What if Kentucky had gotten the death penalty in 1989?(College Basketball)

On May 19, 1989, the NCAA placed Kentucky on a three-year probation, banning the Wildcats from postseason competition for two seasons and from television appearances for one. It was a harsh penalty but could have been worse. The NCAA considered applying its new death penalty to UK basketball. What if the organization hadn't been persuaded by the university's cooperation to go easy on the Cats?

What if ...

Larry Bird had stuck it out at Indiana?

As a junior in 1976-77, Bird blossoms in a Hoosiers system perfectly suited to his passing and shooting skills. Bird and Michigan State's Magic Johnson split two regular-season games during Johnson's freshman year, but there is no spark of a rivalry. As a senior, Bird averages 19.8 points and is chosen No. 6 overall in the 1978 NBA draft by astute Celtics general manager Red Auerbach.

The NCAA Tournament field never had expanded from 53 to 64 teams in 1985?

Villanova's fading 1984-85 team is relegated to the NIT and loses a second-round game. In 1989, Ivy champion Princeton quietly loses a first-round game against fifth-seeded Arkansas, instead of taking No. 1 seed Georgetown to the brink of defeat. NCAA Tournament bracket pools don't become as popular with an unbalanced field. In 1991, CBS grabs the rights to the later rounds of the NCAA Tournament for three years at $150 million, not the $1 billion over seven years it actually paid.--M.D.

 
           HISTORY ...                         ... REVISED 
 
1 Rick Pitino is hired as Wildcats  1 Pitino stays with the NBA's 
coach on June 2, 1989. The core of  Knicks and continues improving as 
players to be known as "The         a professional coach. Rupp Arena 
Unforgettables"--John Pelphrey,     remains empty for the 1989-90 
Deron Feldhaus, Sean Woods and      season, save for the occasional 
Richie Farmer--remain in the        ice show or country music concert. 
program. By 1991-92, the Wildcats   Pelphrey, Feldhaus, Woods and 
are a No. 2 NCAA Tournament seed,   Farmer transfer and have largely 
beginning a run that leads to four  forgettable college careers. The 
Final Four appearances in the next  basketball program resumes the 
six years.                          following year, but attractive 
                                    coaching candidates have seen the 
                                    death penalty devastate SMU 
                                    football and stay away. 
 
2 In building his first Kentucky    2 Sendek stays at Providence under 
staff, Pitino reaches back to his   Rick Barnes and follows him to 
Providence days and hires Herb      Clemson in 1994. Sendek doesn't get 
Sendek, who had stayed on with the  his head coaching break until after 
Friars during Pitino's time with    Clemson reaches the 1997 Sweet 16. 
the Knicks. Pitino finds Tubby  ...