Favorite UK team

JL-23

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Jan 17, 2011
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So it’s obvious we are in some pretty odd times. no march madness in march, no sports period. Which is your favorite Kentucky team? Me personally, loved the 2007-08 squad because of Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford. Rough season that year but those guys left it all on the floor. Joe Crawford’s last game was a heartbreaker, he did everything he could one last time for the University of Kentucky. How about y’all’s.
 
A

anon_q409idbs5m40a

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1970 team with Issel and company. The loss to Jacksonville still hurts.
 
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JL-23

All-Conference
Jan 17, 2011
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Mine has got to be the Twins first year. That NCAA tourney run was unbelievable. Every game was a thriller.
Was at the bowling alley on Fort Knox when Aaron hit the dagger vs Wisconsin. Sent that place into a frenzy.
 

Drcats2025

Heisman
Nov 13, 2012
7,991
15,885
93
02-03 for me. I was 11 at the time, and it was the peak of my fan hood. Bogans was my guy. That run of 26 or so straight wins was incredible. Damn Dwayne Wade, and damn ankle injury. 04-05 was another favorite of mine. The only time I have EVER cried over a UK games was tears of joy after that shot Sparks hit against Michigan State dropped. I wanted that final four so bad, as I was too young to really remember one at that time.
 

ORCAT10

All-Conference
Mar 16, 2011
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So many great ones.
75 was the first one that I really followed. Grevey, Jimmy Dan, Flynn. Big win over IU. Tough to lose to Wooden in his last game.
78 was great. Friends called me Macy and the Goose was Golden.
84 with Bowie, Turpin, and Walker. Beal was the engine that drove them to the final four.
86 with Sky Walker
92 Pel, Mash, Feldhaus, Woods. You knew Kentucky was back
96 team just destroyed so many opponents. To think that Mercer didn't even start. Epps, Delk, DA, McCarty, Walker, Pope
97 if only DA would have been healthy.
98 the Comeback Cats with Shep, Turner, Evans, Padgett, Nazi, Mills, Magloire, Edwards
03 Bogans, Fitch, Daniels, Hayes
11 Knight, Liggins, Jorts, Miller, Lamb
12 AD, MKG, Jones, Teague, Lamb, Miller
14 what a magical run. Randle, Young, the Harrison twins.
15 enough talent to platoon.

So to pick a favorite - such a tough choice.
78 and 98 have to tie. 78 was the first national championship I saw (16 years old) and 98 because it was somewhat unexpected, the great rally vs.Duke, and my daughter being old enough to really get into Kentucky basketball.

Simply put, we are truly blessed to Kentucky fans. GBB.
 
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DraftCat

Heisman
Moderator
Nov 5, 2011
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91 baby here so I'm going to go with the 03 team. Although I do have fond memories and I'll alway say Wayne Turner was my favorite basketball player growing up.

I was such a Bogans, Fitch and Hayes guy growing up.. obviously I love the 2010 team with Wall and Cousins but that happened when I was 18. Gotta go with my younger self 03 squad.
 

magic8ball

All-American
Apr 14, 2007
5,175
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If I have to pick one I'm going with 1998 because it was so unexpected and as we all know they had to comeback every game.
 

CB3UK

Hall of Famer
Apr 15, 2012
63,946
106,222
78
Its a tie for me between 96 and 03. Tony Delk and Chuck Hayes are my two all time favorite players.
 

Louis_Skunt

All-American
Oct 4, 2013
6,300
6,917
66
John Walls team - brought so much life and excitement back to Lexington.

Brandon Knights team - everyone was so negative because Knight wasn’t John Wall and we lost a lot of games, yet by March we were awesome with an amazing tourny run.

Harrison’s first year - Lots of hate thrown to this team but that March run was the very best in my lifetime.
 

-BBH-

All-American
Mar 13, 2004
10,599
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I loved the 93 team, that was the first Final Four run that I was old enough to enjoy. Still, 98 is my favorite team. That March was magical. I was in college and loving life. King of the world. Some epic times.
 
