Agree. His 2002 team was silly good, as well. Crazy. His two best teams, of course in our eyes, never won the title. Well to be fair, you didnt say 2002---but that team was really good.
But back to 1992 team---Very, very good college team.
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But back to 1992 team---Very, very good college team.
TBH, I think RP did the right thing with both. Playing DA was a huge risk to the kids future. I applaud Rick for not caving. I do believe with a healthy DA, UK 3 peats---and maybe, just maybe winning it all in 97 keeps RP in Lexington.
The job that dude did at UK is one of the best rebuilds ever---if not the best. Maybe only second to Drew at Baylor?
It is arguably true that several all time great coaches did not win the title with (again) arguably their best/most talented teams:
Rupp's 1954 UK team
Wooden's 1974 UCLA group
Bobby Knight's 1975 team
Dean Smith's 1984 Team
John Thompson's 1985 team
Tark's 1991 Team
Roy Williams' 1997 Kansas team
Coach K's 1999 team (again IMO)
Cal's 2015 team ??
Interesting to ponder....
Its a very good discussion for sure. Some of those teams lost to some raelly good teams as well.
1974---NC State was crazy ass good. 30-1. Shit the 73 team might have been just as good. 27-9, but ineligble for the NCAAT. Probably one of the most overlooked national champs ever...
1875 --Indiana. Had blistered UK by 24 early. Although UK got better, Indiana with May was the best team. With him, I think they cruise to the title. Huge loss.
1984 UNC---Stil to this day not sure how THAT team lost to Indiana. Seriously---how? SOme good teams though in that FF-----UK, Georgetown and Houston.
1985 Gtown---Nova team was underrated---But sheesh.
1991 UNLV---IMO, probably the best team not to win the title.
Roy and KU were the best team once DA got hurt for UK. But my goodness was that team good.
1999 Duke was ridiculous---But Uconn wasn't exactly chopped liver.
2015 UK was the best team---just a bad match-up versus a very efficient(historical) Wisconson team. The ONE game where IMO not having Poythress really hurt UK; I think he would have made things tough on Dekker--who UK just had no answer for.
Right after the 1996 title game, Sagarin ranked the best teams he had ever seen up to that time;
1. 1996 Kentucky
2. 1975 Indiana
3. 1991 UNLV
4. 1976 IU (IIRC)
Sagarin did say if he went back, he though 1973 UCLA and 1968 UCLA maybe would have finished with that group.
Its really hard to gauge teams from the 50's-80's even. Just a different game completely.
In modern era---1984-present, not sure I;ve seen 3 better teams than 96, 2015 UK and that 1991 UNLV team.
UNLV was just a monster---starting 5 wise. LJ, Augmon, Anthony, Ackles and Anderson were just stupid good. Gray, Spencer and Bice off the bench were solid. Augmon and LJ were so good, and versatile.
IMO, 1996 UK is probably the best team---But man I'd love to see 1996 UK vs 1991 UNLV.
I have always enjoyed your posts; very knowledgeable and fairly objective. I started following the sport closely in 1960 and the 5 best teams I have ever seen were:
1A 1996 UK
1B 1968 UCLA
3. 1975 IU….best team UK ever faced and best team we ever beat
4. 1991 UNLV
5. 1973 UCLA
**2015 UK MAY have been up there with a healthy Poythress; just a devastating loss.**
Appreciate the kind words...I try to be as objective as possible. Some things are fairly easy---but a lot of "rival fans'" just cannot admit the obvious...
Like with 96 UK. One of the few teams I've watched that you just knew was gonna win the title. Just wasn't anyone close to that team; MAYBE UMass? That team was just good at all levels---Athletes, long, scorers, defenders...Just could beat you in so many ways. Felt the same with 91 UNLV. Felt the were tight----stayed tight,and panicked. They overlooked Duke, who look, was a good team. BUt you could see that Vegas felt all they had to do was show up.
IU losing May was just heartbreaking for many IU fans. I am not old enough to recall those tams---but my uncles have made it clear---That team was the best Knight ever had.
To me when I think of "best ever", is, is this a team where heading into the NCAAT, you just knew they were the best---and by a lot. For me a few teams fit that---some won it--some did not.
91 UNLV--I mean who was gonna beat this team? Still to this day shocked they didn't win it.
I wanna say 92 Duke, but I feel going into the NCAAT, Indiana was playing the best of anyone. After we beat UCLA 106-79, I was like---This is the best team.
96 UK---No doubt they were the best team.
99 Duke---Wow. But hey like I said, UConn wasn't chopped liver. Even then, ya just didn't feel anyone was gonna beat them.
05 UNC---I mean, loaded. But Illinois was very good. Still felt they were just better than e eryone else.
12 UK....Very good. Very, very good. But felt UNC healthy was just as good. Them and UNC would have been an epic title game.
15 UK---Losing Poy was HUGE. But I mean, this team was steamrolling dudes. I did feel Wisky was a tough match-up for them...But I still think with Poy, this teams wins it all, and could argue to be the best ever.
Others like 84 UNC---Very good. WE know who they had. But damn, some really good teams that year---Houston, GTown, and IMO one of the most underrated UK teams ever.
85 GTown---Super. Defending champs. Even then, St. Johns was really good, and it wasn't hard to imagine the Johnnies beating them...Memphis State was really good. And shit, so was UK.
88 Oklahoma. Juggernaut. But there was also Purdue, Arizona, Temple. But even so, just didn't think anyone could match OU's scoring. And fromthe gate, they certainly lived up to that- BUt well Manning became superhuman, and......
.Thought Illinois was the best team in 1989,,,,Then they lose to Michigan, and interim coach Steve Fischer. Which make no mistake, Michigan was really good
1990, 1993, 94, 95, 97, 98, 2000, 01, 02(Maybe Duke). Add a handful here and there, and although some very good teams, always felt 5-6 or so COULD win it.
But for my money, I'd go 1996 UK----But a toss up with Vegas.
Oh so you don’t recognize words being adopted into the lexicon.
Got it. Thank you Lord Wellington the esteemed heir to the Idiot Estate. “Proper English” 🙄
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