In your opinion. What one fact says UK is the greatest basketball school ever?

[bthaunert]

This is that stat that blows my mind:

Since 1927, we have had ONE losing season. 90+ years and one losing season. Here is a comparison in the same time frame:

Kansas - 9 losing seasons
UNC - 6 losing seasons
Duke - 7 losing seasons
UCLA - 18 losing seasons
Indiana - 15 losing seasons

 

[JonathanW]

Mine would be, the fact that Kentucky is the ONLY school ever. To have 5 different head coaches win national championships..... And if you want to take this a step farther. I'm sure that UK is the ONLY school ever. To have 6 different head coaches to advance to the Elite 8. And not only that, but to also win 30 or more games in a season.

I think it is the cumulative effect of the evidence that best proves that point. But if you were limited to only 1 point, it would be as you say 5 different coaches winning a championship.

 

[Pope John Wall II]

If a team plays 40 games in a season and wins 36 (like Villanova this past year), they won 90% of their games. If a team plays 37 games and wins 29 (like Duke this past year), they won 78% of their games. There are numerous teams every year that win over 75% of their games.

Percentages - I don't think you understand them, or you meant some other time frame besides 1 year.

Maybe he means that at no other point in that time specified has any team eclipsed an all-time win percentage of over 75%.

 

[JC CATS]

Wins=Titles=and the fact that we have this many idiots on a message board in freaking May still talking college basketball. (I’m including myself in the idiot thing)

This. Craziest fan base of all time...Crazy good

 

[Cowtown Cat]

If a team plays 40 games in a season and wins 36 (like Villanova this past year), they won 90% of their games. If a team plays 37 games and wins 29 (like Duke this past year), they won 78% of their games. There are numerous teams every year that win over 75% of their games.

Percentages - I don't think you understand them, or you meant some other time frame besides 1 year.

I don't think that's what he meant by his post.

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

Jesus is a UK fan.

 

[FishersBlue]

Mine would be, the fact that Kentucky is the ONLY school ever. To have 5 different head coaches win national championships..... And if you want to take this a step farther. I'm sure that UK is the ONLY school ever. To have 6 different head coaches to advance to the Elite 8. And not only that, but to also win 30 or more games in a season.

This point really is remarkable, and to me the single greatest argument for UK Basketball being far and away the number one program. Has any other program had more than 3 different coaches win titles, let alone 5? UNC has 3, Kansas has 3. No other school has done it with 4 coaches unless I'm missing one.

Just curious if anyone knows how this compares to NCAAF. Which program has the most titles with different head coaches? I think ND has had 3 different head coaches win titles, Bama has had 3, I think.

 

[JoeBeeHall]

Kentucky is like drinking top shelf liquor versus other programs that have cheap well drinks.

 

[TheBlueMax]

A

Mine would be, the fact that Kentucky is the ONLY school ever. To have 5 different head coaches win national championships..... And if you want to take this a step farther. I'm sure that UK is the ONLY school ever. To have 6 different head coaches to advance to the Elite 8. And not only that, but to also win 30 or more games in a season.

Consistently high quality for decades...since day one.

 

[Sawnee Cat]

The fact that Kentucky is the ONE team every opponent wants to beat. We are their Super Bowl. There is a reason for this and the reason is they acknowledge Kentucky is the Greatest Basketball Program ever.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

All great points by you guys. Having five different coaches win national titles is the one I would go with. One losing season since 1927 is just an incredible stat also. Was that when we were on probation? I thought we had one losing season in the mid 80s and then the first year Pitino was here. I could be wrong, though, I'm not sure.

This is what infuriates me with the whole Duke thing. People just blindly lump them in with us as college basketball royalty. Look, Duke has a damn good program. Kentucky, they are not. Matter of fact, they're not even close, IMO. It's really crazy when you think about it. They won their first national title less than thirty years ago. We won our first SEVENTY years ago. We won our fifth title forty years ago. By comparison, Duke won their fifth three years ago, with the aid of the easiest draw I have ever seen I might add. Duke isn't even in the same conversation as far as I'm concerned.

