Before my time when he was a Cat but still one of my all time favorites. Pope can you get some portalers with his kind of attitude and aggression please?
Nazr Mohammed
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Should be a serious GM candidate here!
Most definitely. Isn’t he a GM position the nba already?
I was like one or two but I feel like I seen him play live. That play where he kind of just lobbed it up and hit that bank shot was talked about by my dad so much it feels like I was there. Not sure of the situation but I think that was a pretty important game. Maybe someone can fill me in on the situation. Was that a regular season game or tournament?
Edit: wasn’t he one of Popes teammates? Was he at the game the other day? And do you think Pope would welcome him as a GM?
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Think the shot you are referring to was the game winning dribble scoop shot that beat Vandy at the buzzer that kept us undefeated at 8-0 or some such in SEC play.
Yes, he was on the '95-'96 team with Pope (backed Pope up at C that season).
Last I knew he was the GM of the OKC G-League team and a pro scout for the Thunder.
Think the shot you are referring to was the game winning dribble scoop shot that beat Vandy at the buzzer that kept us undefeated at 8-0 or some such in SEC play.
Yes, he was on the '95-'96 team with Pope (backed Pope up at C that season).
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Bitter sweet seeing highlights. Just watched the Florida game when Rondo was here and they came to Rupp. Maybe number 1? Just the quality the videos make me realize how fast time goes. Feels like yesterday I was sitting in my Granny’s living room watching that game going crazy with the family. Now here it is almost 30 years later … good memories. Can somebody slow down time? Where does it go?
I think he would be a good GM but I don’t think this Administration really cares about winning because we have been irrelevant for 6 plus years now.
Yeah we're irrelevant
We're only hotter than any team in the country and becoming the team no one will want to see in March
Not hat it really matters but he wasn’t the backup center for that team. Probably had more DNPs than appearances. Pretty much only played in blowouts.
Love Nazr. Can’t stop thinking about it he had made any of his free throws, we’d have another title in 1997
In his freshman season, Nazr looked like he would never make a contribution. He didn't even look good enough to be called a "project."
But then, something happened...
But then, something happened...
Mohammad wasn't that "aggressive at UK". Magloire on the other hand was. Rick and Tubby would rotate in Magloire for defense and physicalness, and Nazr for scoring & offense.
It’s amazing how it worked out for him. He’s shown what effort can do.
Remember when Nazr would fast for Ramadan and lose 10 lbs in the month between mid Feb. - mid March. Not my religion, but I always respected his dedication and drive.
You better buckle up buttercup........it doesn't slow down...........it just keeps spinning by faster.........I am in my mid 70's and it keeps going by faster and faster.Bitter sweet seeing highlights. Just watched the Florida game when Rondo was here and they came to Rupp. Maybe number 1? Just the quality the videos make me realize how fast time goes. Feels like yesterday I was sitting in my Granny’s living room watching that game going crazy with the family. Now here it is almost 30 years later … good memories. Can somebody slow down time? Where does it go?
Nazr put in the work for sure. Completely transformed his body. He also had great hands and always kept the ball high. Almost never brought it down. That’s what my memory is telling me anyway.
Speaking of great hands. Magloire suffered from the opposite of that early on at UK. Looked like a toddler trying to catch a balloon.
impressed with both of those guys with how hard they worked to become the players they were. That and putting Mojo in a suplex.
Speaking of great hands. Magloire suffered from the opposite of that early on at UK. Looked like a toddler trying to catch a balloon.
impressed with both of those guys with how hard they worked to become the players they were. That and putting Mojo in a suplex.
He actually played on the JV team that Pitino started that year . It really helped in his development.
Nazr owns three of my favorite UK memories
1) As others have noted, showing up looking like he had just eaten Chris Farley for dinner and completely altering his body through hard work to become a legit NBA talent is my favorite situation behind any titles.
