Confession: Watching the 1996 semi-Final...

[specialkd24_rivals116121]

Let's rank a Top 10 of players from both teams and talent in the year they played (not what they did later - so I'll leave Nazr off the list).

1. Davis (12)
2. Delk (96)
3. Walker (96)
4. Mercer (96)
5. McCarty (96)
6. Anderson (96)
7. MKG (12)
8. Lamb (12)
9. Miller (12)
10. Epps (96)

TJones and Sheppard next.

 

[weatherbird]

I'll stop reading after this sentence. And I mean this with all respect ... Maybe the single-most ridiculous sports take ever on here ... and that is saying something.

Lamb shot great in 2012. Tony Delk is the No. 5 scorer in UK history. He did so much more than shoot 3-pointers. Enough said.

OK, I'll play, lamb shot a combined 47% from 3 over 2 years, scoring 1018 points in 2 years. Delk scored 1890 in 4 years. Also, Delks best 3fg% year was his senior year when he shot 44%. Maybe you didnt say enough.

Let's also do the bench:

Mercer > Miller (I'll admit this is close as Fr. vs. Sr. - but Mercer scored 20 as a freshman in National Title game)
Sheppard > Wiltjer
Pope > Vargas
Turner > Polson
Edwards > Beckham

I think another fun activity would be to rank the players (regardless of team by talent). Davis would be first, and after that I think there would be 4-5 1996 players before the next 2012 player is listed.

I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just wondering how old you are. I'm 42, so I was 18 in 1996. So I have a great memory of both teams. Maybe you are younger and maybe it recency bias.

So I was born in 1978, so I was 17 that year, didnt turn 18 until after the season. And it's great that you wanna compare benches, but the problem is, 2012 didnt play all those guys, they really played only 6, with wiltjer getting a few minutes here and there, and Vargas spot minutes. So all those bench guys would have had to go against the top 6 from 2012. And before we start with the worn out theory, that rarely happens in a single game, especially considering that the game wouldnt have been near as up and down, as 2012 would have controlled the tempo and wouldn't have turned it over very much.

Let's rank a Top 10 of players from both teams and talent in the year they played (not what they did later - so I'll leave Nazr off the list).

1. Davis (12)
2. Delk (96)
3. Walker (96)
4. Mercer (96)
5. McCarty (96)
6. Anderson (96)
7. MKG (12)
8. Lamb (12)
9. Miller (12)
10. Epps (96)

TJones and Sheppard next.

So you really think Anderson, Mercer, and McCarty were better in 96 than MKG?? I could see Walker, and Maybe Delk at 2 and 3, but Lamb, MKG, and Jones were better than anybody else in 96. I mean for goodness sake, MKG was the #2 pick in the very next draft. I think maybe you have forgotten just how good Jones was in his sophomore year.

 

[specialkd24_rivals116121]

So you really think Anderson, Mercer, and McCarty were better in 96 than MKG?? I could see Walker, and Maybe Delk at 2 and 3, but Lamb, MKG, and Jones were better than anybody else in 96. I mean for goodness sake, MKG was the #2 pick in the very next draft. I think maybe you have forgotten just how good Jones was in his sophomore year.

I don't think you can use draft position to compare eras. He had a great year, was really good defensively, but he can't shoot (which is why he has struggled in the NBA).

Its not like I'm saying MKG is the 12th best player. But Anderson and Mercer were unbelievable (and both have had better NBA careers than MKG). Maybe I'm letting what they did in 1997 cloud by brain, but I'd take versatile players who could shoot over MKG.

And the fact 1996 had a bigger bench would help them against 2012. They would press and wear down 2012, plus get them in foul trouble. More players played in 1996, which is also why the stats were spread out more.

I'll think about TJones a little more. I've watched every 2012 Tournament game over the past few months. He was great. I just don't think he would have ever been considered on of the best players ever (Anderson and Mercer were the following year - again I don't want 1997 to cloud my 1996 analysis too much).

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

Was it 96 that UMass beat us at the beginning of the season?

Them and Miss State. Both of whom went to the FF that year

 

[justanotherguy505]

I saw that UMASS team lose in DC to George Washington with Bill and Chelsea Clinton sitting one section away (not to drop any names). They were tough as hell and showed what a great coach Cal is. It got me to thinking: that 1996 team was one of the greatest ever assembled - and the final two games were nail-biters! It’s hard to win that tournament! Consider the plight of the 1974 UCLA and the 1991 UNLV teams.

