After Lamont Butler met Jack Givens, the UK point guard researched his past to learn more about the former UK All-American. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Kentucky Radio Network analyst Jack Givens knew Kentucky players likely knew next to nothing about him when coach Mark Pope introduced him to the team earlier this season.
“I am an old man,” Givens, the 1978 Final Four MVP on UK’s national championship team, said. “Mark talks to them about my career and me being the third all-time leading scorer at UK, won a championship and had 41 points against Duke (in the national title game). Now they did perk up when they heard that.”
The next time Givens was at practice, point guard Lamont Butler came up to him.
“He knows every stat and every game. He knew everything about me that you could possibly know,” Givens said. “For a guy who didn’t know anything about me to put that much time into learning about me, that meant a lot and says a lot about the kind of player that Mark Pope recruited.”
Givens said Butler “obviously became a real favorite” of his and he asked Butler how he was doing before the Blue-White Game.
“I walked up and he gave me some love. ‘Goose, I am playing at the University of Kentucky. How could it be any better?’ That is the way all these guys are and it is because of Mark,” Givens said. “He makes sure each player knows and understands the responsibility he has to the Big Blue Nation and all these guys are eating that up.”
10 Responses
That’s why we Kentucky folks Love Noah and Perry So Much! Jack Givens and James Lee were both Home Grown Kentucky Boys! That pair was so awesome to watch! With “The Goose” hitting his soft jumpers and No One willing to take a charge on Jame “The Hammer” Lee monster dunks! To watch “The Goose” slide into the middle and hit those jumpers against Duke time and time again is worth watching again and again on YouTube! Those Guys are Two of my most favorite and memorable Players!
Goose took a page from Cawood here. Ledford studied the stats like crazy.
That’s my team. ’78 was the best. Fortunate enough to get everyone’s autograph and hoop with them at camp!
And Cowboy Rick is correct. Ain’t nothing like a James Lee dunk vs dUKe on YouTube 😉
We will have the joy of having 4 great Kentucky kids next year! Moreno, Johnson, Perry, and Noah could be in the starting 5 in 2 years! We would have 4 kids really playing for the front of that jersey and I don’t think we’ve ever had 4 Kentucky kids ranked as high as they are to play for Kentucky at the same time so this should be fun to watch! Perry and Noah will be on about the same level as Johnson and Moreno next year so they will all be around the same level together! It would be awesome if we could keep them all on the team for at least 2 years. Johnson might be the only one and done but I think he stays 2 years unless we win the championship. What these kids need to realize Especially with NIL money now that they don’t have to rush off to the NBA. Reed Sheppard is finding this out the hard way! He should have came back and had fun this year actually winning and having a real coach. He isn’t even getting playing time in the NBA. He should have stayed for another year or 2. Its not about the money when you come from Money and you will make the money sooner or later. He would have had more fun playing for Kentucky and starting and being a leader. Rather than riding the pine in the NBA were the games don’t really matter and the basketball is boring! He made a big mistake and I said he was making a big mistake. Can you imagine how great we would be if he would have came back? Its just like when john wall and Damascus cousins came here and Jodie Meeks left but he was a junior., but if he would have came back we would have won the championship with his shooting, and this year we might be a Reed Sheppard away from winning the championship! I think we can still win it all but you know what I mean!
I love these kids we have on this team. I believe they truly understand what it means to play for this university and our fans. I hope the ones that don’t not expire their playing time come back next year. Branden Garrison and Oweh if not drafted come back. Then to have 4 kids from Kentucky on this roster was unheard of in past 12 years. I know we have this year to play out I can’t wait till next year. GO BIG BLUE!
Lets enjoy this season, worry about next year when the times come. Pope is doing the unthinkable with the roster he had to make from scratch. Go Cats!!
The Goose was great, I’ll give him that. Loved his smooth lefty shooting. When college BB was love and commitment to your school. Now Lamont Butler, the kid is one of the greatest hustlers I’ve seen at Ky in years. Just imagine if all the 5 stars played with his passion. He is the heart of this team. Hopefully he will not be out long.
This period without Butler and Kriisa, may shed light on a more productive lineup. Butler plays bully ball that results in him looking for his shot first. He can pretty much get to the rim against most defenders but this stagnates our offense by tempting everyone else to do the same. Kriisa’s defense is kinda suspect at times, but the zone may cover up some of that. His shooting is somewhat suspect at times too…when he is on, he is on; but when he is off, he is really off.
Moving to a Robinson/Perry point rotation allows for a Brea/Noah small forward rotation. That also results in an Oweh/Chandler shooting guard combo. Having Robinson and Brea as starters seems to help Carr’s game and to a lesser extent Oweh’s and Williams game. It also allows for experience to our 3 freshmen who will be the nucleus of the 2025 team.
How does that ultimately impact our 2024 season…who knows? The best scenario would be that of Butler becoming more of a facilitator/defensive leader and less of a scorer. Of course, that waters down his NBA chances. It’s a give and take situation. The only question is who is willing to give and who may insist on taking? Selflessness only goes so far, especially when it impacts future aspirations.
How I remember that 1978 Championship game against the Dukies. I was on a quarter boat in the Mississippi Sound in the mess hall watching the game. I’m soon to to be 87 & have been a Cats BB FAN for 79 years as my older brother use to make me listen to the games with him. From up in Northern Ohio & now living just N of Dallas, TX & still a die hard OSU fan. However, when those 2 meet soon this month I’ll be in the Cat’s cornner!!!!! Not to pick on Coach Cal, however in my opinion he was never a good game coach whereas it’s my belief that Coach Pope’s the right hire. Go Cats.
Watched Givens and Lee play in High School. Two amazing talents who went on to UK together to eventually win a National Championship. Definitely a golden age for Kentucky basketball that is now back.
you got that right Bob