What's your favorite UK championship season?

[J_Dee]

UK's 1947-1948 season

March 23, 1948: UK 58, Baylor 42

UK's 1948-1949 season

March 26, 1949: UK 46, Oklahoma A&M 36

UK's 1950-1951 season

March 27, 1951: UK 68, Kansas State 58

UK's 1957-1958 season

March 22, 1958: UK 84, Seattle 72

UK's 1977-1978 season

March 27, 1978: UK 94, Duke 88

UK's 1995-1996 season

April 1, 1996: UK 76, Syracuse 67

UK's 1997-1998 season

March 30, 1998: UK 78, Utah 69

UK's 2011-2012 season

April 2, 2012: UK 67, Kansas 59

I figure most of us are too young to remember the championship seasons before 1977-1978. I was less than a year old during the '78 championship game, but I grew up hearing all about it (especially about Goose's performance) from my dad and his dad, both lifelong UK fans.

I love the 2011-2012 team (smashing Indiana, Louisville, and finally Kansas in the tournament is great), but The Untouchables will always be my favorite. That team made my dad and his dad ecstatic that UK was finally back on top after suffering through the Sutton era.

Front Row L-R: Asst. Coach Delray Brooks, Head Coach Rick Pitino, Allen Edwards, Derek Anderson, Jeff Sheppard, Tony Delk, Anthony Epps, Cameron Mills, Wayne Turner, Asst. Coach Jim O'Brien, Asst. Coach Winston Bennett

Back Row L-R: Equipment Manager Bill Keightley, Administrative Assistant George Barber, Jason Lathrem, Oliver Simmons, Nazr Mohammed, Mark Pope, Walter McCarty, Antoine Walker, Jared Prickett, Ron Mercer, Trainer Eddie Jamiel, Assistant Strength Coach Layne Kaufman, Strength Coach Shaun Brown

 

[Cowtown Cat]

Mine is 1995-96 without question!

 

[cats2010]

95-96 for me. We knew it was our year going in, the team was so deep and fun to watch, just annihilated the competition most of the year. Beautiful basketball.

 

[bbncal02]

Hard to pick. But 97-98 for me because we were still strong from that 95-96 title. And bouncing back after Rick left. And we beat Duke to move on to the final rounds, avenging that 92 loss. Was my last year of middle school going into high school. Lots of good memories.

But I love all three titles I've been around to witness.

 

[storm1507]

78! Who would have guessed? I was almost 14.

 

[TNCatfanforever]

97-98. We had an amazing comeback against Duke and the championship post Pitino was shock

 

[UK90]

95-96 was definitely the most fun in terms of the entire season from beginning to end. The relentless furious full court press, the way we utterly devastated rivals … no team ever made it more fun to watch one-sided blowouts.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

From first tip to end of season it’s easily 95-96. Tourney run, it’s very close with 96 and 98. Have to think on that one.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

Don't have to think but a second. 1978! Only lost 2 games that season. Both on the road in the SEC. At Alabama to a powerful Alabama team coached by CM. At LSU to a great LSU team just getting going under Dale Brown. That was an overtime loss.

Just destroyed dUKe in the title game. Final score was like 6 points but it wasn't really that close. We let up on them. Toughest game of that FF was us against Arkansas and Eddie Sutton. Just a powerful team signaling UK was back after a 20 year drought.

 

[YardCat]

Mine is 1995-96 without question!

Same with me, I have watched 4 of the 8 championships and I was stationed in Italy for the 95-96 championship and watched it early on Armed Forces Network

 

[drew_ukfan]

The one that yielded the most draft picks!

 

[the nail at the foul line]

I was 12 years old in 78 and the winter was incredible. The combination of the winter weather and that team probably puts it at number one with 96 being a very close second.

 

[chroix]

I expected to win it in 96. 98 was a total surprise.

 

[Cats192]

2012 I remember the most clearly. I was a young adult. I was in downtown Louisville at the Sports and Social Club when we beat Kansas for the Championship. People were going crazy. There were news crews out to record the reaction. Just awesome.

