College Basketball: Meeks returns message to Issel
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Associated Press
LEXINGTON, Ky. ó Jodie Meeks had more than 150 text messages and 50 voice messages awaiting him after he had the highest-scoring game in the illustrious history of Kentucky basketball.
Answering the message from former Kentucky star Dan Issel was Meeks’ top priority.
It was Issel’s 39-year-old record of 53 points Meeks broke in the 90-72 victory against the No. 24 Volunteers.
Meeks humbly told Issel he didn’t mean to break the record or even realize he was doing so.
“It’s an honor to me,” Meeks said Wednesday. “I don’t see myself as being legendary or anything like that.”
Issel disagrees.
He watched the game from a Wyoming hotel room where he was on a business trip. At halftime, he told his wife this could be the night his record fell. While he says there is some sadness it no longer belongs to him, mostly he is happy for Meeks.
“I told him, ‘The farther down the road you get and you realize what great players played at UK, ‘to be on top of that list is a heck of an accomplishment,”‘ Issel said in a phone interview.