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Kentucky Wildcats all-time round-by-round NCAA tournament record

By Asher Fair

Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky Wildcats, March Madness, NCAA Tournament (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky Wildcats, March Madness, NCAA Tournament (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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After an embarrassing early exit last year, the Kentucky Wildcats return to the NCAA tournament with their eyes on their first national title since 2012.

The Kentucky Wildcats were highly rated by pundits across the country to start the 2022-2023 NCAA basketball season, but they spent much of the year on the “bubble” after a rocky start.

John Calipari’s crew ultimately figured it out and earned a solid No. 6 seed in this year’s NCAA tournament. On Friday, March 17 at 7:10 p.m. ET, they are scheduled to square off against the No. 11 seed Providence Friars at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. CBS is set to provide live coverage of the round of 64 matchup.

Kentucky will hope to avoid the same fate as last year, when they fell in the opening round to No. 15 Saint Peter’s as a No. 2 seed.

Big Blue Nation is well aware of the fact that the last time Kentucky was seeded this low was in 2014, when a highly rated team in the preseason also underachieved and was only given a No. 8 seed. That team went on to reach the National Championship Game.

But that remains the most recent title game appearance for the storied program. They came close in 2015 but were defeated by the No. 1 seed Wisconsin Badgers in the Final Four, ending their bid for a perfect season and what would have been a ninth national championship.

Kentucky Wildcats all-time NCAA tournament record

Kentucky has made a total of 60 trips to the NCAA tournament, though their record from 1988 was voided by probation. So their 131-54 record is officially 129-53.

Here’s a breakdown of how they’ve fared in their 31 appearances since the tournament expanded in 1985.

  • Round of 64: 28-3
  • Round of 32: 22-6
  • Sweet 16: 17-5
  • Elite 8: 8-9
  • Final Four: 5-3
  • National Championship: 3-2
  • Overall: 83-28

Let’s take a more in-depth look at how the Wildcats have fared in some of the later rounds (since 1985).

What is the Kentucky Wildcats’ Sweet 16 record?

  • 2019 (No. 2): Beat No. 3 Houston, 62-58
  • 2018 (No. 5): Lost to No. 9 Kansas State, 61-58
  • 2017 (No. 2): Beat No. 3 UCLA, 86-75
  • 2015 (No. 1): Beat No. 5 West Virginia, 78-39
  • 2014 (No. 8): Beat No. 4 Louisville, 74-69
  • 2012 (No. 1): Beat No. 4 Indiana, 102-90
  • 2011 (No. 4): Beat No. 1 Ohio State, 62-60
  • 2010 (No. 1): Beat No. 12 Cornell, 62-45
  • 2005 (No. 2): Beat No. 6 Utah, 62-52
  • 2003 (No. 1): Beat No. 5 Wisconsin, 63-57
  • 2002 (No. 4): Lost to No. 1 Maryland, 78-68
  • 2001 (No. 2): Lost to No. 6 USC, 80-76
  • 1999 (No. 3): Beat No. 10 Miami (OH), 58-43
  • 1998 (No. 2): Beat No. 6 UCLA, 94-68
  • 1997 (No. 1): Beat No. 4 St. Joseph’s, 83-68
  • 1996 (No. 1): Beat No. 4 Utah, 101-70
  • 1995 (No. 1): Beat No. 5 Arizona State, 97-73
  • 1993 (No. 1): Beat No. 5 Wake Forest, 103-69
  • 1992 (No. 2): Beat No. 3 Massachusetts, 87-77
  • 1988 (No. 2): Lost to No. 6 Villanova, 80-74
  • 1986 (No. 1): Beat No. 5 Alabama, 68-63
  • 1985 (No. 12): Lost to No. 1 St. John’s, 86-70

What is the Kentucky Wildcats’ Elite 8 record?

  • 2019 (No. 2): Lost to No. 5 Auburn, 77-71
  • 2017 (No. 2): Lost to No. 1 North Carolina, 75-73
  • 2015 (No. 1): Beat No. 3 Notre Dame, 68-66
  • 2014 (No. 8): Beat No. 2 Michigan, 75-72
  • 2012 (No. 1): Beat No. 3 Baylor, 82-70
  • 2011 (No. 4): Beat No. 2 North Carolina, 76-69
  • 2010 (No. 1): Lost to No. 2 West Virginia, 73-66
  • 2005 (No. 2): Lost to No. 5 Michigan State, 94-88
  • 2003 (No. 1): Lost to No. 3 Marquette, 83-69
  • 1999 (No. 3): Lost to No. 1 Michigan State, 73-66
  • 1998 (No. 2): Beat No. 1 Duke, 86-84
  • 1997 (No. 1): Beat No. 2 Utah, 72-59
  • 1996 (No. 1): Beat No. 2 Wake Forest, 83-63
  • 1995 (No. 1): Lost to No. 2 North Carolina, 74-61
  • 1993 (No. 1): Beat No. 3 Florida State, 106-81
  • 1992 (No. 2): Lost to No. 1 Duke, 104-103
  • 1986 (No. 1): Lost to No. 11 LSU, 59-57

What is the Kentucky Wildcats’ Final Four record?

  • 2015 (No. 1): Lost to No. 1 Wisconsin, 71-64
  • 2014 (No. 8): Beat No. 2 Wisconsin, 74-73
  • 2012 (No. 1): Beat No. 4 Louisville, 69-61
  • 2011 (No. 4): Lost to No. 3 Connecticut, 56-55
  • 1998 (No. 2): Beat No. 3 Stanford, 86-85
  • 1997 (No. 1): Beat No. 1 Minnesota, 78-69
  • 1996 (No. 1): Beat No. 1 Massachusetts, 81-74
  • 1993 (No. 1): Lost to No. 1 Michigan, 81-78

What is the Kentucky Wildcats’ National Championship Game record?

  • 2014 (No. 8): Lost to No. 7 Connecticut, 60-54
  • 2012 (No. 1): Beat No. 2 Kansas, 67-59
  • 1998 (No. 2): Beat No. 3 Utah, 78-69
  • 1997 (No. 1): Lost to No. 4 Arizona, 84-79
  • 1996 (No. 1): Beat No. 4 Syracuse, 76-67

Prior to 1985, they competed in the tournament 29 times. Here’s a breakdown of how they fared.

  • Round of 48: 0-1
  • Round of 32: 6-1
  • Sweet 16: 17-6
  • Elite 8: 9-12
  • Final 4: 7-2
  • Regional third place game: 4-2
  • National Championship Game: 5-2
  • Overall: 48-26

Can Calipari quiet the early-season critics and take this year’s Wildcats team all the way?

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