Five most cherished wins of each decade, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s

[TeleTubby]

Obviously you can leave out the ones before you were a fan/were even born...

70s
1. Beating Duke for fifth title in 78
2. Beating undefeated Indiana in 75
3. Beating Michigan St. in Elite Eight, 78
4. Beating UNCC in NIT, 76
5. Beating Arkansas in Final Four, 78

80s
1. Beating Louisville 85-51 at Freedom Hall, Dec 86
2. Beating Louisville 65-41 at Rupp, Dec. 83
3. Beating Louisville in Sweet 16, 84
4. Beating Louisville on tip in, Dec 87
5. Beating Illinois in Elite Eight, 84

90s
1. Beating Syracuse for sixth title in 96
2. Beating Utah for seventh title in 98
3. Beating Duke in Elite Eight, 98
4. Beating FSU in Elite Eight, 93
5. Beating UMass in Final Four, 96

00s
1. Beating UNC in 00
2. Beating UNC in 01
3. Beating UNC in 02
4. Beating UNC in 03
5. Beating Indiana 80-41, whenever that was

10s
1. Beating Kansas for eighth title, 2012
2. Beating Louisville in Final Four, 2012
3. Beating Ohio State in Sweet 16, 2011
4. Beating UNC in Elite Eight, 2011
5. Beating Wichita State in second round, 2014

 

[TM2013]

That is a great list

 

[Backer cutter]

“That is a great list”- yes it is. The only one I’m having a problem with is the 00’s. I just can’t wrap my head around it for now. The rest the first choices are my first.

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

2010s
-2012 Championship win over Kansas
-2012 Revenge win over Indiana
-2014 Harrison’s 3 to beat Wisconsin
-2011 Underdog win over Ohio State
-2015 Absolutely obliterating Kansas

 

[TeleTubby]

I guess I should put Jodie Meeks' game at UT in my 00s list.

 

[LowCountryCat]

Honorable mention 1995 comeback against LSU

 

[JStaff2187]

Obviously you can leave out the ones before you were a fan/were even born...

70s
1. Beating Duke for fifth title in 78
2. Beating undefeated Indiana in 75
3. Beating Michigan St. in Elite Eight, 78
4. Beating UNCC in NIT, 76
5. Beating Arkansas in Final Four, 78

80s
1. Beating Louisville 85-51 at Freedom Hall, Dec 86
2. Beating Louisville 65-41 at Rupp, Dec. 83
3. Beating Louisville in Sweet 16, 84
4. Beating Louisville on tip in, Dec 87
5. Beating Illinois in Elite Eight, 84

90s
1. Beating Syracuse for sixth title in 96
2. Beating Utah for seventh title in 98
3. Beating Duke in Elite Eight, 98
4. Beating FSU in Elite Eight, 93
5. Beating UMass in Final Four, 96

00s
1. Beating UNC in 00
2. Beating UNC in 01
3. Beating UNC in 02
4. Beating UNC in 03
5. Beating Indiana 80-41, whenever that was

10s
1. Beating Kansas for eighth title, 2012
2. Beating Louisville in Final Four, 2012
3. Beating Ohio State in Sweet 16, 2011
4. Beating UNC in Elite Eight, 2011
5. Beating Wichita State in second round, 2014

I wasn’t alive until 87.

I’d find a way to put the Arkansas 95 SEC title game on that list. Crazy game.

00’s you have to have the thrashing of #1 Florida, Meeks vs UT and Sparks free throws vs UofL.

The rest looks good to me.

 

[bluegoad72]

I wasn’t alive until 87.

I’d find a way to put the Arkansas 95 SEC title game on that list. Crazy game.

00’s you have to have the thrashing of #1 Florida, Meeks vs UT and Sparks free throws vs UofL.

The rest looks good to me.

The thrashing of florida on national tv, which if I remover correctly they had just become number one, coming into RUPP on a Tuesday night to get annihilated....one of my favorite games ever.
OP’s least looks pretty spot on for me except I switch the 98 champ to number one. 96 were were going to cruise to that title. Excitement factor was at all time high because of the title drought, but 98 team with their fight, guys, and comebacks will always be number one for me. Being in school during that time Was pretty magical. And the duke comeback in 98 also.

 

[CatColumbia]

I’d replace 93 FSU with Arkansas 95 SEC Championship Game. Unbelievable how we pulled that off.

 

[Bluesnky]

I think I’d have beating Louisville in the Sweet Sixteen in 2014 in the top 5 for the 2010s.

 

[TheBlueCat]

Home win against Florida in 03 should be top 5 from the 00's.

 

[rick64]

Great lists. I’d have the E8 vs Michigan at Lucas Oil in the 10s list.....because I was there.

 

[chroix]

2003 vs Vandy. 62 point beat down. That was a fun one.

 

[armchairpg]

93 vs the fighting Tim Duncans.

