Ranking UK's Top 50 WIns

[largebluej]

That 1979 SEC tournament game versus Alabama is probably the greatest forgotten UK game in my fan life. With the possible exception of Jodie Meeks, we've never had a shooter as hot as Truman Claytor was in the second half of that one. 101-100 in regulation well before the three pointer era.

[40bill]

That 1979 SEC tournament game versus Alabama is probably the greatest forgotten UK game in my fan life. With the possible exception of Jodie Meeks, we've never had a shooter as hot as Truman Claytor was in the second half of that one. 101-100 in regulation well before the three pointer era.

That was about as good a game as you could ask for.

[KevinHall]

LHL hadn't posted Story's top 10 yet.

Here are my guesses for his top 10

75 IU game
98 Duke game
78 NCAA Final
12 NCAA Final
95 Arkansas game
94 LSU game
2010 UNC game
1996 UMass Final Four game
1990 LSU game
2012 UL Final Four game

[KCKUKFan]

-I still have no idea how we beat Notre Dame in the 2015 Regional Final

Karl Towns. And Karl Towns alone.

[KCKUKFan]

Since I've been watching, here are some that stand out to me:

03 vs Florida
95 SEC Tourney Final vs Arkansas
96 @ LSU
11 vs OSU
10 vs Mississippi State in SEC Tourny Final
11 vs UNC
15 vs UCLA/Kansas
98 vs Duke Elite Eight
14 vs Michigan, Louisville, Wisconsin

[KevinHall]

Here is his top 10. I had 8 of them pegged. I'm not so sure about number three being that high. Great win but I wouldn't have put it that high. Anyway a good conversation piece for the summer.

https://www.kentucky.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mark-story/article215311105.html

[Uncle Dave]

I have a hard enough time remembering ANY 50 UK games much less the TOP 50 lol.

[largebluej]

Absolutely agree with his number one. The 1975 win over Indiana was fraught with meaning.

[Lighthouse]

The OT game with Temple will always be my most memorable. I was listening to the game in the sticks of Western Kentucky when Hatton hit The Shot and UK came back and won. At that time, little did I know that I would finish my officiating career in Memorial Coliseum and get to see the nail driven in the floor where he took the shot. Believe me, I had tears, because of the memories I had of a place that only existed in my mind.

[Old School]

Left off the list:

#3 Kentucky 81, #4 Indiana 78, January 3, 1993, Freedom Hall

Bobby Knight was gunning for his 600th win in this game. UK hit 16 of 38 3 pointers. Roderick Rhodes might have had his best game as a Wildcat. Calbert Cheaney had 29 points, but in the last six minutes of the game Rhodes was put on him and prevented him from hitting a single field goal attempt. Travis Ford's hot shooting (7-12 behind the arc, and penetrating) led to 29 points. Mashburn had 29 points in 40 minutes of action including 6-12 3pt attempts. Matt Nover had 29 for IU; Alan Henderson had 10 and Damon Bailey was held to 3. Freedom Hall was half and half and rocking the entire game. This game was a great example of Pitino, in his prime, figuring out how to maximize each asset he had; Ford's offensive strengths and Rhodes' defensive abilities were used to the hilt, and with anything lesser from either, UK likely would've lost.

#2 Kentucky 106, #11 Florida State 81, Southeast Regional Final, March 27, 1993, Charlotte, NC

Florida State fielded a good team that included Sam Cassell, Charlie Ward (the Heisman Trophy winner), Doug Edwards and Bob Sura. I think at least 3 of their players had considerable careers in the NBA. Neither Cassell nor Sura scored in the second half until there were only 6 minutes left and the game was no longer in any doubt. Kentucky dominated to go the Final Four. Roderick Rhodes succeeded in throwing inbounds passes off of FSU players, then grabbing the ball for a quick layup. Jared Prickett had perhaps his best game (22 points, 11 rebounds; it's really too bad that the Jared Prickett of the 1993 Final Four team never seemed to return). Kentucky outscored FSU 52-35 in the second half despite emptying the bench. Even Todd Svoboda scored. This was the last time Kentucky and Florida State played in basketball.

