YouTube Gold: Kentucky vs. Houston, 1984

Back in the days when a player like Hakeem Olajuwon stayed in college for four years.

In 1984, Guy Lewis took his Houston Cougars, led by Hakeem Olajuwon, to Lexington to play the Kentucky Wildcats.

UK was coached by Joe B. Hall, who like Lewis was near the end of his career. It was a match of two lions in winter.

Houston had lost key players from the 1983 Phi Slamma Jamma classic squad - Clyde Drexler, Benny Anders and Larry Micheaux were gone, but among the returnees was Ricky Winslow, whose son Justise would become a Blue Devil 30 years later.

Kentucky had Kenny “Sky” Walker, Sam Bowie, Melvin Turpin and James Blackmon and of course the game was at home.

As it turned out, the Cats were too much for the Cougars as Kentucky won 74-67. It didn’t help that Olajuwon, Winslow and Michael Young all fouled out.

Afterwards, Olajuwon said this: “I would like to play these guys again on a neutral floor. Everything I do, they call me for everything. I should be used to it by now, but the Kentucky players, they just jumped into me and the refs called me for the fouls.”

The oft-injured Bowie was more diplomatic, saying I’m not looking forward to going up against Akeem again in the tournament. We’re just glad to get this one out of the way.”

They barely missed a rematch as Houston lost in the championship game to Georgetown after the Hoyas held Kentucky to an astonishing 3-33 in the second half.