Rank these UK teams

[FurdTerguson]

* 1986 Eddie Sutton's first team (32-4)
* 1990 Rick Pitino's first team (14-14)
* 1998 Tubby Smith's first team (35-4)
* 2010 John Calipari's first team (35-3)
* 2025 Mark Pope's first team (24-12)

I say...
1. 1998
2. 1986
3. 2010
4. 2025
5. 1990

4 and 5 are locked in, but an argument can be made for any combination 1-3.

 

[brookslouky]

That 1986 team ain't stopping Anthony daggum Davis

 

[UKSanders]

That 1986 team ain't stopping Anthony daggum Davis

Well, I guess it’s good they wouldn’t have to since Davis didn’t play on any of the teams on the list provided in the OP...
😉😁

 

[true blue1]

* 1986 Eddie Sutton's first team (32-4)
* 1990 Rick Pitino's first team (14-14)
* 1998 Tubby Smith's first team (35-4)
* 2010 John Calipari's first team (35-3)
* 2025 Mark Pope's first team (24-12)

I say...
1. 1998
2. 1986
3. 2010
4. 2025
5. 1990

4 and 5 are locked in, but an argument can be made for any combination 1-3.

1. 1998
2. 2010
3. 1986
4. 2025
5. 1990

 

[Dalroxas]

* 1986 Eddie Sutton's first team (32-4)
* 1990 Rick Pitino's first team (14-14)
* 1998 Tubby Smith's first team (35-4)
* 2010 John Calipari's first team (35-3)
* 2025 Mark Pope's first team (24-12)

I say...
1. 1998
2. 1986
3. 2010
4. 2025
5. 1990

4 and 5 are locked in, but an argument can be made for any combination 1-3.

You have the right order.

 

[JimBR]

2010 is the best. Wall, Bledsoe, Patterson, Cousins.

 

[FurdTerguson]

I never thought about this before, but the talent disparity between Pitino's first team and Cal's is crazy. I know, Captain Obvious but wow..

 

[Cleatortoises]

98 in a hand ride!

 

[onearmedjesus]

It depends on how the game is called by the refs. If it is 1986 rules, 86 over 2010. If 2010 rules, then 2010 over 86. I, for one, would love to see how refs from the 80s would call a game from the last 15 years. How many fouls and travels in the over/under?

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

2010 or 1998.

The "gray-bearded" (to use Tubby's term) 1998 team vs. the John Wall-led upstarts.

Slight edge to the '98 guys, but not by much.

 

[FurdTerguson]

It depends on how the game is called by the refs. If it is 1986 rules, 86 over 2010. If 2010 rules, then 2010 over 86. I, for one, would love to see how refs from the 80s would call a game from the last 15 years. How many fouls and travels in the over/under?

Illegal screens. Palming. Three seconds.

 

[Creed Bratton]

It depends on how the game is called by the refs. If it is 1986 rules, 86 over 2010. If 2010 rules, then 2010 over 86. I, for one, would love to see how refs from the 80s would call a game from the last 15 years. How many fouls and travels in the over/under?

Illegal screens. Palming. Three seconds.

I agree 100% with you both

 

[CastleRubric]

98 in a hand ride!

98 team would come back from 20 down and beat everybody

 

[Cleatortoises]

98 team would come back from 20 down and beat everybody

So exciting.
The only title I saw us win without the best team.
The Duke revenge game.
78, 96, 12 were all the favorite.

 

[JonathanW]

I am basing on who was best (which is subjective), which isn't necessarily who had the best outcome (that is objective and easily measured).
In order:
2010
1998
1986
2025 (had they stayed healthy would have been better than 86, and possibly contended with 98.
1990 (not even close to the other 4)

I notice the OP left off BCG's 1st team

 

[Creed Bratton]

I am basing on who was best (which is subjective), which isn't necessarily who had the best outcome (that is objective and easily measured).
In order:
2010
1998
1986
2025 (had they stayed healthy would have been better than 86, and possibly contended with 98.
1990 (not even close to the other 4)

I notice the OP left off BCG's 1st team

As someone who watched both the 86 and 25 teams play the 25 team, even if healthy, would not have been better than the 86 team. That team had a 14 and 8 game win streak during the season and IMO had they not ran into LSU for the 4th time would have won the title.

