by Corey Price
The above picture is from the 1980 SEC Tournament Championship between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Louisiana State Tigers. It’s significant because it was UK’s 1st season as a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. I decided to look at Kentucky’s performance in the SEC Tournament when they were rewarded a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. But first, let me inform you of when UK received a 1 seed: 1980, 1984, 1986, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2004
1980
- 26-4 regular season record
- 15-3 SEC record
- 1 seed in the SEC Tournament
- Defeated 9 seed Auburn 69-61 in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals (Sam Bowie led the Wildcats with 19 points)
- Defeated 5 seed Ole Miss 70-67 in the SEC Tournament Semifinals (Sam Bowie led the Wildcats with 27 points)
- Lost to 2 seed Louisiana State 80-78 in the SEC Tournament Finals (Sam Bowie and Kyle Macy led the Wildcats with 20 points)
- Sam Bowie and Kyle Macy named to the SEC All-Tournament Team
1984
- 23-4 regular season record
- 14-4 SEC record
- 1 seed in the SEC Tournament
- Defeated 7 seed Georgia 92-79 in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals (Melvin Turpin led the Wildcats with 42 points, a SEC Tournament single game record)
- Defeated 5 seed Alabama 48-46 in the SEC Tournament Semifinals (Jim Master led the Wildcats with 16 points)
- Defeated 2 seed Auburn 51-49 in the SEC Tournament Finals (Melvin Turpin led the Wildcats with 13 points, Kenny Walker hit a shot at the buzzer to win the game)
- Melvin Turpin named to the SEC All-Tournament Team
- Final against Auburn set SEC Tournament records for fewest free throws made (6) and attempted (9) by both teams combined in a single game
- Melvin Turpin was the SEC Tournament’s leading scorer with 67 points
1986
- 26-3 regular season record
- 17-1 SEC record
- 1 seed in the SEC Tournament
- Defeated 9 seed Ole Miss 95-69 in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals (Kenny Walker led the Wildcats with 28 points)
- Defeated 5 seed Louisiana State 61-58 in the SEC Tournament Semifinals (Winston Bennett led the Wildcats with 15 points)
- Defeated 2 seed Alabama 83-72 in the SEC Tournament Finals (Kenny Walker led the Wildcats with 20 points)
- Roger Harden named to the SEC All-Tournament Team
- Kenny Walker set the SEC Tournament Championship game record for both free throw attempts (18) and free throws made (16) against Alabama
1993
- 23-3 regular season record
- 13-3 SEC record
- 2 seed in the East division in the SEC Tournament
- Defeated the East 6 seed Tennessee 101-40 in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals (Tony Delk led the Wildcats with 15 points)
- Defeated the West 1 seed Arkansas 92-81 in the SEC Tournament Semifinals (Travis Ford led the Wildcats with 26 points)
- Defeated the West 2 seed Louisiana State 82-65 in the SEC Tournament Finals (Travis Ford led the Wildcats with 18 points)
- Travis Ford, Jamal Mashburn, and Andre Riddick was named to the SEC All-Tournament Team
- Travis Ford was named the SEC Tournament MVP
- Travis Ford tied a SEC Tournament record for most 3 point field goals made in a single tournament (13)
- Travis Ford also set the SEC Tournament Championship game record for 3 point field goals attempted (12) and 3 point field goals made (6) against Louisiana State
- Kentucky set the SEC Tournament record for most 3 point field goal attempts (44) in a single game against Louisiana State
- Kentucky and Louisiana State tied the SEC Tournament single game record for most combined 3 point field goal attempts (64)
- Kentucky set team SEC Tournament records for most 3 point field goals attempted (91) and most 3 point field goals made (36) in a single tournament
- Jared Prickett tied the SEC Tournament single game record for steals (7) against Tennessee
- Andre Riddick set the SEC Tournament single game record for blocks (9) against Louisiana State
- Kentucky set the team SEC Tournament record for assists (30) against Tennessee
- Kentucky forced Tennessee into a SEC Tournament record 30 turnovers
- Kentucky set the team SEC Tournament record for steals (19) against Tennessee
