No look at the decade of the 1940’s would be complete without first taking a brief glimpse into the years leading up to them. Many people believe that the success of Kentucky basketball began with the hiring of Adolph Rupp in 1930, but the reality is that UK had established itself as one of the premier college teams in the country by the time Rupp arrived in Lexington. Much of that success was due to a series of coaches with a direct connection to the University of Illinois. As a matter fact by the end of the 1920’s Kentucky was using what was being commonly referred to as the “Illinois System”. Starting in the 1919-20 season UK’s basketball team was coached each season, except one, by a graduate of the University of Illinois. George Bucheit set the Wildcats on the road to the elite of the sport when his 1921 team captured the SIAA Tournament and were declared “Champions of the South”. Bucheit continued as coach until the 1924-25 season when C.O. Applegran, another Illinois graduate, took over for one year. Ray Eklund, also from Illinois, was head coach during the 1925-26 season. Then former UK star Basil Hayden stepped in to coach the 1926-27 team after Eklund resigned just before the season began. With the beginning of the 1927 season Kentucky had another former Illinois player as coach, John Mauer. It is said that Mauer established the basis for what later became known by most as the Rupp style of play. Some people who have followed UK basketball for a number of years think the Wildcats have been a fast breaking, run and gun type of team from the very start, but actually Mauer’s teams were much more deliberate then the UK teams that came along later. During Rupp’s first season the Cats did things pretty much the way they had the year before according to players on the squad. Carey Spicer recalls talking with Rupp before the season began and mentioning he had the play book  Mauer had used while coaching at UK. Rupp asked to see the book and when Spicer returned to practice after the football season ended he discovered they were using all the same plays and the same numbers they had used under Mauer. The big difference between Mauer and Rupp was probably the fact that Mauer wanted his players to run each play strictly as written and remain disciplined, while Rupp encouraged his players to use their natural abilities to run variations on a play. Mauer’s teams did fast break, but he didn’t encourage them to. On the other hand Rupp encouraged his teams to push the tempo and break every chance they possibly could. As the years passed Rupp may have stayed with the same basic philosophy of the Illinois system, but he improved upon it by innovating many new concepts especially in the use of screens. The style of play Rupp used at Kentucky was certainly different then what he had been taught while playing at Kansas under Forest “Phog” Allen and James Naismith. He was probably influenced by the “Illinois” connection even before coming to UK. Adolph spent the five years previous to the Kentucky job at Freeport, Illinois High School. No doubt he was familiar with the system used by the Illinois teams.

       While Adolph Rupp may have used many of the plays from the John Mauer play book, Rupp was his own man when it came to coaching. He left an indelible mark that will make his name synonymous with University of Kentucky Basketball for all time to come. Rupp also relished dealing with the media, while Mauer had generally antagonized the press. This is no doubt one of the reasons Mauer’s contributions to UK basketball have been largely overlooked or contributed to Rupp. Ironically, after Kentucky’s first few games under Adolph Rupp the press was declaring that UK was now using a completely different style of play from the previous years under John Mauer. In fact the Wildcats were using the same system, but they were putting the Adolph Rupp coaching personality on it. This is not to say Rupp simply came in and copied what was already being done and took credit for it. He molded Kentucky basketball into a style that was unique to the time and had a profound effect on the sport for years to come.

       While the decade of the 1940’s is in my opinion the glory days of UK basketball, the 1930’s established the program and set it up for the success it achieved. With the arrival of Coach Rupp at UK in 1930, Kentucky had already gained recognition on a national basis in the sport. Most of the sportswriters were quite pessimistic about Kentucky’s prospects for Rupp’s first season. Actually a very talented and experienced group of players had been left in place. All-American Carey Spicer returned along with Louis McGinnis, George Yates and future All-Americans Ellis Johnson and Forest “Aggy” Sale. Rupp’s first season proved that one of his greatest talents was the ability to motivate players and adapt them to his style and personality. Rupp introduced the fans and media to that style with a convincing 67-19 win over Georgetown on December 18, 1930. The Kentucky basketball dynasty was off and running. UK finished Rupp’s first season with a 15-3 record, far better then most expected and it set the tone for great expectations from that point on.

