Kentucky's history in Final Four games

(updated through 2016)

UK has reached 17 Final Fours.  Like every other important statistical measure, this one places UK high on the national list - behind only UNC and UCLA.  Let's take a look at UK's results in national semifinals and title games.


Semifinals: UK is 12-5 (70.6%)

Wins: Holy Cross (1948), Illinois (1949 and 1951), Temple (1958), Duke (1966), Syracuse (1975), Arkansas (1978), UMass (1996), Minnesota (1997), Stanford (1998), Louisville (2012), Wisconsin (2014)


Losses: Dartmouth (1942), Georgetown (1984), Michigan (1993), UConn (2011), Wisconsin (2015)


In the seeded era: 5-4 (55.6%)


As a #1 seed: 3-3 (50%) - won in 96, 97 and 12; lost in 84, 93 and 15


Note: UK has only played one team seeded lower than #3 in a national semifinal - 4-seeded Louisville in 2012.


All-time semifinal team:
C Bill Spivey - 28 points in '51
F Alex Groza - 50 points combined in '48 and '49
F Jack Givens - 47 points combined in '75 and '78
G Jeff Sheppard - 27 points in '98
G Louie Dampier - 23 points in '66

Honorable mention - Anthony Davis - 18 points, 14 rebounds, 5 blocks in 2012




National title games: UK is 8-4 (67%)


Wins: Baylor (48), Oklahoma State (49), Kansas State (51), Seattle (58), Duke (78), Syracuse (96), Utah (98), Kansas (12)


Losses: UTEP (66), UCLA (75), Arizona (97), UConn (14)


In the seeded era: 3-2 (60%)


As a #1 seed: 2-1 (67%)


Note: In the seeded era, UK has met a 7 seed (UConn), two 4s (Syracuse and Arizona), a 3 (Utah) and a 2 (Kansas).


All-time title team:
C Bill Spivey - 22 points in '51
F Alex Groza - 25 points in '49
F Jack Givens - 41 points in '78
G Tony Delk - 24 points in '96
G Vernon Hatton - 30 points in '58

Honorable mention: James Young with 20 points and 7 boards in the loss to UConn, Anthony Davis had 6/16/6 against Kansas, Doron Lamb had 22 points.

Among other websites consulted, one of my main sources for this and many other posts is the peerless UK resource (and probably the best site of its kind for any sports team) known as "The Kentucky Basketball Statistics Project" operated by Jon Scott.  Available at http://www.bigbluehistory.net/bb/statistics/statistics.html