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College basketball national championship odds: Betting lines and ", "The Kentucky Wildcats withstood a Tennessee attack in the final half that brought the Volunteers within six points of the Ruppmen with about five minutes to play; then the Cats went on to register a 71 to 56 final victory," reported the AP. 1), NCAA Tournament Winning Percentage: .719 (NCAA rank No. 2), First Team Consensus All-American Total Selections: 25 (NCAA rank No. Kentucky holds the record for the most overall NBA Draft selections (128) and three Wildcats have been selected as the first overall pick (John Wall, Anthony Davis, and Karl-Anthony Towns). He dropped his lazy push shot through the netting for 15 points. He began a regimen of three-hour practices five days a week during the preseason. By John Clay Updated April 12, 2021 9:06 PM Kentucky Coach Joe B. [53] On December 19, 2009, the Wildcats defeated Austin Peay 9069 extending their record to 110, and John Calipari broke Adolph Rupp's record for the most consecutive wins to start a season for a first-year head coach at Kentucky. His record at UK was 297100, and 373156 over his career. Coming off a successful but titleless 1950 season, the Wildcats continued their dominance into the new decade. 1), First Team Consensus All-Americans: 20 (NCAA rank No. Additionally, 7 Wildcats coaches have been named Southeastern Conference Coach-of-the-Year: Adolph Rupp in 1964, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1972, Joe B. Meeks contributed 45 points and helped UK win despite the absence of Patrick Patterson (sprained ankle). He dropped in 25 points and Groza picked up a total of 23. This was enough for No. The three players agreed to point shave and successfully shaved points in several games during the 19481949 season until an effort to point shave caused the Wildcats to lose to the Loyola Ramblers in the National Invitation Tournament. ", "Wallace Jones unloosed a barrage of timely set shots to carry Kentucky over the hump before the Wildcats shook off a scrappy Georgia Tech five and captured a 78-54 Southeastern Conference basketball victory here tonight," reported the AP. 1), NCAA Championship Game Appearances: 12 (NCAA rank No. 110K views 2 years ago Watch the full historic 1966 NCAA Championship between Texas Western and Kentucky. The * represents overall number one seed which began with the 2004 Tournament. The 1998 team was also unlike Kentucky's past two championship teams, often falling behind in games before roaring back to win rather than dominating their competition. 2), NCAA Final Four Games Played: 28 (NCAA rank No. President Barack Obama called the Wildcats to thank them for their relief efforts and wish them luck in their future endeavors. MORE:Top 10 college basketball programs since 2010: Kentucky or Duke at No. 2 Kentucky was looking at the beginning of a tough six away game stretch; and tough it was. Conference Finish: 1st This was performance enough to represent the United States in the 1948 Olympic Games. Coming off back-to-back national championships, the team moved to Memorial Coliseum in 1950. Though they lost one more game than last season, this team was most memorable for going to the Elite Eight (for the first time since Sutton's 1986 team) with many returning upperclassmen from Kentucky. "Kentucky's Ralph Beard, guard, and Alex Groza, center, got most of Kentucky's first ten points, while Tech could score but four. UK was upset by Robert Morris in the first round of the NIT, ending their season with a 2112 record. Fortunately for the Wildcats, 1927 would be their last losing season for six decades. Kentucky would lose the next game to home town Saint John's. [30] To add insult to injury, the NCAA announced at the end of the season that its investigation into the basketball program had found the school guilty of violating numerous NCAA policies. [3], Rupp coached the University of Kentucky men's basketball team from 1930 to 1972. It was named for Union Civil War General Don Carlos Buell who was a member of the first board of trustees at Kentucky. Columbia held its own for the first eight minutes before Kentucky, taking advantage of its superior height and experience, started pulling away steadily. The team scrambled to find a new coach, and former player Basil Hayden left his coaching job at Kentucky Wesleyan College to answer the call. was as much a fixture around UK basketball as the seven national championship trophies on display in the Joe Craft Center. An alumnus of the University of Illinois, he brought with him a new system of basketball. ", "(Georgia) Tech could give a close game only during the first ten minutes, and at one time shocked nearly everyone of the 1,800 fans in the small, stuffy gym," reported the AP. 1 in both the ESPN/Coaches poll and AP poll with a record of 190. 