- Travis Ford was the SEC Tournament’s leading scorer with 54 points
1995
- 22-4 regular season record
- 14-2 SEC record
- 1 seed in the East division in the SEC Tournament
- Defeated the West 4 seed Auburn 93-81 in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals (Walter McCarty led the Wildcats with 22 points)
- Defeated the East 3 seed Florida 86-72 in the SEC Tournament Semifinals (Antoine Walker led the Wildcats with 21 points)
- Defeated the West 1 seed Arkansas 95-93 in overtime in the SEC Tournament Finals (Antoine Walker led the Wildcats with 23 points, UK came back from a 9 point deficit in overtime to win)
- Mark Pope and Antoine Walker were named to the SEC All-Tournament Team
- Antoine Walker was named the SEC Tournament MVP
- The Kentucky/Arkansas game set the SEC Tournament record for largest single-game attendance (30,057)
- Kentucky tied the team SEC Tournament Championship game record for most points scored (95)
- Kentucky and Arkansas set the SEC Tournament Championship game record for most points scored by both teams combined (188)
- Antoine Walker tied for the SEC Tournament’s leading scorer (53 points)
1996
- 26-1 regular season record
- 16-0 SEC record
- 1 seed in the East division in the SEC Tournament
- Defeated the East 5 seed Florida 100-76 in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals (Antoine Walker led the Wildcats with 21 points)
- Defeated the West 2 seed Arkansas 95-75 in the SEC Tournament Semifinals (Antoine Walker led the Wildcats with 21 points)
- Lost to the West 1 seed Mississippi State 84-73 in the SEC Tournament Finals (Tony Delk led the Wildcats with 16 points)
- Walter McCarty and Antoine Walker were named to the SEC All-Tournament Team
1997
- 27-4 regular season record
- 13-3 SEC record
- 2 seed in the East division in the SEC Tournament
- Defeated the West 3 seed Auburn 92-50 in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals (Ron Mercer led the Wildcats with 21 points)
- Defeated the West 1 seed Mississippi 88-70 in the SEC Tournament Semifinals (Ron Mercer led the Wildcats with 19 points)
- Defeated the East 3 seed Georgia 95-68 in the SEC Tournament Finals (Anthony Epps led the Wildcats with 22 points)
- Anthony Epps, Ron Mercer, and Jared Prickett were named to the SEC All-Tournament Team
- Ron Mercer was named the SEC Tournament MVP
- Ron Mercer was the SEC Tournament’s leading scorer (60 points)
- Kentucky tied the SEC Tournament Championship game record for most points scored (95) against Georgia
2003
- 26-3 regular season record
- 16-0 SEC record
- 1 seed in the East division in the SEC Tournament
- Defeated the East 6 seed Vanderbilt 81-63 in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals (Keith Bogans led the Wildcats with 16 points)
- Defeated the West 2 seed Au
burn 78-58 in the SEC Tournament Semifinals (Erik Daniels led the Wildcats with 17 points) - Defeated the West 1 seed Mississippi State 64-57 in the SEC Tournament Finals (Keith Bogans led the Wildcats with 22 points)
- Keith Bogans was named the SEC Tournament MVP
- Keith Bogans and Marquis Estill were named to the SEC All-Tournament Team
2004
- 23-4 regular season record
- 13-3 SEC record
- 1 seed in the East division in the SEC Tournament
- Defeated the East 5 seed Georgia 69-60 in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals (Cliff Hawkins led the Wildcats with 23 points)
- Defeated the East 3 seed South Carolina 78-63 in the SEC Tournament Semifinals (Gerald Fitch led the Wildcats with 24 points)
- Defeated the East 2 seed Florida 89-73 in the SEC Tournament Finals (Chuck Hayes led the Wildcats with 23 points)
- Gerald Fitch was named SEC Tournament MVP
- Kelenna Azubuike, Gerald Fitch, and Chuck Hayes were named to the SEC All-Tournament Team
As you can see, Kentucky has had nearly perfect success in the SEC Tournament in years in which they received a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats have a combined 25-2 (.926) record in the SEC Tournament when they have a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Of those 9 SEC Tournaments, they reached the championship game in all 9 tournaments and won the title in 7 of those 9 tournaments.
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