The rivalry between Indiana and Kentucky is deep, never-ending
Tony Gerth took the liberty of speaking for all Indiana University basketball fans at Nick’s English Hut Thursday night, just before the Hoosiers’ first-round NCAA tournament victory over Chattanooga.
“We all hate Kentucky,” he said.
While Gerth acknowledged in-state foe Purdue is widely considered IU’s biggest rival, when it comes to men’s basketball, his disdain for Kentucky is unmatched. The 1981 IU alum said things such as the hiring of coach John Calipari, who had Final Four appearances with the University of Massachusetts and the University Memphis vacated for NCAA rule violations, makes Kentucky’s program seem sleazy.
Gerth’s friend Pat Lomasney agreed, saying Kentucky has a reputation for turning a blind eye to having star players who are not academically eligible.
“That wouldn’t happen at IU,” he said.
Lomasney and Gerth probably wouldn’t be so concerned with the integrity of Kentucky’s program if the Wildcats weren’t so good. With five national titles, IU is considered one of college basketball’s blue blood programs, but Kentucky has eight. Lomasney’s wife, Becky, thinks IU would have had six, had it not been for a loss to Kentucky in the 1975 NCAA Regional.
“It was very sad, because I thought they’d go all the way,” she said.
IU has handed Kentucky its fair share of upsets, with the most recent coming in 2011. Gerth and his wife, Beth ,were at that game where Christian Watford’s last-second 3-point shot gave the Hoosiers a 1-point victory over the No. 1-ranked Wildcats. Assembly Hall erupted as if the team had won a national championship, they said.
“A man next to me I didn’t know was hugging me,” Beth Gerth said. “We were beyond excited.”
With a Sweet Sixteen berth on the line, tonight’s game between the Hoosiers and the Wildcats is sure to keep fans of both teams on the edge of their seats.
Dec. 18, 1924: First game
Indiana 20—Kentucky 18
IU defeated Kentucky 20-18 in Lexington in the first meeting between the two teams. The Hoosiers would go on to win the next five games against the Wildcats before dropping five straight. Those early 20th century matchups were few and far between — there was a 21-year gap from 1944 to 1965 — but in 1969, the Hoosiers and Wildcats began a regular-season romance that would last more than four decades and include some of the greatest games in college basketball history.
Dec. 12, 1970: Overtime loss
No. 5 Kentucky 95—No. 11 Indiana 93
Legendary Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp brought his fifth-ranked Wildcats to the old Indiana Fieldhouse to square off against the No. 11 Hoosiers. IU fans were excited to see sophomore George McGinnis take on Kentucky after dominating the freshmen opposition the year before. (Freshmen were not eligible to play varsity until 1972). The game had extra significance because it was the first time Indiana would face a Kentucky team with a black player, 7-foot Tom Payne. McGinnis, an African-American who would go on to become an ABA and NBA star, had a monster game with 38 points and 20 rebounds, but it was his hasty timeout call at the end of regulation that sent the game into overtime. John Ritter’s shot was dead on, but officials had already awarded the timeout. The Wildcats went on to win 95-93.
Dec. 17, 1971: Double-OT win
Indiana 90—No. 7 Kentucky 89
It was going to be a memorable game from the outset, with coach Bob Knight’s first Indiana squad taking on Adolph Rupp’s final Kentucky one, but future Big Ten MVP Steve Downing stole the show. Despite an injured knee, Downing played all 50 minutes, scoring 47 points and grabbing 25 rebounds in a 1-point, double-overtime win.
March 22, 1975: Kentucky beats the best
No. 5 Kentucky 92—No. 1 Indiana 90
The 1976 Hoosiers are the last team to go undefeated in NCAA men’s college basketball, but Bob Knight is among many who say the 1975 team was the best IU team ever. This squad scored 90 or more points 12 times in its first 18 games, including a 98-74 regular-season win over Kentucky. Unfortunately, by tournament time, IU wasn’t at full strength. All-American Scott May broke his left arm Feb. 2 in a win at Purdue. May came in just briefly during the NCAA regional in Dayton, Ohio, but sat down after shooting 1 for 4. The Hoosiers were unable to overcome May’s absence and fell to the Wildcats, 92-90.
Dec. 4, 1993: Duel in the Dome
No. 21 Indiana 96—No. 1 Kentucky 84
With the Wildcats ranked No. 1 and IU coming off a stunning loss to Butler, Kentucky seemed like the safe bet, but just like he did in the high school state championship game three years earlier, Damon Bailey put on a show for the 40,000 fans who filled the Hoosier Dome. The homegrown hero had 29 points, six rebounds and five assists in an effort that would give the Hoosiers a 96-84 victory and earn him Big Ten Player of The Week honors and a photo on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Dec. 10, 2011: Wat shot
Indiana 73—No. 1 Kentucky 72
With 5.6 seconds left on the clock and IU down two points to the No. 1 team
in the country, Christian Watford tossed the ball in bounds to Verdell Jones. With about a second left, Jones passed it back to Watford, whose 3-point shot gave the Hoosiers a 73-72 victory over the Wildcats. The buzzer-beater earned Watford an ESPN Espy award for best play.
March 23, 2012: Last game
No. 1 Kentucky 102—No. 16 Indiana 90
May 3, 2012: End of the series
After meeting in the regular season every year since 1969, Indiana and Kentucky were unable to agree to a new contract for the 2012-13 season. Kentucky wanted the series moved to off-campus sites in Indianapolis and Louisville. Indiana wanted to keep the series bouncing back and forth between the historic arenas in Bloomington and Lexington. Kentucky fans claimed IU was afraid to play the Wildcats on a neutral court. Indiana fans claimed UK was afraid to play the Hoosiers in Assembly Hall, where they suffered one of only two losses during the 2011-12 season. The decision put an end to one of the rivalries in college basketball. But thanks to the NCAA tournament selection committee, a new chapter in the rivalry begins tonight.