1), Total Head Coaches With Multiple NCAA Championship Game Appearances in the Same Decade: 4 (NCAA rank No. . Due to the number of players honored, the fact that several of them have shared numbers, and NCAA rules requiring players to only wear jersey numbers containing digits 0 thru 5, the numbers are not officially retired. 2), NCAA Final Four Winning Percentage: .715 (NCAA rank No. 1), Total Winning Seasons: 95 (NCAA rank No. Sports writers, awed by his display of scoring, voted him the honor without a dissent. 111 Jack Parkinson, Washington Capitols, No. Canada defeated Germany 84-81 in overtime on Saturday night to set up the rematch with the Wildcats for the gold medal. The two underclassmen struggled to fill the talent vacuum on the court and the Wildcats finished with a losing record of 1319, the team's first losing full-season record since 1927. Kentucky Wildcats Basketball - Wildcats News, Scores, Stats, Rumors Conference: SEC The "Untouchables" as they were nicknamed, would only lose twice, to Final Four bound UMass Minutemen (coached by current Kentucky coach John Calipari) and Mississippi State. Entering the SEC tournament many felt UK would need to win the championship game to get into the NCAA tournament, but UK was defeated in the second game vs. LSU. [68] While in the Bahamas the team established a "platoon system" which featured two groups of five players that would rotate every four minutes within the game. In addition, the University of Kentucky retired a jersey in his honor in the rafters of Rupp Arena, a 23,500-seat arena named after him, dedicated in 1976.[16][17]. Beard, who connected on his first four set shot attempts in the first half, was the Wildcats' steadying influence as well as their playmaker. He coached the Wildcats for four years, leading them to the Elite Eight of the 1986 NCAA tournament. Groza was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player and he was the tournament's leading scorer with 82 points. It's been seven years, in fact, since the Wildcats won their eighth title by defeating Kansas 67-59, John Calipari's first since taking over the program in 2009. Between the two, Mauer worked on skill drills and scenarios. The UK players,. ", "With Tennessee and Georgia Tech thoroughly masticated, the Wildcats invaded this smoky little barn-like gym and convinced 3,000 extremely partisan Bulldog fans that their press clippings are all true," reported The Courier-Journal. Constructed in 1902, it also housed the university's physical education classes until 1909. Kentucky Basketball Timeline - Walter's Wildcat World That win accelerated the advancement of black athletes in the South. UK rebounded to win 11 of their next 12 games, improving their record to 113. The Tar Heels have made the Sweet 16 seven times, the Elite 8 eight times and have appeared in a record-high 20 Final Four games. The team limped into the SEC tournament unranked, and desperately looking for any answer to their disappointing season. Kentucky basketball's most famous NCAA Tournament games | Lexington "Gene Palmer of Alabama led his teammates with eight points. The Wildcats then received a No. "Strictly speaking, it was far from being a brilliant Kentucky victory, the Wildcats' 20th in 22 starts. 1), Final AP Poll Top-20 Finishes: 49 (NCAA rank No. 1 in Associated Press Preseason Top 25", "Kentucky, UConn have been 'disrespected' throughout entire tournament", "Kentucky's James Young declares for NBA draft", "Only one NBA team has as many McDonald's All-Americans as Kentucky will next year", "Men's Basketball to Take 'Big Blue Bahamas' Tour", "Kentucky's Defense Dominant in Defeat of No. Hall was carried off the floor after Kentucky beat Indiana 92-90 in the NCAA Mideast Regional finals in 1975. Eligible for postseason play for the first time in three years, Kentucky dominates Alabama, 80-54, to take its 16th SEC Tournament Championship. Mar 23, 2019. [92] "I'm very, very grateful and honored to be here, but we have a lot of work to do. He fielded questions from the media during the press conference held at UK's new practice facility, the Joe Craft Center. Led by six-foot-seven Alex Groza, who played his customary magnificent floor game as well as pouring in 16 points to be the Wildcats' high scorer, Kentucky caught fire in the second half. [10] The record was enough for Kentucky to win their first regular season conference championship in the Southern Conference. There they would be matched up with an equally young and talented Utah team nicknamed the "Blitz Kids.The game made for an exciting outing with both teams going into the half tied at 24, but with the help of Brannum Kentucky would pull away to win 4638. The victory was Kentucky's 71st in a row at home and its 18th of the season against one loss. At the end of eight minutes of play, the Kentuckians held a 16-4 lead and at the half the score was 37-23.". 