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VAWildcat15

Heisman
Oct 9, 2015
4,800
11,000
0
2010. I've only been a fan since 2008-2009 season (I'm not from Kentucky) and that year was my true introduction to UK basketball. It was such an exciting team to watch, West Virginia be dammed. That was the first season I got to experience great UK basketball and I'll never forget watching that team. It's why my avatar is The Door.
 

docholiday51

Heisman
Oct 19, 2001
22,011
26,718
0
Can't pick one,58 I thought we were supposed to win it all every year
funny never really got that out of my head(little kids are like that)
66'
70'
75'
78'
84'
I could go on but you get the idea.
 
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Bigtyrone

All-American
May 21, 2002
10,561
6,238
98
02-03 for me. I was 11 at the time, and it was the peak of my fan hood. Bogans was my guy. That run of 26 or so straight wins was incredible. Damn Dwayne Wade, and damn ankle injury. 04-05 was another favorite of mine. The only time I have EVER cried over a UK games was tears of joy after that shot Sparks hit against Michigan State dropped. I wanted that final four so bad, as I was too young to really remember one at that time.


That's my all time favorite team too.
 
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Guess Who

All-American
Jul 26, 2005
20,792
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66 Runts
92 Unforgettables
98 Comeback Cats

Tough choices from 6 now going on 7 decades.
 
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HarryA

Senior
Mar 14, 2019
399
863
61
The team I got most attached to was the 2017 team with Fox, monk, and bam. The elite 8 game was heartbreaking and I haven’t been able to get attached as much since
 
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YouKay

Heisman
May 15, 2002
35,671
31,767
113
Well when your school wins the championship in your senior year, that has to be your favorite! So mine in 1978.

Probably my second favorite is 2003, which had 4 of my all time favorite players on it - Cliff Hawkins, Gerald Fitch, Keith Bogans, and Chuck Hayes. Undefeated in the SEC and 26 straight wins until the E8 loss. Tubby Smith swept the Coach of the Year awards.
 
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HagginHall1999

Heisman
Oct 19, 2018
16,092
28,598
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Well this year was one of mine but didn't get to see how the story finished...

It is hard for me to pick a single season honestly. If I had to pick on I would go with '92-'93 because it was when I became full blown hooked on UK basketball.
 

HagginHall1999

Heisman
Oct 19, 2018
16,092
28,598
113
Well when your school wins the championship in your senior year, that has to be your favorite! So mine in 1978.

Probably my second favorite is 2003, which had 4 of my all time favorite players on it - Cliff Hawkins, Gerald Fitch, Keith Bogans, and Chuck Hayes. Undefeated in the SEC and 26 straight wins until the E8 loss. Tubby Smith swept the Coach of the Year awards.

Couldn't agree more. 02'-03' was my SR year at UK so that loss stings in EE. It is up there with the worst of them for me.

Rewatching some games this weekend it is clear that when you relive the moments your love goes back to that team. Heck, what we did in 1997 to get to the title game without DA was a work of art.
 

Trinity45

All-American
Oct 26, 2005
3,376
5,220
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So it’s obvious we are in some pretty odd times. no march madness in march, no sports period. Which is your favorite Kentucky team? Me personally, loved the 2007-08 squad because of Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford. Rough season that year but those guys left it all on the floor. Joe Crawford’s last game was a heartbreaker, he did everything he could one last time for the University of Kentucky. How about y’all’s.
!975 or the 1978 team for me, hard to pick.
 
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G-PIP

All-American
Mar 14, 2014
5,286
5,964
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The 03-04 team was one of my favorites because of the fact that I had zero expectations for that the team. My thought was basically: "So, your Center is going to be Eric Daniels? Really? And can anybody beyond Gerald Fitch score?"

I was really wrong about that team. And a "team" is what they were (with basically only 5 guys really playing).
 