2) The Vandy game winner for the sheer jubilation/astonishment from the team. Tubby going crazy, Masiello trying to rip Nazr’s jersey off in pursuit, etc. Such a weird shot release which makes it all the better.
3) This one isn’t as flattering but speaking of weird shot releases, there was a play where Nazr took a wide open baseline jumper from 14 feet and the ball missed the rim by 4 feet. He wasn’t short 4 feet, it ended up 4 feet IN FRONT of the rim. Just total knuckleball. My dad yelled out “what the crap was that??” To this day maybe the worst but also most hilarious shot I can remember. Unfortunately I don’t recall who we were playing though.
1) As others have noted, showing up looking like he had just eaten Chris Farley for dinner and completely altering his body through hard work to become a legit NBA talent is my favorite situation behind any titles.
2) The Vandy game winner for the sheer jubilation/astonishment from the team. Tubby going crazy, Masiello trying to rip Nazr’s jersey off in pursuit, etc. Such a weird shot release which makes it all the better.
3) This one isn’t as flattering but speaking of weird shot releases, there was a play where Nazr took a wide open baseline jumper from 14 feet and the ball missed the rim by 4 feet. He wasn’t short 4 feet, it ended up 4 feet IN FRONT of the rim. Just total knuckleball. My dad yelled out “what the crap was that??” To this day maybe the worst but also most hilarious shot I can remember. Unfortunately I don’t recall who we were playing though.
Even with as much as he improved while at UK, I am still MOST surprised by his staying power in the NBA... I thought he would have struggled too much with the athleticism in the league, and he would've been replaced.
kudos to him, though
Nazr sat next to me in an accounting 202 class spring semester of 1997. He was in class consistently and actually seemed to be a descent student. He was a really good dude. Quiet in class but we talked quite a bit. Some things that stand out:
- we were preparing for one day for an exam and he leaned over and told me no way he was going to pass. He was really nervous about it. After exam, we received the scores a class later. He got his and smiled, flashed me the paper and showed me a B. He said, “tutors come through again!”
- after Mercer announced his decision to leave, we were in class next day or so, first class after, and I asked Nazr, “when will you have an announcement like that?” He told me never. I think he truly believed that. He said in his dreams. Next season, he left a year early.
- I worked at the mall and there was a Kentucky shop next to the food court at the time (I think it was called Allsports), they had Nazr in one day to sign autographs after the season in 98; a year after our class. I went in with a picture I had from a Sports Illustrated that was cool, it was an above court view of Nazr going for a basket or rebound, something like that. I had him sign it. He remembered me from class and brought up the story above. He told me he never would have dreamed that he would leave early and get drafted. He also told me the pic I brought in was one of the best he’d seen and asked if he could have it. I kept it, have it framed with his sig!
- we were preparing for one day for an exam and he leaned over and told me no way he was going to pass. He was really nervous about it. After exam, we received the scores a class later. He got his and smiled, flashed me the paper and showed me a B. He said, “tutors come through again!”
- after Mercer announced his decision to leave, we were in class next day or so, first class after, and I asked Nazr, “when will you have an announcement like that?” He told me never. I think he truly believed that. He said in his dreams. Next season, he left a year early.
- I worked at the mall and there was a Kentucky shop next to the food court at the time (I think it was called Allsports), they had Nazr in one day to sign autographs after the season in 98; a year after our class. I went in with a picture I had from a Sports Illustrated that was cool, it was an above court view of Nazr going for a basket or rebound, something like that. I had him sign it. He remembered me from class and brought up the story above. He told me he never would have dreamed that he would leave early and get drafted. He also told me the pic I brought in was one of the best he’d seen and asked if he could have it. I kept it, have it framed with his sig!
That is what I remember. Jamal Magloire had a temperament similar to current Cat Brandon Garrison. Nazr was pretty mild mannered from my memory.
Naz was a Freshman on the 1996 National Championship team, when Pope was a Senior.