John Calipari shares what it means to honor 1984 Kentucky basketball team

Kentucky honored the 1984 men’s basketball team during the Wildcats’ 105-96 win over Georgia on Saturday.

Head coach John Calipari explained how he honored the team during Kentucky’s win, and explained what it meant to him to have one of his old friend’s best teams be honored in front of the Big Blue Nation inside Rupp Arena.

“We played a zone one of the possessions late in the game. Because [the late Coach Joe B. Hall] was always after me, 1-3-1,” Calipari explained postgame. “I didn’t get a chance, we have a recruit in, so I couldn’t go to the [1894 team’s celebration] function last night. But I would like to know how much of the 1-3-1 they played. But Coach Hall, one of the great human beings. You know, what he had to do here and then doing it with that team and the ’78 team following an absolute legend, the winningest coach in 42 years. Je came in and did it with class and worked.

“… But I can congratulate the ’84, and I appreciate them all being here and, you know, Sam [Bowie] and the guys, they’re good people.”

Bowie was a main part of Kentucky’s efforts during the 1984 squad. He started in all 34 of the Wildcats games that year and helped lead the Wildcats to an eventual Final Four run that same season. He averaged 10.5 points and 9.2 rebounds as a senior during the 1984-85 season and went on to have a lengthy NBA career.

While the team was being honored during halftime of the Kentucky-Georgia game, Bowie was handed a microphone and spoke on behalf of his team. Before he handed the mic off, he gave the crowd a good laugh when he finished by saying that if the Wildcats don’t win a championship this year, it would be Calipari’s fault.

“He told me he was going to say that,” Calipari said, smiling. “I said, go ahead, everybody else is throwing darts, you might as well be in there, too. If he watched the second half, I don’t think he would be saying it.”

Whether Kentucky can ultimately make a Final Four — something they haven’t done since the 2014-15 season, or win a championship (2011-12) — remains to be seen.

Ranked No. 6 in the latest AP Top 25 Poll, the Wildcats are sitting 4-1 and tied for second place in the current SEC standings. Next up for Kentucky is a Tuesday road trip against South Carolina. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET live on the SEC Network.

KenPom gives the Wildcats an 61 percent chance to leave Colonial Life Arena with a victory.