That’s weird because a) UMASS lost to GW at home and b) They never played @ GW. Also, using the plus/minus to compare teams is not the brightest idea. IIRC, Kentucky trailed by 2 with a couple of minutes left before repeated fouls caused the margin to grow to 10. There were very few, if any intentional fouls by UMASS in the second game.

 

[bigblueinsanity_rivals250340]

Camby was much better than AD offensively.

Disagree. At start of the season sure. But the final version of Anthony davis was unstoppable. Everytime he shot the ball seems like it went in.

He had range out to 3pt line and probably beyond. Could handle the ball and unstoppable jump hook with either hand.

Jmo

 

[SDcatfan13]

Having only vague memories of the 1996 team, was a freshman Anthony Davis really much better than Walker/McCarty in the frontcourt? I've watched highlights of the 1995-96 team a good amount, and it seems like they were one of the best frontcourts in college basketball that year. Antoine Walker was a monster at times, and McCarty could hit shots out to the perimeter.

 

[VA/UK]

That’s weird because a) UMASS lost to GW at home and b) They never played @ GW. Also, using the plus/minus to compare teams is not the brightest idea. IIRC, Kentucky trailed by 2 with a couple of minutes left before repeated fouls caused the margin to grow to 10. There were very few, if any intentional fouls by UMASS in the second game.

I was at the game. February 25, 1996. Idiot.

 

[VA/UK]

I was at the game. February 25, 1996. Idiot.

BTW- Another reason to hate the Lakers.

 

[HagginHall1999]

Disagree. At start of the season sure. But the final version of Anthony davis was unstoppable. Everytime he shot the ball seems like it went in.

He had range out to 3pt line and probably beyond. Could handle the ball and unstoppable jump hook with either hand.

Jmo

This is no knock on AD...Camby was a much better offensive player, it just isn't close. You have to be looking at this through blue tinted lenses.

 

[justanotherguy505]

I was at the game. February 25, 1996. Idiot.

Game was played at the Mullins Center, which is in Amherst, MA, which was on UMASS's homecourt, and not at GW. Either you're BSing, or you have your years mixed up. Maybe you went in 1995. Right now, you look like the idiot; just take your "L" and go home.

https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1996-02-25-9602250219-story.html

ETA2: Deleted edit.

 

[VA/UK]

Game was played at the Mullins Center, which is in Amherst, MA, which was on UMASS's homecourt, and not at GW. Either you're BSing, or you have your years mixed up. Maybe you went in 1995. Right now, you look like the idiot; just take your "L" and go home.

https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1996-02-25-9602250219-story.html

You’re right. It was the year before. I apologize.

 

[justanotherguy505]

You’re right. It was the year before. I apologize.

Sound like a cool experience. Crazy question, but did you get to talk to him or get a picture? I bet that place was crazy. Only reason I knew 1996 was at UMASS because I remember how shocked I was that UMASS first (and only) loss came at home. I remember watching the UK/Florida game, and the updates kept popping up.

 

[VA/UK]

Sound like a cool experience. Crazy question, but did you get to talk to him or get a picture? I bet that place was crazy. Only reason I knew 1996 was at UMASS because I remember how shocked I was that UMASS first (and only) loss came at home. I remember watching the UK/Florida game, and the updates kept popping up.

Thank you. They were off to our right in the next section. It was a madhouse in a relatively small arena. Afterwards, we went to grab some beers at a restaurant near the GW campus. Who strolled by us? Chelsea - who was having dinner with some pals. Again, sorry.

 

[justanotherguy505]

Thank you. They were off to our right in the next section. It was a madhouse in a relatively small arena. Afterwards, we went to grab some beers at a restaurant near the GW campus. Who strolled by us? Chelsea - who was having dinner with some pals. Again, sorry.

I think I'm a bit younger (I was early middle school in 96), but for some reason, when I think of the name, Chelsea Clinton, I think of this:

 

[mailman85_rivals376684]

I'll stop reading after this sentence. And I mean this with all respect ... Maybe the single-most ridiculous sports take ever on here ... and that is saying something.

Lamb shot great in 2012. Tony Delk is the No. 5 scorer in UK history. He did so much more than shoot 3-pointers. Enough said.

Delk vs Lamb, smh..

This discussion is why I enjoy this site. For us old timers it brings back a lot of memories and what ifs.. Great points made on both sides.

 

[SDC_99]

The 90s was peak Kentucky basketball and always will be for modern era.

:weary: