By Ryan Ernst
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The University of Kentucky's equipment manager, Bill Keightley, has seen almost 1,000 victories from the Wildcats' bench since arriving in 1962. He has been around for three national championships, eight Final Fours, 22 Southeastern Conference regular-season titles and 10 SEC Tournament championships.

In 1997, UK honored Keightley by retiring his jersey to the rafters of Rupp Arena; he is only the second non-player to receive that honor. Keightley, 76, is affectionately known as "Mr. Wildcat" in Lexington. He took time to answer five questions from Enquirer sports reporter Ryan Ernst.

Bill Keightley, center, equipment manager for the University of Kentucky basketball team, stands with players Cliff Hawkins, left, and Keith Bogans during the playing of "My Old Kentucky Home" following their win over Vanderbilt University March 5. (Gary Landers photo) | ZOOM |

1. What's your most memorable moment in UK basketball history?

I tell you, I've been here 42 years and there have just been so many that I can't just pinpoint one moment. But obviously any national championship is something great and a great feeling of accomplishment, not only for yourself but for all the fans.

2. To celebrate its 100th anniversary, UK basketball recently announced Jamal Mashburn, Tony Delk, Dan Issel, Jack Givens and Kyle Macy as its all-time starting five from a fan poll. Who's your all-time starting five?

I'm gonna borrow something from Coach (Adolph) Rupp. I would never pick an all-time five, because you'd make five guys happy and some others unhappy. That poll, there were a lot of younger voters that favored some of the most recent players, and they're all deserving. But a guy like Ralph Beard (1947-49) was one of the greatest guards to ever play here, and he didn't get picked. But as I see it, they picked that top five. You could pick the top 20 players, say five from each era, and have them all play in a big tournament and you could have 20 different winners. It's very difficult to say, because we've had so many great ones.

3. I heard at Midnight Madness this season, the athletic department had you jump out of a cake to kick off the 100th-anniversary celebration. How did the guys persuade you to do that?

Each year they do some kind of big promotion and they decided I'd be the most likely person because I've been here for so long. But I think I disappointed a lot of people because they were expecting (actress/siren/UK alum) Ashley Judd to jump out. That was the first shocker of the season.

4. This UK team has gone on to shock plenty of people this season. Does this team have what it takes to rank as one of the school's greats?

This team might not have the overall offensive ability of some of the other great teams we've had. But as far as chemistry and dedication and wanting to win, they're as good as any team we've had. They pick each other up, and the chemistry is just outstanding.

5. What would Rupp say about college basketball today?

He would be proud, because we give him credit for building basketball, especially in the South. The game has changed so much. Overall, the players are quicker and they jump higher. The game is totally different, but it was changing at the time of his retirement. If he coached today, I think he'd be successful because he always changed with the times.