Al McGuire, the former Marquette coach and colorful television announcer for NBC, died of a blood disorder Friday, January 26, at the age of 72. The Hall of Fame coach, who won an NCAA title, always held Kentucky basketball in high regard. His admiration was spelled out in the 1991 Kentucky basketball media guide, which quoted McGuire as saying:

“My genuine opinion of the Kentucky basketball program is that there is only one and it is top drawer, Park Avenue, and that all other basketball programs in the country think they are, but they are not. The closest ones to get to it are North Carolina, maybe Indiana and UCLA. But at Kentucky, basketball is a type of religion, such a fanatical obsession that they expect to be national champions each year, and they live and die with each ball game. One of the things that is so different about Kentucky is that they have more than 100 stations that the games are broadcast over, while most colleges that have three or four think they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Kentucky puts SRO — 23,000 people — in Rupp Arena; if they built an arena seating 50,000, there would still be a waiting list.

“I’m not looking to throw a party for Kentucky, but that is how I feel. I think it’s an honest appraisal because I’ve seen all the programs, touching them as a coach, a player and as an NBC broadcast commentator…I have touched all the so-called capitals of basketball, but when it gets down to the short stroke, the only true capital of basketball is Lexington. I even think there are times when the horses kinda bend down a little to the roundball.”