Kentucky Wildcats: Championship or Bust?

It’s Become Championship or Bust to Many Fans in the Big Blue Nation

The first NCAA Tournament was held in 1939. The Oregon Ducks won that initial tournament 77 years ago. Since then, the University of Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team has won 8 NCAA titles, second only to UCLA’s 11. The Cats have appeared in 17 Final Fours, which is tied with UCLA for 2nd all time. Only North Carolina (18) has appeared in more Final Fours. Despite those gaudy numbers, Kentucky’s season, more often than not, ends without a Final Four appearance or a NCAA title.

Kentucky’s NCAA success rate for FF appearances: 17 (out of 77 NCAA tournaments) is 22.1%. Kentucky’s NCAA success rate for NCAA titles: 8 (out of 77) is 10.4%

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Roughly 80% of Kentucky’s seasons ends without a banner. And the Wildcats are one of the premier programs in the country.

With head coach John Calipari’s success, bringing 4 Final Four banners back to the Bluegrass (including the 2012 title and 2014 runner-up), the bar has been raised. For some in the Big Blue Nation, it’s become championship/Final Four or bust. Obviously, we would all love to win the title every year, but that’s not reasonable. As I’ve already pointed out, Calipari has had some great teams and some very memorable teams and players since he’s been in Lexington. And because he doesn’t win a title every year, does that make those players and their contributions less valuable to the great legacy that is Kentucky Basketball?

After the relative Dark Ages of the last part of Tubby Smith’s run and the entirety of Billy Gillispie’s tenure, Coach Cal reinvigorated the program. Like no other coach before him, he’s made Kentucky Basketball appointment viewing. Practices have been televised. The Big Blue Madness start to the season has become epic. He’s sending Wildcats to the NBA or out into the world with a college diploma. As he likes to point out, Calipari is changing lives and the Kentucky program is dominating the college basketball landscape. Again, to quote Coach Cal, “we are the gold standard.”

This is a time of outstanding success, even for Kentucky. With the way the college basketball landscape has changed via the “one and done” rule or just the overall parity among the teams, John Calipari has found a way for the Wildcats to stand out. That’s exactly what Kentucky is about. The Wildcats have dominated in every era. From the segregated times of Adolph Rupp to Joe B. Hall ending IU’s undefeated run one year and grabbing the 1978 title, to Rick Pitino rescuing the program from the depths to return it to greatness, to Tubby’s championship run and finally to Coach Cal and the way he has elevated the program: Kentucky just wins.

The Wildcats win, but not every year. And it’s dangerous to become “banner focused.” There have been great players that have come through the program and not won a championship. Is Dan Issel not a great Wildcat? Jamal Mashburn not good enough? For all the hoopla, the Unforgettables didn’t even reach a Final Four. Kenny Walker? Sam Bowie? The list of great players that weren’t able to achieve the ultimate team prize is distinguished. What makes Kentucky Basketball special is that we can recognize greatness, year in and year out, and not get caught up in championship hardware.

The 2015-16 Wildcats lost to the Indiana Hoosiers in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It’s certainly sad and disappointing, but my main memories of this team will be the play of its backcourt: Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray. Even in the storied annals of Kentucky Basketball, they’re seasons were special. Championship or Bust? Nope, sometimes you have to enjoy those non-perfect seasons too.

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