Fifth in a series of press releases about the 1986 LSU men’s basketball team’s run to the Final Four, re-written by the LSU Sports Information Department for LSUsports.net.
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By Caroline Domecq
LSU Sports Information
ATLANTA — LSU had lost 11 of its last 15 meetings with Kentucky, including three already in the 1985-86 season. In addition, the Wildcats had won 14 straight overall and 21 in a row over Southeastern Conference opponents.
So when the Tigers faced Kentucky in the Elite Eight on March 22, 1986, at the Omni in Atlanta, the odds weren’t exactly in their favor.
And when the Wildcats jumped to an 11-4 advantage in front of a raucous crowd of 16,453 less than four minutes into the game, the outcome looked even bleaker for the Tigers.
But this team was being called a team of destiny. Eleventh-seeded LSU had lost eight of its last 13 regular-season games, yet had already managed upsets over the Nos. 6, 3 and 2 seeds in the NCAA Tournament’s Southeast Region.
A No. 11 seed had never made the Final Four, so it was only fitting the Tigers’ team of destiny got a chance to against No.1-seeded Kentucky.
“If the pressure’s on anybody, it’s Kentucky,” said LSU forward Don Redden, fresh off a 27-point performance in the Sweet 16 against Georgia Tech. “They’re the No. 1 seed and they’re supposed to get to the Final Four. We’re the Cinderella team.”
The Tigers slowly chipped into that 11-4 deficit, eventually knotting the score at 14 at the 12:37 mark. They soon took their first lead of the game, 17-16, on a John Williams free throw with 11:51 to play in the half.
The two teams battled the remainder of the half, and Kentucky carried a one-point lead into the break after an eight-footer by Kenny Walker with one second on the clock.
LSU struck first out of the lockerroom to go ahead, 35-34. Four lead changes and three ties later, the teams were an even 43-43 at the midway point of the second half.
But Kentucky put together a 4-0 run that caused Brown to call a timeout. In the huddle, he told his Tigers they were exactly where they needed to be.
“I said this is exactly where we wanted them,” Brown told the media following the game. “I felt that if we could get to the last five minutes, we could win it. This team is the smartest and the most mentally tough. By getting to the last five minutes I felt we had our best chance.”
The players responded, tying the score at 47 just more than a minute later. Neither team seemed to grasp any definite advantage in the next few minutes of play until finally two free throws by Ricky Blanton with 2:31 to play put the Tigers up for good.
Ahead 57-55 with 44 seconds to play, the Tigers went to the spread, expecting a quick Kentucky foul.
“We wanted to see if our defense could get the ball,” Kentucky head coach Eddie Sutton said. “We wanted to go about 15 seconds, then foul. We waited a little too long.”
It was too long, indeed, as with 17 seconds on the clock Redden noticed an open Blanton underneath the basket and dished him the ball for an easy layup to give the Tigers a 59-55 advantage.
Roger Harden countered, driving the length of the court and knocking down his shot to bring the Wildcats back within two, but it was too little too late. After Williams missed a free throw on the other end, James Blackmon’s shot from halfcourt didn’t fall, and the Tigers came away with the 59-57 victory.
“Kentucky really came out very well prepared,” Brown said. “Under any other conditions this great team could have won the national title. I thought I did my best job of coaching, and (the players) gave their best on the floor. I guess it’s the highest moment I’ve ever had.”
Redden earned the Southeast Regional MVP title for his efforts. He had 15 points and eight rebounds against Kentucky following the stellar 27-point performance against the Yellow Jackets in the Sweet 16.
Williams scored 16 to lead the Tigers, and Anthony Wilson and Blanton each added 12. But more remarkable than Blanton’s 12 points was the job he did defensively on Kentucky star Walker in the second half.
Walker had an impressive 16 points to lead the Wildcats at the half, but Blanton and the Tigers came out in the second half ready to clamp down on defense. The 6-6 sophomore, transformed from a guard to a center, held the Wildcats big man to just four points in the final 20 minutes.
Brown’s “freak defense” proved to be a success again, as the ever-changing style kept Kentucky always guessing and wore the opponents down mentally and physically throughout the night.
“All we were trying to do was wear (Walker) down and slow him down,” Blanton said. “We knew it would be physical. We knew it was going to be a blood bath.”
Kentucky’s frustration grew as did LSU’s confidence. The Tigers found ways to score on eight of their last 10 possessions, and it seemed there was no way for Kentucky to stop this team of destiny.
“You have to believe in miracles after watching this ballclub,” said LSU athletic director Bob Brodhead, who congratulated the team in its locker room.
The Tigers, who moved to 26-11 on the season, advanced to the Final Four on March 29 in Dallas’ Reunion Arena to face West Regional winner Louisville (30-7), which defeated Auburn, 70-63, in its regional final.
The Cinderella squad was hoping that destiny made the trip with them to Dallas.