The Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball program is the men’s college basketball team of the University of Kentucky. It has eight NCAA championships, the best all-time winning rate, and the most all-time victories.[2] The Wildcats compete in the Southeastern Conference and are coached by Mark Pope.[3]
Adolph Rupp first brought Kentucky to national unmistakable quality, winning four NCAA titles. Since then, Joe B. Hall, Rick Pitino, Tubby Smith, and John Calipari each won a national championship, making Kentucky the as it were school with five coaches to win NCAA championships and setting it moment as it were to UCLA for most titles. Kentucky has wrapped up as the NCAA runner-up four times, making it tied with UCLA and North Carolina for all-time title amusement appearances at 12. The program has played in 17 NCAA Last Fours, tying Duke for third-all time behind North Carolina and UCLA. Kentucky leads all schools in a few NCAA competition stats:
First class Eight appearances at 38, Sweet Sixteen appearances at 45, total NCAA competition appearances at 60, and competition diversions played at 184. The program is behind as it were North Carolina with 131 NCAA competition wins, North Carolina has 132. Kentucky has moreover won the National Welcome Tournament twice, making it the as it were school to win different NCAA and NIT championships, and it leads all schools in add up to postseason appearances at 68. Also, the Steerages Athletic Establishment announced Kentucky the 1933 and 1954 national champions, the last mentioned being Kentucky’s as it were undefeated group within the cutting edge time (post-1930). The 1948 NCAA winner group, coached by Rupp, spoken to the Joined together States in the Olympics and won a gold award.
Kentucky was the primary program to 1000 wins in 1968 and the primary to 2000 wins in 2009. The program leads all schools with sixty-three 20-win seasons, sixteen 30-win seasons, and six 35-win seasons. Also, Kentucky is moment among all groups in conference normal season championships with 53.
All through its history, the Kentucky ball program has included numerous outstanding and fruitful players, both on the collegiate level and the proficient level. Five players have been named national player of the year, with Anthony Davis in 2012 and Oscar Tshiebwe in 2022 being agreement determinations. Three players have been named national first year recruit of the year:
John Wall in 2010, Davis in 2012, and Reed Sheppard in 2024. Thirty-nine players have been chosen as All-Americans a add up to of 51 times. Kentucky holds the record for the foremost by and large NBA Draft determinations (128) and three Wildcats have been chosen as the primary by and large choose (Divider, Davis, and Karl-Anthony Towns). Thirty-nine players have been honored with shirt retirements, as well as Rupp, Corridor, Pitino, Smith, gear manager Bill Keightly, and broadcaster Cawood Ledford. Seven players have been revered within the Naismith Dedication Lobby of Popularity, as well as Rupp, Pitino, Calipari, Eddie Sutton, and Ledford.
