ADVERTISEMENT

Most impressive single game coaching performance in UK modern history

What game would you choose?

Hall beating Indiana in 74-75
Hall beating Michigan State in 77-78
Sutton beating Louisville by 34 in 86-87
Pitino beating LSU in 89-90
Pitino losing to Duke in 91-92
Pitino beating Tennessee in 92-93
Pitino beating LSU in 93-94
Pitino beating Arkansas in 94-95
Pitino beating LSU in 95-96
Smith beating Duke in 97-98
Smith beating Utah in 97-98
Smith beating Vandy in 02-03
Calipari beating Ohio St in 10-11
Calipari beating Louisville in 11-12
Calipari beating Wich St in 13-14
Calipari beating Wisconsin in 13-14
Calipari beating UCLA in 14-15
Calipari beating W. VA in 14-15
Other
Pitino losing to Duke is the best coaching performance I’ve ever seen. Hall beating IU is probably second. Tubby coming back against 98 Duke is up there. Cal against Ohio State was probably his best coaching performance but I don’t know about all time.
 
You could list 100 games where Cal got out coached, but you can't take any of these away from him.

Ohio State: His masterpiece
Louisville: Had the better team, but think of the pressure in that game. Louisville tied it with like five minutes to go. Many coaches fold in that situation.
Wichita State: Another great team we went toe to toe with, without blinking
Wisconsin: No one remembers this game because of what happened the next year. Wisconsin was a 2 seed that probably destroys UConn in title game.
UCLA: Which is more impressive....86-42 at halftime or 41-7?
WVU: Complete dismantling of a team most people expected to give us fits
If Cal coached half as competently as he did against UofL every game he would still be here.
 
What game would you choose?

Hall beating Indiana in 74-75
Hall beating Michigan State in 77-78
Sutton beating Louisville by 34 in 86-87
Pitino beating LSU in 89-90
Pitino losing to Duke in 91-92
Pitino beating Tennessee in 92-93
Pitino beating LSU in 93-94
Pitino beating Arkansas in 94-95
Pitino beating LSU in 95-96
Smith beating Duke in 97-98
Smith beating Utah in 97-98
Smith beating Vandy in 02-03
Calipari beating Ohio St in 10-11
Calipari beating Louisville in 11-12
Calipari beating Wich St in 13-14
Calipari beating Wisconsin in 13-14
Calipari beating UCLA in 14-15
Calipari beating W. VA in 14-15
Other
Brooks beating Les Miles
 
Pitino losing to Duke is the best coaching performance I’ve ever seen. Hall beating IU is probably second. Tubby coming back against 98 Duke is up there. Cal against Ohio State was probably his best coaching performance but I don’t know about all time.
I didn't get a chance to watch Joe B. coach but the rest of this I second. Most of Pitino's games against Indiana were incredibly well coached too, frankly on both sides. I think it was really Rick's consistent outmaneuvering of Bobby Knight that shows best what he could have been if he had stayed put in Camelot.
 
I didn't get a chance to watch Joe B. coach but the rest of this I second. Most of Pitino's games against Indiana were incredibly well coached too, frankly on both sides. I think it was really Rick's consistent outmaneuvering of Bobby Knight that shows best what he could have been if he had stayed put in Camelot.
I didn’t see Hall coach either but I’ve watched some old games. I say that because of how dominate Indiana was and Bob Knight was the best coach in the nation around then.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BlueSince92
Most of Pitino's games against Indiana were incredibly well coached too, frankly on both sides.
Dakich said the year Indiana beat us in that period (94 maybe?) Knight came up with something to beat our press that Pitino was forced to address, which made UK better.
 
  • Love
Reactions: BlueSince92
Pitino and the 14 and 14 season unbelievable coaching job and no games lost at home also the huge comeback in 94 against lsu pitino you can say what you want to about him and alot is warranted but man what a great coaching mind
 
One other thing not mentioned about that great '75 game vs. IU ..... Coach Hall took heat all the time for not letting his guards shoot. We preferred to pound the ball inside because we had two huge, talented guys that could score. But in that IU game, Hall turned those boys loose! Mike Flynn and Jimmy Dan Connor wore them out! Great move by Hall and those seniors responded.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TopCatCal
This is a great list, and most of the games that came to my mind were on it.

