5 things you need to know from Kentucky’s 104-54 rout of Tennessee Tech
Five things you need to know from No. 19 Kentucky’s dominating 104-54 win vs. Tennessee Tech in men’s college basketball:
1. John Pelphrey’s reception. The Tennessee Tech head man and “Unforgettable” former Kentucky forward returned to Rupp Arena as a head coach for the first time since January 23, 2010.
That night, Darius Miller (18 points), John Wall (16) and DeMarcus Cousins (16) led a UK rout of Pelphrey-coached Arkansas, 101-70.
Pelphrey expected this return to Rupp to be emotional. The former Paintsville High School star announced last month that his wife and high school sweetheart, Tracy, had been diagnosed with State 3 colorectal cancer.
Tracy Pelphrey delayed a scheduled chemotherapy treatment so she could see her husband coach in the venue in which he played.
In pregame introductions, when Rupp Arena public address announcer Patrick Whitmer intoned “and the head coach of the Golden Eagles, John Pelphrey” it was met with a roar by the crowd.
Richie Farmer, Deron Feldhaus and Sean Woods, Pelphrey’s fellow “Unforgettables” — the nickname given to the Kentucky players who stuck with UK through a harsh NCAA probation in the late 1980s and helped the Wildcats program successfully weather the adversity — were also on hand at Rupp to see their former teammate coach.
2. Ex-Cat vs. Ex-Cat coaching battle. With Tennessee Tech’s John Pelphrey, a UK forward from 1987 through 1992, matching wits with Kentucky coach Mark Pope, a Wildcats center from 1994 through 1996, it was the first time two ex-Cats were opposing head men in a Kentucky game since Feb. 7, 1985.
Back then, UK coach Joe B. Hall, a Kentucky guard in 1948-49, directed the Wildcats to a 68-62 win at Vanderbilt, which was coached by C.M. Newton, a UK swingman from 1949-51.
3. A small forward from Eastern Kentucky shines. A Paintsville product, John Pelphrey in his UK playing days was a standout small forward from the Eastern Kentucky mountains.
So it was only fitting that, on Pelphrey’s return to Rupp Arena, Kentucky had a current small forward from the Eastern Kentucky mountains shine.
After a slumbering start by the Wildcats, Harlan County product Trent Noah gave Kentucky a boost. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound sophomore rifled in 10 points and claimed five rebounds in the first half in only eight minutes of court time.
Noah was 3 of 3 on field-goal attempts, including two made 3-pointers.
The former Harlan County star finished the game with 16 points and six rebounds and only one missed shot.
4. Collin Chandler’s diversifying game. In Kentucky’s first four games, the 6-5, 205-pound sophomore from Farmington, Utah, was scalding from behind the 3-point line.
Chandler began the season 13 of 23 from behind the arc.
Over UK’s past three contests, Chandler has, inevitably, cooled off. He is 7 of 18 from behind the arc in that stretch — including 2 of 6 vs. Tennessee Tech.
Yet it is a sign of the continued growth in Chandler’s game that, even as his outside shooting has cooled, his contributions have remained strong.
Against Tennessee Tech, Chandler finished with 14 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Chandler was tied with Trent Noah (see above) as UK’s plus/minus leader at plus-38.
5. Ex-Wildcats coaching against the Wildcats. With Tennessee Tech taking the loss, John Pelphrey is now 1-4 all-time vs. his college alma mater.
Pelphrey is one of at least 11 former UK players (and I am not claiming this list is comprehensive) who went on to coach against Kentucky.
In alphabetical order, that list includes:
• Winston Bennett (0-1): The ex-Cats forward coached Kentucky State to a 118-63 loss to UK at Rupp Arena on Dec. 15, 2001.
• Travis Ford (0-4): The former Kentucky point guard went 0-3 against the Wildcats as head man at Eastern Kentucky and 0-1 while at Massachusetts.
• Kyle Macy (0-3): Another ex-UK point guard, Macy coached Morehead State to defeats of 31, 19 and 39 points, respectively, vs. his old team.
• Walter McCarty (1-0): The Rick Pitino-era UK forward handed his alma mater one of its most shocking defeats ever when he coached Evansville to a stunning 67-64 upset of then-No. 1 Kentucky at Rupp Arena on Nov. 12, 2019.
• C.M. Newton (10-32): A UK swingman from 1949 through 1951, Newton went 7-18 vs. Kentucky as Alabama head man and 3-14 as Vanderbilt coach.
• John Pelphrey (1-4): The former Kentucky small forward went 1-3 against Kentucky as Arkansas coach and is now 0-1 against the Cats at Tennessee Tech.
• Mark Pope (0-1): The current UK head coached against the Wildcats once as Utah Valley head man, a 73-63 loss at Rupp Arena Nov. 10, 2017.
• Carey Spicer (0-3): A Kentucky guard from 1928 through 1931, Spicer coached Georgetown College to blowout losses vs. the Cats in 1931, 1932 and 1933.
• Larry Steele (0-1): The ex-UK guard led Portland to an 88-71 loss to Kentucky on Dec. 22, 1989.
• Guy Strong (0-1): A Kentucky Wildcats player from 1949-51, Strong coached Oklahoma State to a 90-65 loss to UK on Dec. 21, 1974.
• Sean Woods (0-4): A college teammate of John Pelphrey at UK, Woods has coached three different teams vs. Kentucky. He is 0-2 vs. the Cats at Mississippi Valey State and 0-1 at both Morehead State and Southern University.
This story was originally published November 26, 2025 at 8:48 PM.