I have memories of that 1996-1998 run. 1998 was super satisfying.

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

Tied for 96 and 98. Parties on Euclid were phenomenal. And just a block from my apartment.

 

[J_Dee]

Vote! =)

 

[ukjenning44]

1996 champs

 

[BlueBomb]

I was 12 years old in 78 and the winter was incredible. The combination of the winter weather and that team probably puts it at number one with 96 being a very close second.

Agreed on everything. 78, then 96. The winter. And I was also 12. Born March 19th, the very day we lost to Texas Western in the ‘66 championship.

 

[kybassfan]

97-98. Nobody expected that.
77-78 was amazing because it had actually been a long time between champs.
95-96 because it was another long time between champs.

We’re in a minor dry spell now but this is nothing like back in those years.

 

[Wildcats1st]

Mine is 1995-96 without question!

I don’t see how any argument can be made against it. Off probation. Just a few years after the duke game. The build up and righting the ship. I can understand nostalgia about the 78 team but we had a strong program at the time. 1996 we were back. I know we had a drought between the 50s and 78 but we were in the thick of it a lot. It seemed like Eddie Sutton had completely destroyed the program and it was very clear the ncaa, the media the world was against UK.

I was just looking by decade at our record and so far this decade we are 57-36. Worst winning percentage by decade since 1910s

 

[Shadow1671]

I don’t see how any argument can be made against it. Off probation. Just a few years after the duke game. The build up and righting the ship. I can understand nostalgia about the 78 team but we had a strong program at the time. 1996 we were back. I know we had a drought between the 50s and 78 but we were in the thick of it a lot. It seemed like Eddie Sutton had completely destroyed the program and it was very clear the ncaa, the media the world was against UK.

I was just looking by decade at our record and so far this decade we are 57-36. Worst winning percentage by decade since 1910s

That was a great year for sure. 1996 was much like 2012 in many ways. We were the best team and we f'n won it. I was very young, but I am told that 1978 was very similar. 2015 should have been similar, but sometimes you roll the dice and get snake eyes, I suppose.

My favorite championship was 1998. The comeback Cats. Not many people saw that one coming. And it has NOTHING to do with Tubby Smith. Fine human being. Good coach. His championship. Kudos to him. Glad he was here at the time. And all that.

1998 was magical for a lot of reasons. That was just a VERY fun season. To me, at least.

 

[RunninRichie]

That was a great year for sure. 1996 was much like 2012 in many ways. We were the best team and we f'n won it. I was very young, but I am told that 1978 was very similar. 2015 should have been similar, but sometimes you roll the dice and get snake eyes, I suppose.

My favorite championship was 1998. The comeback Cats. Not many people saw that one coming. And it has NOTHING to do with Tubby Smith. Fine human being. Good coach. His championship. Kudos to him. Glad he was here at the time. And all that.

1998 was magical for a lot of reasons. That was just a VERY fun season. To me, at least.

I dont know about NOTHING. He outcoached K in that regional final game. Didn't call a timeout for like 8 straight minutes. Gassed the blue devils. As K was dying for him to call one and let his guys rest.

 

[Bleedin Blue in Ohio]

I was just becoming a fan due to age in 1978. Kyle Macy was my childhood hero. But after the tough losses in 1984, 1986, 1992, 1993, 1995, and the probation the win in 1996 made everything between 1978 and then better. The 1998 team was special because of the surprise factor. 2012 was close to 1998 because all of Tubby's elite 8 losses it started to feel like it did before 1996. Kind of like now. We're ready for a title to ease some pain of 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2020. Not to mention a few bad teams mixed in there.

 

[FirewithFire]

It was tough to choose between 98 and 96, but I went with 95-96. I loved watching them just run teams into the ground.

I lost my voice during the 98 game with Duke because I was yelling the whole game.

The party in downtown Lexington was great both years. Little scary in 96 but still fun.