I might add the Kansas game in December 1990. The way we returned the favor for the epic beat down the previous season was masterful, and a sign of things to come.
 
Pitino losing to Duke is the best coaching performance I’ve ever seen. Hall beating IU is probably second. Tubby coming back against 98 Duke is up there. Cal against Ohio State was probably his best coaching performance but I don’t know about all time.
You're right about Pitino's loss to Duke in 92. On paper that Duke team should have beat that UK team by 30 points. Just another example of what a great coach that Rick Pitino was.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kywildcat41035
2003 Tubby Cats were so much better than they should've been.
26 wins in a row. Undefeated in a loaded SEC.
Number 1 seed with Keith Bogans and Gerald Fitch?
No better example in Kentucky history of whole more than the sum of its parts.
Florida came in ranked 1. And we just dominated them.
Up 23 at halftime.
Again, Marquis Estill and Erik Daniels?

That was all coaching performance.
 
Regular season: Mardi Gras Miracle
NCAAT: "What's he doing to Wojo" game
 
The Calipari games you listed. Every one of these games Calipari had as much, probably more talent than the other team.

To answer your question. The 2 that comes to mind are

1 - When Joe B Hall & his 74-75 team beat #1 ranked & undefeated Indiana in the Elite-8 by a 92-90 score.
2 - Also when Tubby & his 97-98 team beat #1 seed Duke in the Elite-8.

These are the two which stand out to me as well. Joe Hall vs. Indiana in 1975 and Tubby vs. Duke in 1998.

Others that are nearly this remarkable, in no particular order, Tubby vs. Stanford in the 1998 final four, Joe Hall's FSU game in 1978, Cal's UNC game in the 2011 elite 8.
 
Most basketball fans
I've got to go vs LSU 89-90 (coincidentally my first UK game in Rupp).
We had no business being even close in that game vs Shaq, Chris Jackson, & Stanley Roberts.

For you young fans, our front line went 6'7-6'7-6'7 (Hanson, Feldhaus, Pelphrey). Add in Miller shooting 15 3's a game by himself, and then Woods, Farmer and Brassow. Feldhaus & Pelphrey and Farmer didn't play much the year before (on a 13-19 team) and Woods had sat out that year (Prop 48), and Brassow was a FR.
Meanwhile Chris Jackson still is the best scorer in college that I have seen in my life (I never saw Maravich). And Shaq was well Shaq, giving LSU 2 good 7-footers (him and Roberts).
H
I've got to go vs LSU 89-90 (coincidentally my first UK game in Rupp).
We had no business being even close in that game vs Shaq, Chris Jackson, & Stanley Roberts.

For you young fans, our front line went 6'7-6'7-6'7 (Hanson, Feldhaus, Pelphrey). Add in Miller shooting 15 3's a game by himself, and then Woods, Farmer and Brassow. Feldhaus & Pelphrey and Farmer didn't play much the year before (on a 13-19 team) and Woods had sat out that year (Prop 48), and Brassow was a FR.
Meanwhile Chris Jackson still is the best scorer in college that I have seen in my life (I never saw Maravich). And Shaq was well Shaq, giving LSU 2 good 7-footers (him and Roberts).
Most basketball fans don't realize how phenomenal Chris Jackson/Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was. He was Steph Curry long before that style became popular. To beat all, the man became a very successful pro with Tourette's Syndrome.
 
Other than Coach Rupp, no coach UK has ever had was as basketball X’s and O’s brilliant as P.
I wasn’t around for Rupp but he put us on the map so much RESPECT for that man. I have to totally agree with you about Pitino he was winning games with players that didn’t have business winning some of the games they were winning!
 
Duke in 98. My favorite UK game ever and just a master class in coaching.

Kept having Turner drive over and over when Wojo proved he couldn't stop him.
Not calling a timeout to let Duke regroup.

Amazing comeback and game.
 
Considering the pressure Hall was under, this was an amazing move. Of course, I don't know how long they sat there.
Freddie Cowan and Lavon Williams played 14 minutes a piece and Dwane Casey 6. Givens played 20 minutes and Robey played 23. Claytor ended up playing 31.
 
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT