An Unforgettable Untouchable

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 9, 2010) - The month of March means many things to many people; students get excited for their Spring Break adventures, parents get prepared to submit their taxes and universally in the Bluegrass, everyone gets geared up for basketball and March Madness with one goal in mind -- cutting down the NCAA championship nets.

Derek Anderson has lived that dream as a Kentucky Wildcat. In 1996, he was an integral part of "The Untouchables," the nickname given to the University of Kentucky's NCAA National Championship men's basketball team. With 10 future NBA players, a feat that had not been seen before and has yet to be duplicated, UK's 1995-1996 men's basketball team did what was expected of them -- they won games and they won them by a large margin.

"Winning the championship was probably the best thing not only for the state, but for our university," Anderson said. "We were supposed to win it, and we did, and that's kind of the best gift you can have. We did it because we did it together."

When Anderson begins to reflect on his time wearing the Kentucky blue, a true fondness and affection for his teammates and his university are vividly apparent.

"Knowing the history of Kentucky, seeing the great teams that didn't win the championship -- we felt like we won it for them."

"Everyone you come into contact with at Kentucky is going to make you a better person. The fans always made me feel like this was the place I should be," Anderson continued.

UK's 1995-1996 team was ranked by ESPN as the second best men's college basketball team of all time, behind UCLA of the 1970s.

"What was so great about our team, and this isn't a cliché statement, but we did everything together. We went bowling together. We went to the movies together. We ate together. We formed such a tight bond while we grew into young men, and it is why we are all still so close to this day."

Anderson left Kentucky after his senior season and was selected as the 13th overall selection in the 1997 NBA draft. After 11 years in the league, playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trailblazers, San Antonio Spurs, Charlotte Bobcats, Houston Rockets and winning the NBA Championship as a member of the Miami Heat, Anderson is still most frequently recognized for his time in UK blue.

"Being at Kentucky is the greatest place ever. other people say 'oh, we have the best fans.' No you don't. Not until you've been to Kentucky do you realize what real fans and real family are like. People welcomed us into their homes and it goes beyond basketball. When you come back, everyone just treats you like part of the family."

Anderson is back in the Bluegrass and back on UK's campus. This time his March Madness won't involve knocking down threes; he'll be hitting the books as he works on completing his degree.

"I've come back and so have a lot of my friends from the team (Tony Delk and Scott Padgett are both on Coach John Calipari's staff). It's just awesome to see it all again and relive it."

"Being in college now is different. There's not that sense of 'I have to do this,' I'm here because I want to do this and it is important to me. The pressure is off and I get to enjoy the campus and my classes and see how much the students enjoy the University of Kentucky."

Anderson has also spearheaded an effort to document the journey of the 1995-1996 Kentucky Wildcats through a documentary aptly named "The Untouchables."

"We have all the players, Coach Rick Pitino, everyone on the team that meant something to the team that year as part of the film. It's a great keepsake for UK fans. It's awesome and not only humbling for us, it was actually a gift that we didn't know we had when we were playing. Now that we're retired, we see the gift that we received, and I'm happy to bring it to our fans."

The fans continue to bring a lot of joy to Anderson, and he's enjoying being a fan of this year's team.

"I cherish my time at Kentucky every day. I even took my college championship ring with me to the NBA and told everyone that 'now I'm complete.' I just think that being at Kentucky is the greatest place. I love Kentucky with everything I've got and I bleed blue all the way through."

If you or someone you know of is interested in attending UK to finish a degree, contact UK Adult Student Services.

See the flash player below or click here to hear from beloved Wildcat and former NBA player Derek Anderson.