       Rupp's second season at UK found expectations a bit higher after the stellar job he had done the previous year. Even so that optimism was well founded in the fact that the Wildcats would be lead by Aggie Sale, John DeMoisey and Ellis Johnson. As the year before Kentucky opened the season with a dominating 66-24 win over Georgetown. Former UK player Carie Spicer was in his first year as Georgetown head coach and he tried to use the style he had learned under Rupp by running with the Cats. Spicer just didn't have the horses to stay with Kentucky, but his leading scorer for the game turned out to be future UK assistant coach Harry Lancaster with nine points. The Wildcats continued the season with nine straight wins, most of those without DeMoisey who had been declared ineligible due to academics. As UK's tenth contest approached Rupp learned DeMoisey was once again eligible, but the big man almost didn't get to play for other reasons. The night before the Washington and Lee game Ellis Johnson and DeMoisey went to a movie and returned late. Rupp was waiting for them when they returned and after chewing them both out told DeMoisey, "We don't need you against Vanderbilt." Johnson pleaded their case by saying, "If you leave us alone we'll get 30 points between us." The two players made good on Johnson's boast, DeMoisey scored 29 and Johnson had one and Kentucky won the game 67-37. The Wildcats ran their record to 14-0 with the final game of the season at Vanderbilt. With Sale and DeMoisey both ill, UK lost a 32-31. Kentucky entered the Southern Conference Tournament still shaky physically. After beating Tulane 50-30 the Cats wilted against North Carolina and lost at the buzzer 43-42. Even though Rupp was very disappointed with Kentucky's showing at the tournament, it was still a highly successful season at 15-2. Aggie Sale would be named to the All-American team and along with Ellis Johnson was named All-Conference as well.

       Rupp’s third and fourth seasons easily matched the success of his first two with the Cats going 20-3 and 15-1. Kentucky was led by John “Frenchy” DeMoisey both years. Sale and Johnson had big seasons in 1932-33. As the ‘32-‘33 campaign began the Southern Conference broke up and the Southeastern Conference was formed with 13 teams: Kentucky, Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, LSU, Tulane, Mississippi, Mississippi State, and Sewanee. After winning their first five games UK hit a brick wall against Ohio St., losing 46-30. It was Rupp’s worst defeat up to that point in his entire coaching career. Kentucky would lose two more games, one each to Creighton and South Carolina, before entering the SEC Tournament undefeated in conference play. The Wildcats gave Rupp his first championship by winning the inaugural SEC Tournament. The next season Rupp’s cagers swept through the schedule without a loss. In the end though Kentucky’s leading scorers, DeMoisey, Dave Lawerence and Bill Davis had horrendous games as Florida knocked off UK 38-32 in the conference tournament opener. Despite the set back Kentucky and Coach Rupp’s reputation was on the upswing and the UK coach felt the time was right to take on the eastern powers of New York.

       The Wildcats opened the ‘34-‘35 season with five straight wins, then Rupp took his squad to New York for a match-up with New York University at Madison Square Garden. Kentucky’s team was led by a brawny center from Indiana LeRoy “Cowboy” Edwards. Rupp’s main concern wasn’t with his team, but with the officiating. During this period officials did not travel to different parts of the country and the rules were interpreted quite differently from one section to the next. Rupp’s teams utilized screens or blocks as they were called at the time and officials in the south and Midwest were used to the technique. The eastern officials did not allow UK to use the screen at all, calling it a foul each time it was tried. Edwards was all but nullified as he was in serious foul trouble from the beginning of the game. While Kentucky was unable to use their screens, New York’s players were allowed to drape themselves all over Edwards with no calls at all. The Cats lost 23-22 and afterwards Rupp was extremely angry over the situation. The New York sportswriters agreed, saying a change in the rules was needed to eliminate the rough play that was becoming increasingly more common under the basket. Because of this game the three-second rule was adopted. UK ran off nine more wins before losing to Michigan State 32-26. The Cats finished the year without another loss for a 19-2 record. Since the conference had decided not to hold a tournament, Kentucky shared the title with LSU. The season had established UK as more then just a good southern team. Rupp put together his strongest schedule to date for the following year. Unfortunately, LeRoy Edwards would not return, but the Wildcats would have other players ready to step forward and take their place in Kentucky basketball history.