If we had won in 97 that would have been my pick. So many ifs.

 

[Wonky]

2010
2011
2014
2015
2017

Oh wait…

 

[mebeblue2]

97-98. We had an amazing comeback against Duke and the championship post Pitino was shock

yep
no one expected it
the cupboard was not bare but it was not full or overflowing like the 3 years prior.

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

2023-2024

Let's gooooooooooo!

 

[Walt_McCartys_Attorney]

Funny thing is, I did not really enjoy the 98 regular season. But damn that post season run, starting with the SEC tournament was just an amazing five weeks.

If 2014 had just played a 2-3 zone the whole game, I bet that one would easily be everyone’s all time favorite.

 

[BlobUK]

95-96. Best college team I've ever saw. Love me some Ron Mercer and Tony Delk!!

 

[UKWildcats1987]

I voted 1998. It was unexpected and an epic run of comebacks the last 3 games.

1996 and 2012 were amazing but so much pressure. People forget as great as those teams were that UMASS and Syracuse put a scare into 96 n final four and same with UL in 2012.

 

[uk78]

78 Hence my handle. That was an awesome team and had to overcome tremendous pressure to win with the high expectations. Had to beat Magic Johnson, a physical Arkansas as someone else pointed out, face a deficit against Florida State at halftime, and of course beat Duke in the championship. What better than that?

 

[*CatinIL*]

95-96

 

[jeffky]

78 I can remember the pressure that team had and 20 years since the last banner and solidified Joe Hall Joe had alot of pressure replacing a legend 96 too but I give the edge to the 78 team

 

[littlecreek]

The 78 team for me. I was 10 years old at the time. That team was considered the best from start to finish that year. We were snowed out of school for nearly a month and had to go on a few Saturdays too. My dad and I made a scrap book from the Courier Journal over the course of the season. Many will disagree with me but I would take that team over any other because they could play any style of ball. That 1-3-1 zone that they would go to was a killer for other teams. People talk about the 96 team being the best were probably too young to remember 78.

 

[Shadow1671]

I dont know about NOTHING. He outcoached K in that regional final game. Didn't call a timeout for like 8 straight minutes. Gassed the blue devils. As K was dying for him to call one and let his guys rest.

My intention with all that was to give him credit for that championship. Many don't.

 

[wildcatwelder]

1978. I was 16 and knew a lot of the players on that team due to a family member who was very close to the program back then.

I still have the scrapbook I made during that season, and enjoy pulling it out every now and again to relive those memories. After the heartbreak of 1975, '78 was just that much sweeter.

 

[DraftCat]

32 for reference...

2012 is really my only option. I wasn't even a teenager yet during the two Championships in the 90's

 

[DraftCat]

Who voted 47/48 lol they'd have to be at least 90 years old to enjoy that one.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

The 78 team for me. I was 10 years old at the time. That team was considered the best from start to finish that year. We were snowed out of school for nearly a month and had to go on a few Saturdays too. My dad and I made a scrap book from the Courier Journal over the course of the season. Many will disagree with me but I would take that team over any other because they could play any style of ball. That 1-3-1 zone that they would go to was a killer for other teams. People talk about the 96 team being the best were probably too young to remember 78.

Exactly!! They could beat you anyway. You want to zone us? Macy, Schidler and Claytor would shoot you out of it. Want to man us? Robey, Phillips and Lee would have your lunch. And I haven't mentioned Goose yet. Want to run? The team averaged 90 points a game without a shot clock or 3 point line, let's run!! Want to slow it down? Ask Magic Johnson how that worked out.

Joe B was a great coach. He doesn't get the credit he deserved to this day. 3 FF's, 1 title and 1 NIT when the NIT was good. And took over for a legend that did not want to leave. The mental toughness of Joe B was far understated. Both teams in their prime '78 beats '96 in a series.

 

[drew_ukfan]

Who voted 47/48 lol they'd have to be at least 90 years old to enjoy that one.

That was me lol. I figured the one that started it all was pretty cool