| # | Name | Pos | Class | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown (School) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | Gayle Mohney (L) | G | So. | 5-9 | - | Winchester, KY [Bingham Military Academy, Asheville, NC] | - |
| - | Paul Jenkins (L) | F | So. | 5-10 | - | Louisville, KY (Manual) | All-Southern Conference; |
| - | James McFarland (L) | F | Sr. | 5-10 | - | Lexington, KY (Senior) | - |
| - | Lovell Underwood (L) | C-F | Sr. | 6-3 | - | Lexington, KY (Senior) | - |
| - | Henry Besuden (L) | C | Jr. | 6-3 | - | Winchester, KY (Clark County) | - |
| - | Charles Albert (L) | G | Sr. | 5-8 | - | Winchester, KY (High) | - |
| - | Burgess Carey (L) | G | Sr. | 6-0 | 195 | Lexington, KY (Senior) | - |
| - | Arville Hickerson | C | So. | 6-2 | - | Owensboro, KY (High) | - |
| - | C. Foster Helm | C-F | Jr. | 5-11 | - | Lexington, KY (Senior) | - |
| - | Jay Wallace | F | Jr. | 5-8 | - | Lexington, KY (Senior) | - |
| - | James Kittrell | G | So. | 6-0 | - | Lexington, KY (Senior) | - |
| - | Oliver Steele | F | So. | 5-10 | - | Lexington, KY (Senior) | - |
| Schedule | Player Statistics |
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1925-26 Squad |
Front Row (l to r): James McFarland, Gayle Mohney, Burgess Carey, Paul Jenkins, Lovell Underwood |
Season Review - BASKETBALL SEASON OF 1926 (Kentuckian)
The Wildcat team of 1926 was the greatest team that has worn the Blue and White since the Southern Champions of 1920. They won the championship of Kentucky easily and won eight games in the Southern Conference, ending the season at the top of the teams in the conference, being the only team that had not been defeated by a conference opponent. The semi-final game in the Southern Tournament marked the first defeat for Kentucky since the second game of the season.
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Kentucky 37, Berea 23
The highly touted Berea team came to Kentucky for the first game of the Kentucky season after having a perfect record last year and claiming the championship of Kentucky. The Wildcats played with them and beat them easily, putting in part of the second string before the game was over.
Kentucky 36, Georgetown 21
Georgetown put up her usual fight against Kentucky but the efforts of the fleet Bradbury were useless against the guarding of Carey and the swift stabs at the basket made by the Kentucky forwards.
Kentucky 25, Georgia Tech 24
"Tiny" Hearn came close to being Kentucky's downfall but the mighty fighting heart of the Wildcats could not be overawed by a mountain of a man and finally the brave Wildcats succeeded in solving the problem of getting the ball around the six and one-half feet of Tech center. Underwood played desperately and probably saved the game.
Kentucky 45, Centre 25
As in the past Kentucky had no trouble in downing the Centre five by a large score. Eklund got a chance to use his entire string of substitutes in this game.
Kentucky 25, Georgetown 20
The Tigers of Georgetown claw more fiercely on their home floor and the brilliant work of Bradbury held the Wildcats to a five point victory margin. However, Kentucky was in control of the situation at all times.
Kentucky 27, Alabama 16
The fighting felines of the basketball court obtained a sweet revenge for their brothers of the football field when they trounced the Crimson Tide to the tune of 27-16. Alabama was no. match for the 'Cats, now confident of winning the conference championship.
Kentucky 46, Centre 19
It is always a pleasure to go with the basketball team to Danville. The Wildcats are sure to win by a handsome margin.
Kentucky 36, Auburn 26
The Auburn Tiger attempted to take back a trophy from the Wildcat lair but instead he left great quantities of hair and skin. Kentucky was never better than in beating Auburn. Jenkins and Mohney were in perfect coordination and shot from every angle.
Kentucky 51, Tennessee 17
The first game of the Southern trip, Kentucky went wild. After the first few hectic minutes, the Volunteers were so dumbfounded that they could do nothing but watch every Kentucky man shoot a myriad of baskets.
Kentucky 22, Georgia 18
The Clemson game had to be canceled on account of a bad train connection and the pent-up energy of two days swept Georgia off her feet and down to a loss by four points.
Kentucky 44, Washington and Lee 34
The Blue of W. and L. came to Lexington unexpectedly and without warning but the Wildcats welcomed the prospect of a good fight and took the other team into camp quickly.
Kentucky 27, Tennessee 21
Kentucky was very wild in the next to last game of the season and seemed in danger of losing several times but rallied in time to win the game. Captain Carey kept his team together in his usual efficient manner and drove them to victory.
Kentucky 30, Vanderbilt 20
Old Vandy was the victim of the final game in the 'Cat schedule. All the fans came out to see Kentucky win the last game and the entire team was on a fine edge. The battle was a noble one but the Blue and White would not be downed and so the season was closed with Kentucky as the ranking team in the South and the favorite for the tournament.
THE SOUTHERN TOURNAMENT
The Southern Tournament opened at Atlanta with Kentucky and North Carolina at the top of the teams entered but North Carolina was conceded a much better chance to win than the Wildcats. Kentucky's first game, with Virginia Military Institute was a thriller from start to finish. V. M. I. leaped into the lead early in the game and held it until the last part of the last half when Kentucky came back and won by five points after a grueling struggle.
The second game was with Georgia and she had the crowd on her side. As in the other game, Georgia leaped into the lead and stayed there until the half was over. But let a Georgia sport writer tell the story. "When the first half of the Kentucky game was over, great hilarity was in evidence. The Bulldogs had shown World Championship form." "At last," said the home fans, "we have a team in Georgia that can end the reign of North Carolina." And it did look that way. We felt confident that no team in the conference could stop that Richardson, Florence, Keen combination.
But alas for the well laid plans of mice and men. The second half of that game proved the greatest shock of this writer's long career in watching sporting events. It was a cruel, cruel event. But one could not help but have a thrill of admiration for the gallant rally of the Kentuckians. It was one of the greatest comebacks in the history of Southern sports and no matter what Kentucky does the rest of the tournament, the Wildcats of 1926 will never be forgotten.
After the strain of the Georgia game, Kentucky was noticeably weakened and two of the team were sick the next day. In the semifinal game, more than a hundred saw the gallant Blue and White fight to come back from a five point lead only to fail bravely and lose the game and tournament hope to Mississippi A & M who was defeated the next day by North Carolina. Kentucky won the plaudits of the South for her brilliant try and next year, she should win the coveted cup.