 

[susan2361]

The crazy ass fans that live and breath basketball year round. I guess you could say the fans make it a year round sport.

I am just as passionate during the off season(is there really an off season for UK basketball...lol) as I am when games are being played. I love my Cats!!! My family is always asking if I have any other clothes to wear other than UK stuff. I had to check the other day....lol. And I am just one of many who are so passionate. The fan base is the greatest!!! And the stats are PROOF. as to where we rank all time...#1!!!!! And it's not just one stat.

 

[Roxamora]

Mine would be, the fact that Kentucky is the ONLY school ever. To have 5 different head coaches win national championships..... And if you want to take this a step farther. I'm sure that UK is the ONLY school ever. To have 6 different head coaches to advance to the Elite 8. And not only that, but to also win 30 or more games in a season.

I'm a (shameless) marketer, so I would tell you that America's best basketball program would have the (1) largest fan base, (2) the most annual revenue in team-oriented merchandise, (3) the most game tickets sold and (4) the most players who go on to make a living in the sport. CHECK. CHECK. CHECK. CHECK.

 

[coolioo1]

Multiple Coaches have titles. Not one coach totally defines our school and been successful almost every decade. This is always my trump card when debating, that it proves that UK, the overall program, can win, and it doesn't take all time great coaches to get it done. I am not knocking Hall or Tubby, but neither are in the Izzo, Coach K, Roy, Smith, etc. category.

 

[ruppcat]

The NCAA lists the nation's winningest programs for each decade by W/L percentage. UK's ranks since the 1930s:

1930-39 #2

1940-49 #1

1950-59 #1

1960-69 #5

1970-79 #5

1980-89 #9

1990-99 #2

2000-09 #18

2010-18 #3

No other school is even CLOSE to this level of greatness.

The Tubby years do stand out.

 

[CatGotMyTongue]

I prefer basketball “program”

 

[Bluegrassking]

Mine would be, the fact that Kentucky is the ONLY school ever. To have 5 different head coaches win national championships..... And if you want to take this a step farther. I'm sure that UK is the ONLY school ever. To have 6 different head coaches to advance to the Elite 8. And not only that, but to also win 30 or more games in a season.

It isn't actually one thing but I can spin it as such. Preponderance of evidence.

It is the consistency of being elite over decades and different coaches.

It's the number of championships with all those different coaches.

It's the all time wins and winning percentage.

It's our fans taking over gyms all over creation.

It's all the Final Fours.

It's all those conference championships.

It's a huge pile of Sweet 16's and a ton of regional finals.

It's all the great players.

It's tens of thousands game in game out more consistently than anyone.

It's all the classic games throughout college basketball history wins and losses.

It is all the different forms of excellence that combine and pile up to make Kentucky Basketball the flagship program in college basketball, any single item is subject to change and jockeying but it is the overwhelming point by point case that can't be really argued or easily bested even over a number of years.

All other arguments are one note and easily refuted to my mind.

No sane person would switch places with any program, in my opinion.

 

[Bluegrassking]

Tarheels : 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017. Think this the same - 5 decades.

I'll just give 57 the benefit of the doubt but the rest is all asterisks and should have been taken down before they even met to deal with the hooker hotel.

 

[Dutycat]

EXPLANATION
http://www.bigbluehistory.net/bb/ncaatrends.html
If you go to Jon Scott's website (link above) there is a graph of the all-time winning percentages for the top programs. It is a cumulative percentage for each program since their beginning. Since the 50s UK has been above 75% every year. No other program has ever even peaked up above 75% for even one year over the same period.

 

[Dutycat]

I don't think that's what he meant by his post.

Hold on now. What? I'm trying to figure this one out. It's still early and have yet to have my coffee. Lol

EXPLANATION
http://www.bigbluehistory.net/bb/ncaatrends.html
If you go to Jon Scott's website (link above) there is a graph of the all-time winning percentages for the top programs. It is a cumulative percentage for each program since their beginning. Since the 50s UK has been above 75% every year. No other program has ever even peaked up above 75% for even one year over the same period.

