Was at Rupp during Petino's second year when we beat Kansas. They beat us the year before by about 40 points at Kansas, and we returned the favor in Lexington. As the game progressed, we were able to get within a few points of their lead and the crowd kept getting louder and louder and louder until I thought the building would collapse. I took my daughter who was young then and she wanted to know, after the game, if we could just go to the basketball games instead of the football games. She wasn't aware that I did not have season tickets to Rupp. But, as time moves on, that game remains the best I have ever attended.
The loudest crowd I was ever in
- Thread starter Darkcide
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Loudest game and most physical game as well was on Super Bowl Sunday 1984 in Rupp. Houston "Phi Slama Jama" vs. Kentucky. There were blows delivered in that game that not sure I have seen since
It was even worse than that. They beat us by 55 points. We gave up a staggering 150 points in that game (the final score was 150-95).
But, yeah, getting a little payback the next year in Rupp was mighty sweet.
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I was at that game people were standing the entire game and it was the loudest I've ever heard.
Larry Conley was the color guy; he said the crowd was like the one at the tearing down of the Berlin Wall.
I know this will be hard to believe, but the second loudest crowd I can remember was my senior year at Lexington Catholic in 1964 when we played Lafayette. The LCH gym was packed to the rafters with one side a sea of red and the other (my side) a sea of blue. The entire game was nip and tuck with them scoring and us scoring until the end. Catholic beat Lafayette for the first time in history by one point in two overtimes. I will never forget that moment. When we have a reunion, that is the single most discussed topic every time we get together.
I've been fortunate to be in attendance to some great games and I'm not a season ticket holder. A couple of games that I would put in the "loudest" category and were kind of unique involved 2 SEC tournament games.
The first one was at the very first SEC tournament that I attended and was in Rupp vs UT in 93. UT had beaten UK by 1 in Knoxville about 2 weeks earlier and the Cats came out firing on all cylinders in this one. The crowd just got louder and louder as the Cats continued building their lead eventually to a 61 point victory(101-40).
The second was in 95 at the SEC tournament against Arkansas. This one was special because it was a loud before, during, and after the game. Maybe the best overall basketball atmosphere I've experienced.
It started before the game with a Pep rally out on the street between the Georgia Dome and the Georgia World Congress Center. The Arkansas band, cheerleaders and fans were on one side of the street and the UK band, cheerleaders and fans were on the other. I'm talking thousands of fans for each school.
Then during the game it was back and forth between the fans as well as the players in an unbelievable game in which Arkansas led at half 50-44 after being ahead by 19. The Cats fought back in the second half to force OT. In OT Arkansas scored the first seven points and was ahead by 9 with a little over a minute to play, but again the Cats fought back and won!
The really amazing thing after all of that was how loud the UK fans were coming outside of the Georgia Dome. It was so loud and wild my two 12yr old stepsons were holding mine and my wife"s hands. Very unusual for them, but that's the effect it had on them.
Those standout to me even though I've been to several Final Fours and the famous BasketBowl in Detroit with like 85,000 fans.
The first one was at the very first SEC tournament that I attended and was in Rupp vs UT in 93. UT had beaten UK by 1 in Knoxville about 2 weeks earlier and the Cats came out firing on all cylinders in this one. The crowd just got louder and louder as the Cats continued building their lead eventually to a 61 point victory(101-40).
The second was in 95 at the SEC tournament against Arkansas. This one was special because it was a loud before, during, and after the game. Maybe the best overall basketball atmosphere I've experienced.
It started before the game with a Pep rally out on the street between the Georgia Dome and the Georgia World Congress Center. The Arkansas band, cheerleaders and fans were on one side of the street and the UK band, cheerleaders and fans were on the other. I'm talking thousands of fans for each school.
Then during the game it was back and forth between the fans as well as the players in an unbelievable game in which Arkansas led at half 50-44 after being ahead by 19. The Cats fought back in the second half to force OT. In OT Arkansas scored the first seven points and was ahead by 9 with a little over a minute to play, but again the Cats fought back and won!
The really amazing thing after all of that was how loud the UK fans were coming outside of the Georgia Dome. It was so loud and wild my two 12yr old stepsons were holding mine and my wife"s hands. Very unusual for them, but that's the effect it had on them.
Those standout to me even though I've been to several Final Fours and the famous BasketBowl in Detroit with like 85,000 fans.
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I wasn't at Rupp for the Kansas game. But even at home you could tell the crowd was loud.
Kansas kept the starters in for a long time in that 150-95 beating the year before. Rick wouldn't stop pressing. I think we had a couple walkons finish the last 5 minutes or so of that Kansas beating.
It was payback in Rupp though the following year.
When Bowie dunked on LSU in 81 I think it was. That maybe the loudest I ever heard Rupp.
Still remember Al Mcguire yelling you better get a timeout LSU.
Kansas kept the starters in for a long time in that 150-95 beating the year before. Rick wouldn't stop pressing. I think we had a couple walkons finish the last 5 minutes or so of that Kansas beating.
It was payback in Rupp though the following year.
