Kentucky Basketball's history vs. Western Kentucky

Believe it or not, tomorrow night will only be the seventh meeting between Kentucky and Western Kentucky on the hardwood. The two teams haven’t played each other in almost a decade, the last game taking place in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. As we count down ’til tipoff, let’s look back at the history of the series. Call it a Throwback Tuesday?

March 18, 1971: No. 7 WKU 107, No. 8 Kentucky 83

1971 NCAA Tournament Mideast Regional Semifinals, Athens, GA

The first meeting between the two programs happened during Western’s best season. The Hilltoppers beat Kentucky 107-83 in the Sweet 16 en route to the program’s only Final Four appearance. Western was led by Jim McDaniels, a consensus All-American and former Kentucky Mr. Basketball whom Adolph Rupp claimed to recruit but said didn’t qualify to enroll at Kentucky. McDaniels had 35 points and 11 rebounds in that game. The Hilltoppers’ Final Four appearance was later vacated after it was discovered that McDaniels signed with an agent prior to his senior season.

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March 16, 1986: No. 3 Kentucky 71, WKU 64

1986 NCAA Tournament Southeast Regional Second Round

Kenny Walker scored 32 points, including a perfect 9-9 mark from the floor in the first half, to push the Cats to the Sweet 16. Kentucky led by 15 points midway through the second half before Western cut the lead to four with under four minutes to play. Walker sealed the win from the free-throw line. The Cats beat Alabama in the Sweet 16 before falling to LSU in the Elite Eight.

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Dec. 21, 1990: No. 18 Kentucky 84, WKU 70

The first regular-season meeting between Kentucky and Western took place at Freedom Hall in Louisville. Rick Pitino scheduled the game after his former assistant Ralph Willard took the head coaching job at Western. Richie Farmer scored 22 points and led a 14-2 run late in the first half to push Kentucky’s lead to double digits. Reggie Hanson and Jeff Brassow had 14 points each.

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Feb. 15, 1992: No. 19 Kentucky 93, WKU 83

The next season, Western came to Rupp Arena for the first time. Jamal Mashburn had a team-high 26 points, while Harold Thompkins led the Hilltoppers with 28 points. Three other Cats finished in double figures: Deron Feldhaus (18), Richie Farmer (15), and Sean Woods (12). This would be the last time the two teams played for almost a decade.

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Nov. 15, 2001: WKU 64, No. 4 Kentucky 52

NABC Classic, Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY

Before Patrick Sparks was a Wildcat, he was a Hilltopper. As a freshman, Sparks scored four points in 22 minutes in Western’s 64-52 upset of No. 4 Kentucky in the NABC Classic at Rupp Arena. The Hilltoppers held the Cats to 33% shooting and forced 20 turnovers. Tayshaun Prince and Keith Bogans combined to shoot only 7-24 from the field for 20 points. Both JP Blevins and Rashaad Carruth missed this game with ankle sprains. Western went on to beat George Washington in the NABC Classic the next night in Rupp. Sparks transferred to Kentucky in 2003 after Dennis Felton left Western to take the job at Georgia.

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March 15, 2012: No. 1 Kentucky 81, WKU 66

NCAA Tournament South Region First Round, Yum Center, Louisville, KY

Kentucky’s march to its eighth national championship began vs. the Hilltoppers, a 16-seed. Credit to Western; they responded to Kentucky’s 10-0 start with a 12-0 run, but from there, the No. 1-seeded Cats pulled away. Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb led the way, with Jones putting up 22 points and 10 rebounds and Lamb scoring 16 points. Anthony Davis had 16 points, 9 rebounds, 7 blocks, 3 assists, and 1 steal.