Jodie Meeks scored 19 points and Patrick Patterson added 16 as Kentucky got past UNLV 70-60 in the opening round of the National Invitation Tournament, the first NIT appearance since 1979 for a Wildcats team accustomed to bigger stages in March.
"I don't think anybody in that building tonight wanted us to be playing in this tournament, but I doubt anybody who came to the game didn't enjoy the game," Gillispie said.
That was partly due to the setting, which was both historic and loud. Although this year's Wildcats team has seldom resembled the championship ones led by coach Adolph Rupp, for one night the players and fans got to turn back the clock — sort of.
With Rupp Arena unavailable due to a scheduling conflict, Kentucky hosted a game at Memorial Coliseum for the first time since 1976. But Gillispie brushed off a suggestion that the team could schedule a game there next year.
"I would think in these economic times, unless we could squeeze 24,000 in there, I think we'll stay at Rupp," he said.
A sellout crowd of 8,327 people packed the smaller gym. The crowd was loud during timeouts and deafening during the highlight plays. At times, Gillispie could be seen touching his ear, unable to hear a player standing right next to him.
"More than usual, the crowd was active," Patterson said. "We were just having a lot more fun."
While the NIT wasn't quite as foreign to UNLV, the Rebels were playing in it for the first time since 2005 — Lon Kruger's first season as coach. UNLV had played in four straight NITs leading up to that
f there was lingering disappointment after the Wildcats snapped a 17-year streak of appearing in the NCAA tournament, it didn't show on the court. Kentucky (21-13) scrambled for every loose ball, building a 20-point lead midway through the second half then weathering a late surge by UNLV (21-11) to advance to the next round against the winner of Creighton and Bowling Green.
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