What was your favorite UK team?
- Thread starter FurdTerguson
- Start date
1978…… I was a student then…… went on the tournament trail with them.
1996 team, for my age group, has to be the favorites. I was a big fan of the 1998 team because I really wanted to see Tubby do well, and I was a big fan of Wayne Turner, Jeff Sheppard, and Cameron Mills. I really loved that 1997 team, heart-breaking loss, but man I loved that team too
But, my under-the-radar- favorite UK team was the 2003 team. My favorite all-time Wildcat is Keith Bogans - my guy! Gerald Fitch, Cliff Hawkins, Chuck Hayes, Erik Daniels - man I loved that squad.
Hard to pick these. Each team is unique and all these were special for different reasons. Some were fun to watch all year, others made a special tourney run.
1. 2012 - Got to see them play in person in the NCAA tourney (my first tourney game). Celebrated on Woodland and Euclid. This team would not be denied.
2. 2003 - This team should have won it all. Top Kenpom rating. 26 game win streak.
3. 2011 - Ended the final four drought! Overachieved and got a bad whistle against UConn. We should have gotten #8 that year.
4. 1998 - I still wasn’t following as closely as I do now but I’ll never forget beating Duke in the regional and going on to win our 2nd in three years.
5. 2015 - This one still hurts, but they were fun to watch.
6. 2017 - Could have gotten #9 if we don’t get the shaft in the elite eight. Loved Dominique on that team. Elite talent with experienced role players and a few Kentucky boys.
7. 2014 - What a magical run…. 1 game short. Rough regular season though 😬
Honorable mention
1996 - I wasn’t really following much at the time but do remember watching the final four that year. This was definitely the starting point of my interest.
1. 2012 - Got to see them play in person in the NCAA tourney (my first tourney game). Celebrated on Woodland and Euclid. This team would not be denied.
2. 2003 - This team should have won it all. Top Kenpom rating. 26 game win streak.
3. 2011 - Ended the final four drought! Overachieved and got a bad whistle against UConn. We should have gotten #8 that year.
4. 1998 - I still wasn’t following as closely as I do now but I’ll never forget beating Duke in the regional and going on to win our 2nd in three years.
5. 2015 - This one still hurts, but they were fun to watch.
6. 2017 - Could have gotten #9 if we don’t get the shaft in the elite eight. Loved Dominique on that team. Elite talent with experienced role players and a few Kentucky boys.
7. 2014 - What a magical run…. 1 game short. Rough regular season though 😬
Honorable mention
1996 - I wasn’t really following much at the time but do remember watching the final four that year. This was definitely the starting point of my interest.
Both years with Mashburn. His freshman year (1990-1991?) probably my favorite, the year with UK on probation, with the program being revitalized, the unforgettables.....
awesome.
awesome.
This.
- 91-92
- 87-88 (huge Rex fan)
- 09-10 (when we were REALLY back)
- 95-96
- 97-98 (maybe my single most favorite moment as a Cats fan came from this team, obviously the shot heard round the Bluegrass)
I saw every game of the 1984 season, travelle4d from nashville to ever5y venue ... except the one at Kansas and .... the Final Four game in Seattle. Sat thru the infuriating BS Cinci game that season. Never been back to Cinci to see a game since. UGH.
That was my fav team.
1978 would be second, I'm like YardCat, I practiced free throws shooting like Macy. Hit 'em like him too....
Unforgettables would be my third fav team.
It's a hard list to crack my top 3.
That was my fav team.
1978 would be second, I'm like YardCat, I practiced free throws shooting like Macy. Hit 'em like him too....
Unforgettables would be my third fav team.
It's a hard list to crack my top 3.
I've been watching UK since the early 80's. Mashburn that season was the best player at UK the past 42 years. Kenny Walker was great, so was Davis. And several others were very good for at least 1 season (Bowie, Chapman, Delk, Antoine, DA, Prince, Bogans, Meeks, Cousins, Wall, Ulis, KAT, Randle, Monk, Fox, Oscar). But Mashburn was simply amazing.
I went 1a 1b, then 2 instead of the ole how rankings are done. I hate the whole 2 first place then 3rd. Just being Polish for a bit. lol 1/2 Polish here.
I'm gonna do it by coaches in my lifetime, minus BG. Also my basketball memory started with the Laettner sp? shot.