        With the beginning of the 1935-36 season, Kentucky entered a period of quote, “hard times”. As it is today UK’s records were quite respectable for most teams, but not for Kentucky. The UK basketball program had already risen to the point that play at the championship level was expected every year. Rupp had his poorest season to date in ’35-’36 when the Wildcats went 15-6. Rupp scheduled a tough non-conference slate that had games with Pittsburgh, NYU, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Butler and Creighton. Ironically LeRoy Edwards had suggested Rupp play Notre Dame and Butler so he could show the folks back home what he could do. But when the season rolled around Edwards did not return to UK. It left huge hole to fill and Garland Lewis got the unenviable task. (See this site for more on Edwards career.) Ralph Carlisle and Joe Hagan would deliver the bulk of the scoring from the forward positions. Warfield Donohue moved into the starting point guard spot and not only became the floor general, but developed into an ace defender for the next two years. The Cats opened with three wins. Two easy victories over Georgetown and Berea, then an unexpected easy win over Pittsburgh 35-17. The Wildcats next contest was a repeat visit to Madison Square Garden to take on NYU. Unlike the previous years down to the wire finish, this time around the game stayed close until the final eight minutes when NYU pulled away for a 41-28 win. By mid-season UK was 8-2 and after beating Alabama at home Rupp and Hagan had a run-in over the game ball. Rupp suspended Hagan even though Kentucky’s next game was at Notre Dame. The team left for South Bend on Sunday before the Monday night game and Hagan went down to see them off. When Rupp saw him he asked, “What are you doing here?” Then he added, “Well as long as you’re here you might as well make the trip because it’s the last one you’ll be making anyway.” After the Wildcats fell behind by 14 in the first half Rupp pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and waved it at Hagan saying, “I just got a telegram. Your suspension has been lifted and you can go in now.” Hagan scored 12 points but it wasn’t enough as the Irish prevailed 41-20. UK finished the regular season with two more losses and bowed out in the second round of the SEC Tournament against Tennessee 39-28. It was a down year, but there was hope for the next season because there were good players on their way from the freshman team. One of them would be future All-American Bernie Opper.

       For the 1936-37 season Rupp had a combination of veteran starters and promising sophomores. Back from the previous year’s starting lineup was Carlisle, Donohue and Hagan. Rupp also added newcomers Walter Hodge and Bernie Opper at guard; Homer “Tub” Thompson at center and Fred “Cab” Curtis. Opper was a New York city boy and could have played at NYU, but wanted to get away from the east to go to college. He also wanted to play for a strong team and a coach who could improve his game. He had seen UK play in Madison Square Garden against NYU and later wrote to Rupp expressing a desire to come to Kentucky. “I wrote Rupp a letter and told him I’d like to attend UK. I had recommendations from Claire Bee and Nat Holman. Rupp wrote back and said to come on down.” After the usual easy wins over Georgetown and Berea to start the season UK’s first tough opponent was Xavier which the Cats defeated in overtime 34-28. On January 5, 1937 Kentucky took on Notre Dame in Louisville. It would be their first appearance in Louisville since Rupp had become coach . The Cats had run their record to 5-0 and as game time approached the UK players were unusually nervous, especially Carlisle. Whether it was nerves or just the Notre Dame defense being too tough, the Wildcats lost 41-28. Hagan was the only player to have any kind of a game at all scoring eight points. Donohue went scoreless and Carlisle scored only three. Entering the SEC Tournament with a 5-3 conference record UK beat LSU 57-37, then ousted Georgia Tech 40-30 behind Carlisle’s 16 points. Kentucky defeated Tennessee 39-25 to win the title and finish the season 17-5. It was Rupp’s seventh year at UK and his record was 116-22. One sportswriter remarked in an article that if Rupp continued at that pace he might possibly end up with three or four hundred victories before he finished his career.

