Master attended the
University of Kentucky on a basketball scholarship. He was part of the 1980 recruiting class that included
Melvin Turpin, Bret Bearup, and Dickie Beal. This group was considered by PrepSports.com as the best recruiting class in the nation. It was also rated by one as the eighth-best Wildcat recruiting class of all time. Master was seen as the best outside shooter in the country. Besides Kentucky, Master was reported as being recruited by
Notre Dame During Master's freshman (1980/81) season, two players were named as all-SEC selections (a first-team and a third-team). The 1981/82 season ended with four players (including Master) named as all-SEC selections (a first-team, a second-team and two third-teams). The 1982/83 season ended with four players (including Master) named as all-SEC selections (a first-team and three third-teams). And the 1983/84 season ended with three players named as all-SEC selections (a first-team, a second-team and a third-teams). Master and his Wildcat teammates translated their talent to wins and lofty national rankings. The 1980/81 team finished the season 22-6 and ranked 8th best nationally in both the [AP] and [UPI] polls. The team played in the NCAA tournament as a No. 2 seed. The 1981/82 team finished the season 22-8 and ranked 15th best nationally in the AP poll. The team was a
SEC regular-season co-champion, and they played in the NCAA tournament as a No. 6 seed. The 1982/83 team finished the season 23-8 and ranked 12th in the AP poll and 10th in the UPI version. The team was the
SEC regular-season champion, and they reached the
NCAA Regional Finals from a No. 3 seed. The 1983/84 team finished the season 29-5 and ranked 3rd in both polls. The team was
SEC regular-season and tournament champions, and they reached the
NCAA Final Four from a No. 1 seed. The talent on each of these Wildcat teams meant Master had a successful career that did not translate into lofty personal statistics. For his career, Master averaged 10.6 points, 2.10 assists, and 1.73 rebounds per game. But his value to the team was demonstrated by his playing time that averaged 28.7 minutes per game over his career and 31.4 minutes after his first year. Those statistics rank Master 8th best and 4th best, respectively, all-time in Kentucky history. •
College Honors and Accomplishments • 1981/82 3rd team UPI All-SEC • 1982/83 3rd team AP, UPI All-SEC • 1982/83 All-NCAA Regional team • member of gold-medal team, 1983 Pan American Games ==Professional==