Pitino - 1993 was the first full year I remember and the way we smoked Tennessee during a blizzard that in kept us out of school for a month in Rupp Arena for the SEC title was insane. The run to the final four, especially Wake Forest was epic. I can still remember the family jumping up and down after every 3.
Tubby - I'm picking non title teams and it's gotta be 2003. Going from 3 losses before SEC play and the sum being better than the parts. Tenacious defense that led to offense. That squad was the epitome of the word "team".
Cal - 2010 was like a rock and roll squad. Being down for so long to instantly becoming the center of college basketball. John Wall show, being on all the basketball magazine covers, filling up Rupp for College GameDay. Boogie punking Louisville, call me and being in Nashville for the last second put back was insane.
Honorable mention 2017 - Fox, Monk and Bam were an amazing trio. I'll go to my grave saying that team was totally screwed over and it still eats at me today. They were gonna win the title. Just a fun fast paced team.
Pitino - 1993 was the first full year I remember and the way we smoked Tennessee during a blizzard that in kept us out of school for a month in Rupp Arena for the SEC title was insane. The run to the final four, especially Wake Forest was epic. I can still remember the family jumping up and down after every 3.
Tubby - I'm picking non title teams and it's gotta be 2003. Going from 3 losses before SEC play and the sum being better than the parts. Tenacious defense that led to offense. That squad was the epitome of the word "team".
Cal - 2010 was like a rock and roll squad. Being down for so long to instantly becoming the center of college basketball. John Wall show, being on all the basketball magazine covers, filling up Rupp for College GameDay. Boogie punking Louisville, call me and being in Nashville for the last second put back was insane.
Honorable mention 2017 - Fox, Monk and Bam were an amazing trio. I'll go to my grave saying that team was totally screwed over and it still eats at me today. They were gonna win the title. Just a fun fast paced team.
69-70. Issel, Pratt, Parker. But Larry Steele was my favorite on that team. Also loved passing between Hayes and Daniels 02 to 04
That was an awesome team. It had everything.
Only lost twice. At Alabama with Neuter coaching and at LSU in overtime.
Averaged 90 points per game with no shot clock or 3 point line.
As great as ‘96 was I think ‘78 would beat them.
I agree. It was the best of days. When we beat the Hogs with a Senators showing up for his nephew, wearing the denim jerseys… I’ve never been so hyped. One of the top five best teams ever… talent, coaching and spirit!
The Issel, Pratt, Casey team were great as sophmores never got to a final4, Casey was in a serious car wreck between his soph and jr year and was never as good after that, they lost to Jacksonville with Artis Gilmore in the elite 8. Casey was the leading scorer that sophmore year at 20 ppg.
With Poythress. He guarded opponent's best wing, and fg % defense was stupid good, like 28% or so
Not a very original but 2012 . I liked last years team despite the fact they didn’t accomplish much… 🤷
‘92 was an incredible group to watch. I remember seeing Delk, Mash and Ford playing a game of horse. It was ridiculous.
1978 for me. That was the most complete team I have ever seen. They could play any style and any defense.
I agree that 78 would beat 96. Most on here are too young to remember that team. They might not have had as much NBA talent as 96 but they were the most complete college team I ever saw.
Favorite: 2017. Fox was awesome.
Honorable mention: 2020. If Hagans got his head on straight, IQ and Maxey made 3 tough guards. That was the best FT shooting team in a while and were winning lots of rock fights. I would have loved to see how March played out for them.
Honorable mention: 2020. If Hagans got his head on straight, IQ and Maxey made 3 tough guards. That was the best FT shooting team in a while and were winning lots of rock fights. I would have loved to see how March played out for them.
I have the pleasure and fun of watching so many great Kentucky teams. I loved the Runts. People seem to forget about that 70 team with Big Dan! Jimmy Dan's car wreck cost that team a National Championship along with some crooked refs in Columbus! The Super Kittens who became the 75 team were awesome - but they ran into a retiring John Wooden in Southern California or that title comes back to Kentucky too! 78 team with the twin towers and Kyle was awesome - will always love being in St. Louis! Pitino's Bombino's were so much fun and of course all of the Pitino teams - including the 1998 Team Shep and Tubby led! Kentucky basketball has been a real hoot for me during my life. Cal brought us back and now Captain Pope has righted the ship once again and we are headed for more Glory!
Go Big Blue!
I fell in love at 7 years old with UK Basketball watching the 1978 team.
But 1992 will always be my favorite team.
But 1992 will always be my favorite team.