1 seed of the NIT. Records indicate that the first head coach of the Wildcats was W. W. H. Mustaine, who in 1903 called together some students, took up a collection totaling $3 for a ball, and told the students to start playing. ", "The Illini took a 2-0 lead, but Kentucky quickly wiped it out," wrote The Courier-Journal's Larry Boeck. Kentucky is the only school to have multiple NCAA (8) and NIT (2) Championships, the only school to have 5 NCAA Championship head coaches, the only school to have 4 coaches with multiple NCAA Championship Game appearances, the only school to have 4 coaches with multiple NCAA Championship Game appearances in the same decade, the only school to have 4 coaches with 3 NCAA Final Four appearances, the only school to win NCAA Championships in 5 decades, the only school to win multiple NCAA Championships in 3 decades, the only school to have NCAA Championship Game appearances in 5 decades, the only school to have multiple NCAA Championship Game appearances in 5 decades, the only school to have multiple NCAA Final Four appearances in 5 decades, the only school to have 2 head coaches win both NCAA and NIT Championships, and the one of only 2 schools to have 2 head coaches win an NCAA Championship in the same decade. School: Kentucky Position: Center Height: 6-10 Weight: 220 pounds Years active: 2011-12 NCAA tournament record: 6-0 Career averages: 14.2 points . [3] The first recorded intercollegiate game at the college was a 156 defeat to nearby Georgetown College. Over the next four years Issel would score an average of 25.7 per game, adding up to 2,137 points in his college career. Men's Basketball National Champions - UK Athletics At the time of his hiring, Rupp was a high school coach in Freeport, Illinois. No other player in the game scored more than 12. ", "Kentucky, winner of the last four (SEC) tournaments and nine of the last 14, is a heavy favorite to retain the title," reported the AP, before the start of the 1948 SEC tournament. [39] (Anderson tore his ACL in January against SEC foe Auburn; Kentucky lost the 1997 title game in overtime to the Arizona Wildcats.) The team is also known for playing in what could be considered one of the greatest games in NCAA tournament history against Duke. [71] The SEC regular season began with two overtime victories over Ole Miss and Texas A&M, the closest games Kentucky would play all season. Center in Louisville. 1? On the team were three players who had graduated at the conclusion of the previous academic year. However, Ralph Beard came through with an amazing display of long-range accuracy to score 20 points and pace the Wildcats to their ninth victory of the season against one loss. Alex Groza played just over half of the game, but amassed 19 points, best offensive effort for the Wildcats. They would not lose a game for the rest of the regular season. ", "With the Cincinnatians turning on a surprising offensive that kept them on even terms until half of the first period had elapsed, Adolph Rupp's cagers were extended for the first time this season," wrote The Courier-Journal's Jimmy Brown. ", "The Wildcats, playing their second regularly-scheduled Southeastern Conference game, built up a 37-15 lead in the first half," reported the AP. Casey was not in Lexington when the envelope was supposedly mailed and the father of Mills said they received no money. ", "The loss was the first for Coach Cliiff Wells on his 'home' court in 29 contests, and only his fourth in the three years since he left Logansport, Ind., for the college job here," wrote The Courier-Journal's Earl Ruby. The 2012 team featured No. ", "Kentucky overpowered a smaller and outmanned Tulsa university quintet 71 to 22 here tonight for its second win over the Golden Hurricane and its fourth in as many starts this season," reported the AP. He signed a lifetime deal with them on April 1, 2019. The next year, Ray Eklund led the team to a 153 record, and produced UK's second All-American, Burgess Carey. When, at the last minute, the NCAA ruled these players ineligible from post-season play, Rupp decided to skip the 1954 NCAA Tournament in protest. Nov 23, Kentucky (5-0) Win vs. Radford, 88-40 6. UK was 177 including that game, and went 45 the remainder of the season, losing all 5 games away from Rupp Arena. Heading into the post-season, No. 1), NCAA Tournament Wins: 131 (NCAA rank No. UCLA