1988–89 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team

The 1988–89 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented University of Kentucky in the 1988–89 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played its home game in Lexington, Kentucky at Rupp Arena. The team was led by fourth-year head coach Eddie Sutton.

1988–89 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Record13–19 (8–10 SEC)
Head coach
Home arenaRupp Arena
Seasons
1988–89 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Florida 13 5   .722 21 13   .618
No. 20 Alabama 12 6   .667 23 8   .742
Vanderbilt 12 6   .667 19 14   .576
LSU 11 7   .611 20 12   .625
Tennessee 11 7   .611 19 11   .633
Kentucky 8 10   .444 13 19   .406
Ole Miss 8 10   .444 15 15   .500
Mississippi State 7 11   .389 13 15   .464
Georgia 6 12   .333 15 16   .484
Auburn 2 16   .111 9 19   .321
1989 SEC tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll[1]

Scandal and Resignation

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After the season, Head Coach Eddie Sutton’s tenure at Kentucky ended after a scandal and a losing record tarnished the school's basketball program.

Kentucky entered the season lacking significant talents in their lineup. Sophomore standout Eric Manuel was suspected of cheating on his college entrance exam and agreed to sit out until the investigation was finished. Potential star recruit Shawn Kemp transferred out of Kentucky after signing with the school earlier that year.

Another scandal broke when it was alleged that some employees from Emery Worldwide discovered $1,000 cash in an envelope sent by Kentucky Assistant head coach Dwane Casey to Chris Mills father. It was later shown that Casey was uninvolved in the incident.

Losing Season

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The Wildcats were placed in the hands of inexperienced sophomore LeRon Ellis and freshman Chris Mills. The two underclassmen struggled to fill in the talent on the court, resulting in the Wildcats' first full season losing record (13–19) since 1927.

References

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