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Defensive strides on display in final non-conference outing

Willie Cauley-Stein - photo by Walter Cornett | WildcatWorld.com

Willie Cauley-Stein – photo by Walter Cornett | WildcatWorld.com

In many ways, has been the story of this basketball season.  First, talk centered around how he would assume the pressure-packed mantle of playing point guard for . Then it became about his illness and when he would return to the team. When he came back, it was all about how he would settle back into running his team. When he started to do that, everyone marveled at his play-making ability.

Defense, though, has rarely figured significantly into the conversation. But after the way he tirelessly hounded the ball on Wednesday night, Harrow made it a topic.

“He played, he competed, he battled, and he got punched in the face to today on a play and it didn't affect him,” Calipari said. “So I'm more than pleased.”

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On This Day In UK Basketball History

On March 27, 1951, UK wins its third NCAA title, defeating Kansas State, 68-58, in the finals in Minneapolis.

 

On March 27, 1978, Jack “Goose” Givens scores 41 points as UK wins its fifth NCAA Championship, 94-88, over Duke in St. Louis.  Givens scored the last 16 points of the first half for Kentucky, bringing his first-half total up to 23 points. Givens poured in another 18 points in the second half.  Givens' helped lead the Wildcats to their first title in over 20 years.  More than 10,000 fans greet the team at Blue Grass Airport and 15,000 more celebrate at Memorial Coliseum

 

On March 27, 1993, Kentucky beat Florida State to advance to the NCAA Final Four in New Orleans. The victory completed a string of four games in which the Wildcats blitzed their Southeast Region opponents by an average of 31.0 points - the largest margin of victory by a team through four games en route to the Final Four.

 

On March 27, 2009, Billy Gillispie is fired as the Kentucky head basketball coach.

 

On March 27, 2011, freshman Brandon Knight scored 22 points and fourth-seeded Kentucky advanced to the Final Four for the first time since the 1998 title with a 76-69 win over second-seeded North Carolina in the East Regional final of the NCAA Tournament.  The last minute of the game became the DeAndre Liggins show, as he blocked a shot on defense, hit a game-winning three-pointer on offense, then blocked another shot on defense to seal the victory. He finished with 12 points..

 

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