A small fact that I somehow overlooked over the years! I mean...I was pretty young. But I never knew he was a transfer into our program. I just thought we stole him from Indiana, as he was Indiana Mr. Basketball.
Kyle Macy a Transfer?
- Thread starter MasonCoBlue
- Start date
Probably the best transfer in our history. Probably a top 10 all-time NCAA transfer.
The summer before the 77/78 season, after Macy had sat out a year before playing for UK, Rick Robey told my father that UK had a guard coming eligible who was the best guard he had ever played basketball with.
And, Robey was right, as Macy led the cats to the 78 ncaaT Championship.
rr
And, Robey was right, as Macy led the cats to the 78 ncaaT Championship.
rr
Can still see him wiping his hands on his knee socks before attempting a free throw.
My dad had some connections back in those days. He told me that he'd spoken to someone very close to the program, and the word was that "this Macy guy will make you forget Larry Johnson."
Man, that was dead on.
I was told he had a 38-point game at Purdue as a freshman. That number may not be exactly right but it's close. Anyway, apparently the upperclassmen told him that would never happen again. Thank you Purdue upperclassmen.
Respectfully ... I don't think they were "knee socks". Just up-to-mid-calf socks, as I recall. And I, too, can still see Macy wiping his hands on his socks before a free throw.
Easily the best transfer in UK history, and it’s not even close. Agree with the above poster, that if you’re talking about transfers from 4 your colleges, he’s top 10, probably even top 5. Not sure if Larry Bird counts, but he would be #1 with guys like Hank Gathers, Kyle Macy and Bo Kimble in the top 5.
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If we had him in 1977 when he was sitting out his redshirt we would have won back to back titles. We probably had the best team in 1977 without him. He was the quarterback we needed
Overall, I’d put our transfer starting team (not including grad and JUCO) up against any school:
G - Kyle Macy
G - Derek Anderson
F - Heshimu Evans
F - Mark Pope
C - Oscar Tshiebwe
G - Kyle Macy
G - Derek Anderson
F - Heshimu Evans
F - Mark Pope
C - Oscar Tshiebwe
Agreed, and and the frustrating thing is it sounds like we very likely would’ve had him in 77 if we’d just been a wee bit more patient. Appears ole Joe B. stopped recruiting him out of high school when Truman Claytor accepted.
Kyle Macy had to convince Joe Hall to let him transfer to Kentucky
Kyle Macy with former UK coach Joe Hall and former UK All-American Kenny Walker.After one season at Purdue, Kyle Macy wanted to transfer and immediately he thought Kentucky — a school that recruited him in high school
www.yoursportsedge.com
We would’ve been hands down the nation’s best team in 77 with Macy.
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Loved “The Manhattan Transfer”. The first four won national championships. Hope the fifth will as well!
Second team
Travis Ford
Patrick Sparks.
Josh Harrelson if he counts
Kellen Grady
Reid Travis
I’d have to include Dale Brown somewhere on those teams.
One of the most efficient, smart and fundamentally sound player I have ever seen. And I mean all the time. Cool hand Luke and Ice blood in his veins, he was an amazing player.
Floor General who led that ultra talented '78 team to a title. Transfers had to sit out for a year back then. macy is one of the most beloved UK players ever.
Travis and Patrick definitely. I wasn’t including grad or JUCO guys on mine, so didn’t include guys like Jorts, Grady, Travis, Brown and Bob Burrow. Burrow would actually be the 2nd best transfer behind Macy if Juco’s were included.
Maybe. DA has to be in the conversation, as he was co-leader for NPOY (w/ Duncan) before his injury.
I idolized Macy from '78-'80 but, when playing backyard hoops I always wanted to be Jay Shidler, the Blond Bomber. Very good long range shooter at a time when even a 25 footer still counted only 2 points. If I close my eyes I can still hear Cawood on the call...
"Macy drives to the top of the key...kicks to Shidler on the wing. he's gonna launch it from there...WRITE IT DOWN!"
"Macy drives to the top of the key...kicks to Shidler on the wing. he's gonna launch it from there...WRITE IT DOWN!"
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Meh, regardless of how it's spelled, Cawood was the best.
Yep I was in high school playing ball, he transferred from Purdue was the perfect PG for that 1978 team.
He scored something like 38 points in his first Big Ten game for Purdue his freshman season. But his coach told him he would not be starting the next season because their injured starter would be back. Two years later we win a National championship and that coach is out of a job.
Yep.. I knew that just described them incorrectly. Still deadly from the FT line.
I guess they are pretty much midcalf. I had a lot of socks much longer than that. I was at Purdue when Macy was and moved to Kentucky in 1977. That was a good sports year for UK.
I loved DA, but he’s not even in the sane ballpark. Unfortunately, part of that is due to injury.
Macy played at UK 3 years and was 3-time All-SEC, 3-time All American (consensus 2nd his junior year and consensus 1st his senior year), SEC Player of the Year, SEC Tournament MVP, scored 1400 points.
DA was 2nd team All SEC his senior year.
Dukie V started the story about Macy drying his hands on his socks because it was the only dry spot on his body, but that turned out to be untrue and it was just his routine. As far as Larry Johnson , he was excellent in his own right and what kept UK from FF that was year was uncheat played "chicken ball" and the refs. If I'm not mistaken that's when Smith called Robey an SOB and he denied it plus the media took up for Smith. Dean Smith was the main reason for shot clock. I still can't stand him!!! He and K are the two biggest phonies in CB history to me!!!!