Elliott Tim

All-American
Dec 10, 2005
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So it’s obvious we are in some pretty odd times. no march madness in march, no sports period. Which is your favorite Kentucky team? Me personally, loved the 2007-08 squad because of Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford. Rough season that year but those guys left it all on the floor. Joe Crawford’s last game was a heartbreaker, he did everything he could one last time for the University of Kentucky. How about y’all’s.
85/86 team.
 

BradleyCrawford08_rivals

All-Conference
Jan 31, 2020
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So it’s obvious we are in some pretty odd times. no march madness in march, no sports period. Which is your favorite Kentucky team? Me personally, loved the 2007-08 squad because of Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford. Rough season that year but those guys left it all on the floor. Joe Crawford’s last game was a heartbreaker, he did everything he could one last time for the University of Kentucky. How about y’all’s.
I loved that duo of Bradley and Crawford. Those two were the main reason I started following Kentucky basketball more closely. They along with Patrick Patterson(Another one of my favorite players) were what kept that team above water. Personally my favorite UK team is between that 2007-08 team, the 2010 team, the 2012 team because it was the first UK championship I saw, the 2015 team and the 2017 team because I grew really attached to them and it was heartbreaking when they both came up short.

Edit: If I had to choose only one it would probably be 2010 because that was the first team that I got to see in person. My first UK Basketball game was 2010 vs Florida at Rupp.
 
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EKUcatfan

All-Conference
Sep 13, 2019
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Thats tough. I started really watching when in 2005-2006 season (I was 10 years old). So I really didn't have much to be excited in the first 3 years of my fan-hood. So, the 2010 team was the first really exciting team I got to watch play, I had to be consoled by my grandfather after that WVU game from all the tears. I was so excited about a potential final four, just had to wait another year.

So I would say the 2010 team is my favorite ever.

2012 a close second.
 

rick64

Heisman
Jan 25, 2007
24,898
34,512
113
Nobody ever talks about Pitino’s first team. Basically a bunch of nobodies but went .500 for the season. Absolutely remarkable folks!! Nobody and I mean nobody thought that was possible.
 
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SuporChin

All-Conference
Mar 2, 2011
1,148
1,149
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I think it's the 2003 Teamo Supremeo. They were just so good. The defense they played was just crazy. I think it was when they came out at the half against Carolina and they were just a different team from that point on. They steam rolled the whole SEC. That was a really fun ride.
 

SuporChin

All-Conference
Mar 2, 2011
1,148
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So it’s obvious we are in some pretty odd times. no march madness in march, no sports period. Which is your favorite Kentucky team? Me personally, loved the 2007-08 squad because of Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford. Rough season that year but those guys left it all on the floor. Joe Crawford’s last game was a heartbreaker, he did everything he could one last time for the University of Kentucky. How about y’all’s.
That was a hard year to watch, but that last game they played was one of my favorites because of Crawford. I felt for him as he did everything he could to get a win. One of the only games where I accepted the loss was what it was.
 

LexCatnOhio

Junior
Mar 27, 2009
732
259
36
So it’s obvious we are in some pretty odd times. no march madness in march, no sports period. Which is your favorite Kentucky team? Me personally, loved the 2007-08 squad because of Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford. Rough season that year but those guys left it all on the floor. Joe Crawford’s last game was a heartbreaker, he did everything he could one last time for the University of Kentucky. How about y’all’s.

Hurt hearing “Jordan’s better” when he played little brother
 
Jan 29, 2003
18,120
12,185
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Been a fan since the 1976-77 version of Cats. My list of favorites would include all the usual suspects. 1978. 1984. 1992. 1996. etc. But I’ll say the 2017 team really grew on me. Just really came to like that team, and the way it ended was especially devastating.

Converse question: least favorite teams? I guess 2013 first comes to mind. Wasn’t crazy about the 2018 team, and, curiously, this year’s team for some reason was hard for me to get attached to. Those are just the Cal years, would have to think hard about other UK teams I didn’t just fall in love with. Fortunately, the list of favorite teams is a whole lot longer.....