 

[North Carolina Blue Wildcat]

The 90’s were fun...simply expected us to beat the heck out of people. I bet my whole check against the field in 1996. What could have been had Pitino stayed after the 97 season. Woulda, coulda, shoulda!

 

[Rondoed]

I would definitely say the "A Star Is Born" game Dwight Anderson had against Notre Dame in the 1970s. Interviewed right before the game, Coach Digger Phelps had even said that it should be a great game and, "One Notre Dame should win [for a change]." Down twelve, Dwight "The Blur" Anderson came in, basically went one-on-five, scored seventeen, and Kentucky won by five. Also, Anderson's great game against Kansas, with a little help by Kyle Macy, where he went off on Kansas and their All American guard Darnell Valentine at the end before the three-point shot and Kentucky, down six, scored seven points in almost the blink of an eye in the final seconds.

https://www.aseaofblue.com/2016/6/17/11951138/kentucky-basketball-freshman-flashback-dwight-anderson

 

[2Adulterers]

The 90’s were fun...simply expected us to beat the heck out of people. I bet my whole check against the field in 1996. What could have been had Pitino stayed after the 97 season. Woulda, coulda, shoulda!

Screw Pitino

 

[UK90]

Honorable mention 1995 comeback against LSU

Wrong year. That was in the 93-94 season.

 

[UK90]

93 vs the fighting Tim Duncans.

Duncan did not play on that Wake Forest team. He was still in high school at the time.

 

[TeleTubby]

The 90s and the 10s have about 20 that are top five worthy. The 80s are just wins over Louisville and Indiana. The 00s are wins over UNC and a couple others. I hope that pattern doesn't hold true for the 20s.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

The 2000s were slim pickings sadly. No ncaa tournament games. I guess 2003 over Wisconsin or 2005 against utah are about all I'd consider. Both sweet 16 games though.

 

[TheBlueCat]

The 2005 NCAA Rivalry game against Cincinnati. Very well played game, and sweet to defeat Huggins. That definitely belongs on the list.

I was lucky enough to be in the building. Rondo and Sparks were awesome that day.

 

[TeleTubby]

I have to redo the 2000s.

1. Beating Louisville on Sparks' last second free throws (2004?)
2. Beating UNC in 2000 (first win over them in forever)
3. Beating UNC when Tayshaun hit all those threes (2002?)
4. Beating Tennessee behind Meeks' 54 points (2009)
5. Beating Cincinnati in the second round (2005)

 

[RunninRichie]

1.beating indiana
2.beating indiana
3.beating indiana
4.beating indiana
5.beating indiana

 

[the nail at the foul line]

2002 NCAA win over Tulsa was good.

Florida win in 03 would be number 1.

 

[TeleTubby]

A lot of you are talking about that Florida game. I gotta be honest with you, it wasn't that big a deal to me. We have beaten the other SEC teams so many times that there are only a handful of wins that stick out for me. Those include...

1. Beating Alabama 101-100 in the SEC tournament in 1979. We had no business winning that game.
2. Beating Auburn on a last second shot that bounced up and in to win the SEC tournament in 1984.
3. Beating LSU 100-95 as Pitino's Bombinos beat Shaq and Chris Jackson.
4. Beating LSU by coming from 31 down with like 15 minutes to go in 1994.
5. Beating Arkansas to win the SEC tournament in 1995.
6. Beating LSU by putting up 86 points in the first half in 1996. Atari game.
.

 

[HagginHall1999]

A lot of you are talking about that Florida game. I gotta be honest with you, it wasn't that big a deal to me. We have beaten the other SEC teams so many times that there are only a handful of wins that stick out for me. Those include...

1. Beating Alabama 101-100 in the SEC tournament in 1979. We had no business winning that game.
2. Beating Auburn on a last second shot that bounced up and in to win the SEC tournament in 1984.
3. Beating LSU 100-95 as Pitino's Bombinos beat Shaq and Chris Jackson.
4. Beating LSU by coming from 31 down with like 15 minutes to go in 1994.
5. Beating Arkansas to win the SEC tournament in 1995.
6. Beating LSU by putting up 86 points in the first half in 1996. Atari game.
.

Well it was the decade of '00's that makes that game qualify as best wins of decade. It likely wouldn't qualify in the '90s or '10s but here is a stat for you....

Kentucky is just 8-15 all time vs a #1 ranked team.

That Florida win in 2003 was just the 2nd time we beat a #1 ranked team at Rupp and the first since 1979. Similar to last win vs UT two years ago.

We were throttling them at half time as well...up 23.