       Joe Hagan entered his senior year in the 1937-38 season. He was a two sport athlete playing end in football and was named captain his final year. Hagan had come to UK on a football scholarship, but would admit later he turned out to be a better basketball player. Hagan was a solid player in both sports, but even if he hadn’t been he wrote his name in the history of Kentucky basketball with just one shot. February 14, 1938 UK and Marquette were tied 33-33 with 0:12 seconds to play. Kentucky had the ball and was in bounding it under the Marquette basket. After a couple of passes, Hagan lofted a two-handed set shot from just behind the center court line that fell through as clean as can be. Gov. A.B. “Happy” Chandler rushed from the stands, ask for a hammer and nail, then he drove the nail into the floor to mark the spot. It was the longest shot made in Alumni Gym to that point measuring 48’ 2 ¼ “. The ’37-’38 season marked a major change in the rules. The center jump after each made basket was eliminated. The games inventor was not happy with the rule at all. Dr. James Naismith claimed the new rule would turn the game into “racehorse” basketball. Coach Rupp found himself at home with a severe cold when the season opened. Assistant coach Paul McBrayer handled the chores against Berea with the Cats winning 69-35. But he was unable to get a line-up that clicked and shuffled players in and out the entire game. It wasn’t inexperience on McBayer’s part that was the problem. Rupp encountered the same thing when he took over and the starting line-up changed throughout the season. UK made its first trip to the Sugar Bowl Tournament beating Pitt 40-29. Harold “Doc” Carlson’s Pitt team ran a figure eight motion on offense, but most of the time after getting across the half court line their clockwise-counterclockwise offense was bottled up by the Cats. Afterwards a frustrated Carlson grabbed a pile of sweaty uniforms and threw them at Rupp’s feet saying, “Here you might as well take these too, you’ve taken everything else!” After opening with three wins the Wildcats stumbled with three consecutive losses to Michigan State, Detroit and Notre Dame. It was the longest losing streak any of Rupp’s teams had suffered since he became the Kentucky coach. UK righted the ship though in time for SEC play and suffered only one loss the rest of the season. Kentucky entered the conference tournament with a 6-0 record, but was surprised by Tulane, losing the opener on a last second shot 38-36. Hagan finished his career at UK with 13 points in his final game. Bernie Opper added seven and was named All-SEC. He was chosen by the team to be captain for the next season, which would turn out to be a very good year for Opper.

       The first half of the 1938-39 season had its ups and downs. The year started on an up swing with four straight lopsided wins, the smallest margin of victory being 17 points. Then came a down, a 52-34 loss to Long Island in New York. Next it was back up with a win over St. Johns in Philadelphia, but then it was back down again. For the second year in a row Rupp’s Cats suffered a three game losing streak. Rupp was concerned after the three losses because UK was next facing one of it's toughest opponents in years, Marquette. Kentucky downed Vanderbilt, 51-37, and then began preparing for Marquette to visit Alumni Gym. Assistant coach Paul McBayer scouted Marquette and had an ominous report for Rupp. “I have seen Notre Dame at its best. I saw Marquette last season and Long Island this year, but this Marquette team is the best I have ever seen.” Rupp had the Wildcats fired up and UK pulled out a 37-31 win and Kentucky was on the up swing again. They didn’t know it at the time, but this up tick would carry the Cats through the rest of the season. When the SEC Tournament rolled around UK had finished the regular season without another loss. Rupp appeared as confident as ever saying, “It’ll take a smart team to beat us.” The truth be known, Adolph was a little worried about Tennessee and Alabama, both had beaten Kentucky earlier in the season. The worries Rupp had been concerned with never materialized. UK had a bit of a scare against Mississippi in their opener when they trailed by three at the half. Kentucky got back on track in the second half and won easily 49-30. UK eliminated LSU in the next round 53-34 and would face Tennessee for the championship. After trailing 18-11 in the early going, Bernie Opper helped rally the Cats by hitting three shots in a row. Kentucky won 46-38; Opper led in scoring with 13 points and was named All-SEC. Opper was also named All-American, he was the first Kentucky player named to the team since LeRoy “Cowboy” Edwards in the ’34-’35 season. As was becoming the norm, Rupp had a squad of talented players ready to move up from the freshman team. The decade of the ‘30’s had come to a close. Rupp had fashioned a 145-31 record, won three SEC Tournament titles and had seven players named All-American. At this point there was no tournament being played to crown a national champion, but a group named after Paul Helms had begun selecting one. The Helms Foundation named Kentucky national champion in 1933. During the next decade Rupp and the Wildcats would continue building the Kentucky basketball dynasty. The 1940’s would bring some of the greatest teams and players to ever play at UK or anywhere for that matter. Some of these teams and players reached legendary status. It would be the Glory Days of Kentucky basketball and a Fabulous decade of the Forties.
 
 

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