True Blue Fans can be as tough, demanding and as supportive as any in America. Joe B. Hall took three UK teams to the Final Four and won one NCAA Championship. To many, that wasn't enough in his 13 years as the boss. Now 70, Joe B. is now recovering nicely from by-pass surgery. Last fall, some of Joe B.'s close friends were worried about his health. Always the tough guy, Joe B. downplays the issue, "I'm still here aren't I ? I'm a far sight better off than if I didn't have the surgery, I'll tell you that."

Taking a Cut did a question and answer session with a man who always respected UK's tradition more than he was ever given credit for.

Taking a Cut: Joe B., you use the word "love" when you talk about watching UK play today. What about Tubby ?
Joe B:"Fantastic ! I don't care if he doesn't win a game. He's such a nice person. He's good for Kentucky basketball."

Taking a Cut:Fans have talked about replacing someone special. Do they understand what it was like for you to follow Rupp, or Tubby to follow Pitino ?
Joe B:"It's something you really can't explain. It's kind of dumb to take that job. He'd (Tubby) be better off going somewhere where you have a chance to be the king. Here, there have been too many kings."

Taking a Cut: Joe B, when you travel the state, do fans now look at you differently ?
Joe B: "I'll tell you how it is now. People come up and they look at you and say, ah....didn't you used to be somebody ? You fade out. You'd be surprised how many kids 15-16 years old that don't know anything about basketball then.

Taking a Cut: Joe B. never coached with the 35 second shot clock or the three point shot. Has the game of hoops changed since you coached ?
Joe B: "Yeah, very much so. I don't like the 35 second clock. Seems like it rushes the offense. All they do is run motion. They don't really have the execution of set plays. Of course, that really dates me, talking about set plays."

Taking a Cut: There are some that say that ESPN has changed the way kids today look at and play hoops. ESPN shows the big time dunks, and very little 'team play.'
Joe B: "They are better athletes today.

There is something about the style of play that is so similar among all teams. Everybody pretty much playing the same kind of offense, the same kind of defense. They get used to each other. It's kind of a stymied situation where no one looks that good."

Taking a Cut:Would you change anything ?
Joe B:"No, no, we just take one ride. You can't think about some other route."

Taking a Cut: Do you consider yourself one of the luckiest guys around ?
Joe B: "Absolutely ! I got to do what I like to do where I liked to do it."

Taking a Cut: A couple of years ago you went to Japan to coach. Why was it so much fun ?

Joe B: "It was a situation where I didn't do anything but practice and games. I didn't have any media problems, and I didn't have any recruiting, or the NCAA. It was just basketball. It was a real pleasure."

Taking a Cut: Last summer, former UK great Sam Bowie told me that when he played for you, he was a "load, hard to deal with." Bowie admits that it took him a number of years after he left UK before he started to really appreciate the discipline you put on the team and how much you really cared about him.

Joe B: "That's a story you hear pretty often with your former players. If you were a disciplinarian, they are not going to like you at that time. I think back in the 1700's they said you needed more discipline. For order and a society to exist, and a basketball team is a society within itself, it needs discipline."

Taking a Cut: Joe, you were always known for rolling up a game program while you coached. While we were talking, you have a program rolled up in your hand.
Joe B: "Whenever I get a piece of paper, I roll it up, even after all these years."

After all these years, it is about time that Joe B. received his due for a job well done. I will always believe that if Sam Bowie never got hurt, not only would UK have won two more titles during Sam's time, but, the recruiting advantage of winning the last game of the year might have set up Joe B. for one or two more