Dec. 6, 2002

Shelby Linville, a member of Kentucky?s 1951 NCAA championship team, remains in critical condition in a Middletown, Ohio, hospital following an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

The aorta, which moves blood from the heart to other major organs, ruptured on Nov. 25 and Linville, 73, was rushed to the hospital where nearly all his blood had to be replenished during surgery.

“Thank God the hospital is only about a mile away,” said Linville?s longtime friend Jim Porter. “They said another 20 to 30 minutes and he would?ve been dead.”

Given little chance to survive, Linville has begun to show some improvement, though he remains in intensive care listed as critical, but stable.

“On Sunday, he was able to answer questions by moving his feet. Then on Monday, he opened his eyes,” Porter said. “He still can?t talk, but he can communicate.”

Nearly 12 inches of Linville?s colon had to removed during surgery, Porter said, and his kidneys still are not functioning.

Those wishing to send cards -? flowers are not allowed in ICU -? may do so to Shelby Linville, Middletown Regional Hospital, 105 McKnight Drive, Middletown, OH 45044.

Linville has been living in Middletown, about 30 miles north of Cincinnati, for several years and is retired pastor of Roselawn Baptist Church. He is instrumental each year in assisting Porter with the popular Ohio?s Annual UK Convention, a 13-year-old event that brings together nearly 150 Wildcat fans for a day of guest speakers including former UK coaches and players.

As a player, Linville was a starting guard for Kentucky?s 1951 NCAA champion team which featured future Basketball Hall-of-Famers Frank Ramsey and Cliff Hagan and All-American Bill Spivey. Linville scored eight points in the 68-58 win over Kansas State in the finals and was named to the All-Final Four team. For the season, he averaged 10.4 points per game and was the team?s top free throw shooter.

One lesser-known achievement is that Linville scored the very first basket in the brand new Memorial Coliseum during a 73-43 win over West Texas State on Dec. 1, 1950. During Linville?s last trip to Lexington for UK?s exhibition game with Team Nike, he took Porter and friend Mike Johnson on a tour of Memorial.

“We were on the floor at Memorial and Shelby says, ‘Right here is where I scored the first basket,’ ” Porter recalled. “Shelby said the play was set up for Frank Ramsey, but Ramsey?s man didn?t switch and ‘I drilled it. Ramsey’s hated me ever since,'” Linville said with a laugh.

Linville also revisited the locker room and remembered exactly where players and coach Adolph Rupp would sit.

“He really loves his school,” Porter said.

Linville (11) and the 1951 NCAA Champs