The "Unforgettables" Version 2

[Kyhoward]

I have dubbed this team the Unforgettables Version 2 after our 1991-92 team. Not the most talented UK team by a longshot but will be remembered forever with the original Unforgettables. Great heart and character carried this team to the Sweet 16. A true TEAM that played for BBN and each other. So refreshing to have players that want to win and are not thinking about themselves. Loved watching them, loved seeing them embrace the fans, and their love for the coaching staff. It was so evident all year long that each player, it seemed to me, not only wanted to be at UK but could not believe they were actually at UK? They seemed truly grateful which is usually not a trait that you see in young people.

A giant thank you to OUR players - Jaxson, Kerr, Kobe, Amari, Brandon, Otega, Andrew, Lamont, Trent, Travis, Collin, Walker, Grant, Ansley, and Zach.
And OUR great coaching staff - CMP, Alvin, Mark, Cody, Jason, Mikhail. And a big shoutout to the strength and conditioning coaches and our most valuable members, the training staff.

 

[ukwazoo]

Eh, the real unforgettables went out swinging. That's all I'll say.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

I find it bizarre to compare guys that bled for UK for 4 seasons to just another type of one and done this current season. Respect the opinion but disagree with it.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

Eh, the real unforgettables went out swinging. That's all I'll say.

Not to mention, that team was SCREWED in that duke game. We beat them in regulation by 8-10 points had it been called evenly. I’ll die on that hill.

 

[BIG BLUE GURU]

I find it bizarre to compare guys that bled for UK for 4 seasons to just another type of one and done this current season. Respect the opinion but disagree with it.

They had no choice as it was the situation that presented itself. Thank Cal for taking all our players. Would you have rather Pope went the high school route? Good luck with that and the 3 stars that were left. We wouldn't have come close to sniffing the Tournament. Some of you are just miserable. Thanks to all the Cats who exceeded 90% of this boards Pre-season expectations

 

[Cat_Man_Blue]

Well said
There just wasn't much talle t to be had when Pope got hear. He found some good players, but as a group, they just aren't athletic enough.

 

[fredmanthecatfan]

The analogy is far from perfect, but I totally get where the OP is coming from.
Imagine if Mashburn, Pelphrey, and Woods had all been inured off and on during the season and went into the tournament without any one of them.
No one will ever confuse last night’s game to the one many objective parties call the greatest basketball game ever played, but this team played FOR Kentucky and for the love of Kentucky more than any team we’ve had in recent years. They will be remembered fondly by UK fans for years to come.

 

[Kyhoward]

The analogy is far from perfect, but I totally get where the OP is coming from.
Imagine if Mashburn, Pelphrey, and Woods had all been inured off and on during the season and went into the tournament without any one of them.
No one will ever confuse last night’s game to the one many objective parties call the greatest basketball game ever played, but this team played FOR Kentucky and for the love of Kentucky more than any team we’ve had in recent years. They will be remembered fondly by UK fans for years to come.

True, in my head was Woods Pelphrey,Feldhaus, and Farmer. Mash was the exception

 

[Fox2monk]

Eh, the real unforgettables went out swinging. That's all I'll say.

Bout as close as we can get in the portal era honestly.

 

[Cawood86]

Won't go that far, but this team was special in many ways.

 

[Midway Cat]

Eh, the real unforgettables went out swinging. That's all I'll say.

You might also tell us how many members of the original Unforgettables were lost to season-ending injuries or who continued to play despite needing surgery.

 

[FirewithFire]

Eh, the unforgettables were just that, unforgettable in a good way. They earned that name because they fought tooth and nail. When all was said and done they left everything they had on the floor.

This group not so much. I can accept a loss. I cannot accept a loss where half the team looked like they didn't show up to play. That is being unforgettable in a bad way.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

It will be remembered as Pope's first roster that had a lot of deficiencies. There really isn't anything "unforgettable" about this team. I personally can't rank them that high. Granted, the injuries did hamper the team and it put a ceiling on our potential.. but this roster is highly forgettable for me. I think the real magic was Pope's offense and halftime adjustments when the team would sleep walk through the first half of many games

 

[LineSkiCat14]

GYou might also tell us how many members of the original Unforgettables were lost to season-ending injuries or who continued to play despite needing surgery.

Sadly, the injury argument goes out the door with what we saw last night. This team beat Tenneessee TWICE with more players out/hobbled.

 

[NociHTTP]

More like the SAW's

Stand
And
Watch

 

[Midway Cat]

Sadly, the injury argument goes out the door with what we saw last night. This team beat Tenneessee TWICE with more players out/hobbled.

It doesn’t.

People are just emotional about losing, which is understandable.

