freshmen didn't play, and you had 3 years to watch guys develop. It was beautiful.
The Super Kittens got a ton of press and caused crowds to fill the arena early to watch them.
That club went on to get manhandled by IU early in the '74-'75 Season. But in the NCAA Tourney we beat the undefeated Hoosier by 2 in one of the best games in NCAA history. Then that group went on to win the title in 1978.
Times were so different then. Freshmen didn't play, and you had 3 years to watch guys develop. It was beautiful.
That was the group I remember as being one of the best. Great bunch of players.
