Imaginary Game #1: 1978 vs. 2010

[Joneslab]

I'm going to put up a few "imaginary games" over the next few weeks.

These are exactly what they sound like: games between two UK teams of the past.

Your job: you tell me who you would think would win. Give a score and a reason.

Obviously a lot of...speculating has to be done here. I was just born when the '78 team was playing for their national title. So in that case we'll have to use a lot of Jon Scott. But it could be fun.

Starting with '78 vs. '10 (remember the teams we're talking about played their postseason in the last year; so '78 is the title team, and '10 is the Wall/Cousins team), I'm going to go with:

1978 Kentucky 74
2010 Kentucky 69

The shooting woes of the 2010 Cats haunt them. The fact that '78's best player played at 2010's weakest position would be big; Givens would have a field day against Dodson and Miller. And I feel like Macy would be crafty enough to take advantage of John Wall's turnover problems. Cousins would probably get to Robey inside, but who knows if 2010 would throw the ball to Cousins (see: West Virginia).

Your thoughts?

[KevinHall]

The shooting would be the difference. 78 team much better. Give the 78 team a three point line and they could be devastating. Macy,Claytor,Givens and Shidler could all knock them down. Also Robey would never back down from Cousins. Cousins might be bigger overall but Robey is just as tough or more. Also have Phillips to contend with inside and two more 6-10 players off the bench. James Lee would be tough for the 2010 team to handle too. 78 wins but it would be close.

1978 91
2010 88

[Westtncat]

Wall and company blow this team out by 20+ The athleticism on this team is something the 78 team would not have faced. The shooting wouldn't make a difference because the 2010 athletes would be so much faster and smothering on defense. Sorry but I don't see the 78 team having much of a chance. Wold also depends on how the game is called. College basketball has advanced a lot in 30 years.

[Lighthouse]

A much bigger 78 team would control the inside even against the Cousins of that part of his career. He would be continually frustrated. Wall's speed would be a problem, but as pointed out the 78 team's shooting would be a difference maker. Of course Patterson and Liggins would make a difference too, but Lee wouldn't back down from any of them.. I would love to see them play. My prediction would be 78 team by 7.

[kr24]

Kyle Macy and Jack Givens would be a huge difference. Cousins is negated by the 4 6'10" players from the 78 squad and as stated by another James Lee stood down to nobody, not even Patrick. The 78 squad by 7.

[Uncle Dave]

I was a student and attended every home game during the 77-78 season. Best time of my life. Will's prediction seems about right. NO WAY the 78 team would be intimidated LOL.

[Jload]

78 wins
that game. 78 club a team of champions, 2010 not so much

[Joneslab]

Wall and company blow this team out by 20+ The athleticism on this team is something the 78 team would not have faced. The shooting wouldn't make a difference because the 2010 athletes would be so much faster and smothering on defense. Sorry but I don't see the 78 team having much of a chance. Wold also depends on how the game is called. College basketball has advanced a lot in 30 years.

Generally I think you're right about how the game has changed. With some of the powerhouse teams I don't think the athleticism would be as much of a problem.

Wall would be a severe issue, but if Macy was as solid as they say--and he must have been considering what kind of college career he had--then he could have probably hung in.

[DA#23]

I’d think that Cousins would be in foul trouble soon, so then you have Patterson and Orton on the floor for an appreciable amount of time.

Eric Bledsoe would be the X factor just like he was in many of the ‘10 team’s games. If he can hit a respectable percent, look out.

so I have to go with 1978 to win the single game. 6.5 wins out 10 games.

[DA#23]

Also, it’s easy to forget just how good Patterson was. With help in 2010 we saw how athletic he actually was. Great guy/family too

[40bill]

78 is arguably the best team in UK history. Disciplined, confident to the point of arrogant. Macy was physically the 'weakest player on the floor's EVERY game....until it started.
deep bench, and would suffocate a team with the 1-3-1 zone. Someone will have to look up the stats, but the best shooting team percentage wise I remember.

2010 would lose by 20.
78 is likely one of the two or three most overlooked NCAA championship teams in history.

[KevinHall]

78 is arguably the best team in UK history. Disciplined, confident to the point of arrogant. Macy was physically the 'weakest player on the floor's EVERY game....until it started.
deep bench, and would suffocate a team with the 1-3-1 zone. Someone will have to look up the stats, but the best shooting team percentage wise I remember.

2010 would lose by 20.
78 is likely one of the two or three most overlooked NCAA championship teams in history.

That's a good point about the 1-3-1 zone. Joe B like to use that at times. He would have against the 2010 team too. The 2010 wilted against the WVU's 1-3-1 and I'm sure they would have against Joe B's version too.

[Joneslab]

78 is arguably the best team in UK history. Disciplined, confident to the point of arrogant. Macy was physically the 'weakest player on the floor's EVERY game....until it started.
deep bench, and would suffocate a team with the 1-3-1 zone. Someone will have to look up the stats, but the best shooting team percentage wise I remember.

2010 would lose by 20.
78 is likely one of the two or three most overlooked NCAA championship teams in history.

They wouldn't beat 2010 by 20 points. Not with the individual talent 2010 had.

I just can't see that happening. One thing about 2010, although they were a flawed team because of their shooting: their speed absolutely could not be understood unless you were there. You had to be in the gym watching it; the speed didn't translate to television. I had never seen anything like it before then and I still haven't. It was sometimes everything a team could do to get back and set up defensively.

That would be a major deal for 1978. If '10 could've gotten into '78's bench those guys would've likely had problems. Can't imagine Jay Shidler keeping up in that game.

There is no way that game is a rout with the beasts 2010 had. '78 might have just methodically worked them, though.

1996 beats both, however. Probably handily.

[Catsrock]

Without going into matchups or specifics I'd take '78 over '10 due to upperclassmen leadership. They would be more like WVU that beat us in 2010 or Wisconsin that ended our dreams in '15. Take the 2010 roster in that era with h 4 years to develop...holy cow.

[40bill]

These kind of discussions are always fun because no one loses in the 'what if' game.
78 was a team of upperclassmen who had seen it all in four years....bad calls, hostile courts, rule changes, transfers in and out, high octane opponents and grinders.
Well coached, didn't care who scored the most, seen it all.
Brutal on the boards. Mike Phillips was a non-factor in the championship game...Robey slides over for twenty. Starters dig a deep whole early against Florida State...bench comes in and actually won the game.
If they aren't the BEST team I've had the privilege of watching at Kentucky, they are just behind the 96 crew....
And I'm not totally sold that a seven game pro style series between them just might not have been 4-3.....one way or another.