Forty Minutes to Glory

"Doug Brunk has done it again. Forty Minutes to Glory is a book every Big Blue fan will want to include in their library. It chronicles the great 1978 NCAA Championship team and some of the best players to wear the blue and white. Also, Coach Joe B. Hall finally gets the credit he deserves for the impossible task of replacing Hall of Fame coach Adolph Rupp. Keep them coming, Doug!"—Dan Issel, former University of Kentucky All-American and retired coach of the Denver Nuggets

"So much happened to the 1977–1978 Kentucky basketball team that Coach Joe B. Hall called it 'a season without celebration.' That label led many to believe the immense pressure to win it all vacuumed the fun out of the game. But it was far more complicated, and Doug Brunk's exhaustive research gives us the opportunity to understand everything Hall and his players endured on the way to the NCAA Championship."—Mike DeCourcy, college basketball columnist, Sporting News, and member of the US Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame

"Whenever you sit down to write a book about a championship team several words emerge that can universally apply to all of them—determination, sacrifice, commitment, focus, shared goals, and hard work are but a few. Doug Brunk has captured these words and even more in this book about one of Kentucky's greatest teams, the 1977–1978 National Champion Wildcats. If you are a part of the Big Blue Nation or just a basketball fan, you will enjoy the anecdotes and stories of a team that had tremendous pressure on them to win the national title. Their journey through the season culminating with a win over Duke in the championship game gives you a good historical perspective and is great reading."—Larry Conley, member of Kentucky's 1966 national runner-up team known as "Rupp's Runts," and former college basketball broadcaster

"Kentucky's 1978 national championship season has been described as a season without celebration. But Doug Brunk's book Forty Minutes to Glory paints a different picture of a group of talented players who dedicated themselves to achieving a special goal before the season ever started. There is a reason Kentucky teams are so beloved by their passionate fan base and why their fans can quote you chapter and verse on the great moments in the program's story. The names of Kyle Macy, Rick Robey, Goose Givens, Mike Phillips, James Lee, and Jay Shidler will always be beloved by the Big Blue Nation for their talent and work ethic. Brunk does a great job bringing out their personalities and their resolve to reach Olympian heights under Joe B. Hall, who coached the Cats' first national title since 1958 and put the Cats back in their rightful place as the No. 1 program in college basketball. After reading this book, it's hard not to fall in love with them."—Dick "Hoops" Weiss, former college basketball writer for the Philadelphia Daily News and New York Daily News and member of the US Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame

"What a great read for all Kentucky and basketball fans, young and old, everywhere. I was in St. Louis for the semifinals and there the day of the finals and the atmosphere was electric. The dramatic accounts from the players are riveting and the pressures they all felt only served to heighten the drama of the game so aptly described in this book. Expectations of Kentucky winning the championship were huge, but expectations are not results. You have to play the game, and play the game they did. Now, Jack Givens, James Lee, Rick Robey, Mike Phillips, Truman Claytor, and Dwane Casey are legends. There were some great additions to that team but none so valuable as Kyle Macy—one of the best floor generals in UK history. Kentucky had everything. Coaching, size, speed, the best bench in the country, toughness, shooting, defense, and more shooting. They had an abundance of everything, including a killer instinct. They looked like choirboys and played like wildcats!"—Reggie Warford, point guard for the University of Kentucky men's basketball team, 1972–1976

"I really enjoyed this book on the 1978 NCAA champs—a team that seemed to be misunderstood in many ways. Forty Minutes to Glory shines a different light on their march to the championship. They were a terrific team coached by the only man who could have gotten them to the finish line!"—Mike Pratt, forward for the University of Kentucky men's basketball team, 1967–1970, and broadcast analyst for the UK Radio Network

"What a great book! The author puts you in the team huddle with the 1978 National Champs. The UK basketball nostalgia and insights are entertaining. Who knew this team would be so close but have multiple altercations during their practices!"—Roger Harden, point guard for the University of Kentucky men's basketball team, 1982–1986

"What a great book for all Wildcat fans. A fun and fast read for all ages, it contains detailed insights and takes you behind the scenes of a historic season!"—Jim Master, shooting guard for the University of Kentucky men's basketball team, 1980–1984

"Author Doug Brunk has penned an engaging volume, sharing many inside stories involving the players, coaches and student managers. It's a nice read for a Big Blue faithful, who won't be disappointed."—KY Sports Style

"Author Doug Brunk does a good job of recapping a sensational season as well as reporting some interesting behind-the-scenes episodes."—Paducah Sun

"A true feast of Big Blue Nation reading material that is easily consumed and enjoyed by those who live and die with Wildcat hoops."—Kentucky Monthly