I obviously wish the outcome had been different, but the circumstances were still the same.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

It doesn’t.

People are just emotional about losing, which is understandable.

I obviously wish the outcome had been different, but the circumstances were still the same.

For last night it does. You can't blame injuries on what happened last night, not when this team beat the Vols twice with those same injuries (more actually).

Now, if you want to say injuries caused some other losses, hamstrung the team, put a cap on our potential (we weren't beating Houston or going any further), I agree with that.

But we won the game over the final like 25 minutes.. so we were clearly good enough and healthy enough to win. No, the problem was, we didn't show up in the first 15 minutes and made too costly of mistakes. Can't blame injuries on that.

 

[Kyhoward]

Won't go that far, but this team was special in many ways.

Thought a Harlan Countian would agree with son of a Harlan Countian!

 

[the nail at the foul line]

The MASH Cats

 

[megablue]

They had no choice as it was the situation that presented itself. Thank Cal for taking all our players. Would you have rather Pope went the high school route? Good luck with that and the 3 stars that were left. We wouldn't have come close to sniffing the Tournament. Some of you are just miserable. Thanks to all the Cats who exceeded 90% of this boards Pre-season expectations

I may be wrong, but it seems like KY pretty much met expectations. They ended up about where most, talking heads and fans, predicted and expected them to. A pretty good year, but not a great one. With four (4) 1000-point scorers and incredible experience with 5th-year players … we really couldn’t help but be pretty good, it always seemed to me.

 

[Cawood86]

Thought a Harlan Countian would agree with son of a Harlan Countian!

I really like this team. Unforgettable was a step above imo. Good to know another Harlan countian is on here 👍

 

[Jamal Sunburn]

I have dubbed this team the Unforgettables Version 2 after our 1991-92 team. Not the most talented UK team by a longshot but will be remembered forever with the original Unforgettables. Great heart and character carried this team to the Sweet 16. A true TEAM that played for BBN and each other. So refreshing to have players that want to win and are not thinking about themselves. Loved watching them, loved seeing them embrace the fans, and their love for the coaching staff. It was so evident all year long that each player, it seemed to me, not only wanted to be at UK but could not believe they were actually at UK? They seemed truly grateful which is usually not a trait that you see in young people.

A giant thank you to OUR players - Jaxson, Kerr, Kobe, Amari, Brandon, Otega, Andrew, Lamont, Trent, Travis, Collin, Walker, Grant, Ansley, and Zach.
And OUR great coaching staff - CMP, Alvin, Mark, Cody, Jason, Mikhail. And a big shoutout to the strength and conditioning coaches and our most valuable members, the training staff.

They folded like lawn chairs. Cut it out.

 

[bthaunert]

They had no choice as it was the situation that presented itself. Thank Cal for taking all our players. Would you have rather Pope went the high school route? Good luck with that and the 3 stars that were left. We wouldn't have come close to sniffing the Tournament. Some of you are just miserable. Thanks to all the Cats who exceeded 90% of this boards Pre-season expectations

How is that a miserable response. The Unforgettables are so special because they stuck through the leanest years in UK history. The poster was pointing out that a lot of the love for the unforgettables is tied to them being home grown (or in Woods case, from IN with KY ties) and being with the program for 4 and 5 years as opposed to coming in for 1 year. No one is saying it should have been done differently, it’s just a glaring difference between the two teams. That’s not being miserable.

 

[ukcatz12]

This team beat Tenneessee TWICE with more players out/hobbled.

Tennessee was the better team all three times we played them. Both of our wins against them were fool's gold of sorts built on the backs of unlucky contributors on our end (like Noah and Perry going a combined 5/7 from 3 in the second game) and UT doing things like taking 45 3s in the first game.

In a 10 game series the would have probably won 7 or so and I wouldn't be surprised if most of those wins were by double digits.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Tennessee was the better team all three times we played them. Both of our wins against them were fool's gold of sorts built on the backs of unlucky contributors on our end (like Noah and Perry going a combined 5/7 from 3 in the second game) and UT doing things like taking 45 3s in the first game.

In a 10 game series the would have probably won 7 or so and I wouldn't be surprised if most of those wins were by double digits.

Yeah i think there some truth to that. I also think the Duke win was flukey as well. I really believe Pope had this team playing way above themselves and their abilities.

 

[ukfan1622]

I don't totally agree but if you already dubbed it so be it.

 

[Kyhoward]

I don't totally agree but if you already dubbed it so be it.

The 2 teams are different no doubt. I just believe that this year’s team will not be forgotten. CMP will be bringing up his 1st UK team as the foundation for all future squads. This team overachieved as did the 1991-92 team. Both were fun to watch.