Recalling the Dream Game’s glory days
By Travis
There was a time when our Bluegrass basketball armageddon was bigger and better than ESPN’s orgasm (a.k.a Duke vs. North Carolina). It was the 1980s, when UK vs. Louisville was known as the Dream Game.
Separated by only an hour’s drive but decades of not meeting on the court, it was a hostile rivalry that featured two of the top programs in the nation with two legendary coaches — Denny Crum and Joe Hall. The players were just as phenomenal — Rex Chapman, Pervis Ellison, Felton Spencer, Kenny Walker, etc.
But some time in the early 1990s the Wildcats began dominating the rivalry thanks to Rick Pitino, and Duke emerged as a top program. It also coincided with ESPN’s exclusive broadcasting rights to the Duke-UNC series, and the Worldwide Leader’s propoganda machine somehow convinced us the Tobacco Road rivalry was the greatest the sport had ever known (all the while ignoring the fact the series didn’t become interesting until ESPN became relevant).
But even the most ardent Cat or Card fan must admit the Dream Game has lost a bit of its luster. But I wanted to highlight this entry with some of my fondest memories of the Dream Game, with an assist from YouTube.
I’ll start with “King” Rex, the boy wonder. And no better way to start than a montage from the 85-51 beatdown in 1986. Rex had 26 points, four assists and one sick dunk. This steal and dunk highlighted UK’s 76-75 victory at Rupp Arena in 1987, which ended with a last-second tip-in by Cedric Jenkins.
Another rout, in 1996, was highlighted by another posterization by Derek Anderson. That was the last win in an era in which UK won six of seven from the Cards.
More recently, Patrick Sparks made me smile in 2004. That prevented a three-year losing streak to the Cards and began UK’s current reign that was extended to three in a row by Derrick Jasper and the Cats last year.
If that doesn’t get you excited for Saturday, then I don’t know what will.