 

[UK90]

As someone who watched both the 86 and 25 teams play the 25 team, even if healthy, would not have been better than the 86 team. That team had a 14 and 8 game win streak during the season and IMO had they not ran into LSU for the 4th time would have won the title.

Agreed. I’ve always thought the 86 team does not get nearly enough credit in these discussions. I loved that team. That was fantastically fun season …all the way up until that unfortunate Elite Eight game.

It was also a tremendous coaching job by Sutton. He took the same group of players (with no significant additions) who’d been mediocre the year before under Hall and made them look like a totally different team by switching to the smaller lineup and playing at a much faster pace.

 

[CastleRubric]

Totally agree about the 86 team

Saw them win the SEC tournament - in Lexington?

Sentimental favorite!

 

[storm1507]

* 1986 Eddie Sutton's first team (32-4)
* 1990 Rick Pitino's first team (14-14)
* 1998 Tubby Smith's first team (35-4)
* 2010 John Calipari's first team (35-3)
* 2025 Mark Pope's first team (24-12)

I say...
1. 1998
2. 1986
3. 2010
4. 2025
5. 1990

4 and 5 are locked in, but an argument can be made for any combination 1-3.

Agree with your ranking and it's close on 2 & 3.

 

[JFCats22]

2010 beats all of those teams by 12+

 

[MegaBlue05]

Clearly obvious number 1: 1998

2. 2010
3. 1986
4. 2025
5. 1990

 

[MegaBlue05]

2010 beats all of those teams by 12+

Unless Tubby and the 98 Cats throw a 1-3-1 or matchup zone at them and the pants shitting and brick laying begins.

That team had one major glaring flaw and Huggins exposed the hell out of it.

 

[Creed Bratton]

Unless Tubby and the 98 Cats throw a 1-3-1 or matchup zone at them and the pants shitting and brick laying begins.

That team had one major glaring flaw and Huggins exposed the hell out of it.

Well technically 2 major flaws....they couldn't shoot and had Cal as a coach who wouldn't adjust.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

2010 beats all of those teams by 12+

98 would wipe the floor with them.

 

[jgraf_1]

could you imagine magloire v cousins.....

both probably ejected before first tv timeout

 

[FurdTerguson]

Nobody can touch 98's tournament resume. But, as they say, tournaments are decided by matchups. So you can't just say "this team made it farther than that team, therefore they're better." No one can deny that 2010 was the most talented team, but coaching matters. And it matters more the farther you go. Tubby wasn't a great coach, but he was a great coach that season.

 

[noncomposmentis]

Well technically 2 major flaws....they couldn't shoot and had Cal as a coach who wouldn't adjust.

He was stubborn no doubt, but I’m not sure what adjustment you can make to overcome bad shooting. They were what they were, and someone was finally able to exploit it

 

[true blue1]

The 98 is very deserving of the 1 spot. They won it all!

 

[FurdTerguson]

The 98 is very deserving of the 1 spot. They won it all!

And they were no slouch before the tournament.

 

[Wildcat Sheli]

Well technically 2 major flaws....they couldn't shoot and had Cal as a coach who wouldn't adjust.

He was stubborn no doubt, but I’m not sure what adjustment you can make to overcome bad shooting. They were what they were, and someone was finally able to exploit it

It certainly didn’t help in 2010 that Jamie Luckie was on the whistle. In this video he talks about his craft of officiating, how his style is to call more fouls (sometimes an insane amount!). It often breaks up the flow of his games. He laughs it off by saying, “It’s not my fault they can’t shoot!”

 

[Pelosigalore]

86 lost to Ricky Blanton, they are 4th only better than 90

 

[arenk]

* 1986 Eddie Sutton's first team (32-4)
* 1990 Rick Pitino's first team (14-14)
* 1998 Tubby Smith's first team (35-4)
* 2010 John Calipari's first team (35-3)
* 2025 Mark Pope's first team (24-12)

I say...
1. 1998
2. 1986
3. 2010
4. 2025
5. 1990

4 and 5 are locked in, but an argument can be made for any combination 1-3.

Agree totally.

 

[Logan Sackett]

1998-Gotta put a National Title team first
2010 -The best team up here
1973- Joe Bs first year 20-8 Won SEC I do believe and made it to final 8 in NCAA
1986
2025
Leaving Billy Clyde off but his 2007-08 team wasn't that bad.
1990-these guys had heart, and I hate to put them last but objectively they were the lease talented on the list