When Bowie dunked on LSU in 81 I think it was. That maybe the loudest I ever heard Rupp.
Still remember Al Mcguire yelling you better get a timeout LSU.
You just nailed mine. The LSU game was unreal that year, still the loudest crowd I've ever been a part of in 56 years.
I think mine would be when Stevie got loose in 2007. If there had been a roof on Commonwealth Stadium it very well may have blown off that night.
My favorite game of all time. The 20-0 run in the 2nd half was the loudest I’ve ever heard Rupp.
Another loud one was Prince bombing 3's against the Cheats.
I attended the 1993 SEC tourney game between UT and UK and the 1995 SEC game with Arkansas as well.
The only thing I remember about the UT game was that Todd Svoboda scored more points than Allen Houston. The weather was awful that weekend and it took us 5 hours to get back to Frankfort, due to snow and icy road conditions.
That Arkansas game was insane. I will never forget that OT series with Arkansas going up by 9 points and then, Tony Delk hitting crucial threes to get the Cats back in the game. People were grabbing other folks and hugging them after the Cats won...good times.
The only thing I remember about the UT game was that Todd Svoboda scored more points than Allen Houston. The weather was awful that weekend and it took us 5 hours to get back to Frankfort, due to snow and icy road conditions.
That Arkansas game was insane. I will never forget that OT series with Arkansas going up by 9 points and then, Tony Delk hitting crucial threes to get the Cats back in the game. People were grabbing other folks and hugging them after the Cats won...good times.
As others have noted in this thread and here before, the loudest, most electric and borderline dangerous crowd ever in Rupp- and I’ve seen a LOT of them- was LSU in ‘81. To duplicate it, you’d have to duplicate all the off-and-on-the-court circumstances that accompanied it, and they may never align that way again. Al McGuire was there, and put it best early in the telecast: “In my 25 years of coaching and watching basketball, I’ve never seen a crowd this high. One spark could touch this whole thing off.”
The roar that happened after Bowie caught and slammed a lob *from behind mid court* by Minniefield may be the loudest noise in the history of the entire state.
The roar that happened after Bowie caught and slammed a lob *from behind mid court* by Minniefield may be the loudest noise in the history of the entire state.
Bowie was a special player before the injuries. He was still very good even after all the injuries.
This LSU game was the loudest and 2nd place is not even close. I was 4 rows from top and thought the damn roof was going to collapse from the noise.
I was at the Kansas game. The crowd was wild. The place was packed 45 minutes prior to tip off. When Kansas come on the court for their final warm ups Big Bertha rocked Queen’s We Will Rock You. It was an unbelievable scene.
Still many more games were louder.
81 LSU
Nov 83. UL
84 Houston
89 LSU
78 UNLV
03 Florida.
I’m sure I’m missing a bunch more.
The loudest moment was in 09 when Nick Calathes who was 11-12 at the line for the game was fouled on a three down 3. When he stepped to the line I knew he had no chance.
I was at the IU game in Bloomington when Davis’ team lost. That in my mind was the loudest crowd I’ve ever been in. Of course it always feels louder when the place is against your team.
Still many more games were louder.
81 LSU
Nov 83. UL
84 Houston
89 LSU
78 UNLV
03 Florida.
I’m sure I’m missing a bunch more.
The loudest moment was in 09 when Nick Calathes who was 11-12 at the line for the game was fouled on a three down 3. When he stepped to the line I knew he had no chance.
I was at the IU game in Bloomington when Davis’ team lost. That in my mind was the loudest crowd I’ve ever been in. Of course it always feels louder when the place is against your team.
Tennessee game 1973. Last game of the season. Conference champion, trip to the NCAA all on the line in one game. Grevey hit four straight shots with about 5 minutes to go and we surged to the lead. I swear they heard the roar of that crowd in heaven. Number 2 When Lynn Bowden ran that punt back in the Citrus Bowl I thought the east side of that stadium would come down. It very special.
Watched a replay recently
Houston boys were run ragged
Kentucky just ran them off the court
‘74 vs. ND in Freedom Hall.
‘76 vs. MSU in last game at Memorial
‘77 vs. UT - Cats had surged to about a 6pt. Lead, place was rocking and some idiot throws an orange on the court, place died down by the time it was cleaned up and the Vols came back to win.
PMC in BR was awfully loud, often referred to as The Deaf Dome.
‘76 vs. MSU in last game at Memorial
‘77 vs. UT - Cats had surged to about a 6pt. Lead, place was rocking and some idiot throws an orange on the court, place died down by the time it was cleaned up and the Vols came back to win.
PMC in BR was awfully loud, often referred to as The Deaf Dome.
You're right. Too many beers I guess. It was loud though
UK vs South Carolina one of Rondo’s year’s. He hit a buzzer beater 3 for the win. It was a classic “no, no, no, yes” moment forsure with Rondo shooting a three. Rupp went insane.
They let every student into the game. You couldn't sit down it so jammed. Joe Hall said he wanted every student dressed in blue, standing ready to go into the game. The only time I ever saw the court stormed after a victory. My God, it was glorious.
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