LEXINGTON – Tubby Smith returned to Rupp Arena like a conquering hero.

He emerged from a corner near the visitors dressing room Friday morning, just a few minutes before a jersey bearing his name was unveiled in the rafters. Unprompted except by the sight of him and their own memories, thousands of spectators rose in staggered waves to applaud a coach they had not always treated so warmly.

It was a homecoming long overdue and sweetly satisfying.

“He needed to know,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said,” what people here think of him.”

Fifteen seasons since he left UK to decidedly mixed reviews, the 70-year old Smith came back to Lexington as the head coach at his alma mater, High Point University, for a game scheduled essentially as an excuse to honor him. He became the 44th individual to earn a commemorative jersey at Rupp Arena, right before Kentucky overwhelmed his Panthers by 44 points, 92-48.

Addressing the crowd during the pre-game ceremony, Smith said he was "humbled and blessed" by the recognition.

Kentucky vs. High Point: Live basketball updates, Tubby Smith's jersey retirement and more

“This is the first time we’ve been back here since we left,” he told a crowd that included members of his family and numerous former players. “To receive this type of welcome is heartwarming.”

Afterward, Smith continued to savor the experience and an ovation undiminished by the game's outcome.

"The tradition Kentucky has for their basketball program -- it's the No. 1 basketball program in college basketball," he said. "That's why it's such a thrill, such an honor to be a part of the legacy of Kentucky by having your banner raised in Rupp Arena."

Smith was fortunate to follow Rick Pitino at UK and to inherit the core players of Kentucky's seventh NCAA championship team. But after outlasting Utah, 78-69, and cutting down the nets in San Antonio on March 30, 1998, Smith spent nine years unable to duplicate the success of his first season.

More: John Calipari wants Kentucky basketball fans to show appreciation for Tubby Smith

Kentucky would win five Southeastern Conference championships during his 10-year tenure, and five SEC Tournament titles, compiling an overall record of 263-83 (.760).

At most schools, that would qualify as an extraordinary run. At Kentucky, it was widely seen as underachieving.

“Unless you’re in it,” Calipari said. “You don’t know what this job is.”

Smith's Wildcats entered the 2003 NCAA Tournament ranked No. 1 nationally and eventually extended a winning streak to 26 games, but their chance for another title was compromised by an ankle sprain Keith Bogans suffered in the Sweet 16 and ended in an Elite Eight loss to Marquette and Dwyane Wade.

Though Smith received multiple Coach of the Year awards that year and never missed an NCAA Tournament or won fewer than 22 games in his 10 seasons at UK, he was rarely able to exceed the lofty expectations of its fervent fans.

The inherent pressures of coaching at Kentucky were compounded by Smith’s failure to return to the Final Four, his perceived shortcomings in recruiting, the comparatively deliberate pace of his teams, the polarizing play of his son, Saul, and certainly, to some extent, by the color of his skin.

More: High Point basketball coach Tubby Smith is still going at age 67

With “For Sale” signs reportedly appearing on his lawn, and fan discontent rising after a second-round loss to Kansas in the 2007 NCAA Tournament, Smith left Lexington to take the Minnesota job with four years remaining on his UK contract. He spoke of the need for a new challenge, but the move was a long way from lateral.

Smith subsequently coached at Texas Tech and Memphis before returning to High Point in 2018. He became only the second coach to lead five different schools to the NCAA Tournament and now carries a career record of 637-363.

Friday's game was his 1,000th as a college head coach.

"I would have loved to stay here longer," Smith said of Kentucky. "But in this line of work it can be taxing. It can change you. . .(But) I don't have anything I can look back on and say it left a bad taste in my mouth."

Friday's hero's welcome Smithshould make looking back look that much better.

Tim Sullivan: 502-582-4650, tsullivan@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @TimSullivan714

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Tubby Smith becomes 44th to get commemorative Kentucky jersey at Rupp