One of the most memorable SEC Tournament wins for the Kentucky Wildcats occurred on March 10, 1984. The 1983-84 Wildcats found themselves in the SEC Championship game against the Auburn Tigers and their star player, future Hall of Famer, Charles Barkley. Free throws at the end of the previous contest by Dicky Beal pushed the Cats into the finals with a 48-46 win over Alabama.
The game at Memorial Coliseum in Nashville had an intense tournament-like atmosphere and most of the 15,000 plus fans in attendance were Kentucky fans. The game was a nail biter throughout. The teams swapped the lead 17 times, 14 in the second half. The biggest lead either team enjoyed was four. The Wildcats had the ball with the game tied and 14 seconds left to play. On the inbounds play, the Wildcats got the ball into the hands of sophomore Kenny Walker. Once Walker had the ball, he bounced in a jump shot from 15 feet to give the Wildcats a 51-49 wins and SEC Tournament Championship.
After Walker's shot went in, the Wildcats celebrated while the Auburn players stood in disbelief. In what is probably one of the most memorable moments in SEC Tournament history, Auburn's Charles Barkley was seen sitting under the basket in tears and complete shock at the outcome of the game. You could see the look of disappointment written all over his face and the image of him sitting on the court is one Kentucky fans who watched the game that day will never forget.
The 1983-84 Wildcats would go on to make a run to the Final Four, before losing a heartbreaker to Patrick Ewing and the Georgetown Hoyas. In a memorable season for the Kentucky Basketball program, this win in the SEC Tournament was just one of the unforgettable moments from that great season.
