| The Kentucky Wildcats were forced to sit out the | | | | year," said Rupp. "When we run up one of those 95 or |
| 1952-53 season as a result of a point shaving scandal | | | | 97-point totals - and we used to do it often - and |
| involving several Kentucky players from previous | | | | there's still a couple of minutes to play, I'm not going to |
| years. They practiced together three or four times per | | | | pull my boys up and have them stand around at |
| week all year and came back in 1953-54 better than | | | | midcourt and try to hold the score down so we don't |
| ever. The fast-breaking 1954 Kentucky Wildcats | | | | humiliate somebody. We'll just keep playing our game |
| basketball team went 25-0 and outscored opponents | | | | and let the other guy worry." |
| by an unbelievable average score of 87.5 to 60.3 per | | | | The first game of the season, December 5, 1953, |
| game at a time when teams shot approximately 35% | | | | Kentucky pounded Temple, 86-59. Cliff Hagan put up |
| from the field. The 27.2 scoring margin is still third in | | | | 51 points, nearly outscoring Temple on his own. On |
| NCAA history. Kentucky’s Hall of Fame coach | | | | December 18, 1953, Kentucky beat St. Louis 71-59. St. |
| Adolph Rupp said “There is no question that this is | | | | Louis’ coach said that the 1954 Wildcats were |
| the best team we’ve ever had at Kentucky and | | | | “the sweetest operating team to watch that |
| the finest team I have ever seen.” | | | | I’ve ever seen.” On December 22, 1953, |
| Hall of Fame guard Frank Ramsey (19.6 pts., 8.8 reb.), | | | | Kentucky took on eventual NCAA tournament |
| Hall of Fame center Cliff Hagan (24 pts., 13.5 reb.) and | | | | champion LaSalle and easily beat them, 73-60. |
| forward Lou Tsioropoulos (14.5 pts., 9.6 reb.) were all | | | | Before their first SEC game of the season against |
| seniors in 1953. They were all drafted by the NBA. | | | | Tulane on January 16, 1954, Adolph Rupp told his |
| Because Kentucky did not play the 1953 season, the | | | | players that Tulane’s coach led the efforts to |
| three seniors had a remaining year of eligibility for the | | | | suspend Kentucky from playing in 1953. "He's on the |
| 1954 season. Although they graduated in 1953, they | | | | floor now, the man that led the fight against you last |
| elected to return in 1954 and try to win the national | | | | year. For ever blister, every bruise, every black eye, |
| championship. They took graduate courses in 1954 and | | | | every tooth knocked out last year, that little runt of a |
| played for the Wildcats. | | | | coach owes you. Tonight you pay them back for all of |
| Ramsey could drive to the basket or pull up and shoot | | | | last year." Kentucky crushed Tulane, 94-43. When |
| from long range. After Kentucky beat St. Louis 71-59, | | | | asked what he thought of Kentucky, Tulane’s |
| St. Louis’ coach said “Frank Ramsey is the best | | | | coach said, “That Kentucky team, whew!” |
| college player in the country.” Hagan had a | | | | Kentucky rolled through the rest of the schedule and |
| spectacular hook shot that he could hit from anywhere | | | | ended the season in a tie with LSU for the |
| on the floor. Adolph Rupp said that Hagan had “the | | | | Southeastern conference title. LSU agreed to a |
| greatest natural touch of any player I’ve seen.” | | | | playoff game in Nashville, Tennessee. Kentucky beat |
| Tsioropoulos could pound the ball inside. All were great | | | | the eighth ranked LSU team 63-56 to complete a |
| rebounders. | | | | perfect 25-0 season. At the beginning of the next |
| The starting five was rounded out by junior forward | | | | season, a Philadelphia newspaper story said |
| Billy Evans (8.8 pts., 7.3 reb.) and junior guard Gayle | | | | "Apparently the University of Kentucky basketball |
| Rose (6.7 pts., 1.4 reb.). | | | | dynasty is to continue forever." |
| The 1954 season got off to a rocky start. | | | | The NCAA declared Ramsey, Hagan and |
| Southeastern Conference foes LSU, Tulane, Mississippi | | | | Tsioropoulos ineligible to play in the NCAA tournament |
| and Mississippi State had all played Kentucky in | | | | because they had graduated before the start of |
| Lexington in 1952. In 1953, Kentucky would have | | | | NCAA tournament play. Rather than go to the |
| traveled to Louisiana and Mississippi to play had the | | | | tournament without their three best players, the |
| season not been canceled. For 1954, Kentucky was | | | | Wildcats declined the invitation to play in it. Cliff Hagan |
| scheduled to play LSU, Tulane, Mississippi and | | | | couldn’t believe he, Ramsey and Tsioropoulos |
| Mississippi State in Lexington again. The four teams | | | | were being penalized for graduating in four years |
| threatened to cancel their games with Kentucky rather | | | | instead of five. "We were penalized for the year we |
| than play twice in a row in Lexington. “In all | | | | were forced to sit out and that was for something we |
| fairness,” an LSU official said, “Kentucky owes | | | | had not been involved in. If we had taken five years to |
| us a trip down here before we have to go back to | | | | graduate we wouldn't have had a problem. So we |
| Lexington.” The Southeastern Conference schools | | | | were penalized for trying to do the right thing. Isn't that |
| held a vote and voted that the games would be | | | | something?" Frank Ramsey said “The rest of these |
| played in Lexington. All of the teams but LSU agreed | | | | boys and I were in high school when those things |
| to abide by the vote. | | | | happened. Why’d they take it out on us?” |
| Adolph Rupp was angered by the NCAA suspension. | | | | When asked whether the 1954 Kentucky team would |
| “I will never be satisfied until the men who | | | | have won the NCAA tournament, Frank Ramsey said |
| suspended us hand us the national championship | | | | “In our minds, we felt we were good enough. |
| trophy,” Rupp said. "They'll be no point shaving this | | | | |