So with that history in perspective plus the lack of big tourney wins in '00's I think it is easy to see why that win would stand out.

http://www.bigbluehistory.net/bb/Statistics/gamerankoppap.html

 

[HagginHall1999]

Maybe some honorable mentions from 90's as there are so many to choose from:

UT SEC Tourney at Rupp
All Arkansas wins in 90s, games were insane
LSU comeback
LSU 86 points at half
Villanova at UK, Thomas vs Mercer
IU game at Freedom Hall- Air Pair
Louisville game- Air Pair
Steve Francis and Maryland at Rupp
Nazr crazy shot at Vandy buzzer beater
Minnesota in 97 tourney run
Stanford in 98 tourney run
Wake Forest 96 tourney run, Tim Duncan still trapped
Brassow tip in Maui Classic
Win by 40 vs Notre Dame in 95
#3 v #4 UK/IU Mashburn/Cheaney '92-'93

 

[HagginHall1999]

2003 vs Vandy. 62 point beat down. That was a fun one.

Totally forgot about that...and that was my SR year at UK.

God that loss to Marquette still stings.

 

[HagginHall1999]

Honorable mention '00s

Erik Daniels buzzer beater vs Mississippi St on road.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

Honorable mention 1995 comeback against LSU

1994.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

Maybe some honorable mentions from 90's as there are so many to choose from:

UT SEC Tourney at Rupp
All Arkansas wins in 90s, games were insane
LSU comeback
LSU 86 points at half
Villanova at UK, Thomas vs Mercer
IU game at Freedom Hall- Air Pair
Louisville game- Air Pair
Steve Francis and Maryland at Rupp
Nazr crazy shot at Vandy buzzer beater
Minnesota in 97 tourney run
Stanford in 98 tourney run
Wake Forest 96 tourney run, Tim Duncan still trapped
Brassow tip in Maui Classic
Win by 40 vs Notre Dame in 95
#3 v #4 UK/IU Mashburn/Cheaney '92-'93

Man, that 1993 game with Indiana was INSANE!

EDIT: I remember being on pins and needles for that entire game.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

I would probably list that tourney win over Cincinnati for the 00s. I believe it was in 2005. I remember that being a big time game.

 

[armchairpg]

Duncan did not play on that Wake Forest team. He was still in high school at the time.

yeah. It was 96. Oops.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

The 2005 NCAA Rivalry game against Cincinnati. Very well played game, and sweet to defeat Huggins. That definitely belongs on the list.

I'd also include the 2003 victory over #1 ranked Florida in Rupp. Fantastic atmosphere.

Sorry didn’t see you had posted that. I agree wholeheartedly.

 

[HagginHall1999]

I would probably list that tourney win over Cincinnati for the 00s. I believe it was in 2005. I remember that being a big time game.

Was on my way home with @Ron Mehico from Spring Break (of course we went even though both were graduated...ha).

Stopped at an Applebees in Valdosta, GA to watch game.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

2003 vs Vandy. 62 point beat down. That was a fun one.

It really was. Talk about a team clicking on all cylinders. I remember Azubuike scoring 16 consecutive points in that game without missing a shot, as a freshman. Probably the funnest game of the Tubby years, outside of 1998 and the 2003 Florida game.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

A great non NCAAT game from the 10s was the 2010 UK-Mississippi State SECT Final. The Cousins buzzer beater. I’m watching that game right now actually. Wife’s at work.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

Was on my way home with @Ron Mehico from Spring Break (of course we went even though both were graduated...ha).

Stopped at an Applebees in Valdosta, GA to watch game.

BIGTIME game, especially for a second round matchup.

 

[nickhorvathsuxazz]

Obviously you can leave out the ones before you were a fan/were even born...

70s
1. Beating Duke for fifth title in 78
2. Beating undefeated Indiana in 75
3. Beating Michigan St. in Elite Eight, 78
4. Beating UNCC in NIT, 76
5. Beating Arkansas in Final Four, 78

80s
1. Beating Louisville 85-51 at Freedom Hall, Dec 86
2. Beating Louisville 65-41 at Rupp, Dec. 83
3. Beating Louisville in Sweet 16, 84
4. Beating Louisville on tip in, Dec 87
5. Beating Illinois in Elite Eight, 84

90s
1. Beating Syracuse for sixth title in 96
2. Beating Utah for seventh title in 98
3. Beating Duke in Elite Eight, 98
4. Beating FSU in Elite Eight, 93
5. Beating UMass in Final Four, 96

00s
1. Beating UNC in 00
2. Beating UNC in 01
3. Beating UNC in 02
4. Beating UNC in 03
5. Beating Indiana 80-41, whenever that was

10s
1. Beating Kansas for eighth title, 2012
2. Beating Louisville in Final Four, 2012
3. Beating Ohio State in Sweet 16, 2011
4. Beating UNC in Elite Eight, 2011
5. Beating Wichita State in second round, 2014

That's a pretty good list...I'd have the win over Olajuwon and Houston on the 80's group and the unforgettables win over Shaq and LSU in the 90's group and the rest much the same.

I might change the wichita st game to the mich. game in 14, just because that's the one that sent us to the final 4.