Kentucky rolls into Indianapolis this weekend for the 2015 Final Four hoping to cap off one of the greatest single seasons in college basketball history, if not sports history. The 38-0 Wildcats have a loaded roster of future NBA players that have only been truly tested a few times during this potentially historic season.
John Calipari’s team has a chance to become just the ninth Division-I team to finish the season undefeated, joining the following teams:
- LIU-Brooklyn – 1939 (24-0)
- San Francisco – 1956 (29-0)
- North Carolina – 1957 (30-0)
- UCLA – 1964 (30-0)
- UCLA – 1967 (30-0)
- UCLA – 1972 (30-0)
- UCLA – 1973 (30-0)
- Indiana – 1976 (32-0)
It’s also worth noting that Seton Hall (1940), Army (1944), Kentucky (1954) and North Carolina State (1973) all finished the regular season undefeated but did not compete in the postseason for a variety of reasons or issues.
As shown above, there has not been an undefeated team since Bobby Knight’s 1976 Hoosiers squad that went 32-0 and captured the national title, meaning Kentucky has a chance to snap a 39-year streak. However, apparently some people aren’t impressed, including ESPN personality Jemele Hill, who said she wouldn’t consider the 2014-15 Wildcats to be among the all-time great teams.
“I don’t consider this Kentucky group to be an all-time great team.” – @HisAndHers host @jemelehill pic.twitter.com/mL8ZxmBH9A
— Mike & Mike (@MikeAndMike) April 3, 2015
It is understandable to say this Kentucky team isn’t the best all-time, as that’s a heavy proclamation that is based very much on subjective opinion. But to say that shouldn’t even be considered among the best of all-time is pure blasphemy.
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