Two memorable NCAA Tournament wins are part of why Joe B. Hall's jersey hangs in Rupp Arena and why so many were so sad to learn of his passing Saturday at age 93. (UK Athletics Photo)
Joe Hall was head coach at Kentucky for 397 games and many stand out. However, there’s two games I will never forget and to me show why Hall, who passed away Saturday, was such a terrific coach. Kentucky was only 13-13 in the 1973-74 season, Hall’s second as head coach. Many fans wondered if he was the right choice to succeed Adolph Rupp.
He had a veteran team and talented freshmen for the 1974-75 season but in December the Cats were CRUSHED 98-74 at Indiana. The Hoosiers physically and mentally wore out the Cats and during the game Indiana coach Bobby Knight sort of smacked Hall on the back of the head to end the friendship the two previously had.
I remember Hall telling me he felt “humiliated” by what Knight did and how amazing it was that when your team got better, not everyone was as friendly to you.
Hall still believed in his team that went 15-3 to tie for the Southeastern Conference championship and the Cats got a chance to play Indiana again in the NCAA Mideast Region final. Indiana was unbeaten and arrogant. The Hoosiers were a big favorite but UK won 92-90 to set off mass hysteria in the Bluegrass.
The game was in Dayton, Ohio, and UK fans stood along Interstate 75 to cheer for the Cats on the bus ride back to Lexington. Hall once told me it was one of the best tributes a team could ever have had and that team should have won the NCAA title. Instead, UCLA won in the final game of legendary coach John Wooden’s career and you’ll never convince me that several friendly calls for UCLA did not cost the Cats the championship.
Perhaps the most courageous coaching move I have ever seen was made by Hall in the 1978 NCAA Tournament. His team won the SEC championship and lost only to LSU and Alabama during the season. However, the Cats were in big trouble in their first-round NCAA Tournament game against Florida State.
Kentucky was down seven points at halftime and Hall benched three starters — Jack Givens, Truman Claytor, and Rick Robey — to start the second half. He put reserves Dwane Casey, LaVon Williams and Fred Cowan in the game with starters Kyle Macy and Mike Phillips.
Hall admitted after the game he told assistant coach Dick Parsons that if UK lost, he knew he likely would be fired. Instead, Kentucky won and went on to win the 1978 national championship.
I’ve talked to all the UK players involved in that game many times in the last 44 years. To this day they all still admire the courage Hall had to make that move knowing the criticism he would take if it did not work.
But that was Joe Hall. He did it his way and did what he thought was right no matter who may or may not like it.
8 Responses
After Kevin and Jimmy Dan beat Bobby Knight’s undefeated team he was never “right” again – was a half bubble off plum the remainder of his life.
Same here Larry.
Great point Larry! Myself and a college buddy of mine were actually in attendance at that game in Knoxville. We were students at UK and got tickets in a "drawing" at Memorial Coliseum! It was definitely a bold move and it seemed to fire up the whole team! Joe B. was a great coach and even better person! He will be missed.
So did you think it would work when he did it Kevin. I thought he had lost his mind benching Robey and Given
Both excellent wins. One that also sticks out in my mind is the 1978 game against # 5 Kansas. # 10 Cats down 6 with 31 seconds left in OT. No 3 point shot. Dwight "Lightning" Anderson nearly single handedly takes over the game. A layup, steal and missed FT rebound later it’s a tie game with 1 second left. Unable to inbound the ball Kansas calls a TO they didn’t have to give Kyle Macy a FT to win the game. Awesome!
That was a great win for sure J.B. No way did I see that comeback coming
Bobby Knight was a boorish,overbearing chump whose arrogant bullying caught up with him. Indiana firing that fat slob, man what a death blow to his arrogance/pride. You could see the life literally drain from his arrogant face. Comeuppance had arrived. Demons never die, Knights just entered Coach K. Another PHONY to the max.
Speaking of Coach K my suspicious mind thinks that he may get some of those same final year/retirement gift "friendly" calls that Coach Wooden got in his final game in 1975 when Duke plays in this year’s NCAA Tournament. I SURE HOPE NOT!