Dogged Smith kept Wildcats focused on achieving goal

Posted: Wed April 1, 1998 at 12:13 PM ET

Head coach Orlando "Tubby" Smith hoists the Sears Trophy during Kentucky's national championship celebration in Rupp Arena    (AP)

SAN ANTONIO (CNN/SI) -- In the end, it was Kentucky that made it happen.

Kentucky put together brilliant comebacks against Duke, Stanford and then Utah, winning 78-69 Monday night for its second NCAA championship in three years.

"We believed from day one that we could win it," coach Tubby Smith said. "That never changed. Every team that throws the ball up on the first day of practice back in October believes they can do it. If you don't believe it will happen, then it never occurs."

It was a team with a first-year coach and no recognized superstar.

"Some people overlooked us this season," Kentucky guard Wayne Turner said. "I think when you look at this team, it was an attitude of us against the world."

And now they are the Comeback 'Cats.

The Wildcats rallied from 10 points down at the half, the largest comeback in the history of title games. But the comeback, in essence, started after last year's team lost to Arizona in the championship game.

All-American forward Ron Mercer turned pro and coach Rick Pitino no longer could withstand the lure of an NBA return. Athletic director C.M. Newton wasted no time in hiring Georgia's Tubby Smith, the first black to coach the storied program.

Inheriting a team devoid of superstars, Smith built a unit forged on the principles of hard work and unselfishness.

"It's amazing what you can accomplish when you don't care who gets the credit," Smith said.

Kentucky (35-4) hit rough spots early on, with rare home losses to Louisville, Florida and Mississippi. Those defeats did not sit well with fans.

"We had some really good times and some really bad times on and off the court," senior guard Jeff Sheppard said. "Some things happened to this team that we couldn't do anything about. And there is something about going through those times that make you pull together as a team and as coaches and teammates pull together as one team."

Twelve games into the season -- and two losses -- Smith inserted Nazr Mohammed into the starting lineup in place of Jamaal Magloire at center to add more offensive punch. Mohammed went on to make All-Southeastern Conference while Magloire was a reliable backup.

When forward Allen Edwards slumped midway through the season, Smith stuck with him and used Heshimu Evans off the bench. Edwards finally regained his touch during the postseason while Evans continued to light a spark as a reserve.

Different players stepped up all season. The balance was reflected in six players averaging between 13.7 points (Sheppard) and 8.8 (Evans).

"Coach Smith always told us that individuals can win games but it takes teams to win championships," said Sheppard, who sat out last season as a redshirt and was voted the Final Four's most valuable player.

Defensively, Smith made adjustments, switching from man-to-man to various zones when teams were knocking down 3-pointers. There was no need, however, to adjust the intensity. That was constant.

"We felt like in the preseason we had one of the toughest, if not the toughest, preseason conditioning, and we do a good job of staying in shape throughout the year," forward Scott Padgett said. "We definitely use our defense to wear teams down."

And Smith kept his team focused when Edwards' mother died of breast cancer February 26. The team supported its grieving teammate, and kept on winning.

"He is such a great man," Sheppard said of his coach. "He taught us first to be men and to play basketball second."

And become champions in the process.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.