#8 Kentucky 92, #22 Kansas 88, OT, NCAA Midwest Regional Second Round, New Orleans

This was a really tight, tense, exciting game. Tubby Smith vs. Roy Williams. Scott Padgett had 29 points, Wayne Turner 19, Heshimu Evans 14.

#2 Kentucky 83, #13 Wake Forest 63, Midwest Regional Finals, Minneapolis

Tim Duncan was held to 14 points on 2 of 7 shooting due to a relentless trap defense Pitino mainly charged Antoine Walker and Walter McCarty with executing. One of the best players of the era was held to a total of 7 FG attempts in 39 minutes on the floor, hitting only 2 of them. UK held Wake to 19 first half points en route to the Final Four with this win. Tony Delk had 25 points on 9 of 13 shooting (4-6 3); Epps and Anderson had 12 each, McCarty 10, Walker 9, Sheppard 7. It was a great example of Pitino looking ahead to a game and coming up with a terrific plan that shut down the other team's best asset, successfully, for an entire game.

#5 Kentucky 72, #2 Utah 59, West Regional Final, San Jose, CA

Utah entered as the #2 team in the country. Their outstanding roster included first team All American Keith Van Horn, Andre Miller, Hanno Mottola, and Michael Doleac. The win took UK to the Final Four. 3 time WAC Player of the Year Van Horn had been a relentless scoring machine all season (all time leading scorer in Utah and conference history), averaging over 22 points per game and hitting over 90% of his free throws; he was the second overall pick in the upcoming draft. Though Van Horn was 6'10", Pitino put guard Wayne Turner on him, and the entire game, Turner played with his back to Van Horn, facing whoever had the ball, depriving Utah of access to its main scorer. Van Horn finished 5 of 12 from the floor and 4 of 4 from the line for 15 points with only 8 rebounds in 38 minutes. It was another great example of Pitino devising and executing a brilliant game plan that took an opponent's greatest strength out of a game. Turner also managed to wipe out Utah guard Andre Miller in transition with some quick steals; UK's superior conditioning showed as the game went on. Kentucky only put 8 players on the court all game, and that included walkon Cameron Mills. Ron Mercer finished with 21 points; Anthony Epps had 15, Wayne Turner 12, Scott Padgett 11, Jared Prickett 8 with 10 rebounds. UK only hit 4 of 15 behind the arc but performed well enough elsewhere to win by double digits.

As a disclaimer, I went to two of the above neutral site games in person and they were very exciting.

Tayshaun Prince lighting up UNC didn't make the list, either.

[KevinHall]

Absolutely agree with his number one. The 1975 win over Indiana was fraught with meaning.

I think any UK fan who was alive then has this game number one. It just didn't get better than that game and win.

So many good games that didn't make that list. I'm sure another top 50 could be made and you really couldn't argue much with it.

[ralph helm]

I cannot remember the year---but UK scoring 86 first half points against LSU---Dale Brown was standing on the sideline just totally bewildered by it all!!!! Being against LSU & Dale Brown made it that much better--I think UK ended up scoring 127 points for the game!!!!! Dale Brown was a guy UK fans loved to hate in a funny way--glad to see Dale & Joe B. Hall at some UK-LSU games in Rupp the last few years--hope UK fans have been respectful to him!!!

[DA#23]

^ The 1996 squad was responsible for that performance.

[40bill]

After retiring, Dale Brown (as other coaches) stated he had admiration and respect for Kentucky....but he was trying to build basketball at LSU....if you wanna be the king, you gotta beat the king.

[TrueblueCATfan]

I think 2003's UK vs. #1 Florida has to be up there also. They just completely tore Florida a new one. They could've won that game by 40 had Tubby not let his foot off the gas.

I was at that game and it was absolutely electrfying in Rupp that day