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32 Lucian Whitaker

Name
Lucian Whitaker
Position
Guard
Class
Senior
Hometown (Last School)
Sarasota, FL (High)
Ht
6'0"
Wt
170
Seasons
1949-50, 1950-51, 1951-52
Birthday
August 29, 1930

Nicknamed Skippy.

From the 1952 University of Kentucky Basketball Media Guide:

One of the fastest guards in collegiate basketball . . . He’s comparatively small (6-feet) in the typical fashion of Kentucky guards, but a fine dribbler and classy ball handler . . . Opponents often find them-selves left in the fast shuffle once he cuts for the basket at breakneck speed . . Coach Rupp confidently classes Skip as “the fastest player in the country” . . . Whitaker is a serious-minded student of the game too who worries considerably on and off the court about his shooting average and general performance . . . He hails from Louisville by way of Sarasota, Fla. . . . Last season as a junior, he saw action in 31 games and this year is a probable regular determined to beat out all opposition for a starting berth . . . His chances seem to depend upon the showing of All-America candidate Frank Ramsey and long-shot-artist Bobby Watson.

On This Day In UK Basketball History

On March 28, 1992, in what many called the “best NCAA Tournament game ever,” Kentucky takes defending NCAA champion Duke into overtime before losing 104-103 in the East Regional finals in Philadelphia. A last-second shot by Christian Laettner sends Duke to the Final Four, and breaks the hearts of Wildcat fans everywhere. It is Cawood Ledford’s last game as the “Voice of the Wildcats.”

 

On March 28, 1998, against Stanford, Kentucky rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit, then grabbed a 5-point overtime lead, before fending off the Cardinals to advance to the title game for the third straight season. Jeff Sheppard canned three long-range three-pointers - two in the final three minutes and one in overtime - en route to a career-high 27 points.

 

On March 28, 2014, unranked Kentucky beat No. 5 Louisville 74-69, in the 2014 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.  Aaron Harrison buried a three-pointer from the left corner with 39 seconds left that put UK ahead to stay before 41,072 in Lucas Oil Stadium.

 

On March 28, 2015, No. 1 Kentucky defeated No. 8 Notre Dame, 68-66, in the 2015 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.  With its 37-0 record on the line, Kentucky trailed Notre Dame 59-53 with 6:14 left. UK rallied in front of 19,464 fans in Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena and preserved its perfect season thanks to a crucial blocked shot by Willie Cauley-Stein and two game-deciding free throws from Andrew Harrison in the final seconds.

 

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