Last night, I attended the inaugural Phil Knight Invitational, featuring both the Oregon and Oregon State basketball teams. Last year, it was a full-fledged birthday clebration tournament but going forward it will continue to be a double-header. Oregon beat highly-touted Memphis, while Oregon State lost to Oklahoma. 81-year old Nike founder Phil Knight shook a few hands a few rows in front of us. Before the game, I watched on TV a portion of the I.U. victory against unworthy opponent North Alabama. I also caught the half-time score of Kentucky vs. Evansville – David versus Goliath. 

The Evansville Purple Aces were giving the #1 ranked Kentucky Wildcats a game. However, everyone expected UK to eventually take control. Kentucky was favored by 25 points and playing at Rupp Arena where they had been 39-0 against un-ranked, non-conference opponents when ranked the best in the country. These early-season games are designed to pad the win column, so opponents are always viewed as cupcakes. It was already frosting on the cake for the Purple Aces to be leading at halftime. When I saw the final score of 67-64, I was shocked that Evansville had pulled off the improbable. It was especially sweet for their second-year coach, Walter McCarthy, who won a national title with Kentucky in 1966. UK was also the victim of another major upset back in 2007 when Gardner Webb beat them as a 26-point underdog, but the Wildcats were only ranked at #20. The Purple Aces had never beaten a #1 team. 

As an Indiana fan, I’ve always been a Wildcat-hater, although I respect their program and feel envious of their ability to always get the top recruits. The I.U. versus Kentucky border war was a highlight every year, as the game rotated between host schools. It suddenly stopped a few years ago with each school blaming the other. The Hoosiers have been without recent tournament success, while the Wildcats have made the Sweet 16 three straight years and won it all for the eighth time eight years ago. Kentucky leads all school in total NCAA tournament appearances with 59, games played with 184, 131 wins, 45 Sweet 16s, 38 Elite Eights, and 68 post-season appearances. I.U. has five national championships, but not since 1987. Evansville has also won five titles but at the Division II level and not since 1971. 

The University of Evansville Purple Aces were not intimidated playing at historic Rupp Arena. It was the modern day version of Hoosiers on the college rather than high school level. The new movie should be titled Dis-Rupp-Tion. I’m sure that legendary coach Adolph Rupp rolled over in his grave last night. He passed in 1977, just three days before an entire plane load of Evansville players and coaches died in a plane crash in route to play Middle Tennessee State. It is one of the worst tragedies in basketball history. It took a lot of community support to bring back the basketball program the next year. The greatest reward of their efforts happened last night as time expired after Kentucky missed the game-tying three at Rupp. Total Dis-Rupp-Tion!