 

[Col. Angus]

5 coaches have won national titles spanning 64 years. Proves the program is bigger than any coach and no other program can come remotely close to saying that.

 

[Dutycat]

If a team plays 40 games in a season and wins 36 (like Villanova this past year), they won 90% of their games. If a team plays 37 games and wins 29 (like Duke this past year), they won 78% of their games. There are numerous teams every year that win over 75% of their games.

Percentages - I don't think you understand them, or you meant some other time frame besides 1 year.

EXPLANATION
http://www.bigbluehistory.net/bb/ncaatrends.html
If you go to Jon Scott's website (link above) there is a graph of the all-time winning percentages for the top programs. It is a cumulative percentage for each program since their beginning. Since the 50s UK has been above 75% every year. No other program has ever even peaked up above 75% for even one year over the same period.

 

[paspower]

I'll just give 57 the benefit of the doubt but the rest is all asterisks and should have been taken down before they even met to deal with the hooker hotel.

The fact that you think everyone BUT UK is cheating is hilarious and quite naïve.

 

[uksam21]

This is that stat that blows my mind:

Since 1927, we have had ONE losing season. 90+ years and one losing season. Here is a comparison in the same time frame:

Kansas - 9 losing seasons
UNC - 6 losing seasons
Duke - 7 losing seasons
UCLA - 18 losing seasons
Indiana - 15 losing seasons

Wow that right there is a staggering stat. I also love how fans of other schools downgrade our wins because we have played in the SEC. Well we still have 8 NCAA titles and those aren't against SEC teams.

 

[Blue Decade]

What one fact says UK is the greatest basketball school ever? Mine would be, the fact that Kentucky is the ONLY school ever. To have 5 different head coaches win national championships..... And if you want to take this a step farther. I'm sure that UK is the ONLY school ever. To have 6 different head coaches to advance to the Elite 8. And not only that, but to also win 30 or more games in a season.

Obviously, the national pre-eminence of UK’s basketball program cannot possibly be defined by 1 fact.

 

[Blue Decade]

The fact that you think everyone BUT UK is cheating is hilarious and quite naïve.

Who is naive? Available evidence would dispel both your conclusion and your premise. Many schools don’t cheat.

 

[Nubb16]

Mine would be, the fact that Kentucky is the ONLY school ever. To have 5 different head coaches win national championships..... And if you want to take this a step farther. I'm sure that UK is the ONLY school ever. To have 6 different head coaches to advance to the Elite 8. And not only that, but to also win 30 or more games in a season.

Begins and ends with this fact. We win no matter who comes through that door. Unless it’s a drunk

 

[WildMoon]

It's the fact that, you have many aspect that points the greatness of UK basketball is the reason why it's the greatest program of all time.

You can't really narrow it down. Like some said, it's the accumulation that defines great programs.

 

[CatColumbia]

It's a combination of a lot of things but if I have to just settle for one it's the all-time win list. That's where we rank #1.

 

[CATofninelives]

Sustainability........OR "spurts of consistency" as one former CAT calls it!

 

[Rideordiewildcat]

Most wins all time, the tradition, the close games, epic games and yes I agree, we don't rise and fall with one coach. We started with titles Rupp and are still winning titles Cal, from 1st coach to present. Unlike Dook, where when rat leaves they will fall and never be where they were. We are always relevant, not just dependent on one coach. Knight-IU is another example.

 

[Johnfarrel]

Kentucky at the top, or near the top, of the college basketball world all my life. I am 80 years old.

 

[rabbitTown]

Silly premise... there is no single standard that makes us the greatest basketball school ever. It is our cumulative history of excellence, borne out in so many of the stats posted here, that stands alone on the pinnacle of college basketball.
Who else could be in consideration? or even reasonably debatable?
KU comes the closest, and there are aspects of their history that I admire (legacy); and UNC (also sustained excellence), and even UCLA (their 11 year run).