men's college basketball championships: Complete history The Kentucky Basketball Statistics Project . Contrary to popular belief, this game was not a huge "upset" as while Kentucky entered the tournament with only one loss and ranked No. The Wildcats would also win the national championship in 1949, becoming just the second men's basketball team to win back-to-back titles. All Time Winning Percentage: .765 (NCAA rank No. Only disappointment of the opening round was Alex Groza's withdrawal from Kentucky's lineup when he had a tournament scoring record all but clinched, Groza amassed 22 points while playing just 12 minutes. UCLA has won the most NCAA men's college basketball titles with 11 victories. "It was Loyola's 24th victory of the year against five defeats and the Ramblers second of the tourney. The Irish bowed to DePaul by 21 points. Neither of these came to pass. ", "With Alex Groza as chief gunner, piling in 25 points, Kentucky remained National Collegiate basketball champion tonight by crushing Oklahoma A.&M., 46-36," reported the AP. Louisville Cardinals - Wikipedia John Calipari Coaching Record | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Despite fears that it would resist, Kentucky accepts the penalty and, in turn, gives the NCAA credibility to enforce its rules." Calipari during his weekly radio call-in show mentioned the team was given a "tweak". The Kentucky Wildcats represented USA Basketball, at Globl Jam 2023 , and defeated Canada to win the Gold Medal. ", "Alex Groza again led the Wildcats scoring attack. Men's Basketball National Champions - UK Athletics Kentucky has won eight NCAA national championships, second most of all Division I schools. Every player worked on every aspect of the game; there were no specialists. This sent Kentucky to the National Championship game against the Kansas Jayhawks, where they defeated Kansas 6759, winning UK's 8th NCAA championship, along with John Calipari's first NCAA Championship as a head coach. ", "Behind the Fabulous Five of Ralph Beard, Wah Wah Jones, Alex Groza, Kenny Rollins and Cliff Barker, the 1947-48 Kentucky men's basketball team went 36-3 en route to win the school's first national championship," according to the Kentucky men's basketball media guide. They would defeat their next 14 opponents, including getting revenge in SEC tournament championship over Tennessee. 13 coming after 5657 loss to unranked Loyola Chicago. Kentucky started the next season ranked #1 but would underachieve, falling short of the Elite Eight for the only time under Pitino. ", "The victory was No. However, once Adolph Rupp's charges hit their stride they amazed and thrilled the capacity crowd of 7,800 with the rapidity and accuracy of their shots. "(Alex) Groza scored twenty-three points to boost his season's total to 508 points, four more than Lonnie (Country) Graham scored for Mississippi State when he set the record in 1938. 1), Conference regular season championships: 53 (NCAA rank No. List of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball seasons This is a complete list of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball teams seasons, from their first season in 1903 to present. [95] Kentucky played 271 games at Alumni Gymnasium from 1924 to 1950, going 24724 (.911). In winning the Wildcats may have suffered a devastating blow. "Alex Groza and Ralph Beard combined for 26 points and the Wildcats' defense held the Bears to 16 first-half points to capture UK's first NCAA title.". 1), Final AP Poll Top-5 Finishes: 29 (NCAA rank No. Kentucky's NCAA men's basketball tournament results and history from 1985 through 2020. Kentucky is the most successful NCAA Division I basketball program in history in terms of all-time winning percentage (.765) and is 2nd in all-time wins. On January 4, the Wildcats lost a heart breaker to archrival Louisville 7471 after a 25ft. shot by Edgar Sosa with 2.3 seconds remaining in the game. The Wildcats were no match and were thrashed by the CCNY Beavers, 5083. 2), Total 30-Win Seasons: 14 (NCAA rank No. A crowd of over 3,000 payed their respects at a tribute to Mr. Keightley . The "tweak" was never fully revealed. On January 26, UK was ranked in the AP Poll (24th) for the first time since week 1 of the 200708 season. 1978 NCAA Champion, 1978 Second Team All-America, 1978 SEC Player of the Year, 1978 NCAA Tournament M.O.P. "The Wildcats with the starters going only about a third of the way, flattened Florida, 73-36. On April 1, 2009, John Calipari replaced former head coach Billy Gillispie as the Wildcats head coach. The entering class included a record six McDonald's All-Americans[60] highlighted by Julius Randle and the Harrison Twins from Texas, Aaron and Andrew. "'Wah Wah' Jones, Kentucky's point-making ace, was ejected about midway the last half after ringing in twenty-one points. . "Groza sank 38 points to better the old mark of 36 held by Bill Joe Adcock of Vanderbilt Groza, six-foot-seven Wildcats center and captain, set an individual SEC scoring mark two weeks ago when he plunked in 34 points against Tennessee. Six years after losing in the regional final, which served as the Final Four back then, the Wildcats won their first-ever national championship in the 18th season of Adolph Rupp's tenure at Kentucky. "The hospitable Chicagoans fiercely booing decisions against Kentucky and generously applauding nifty shots by the Wildcats were particularly appreciative of U.K.'s Mutt and Jeff Combination. ", "Kentucky's Wildcats went on the prowl last night for the first time this year after a long holiday vacation and chased a floundering flock of Blue Jays all over the Armory basketball floor," wrote The Courier-Journal's Larry Boeck. When was the last time Kentucky won a NCAA Tournament - FanSided "The Wildcats took Holy Cross 51-48 last night as the great Jones and the skillful Groza scored more points in the first half than did the entire Holy Cross five. 1 seed in history) in the East Regional of the NCAA tournament, where they eventually lost to West Virginia in the Elite Eight. Year Coach Won Lost Notes; 1947-48: Adolph Rupp: 36: 3: Schedule, Roster, Statistics: 1948-49: Adolph . The halftime score was 40-19. Like Buchheit, Mauer employed a strong man-to-man defense. Smith's teams, known primarily for a ball line defense-oriented slower style of play coined "Tubbyball", received mixed reviews among Kentucky fans who have historically enjoyed a faster, higher-scoring style of play under previous coaches. Vanderbilt had a different idea however, and would knock off the top ranked Wildcats in the SEC tournament finals denying them an eighth straight SEC tournament title. Cauley-Stein was named the MVP of the Tournament. 1), All Time Winning Percentage Against AP-Ranked Opponents: .615 (NCAA Rank No. 1), Total Decades With an NCAA Championship: 5 (NCAA rank No. In 2003, he was named AP College Coach of the Year. 2), Total Undefeated Seasons: 2 (NCAA rank No. Kentucky basketball national championship titles: March Madness history Nicknamed "The House That Rupp Built", the multipurpose facility cost $4million and seated 12,000 people. Just eight teams qualified for the 1949 NCAA tournament, which meant that a team had to win just three games to win the national championship. The Wildcats are 30738 (.890) all-time at Memorial Coliseum. The national third-place game between Illinois and Oregon State marked the 100th game in NCAA tournament history. It was located in the north wing of Barker Hall on the university campus. He also was a part of the men's basketball team as a student assistant after the NCAA announced he was ineligible. Real Fans. 3), Average Losses Per Season Played: 6.0 (NCAA rank No. The Wildcats sank 15 of 22 chances while Michigan State dropped in only 11 of 27. After losing to Tennessee, Kentucky would struggle to chain two wins together, losing every other game. ", "Kentucky's Wildcats won their 12th basketball game in 13 starts by outstripping Michigan State, 47 to 45, before a record Spartan crowd of 14,967 fans here tonight," reported the AP. He ended his career at UK with over 1,200. Born: February 10, 1959 Alma Mater: Clarion (1982) As Player: 25 G, 1.2 PPG, UNC Wilmington ( Full Record) Career Record (major schools): 31 Years, 832-253, .767 W-L% 3x A-10 COY 3x CUSA COY 4x SEC COY 2 x TSN COY 2014-15 AP COY 3 x NABC COY 2 x BB Times COY 3 x Naismith COY 2008-09 Phelan COY 2 x Rupp Cup Coaches Index More John Calipari Pages The Wildcats are currently coached by John Calipari. As a result, the Wildcats were handed the first de facto "death penalty" from the NCAA and were forced to sit out the entire 1952 season. 5 Kansas in the Champions Classic in November. "The 'Cats pawed most of the time with Creighton's baffled Blue Jays, just as they were supposed to do, in pouncing along to a 65-23 victory. The Wildcats have also been led by many successful head coaches, including Adolph Rupp, Joe B. in 1946. But this would be the just a glimpse of a run Kentucky would have later in the decade. "By halftime, the score was 40 to 19 and it was apparent Mississippi was hopelessly outclassed. 2 seed North Carolina Tar Heels on their way to the school's 14th Final Four. This Kentucky team had a record six players drafted in the 2012 NBA draft, including the first time two teammates have been chosen with the first two picks: Anthony Davis (1st overall), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (2nd), Terrence Jones (18th), Marquis Teague (29th), Doron Lamb (42nd) and Darius Miller (46th). ", "Kentucky assumed the lead early and led almost all the way," reported the AP. Juniors Cauley-Stein and Poythress returned with sophomores Aaron and Andrew Harrison, Johnson, and Lee to join the No. At the conclusion of the investigation it was found Kentucky committedseveral rule violations, including giving illegal spending money to players. This was the sixteenth win of the season for the Wildcats, who were voted the country's top team in the Associated Press poll of sports writers and sportscasters this week. Hall in 1973, 1975, 1978 and 1983, Eddie Sutton in 1986, Rick Pitino in 1990, 1991 and 1996, Tubby Smith in 1998, 2003, and 2005, Billy Gillispie in 2008, and John Calipari in 2010, 2012, and 2015.[75]. "They came to life with five minutes of the period remaining, however, take the lead at 19-18, and by the halftime intermission had increased their advantage too 30-22. [73] In the regional final Kentucky narrowly defeated Notre Dame 6866. The expectations were right, as Kentucky would head into the post-season with only 2 losses and a No. "Kentucky's margin was achieved at the free throw line. And his four-game tournament total of 94 points was 20 points better than the tournament total mark amassed by Bonnie 'Country' Graham of Mississippi in 1938. UNC national championship history: How many times have Tar Heels won Kentucky smash its own home floor scoring record of 98, achieved last season over Western Ontario. The 1966 Texas Western basketball team now the University of Texas at El Paso. This team came to be known as the "Unforgettables" for helping put Kentucky back on the path to success in the 1990s and because the team was made up of home grown Kentucky kids. [90] The Wildcats have consistently led the country in home attendance since the 197677 season (when Rupp Arena first opened), winning the National Attendance Title a record 25 times, including 17 of the past 20 seasons, and 8 of the last 10 seasons. 1), Total 20-Win Seasons: 59 (NCAA rank No. Jodie Meeks scored 23 points in the contest, including the fade-away contested 3-point basket with less than 5 seconds remaining to seal the win for UK. The teams took the lead back and forth until the final minute of the game which resulted in a first buzzer beater shot by Kentucky's Sean Woods to take the lead 103102, and then Laettner's shot to win the game for the Blue Devils in the final seconds 104103. In the finals Kentucky faced the Oklahoma A&M Cowboys, a team that had previously seen success in the tournament with back-to-back championships in 1945 and 1946. Prior to the shot, UK was down 7 with 38.5 seconds left, and Jodie Meeks was fouled shooting a three, proceeded to make all three free throw shots, Patrick Patterson stole an inbound and passed it to Meeks who laid it in to bring the game to 7169 with 29.6 left, and then an inbound pass went long and Meeks snatched the pass, drove to the hoop and was fouled, and then made both free throws to tie the game at 71 with 22.9 left. This made Issel the player with the most points to ever play at Kentucky, a feat that has not been matched to this day. The season did not end after the NCAA tournament, as Kentucky who would play in the Olympic Trials, where they went 21, only losing to the Phillips Oilers once. 3 seed UConn 5655. Nov 11, Kentucky (1-0) Win vs. Marist, 108-58 2. "The six-foot seven-inch Kentucky center counted 23 points on seven baskets from the field and nine successful foul tries. Coach Hall would win the title once in 1978 as well as making the final four in 1975 and 1984, and the elite eight in 1972, 1973, 1977, 1983. He scored 30 dazzling points, and coupled with his fiery aggressiveness under the baskets, he had fans and the opposition gasping in disbelieving awe. Just eight teams qualified for the 1948 NCAA tournament. UConn's Hurley rewarded with new six-year deal . To begin his tenure at the University of Kentucky, John Calipari signed one of the best all time recruiting classes. Men's Tournament Challenge; 2023-24 Schedule. "Aggressive, sparkling Cliff Barker found the weak spot in the Alabama barrier. Ironically, one of those losses came in an 92-82 fashion to Massachusetts, a team whichjust so happened to be coached by one John Calipari. "The score was tied eight times before Notre Dame managed to move ahead 34 to 32 at half-time. Furthermore, Kentucky has played in 17 NCAA Final Fours (tied with Duke for third place all-time behind North Carolina and UCLA), 12 NCAA Championship games (tied for first all-time with North Carolina and UCLA), and has won eight NCAA championships (second only to UCLA's 11).