[OMG]

There have been a lot of over powering college basketball teams over the years, and I was just wondering where everyone thought the 96' Kentucky Wildcats ranked among them??

IMO by far the best team ever assembled in college basketball!!

Record 34-2, losses against #5 UMASS and of course #25 Mississippi State in the SEC championship game(you know the game Pitino threw)
1996 National Champions
Of the 15 players on that championship roster, over half of them would get drafted and have success in the NBA.


this link has them ranked #2 behind of the 1968 UCLA Bruins
http://espn.go.com/page2/s/list/greatest...tball.html

#00 Tony Delk
#24 Antoine Walker
#40 Walter McCarty
#23 Derek Anderson
#33 Ron Mercer
#41 Mark Pope
#25 Anthony Epps
#15 Jeff Sheppard
#5 Wayne Turner
#32 Jared Prickett
#3 Allen Edwards
#13 Nazr Mohammed
#51 Oliver Simmons
#21 Cameron Mills
#43 Jason Lathrem

[RavenBoy]

I would say either 1st or 2nd.

[bac2369]

I would say either 1st or 2nd.

i would have to agree

[-STAT-]

IMO they are the best team of all time. They had so much talent it wasn't even funny. Ohhh the memories I had and I was only 7 years old, lol.

[BlackcatFootball]

I would have to agree with the 2nd place. That UCLA team was unbelievable in their own right, Lew Alcindor, come on lol. Their could be arguement for number one though, that is their.

[Russell Is Football]

They were very high in the top. The cats didn't win many games by close because the blew the other team out of the water.

[Playboy5]

I believe that they are the best college basketball team to ever step on a basketball court! The early 1990's UNLV teams is right there with them IMO~

[TidesHoss32]

Thank you Playboy. IMO, the greatest team in the history of college basketball never even won the national championship. The 1991 UNLV Runnin Rebs (34-1, lost to Duke in the final four, 79-77) were the best team I ever saw. The 1996 UK team is a close second though. Both teams had so much talent, it was almost unfair to the rest of college basketball, lol..

[bac2369]

the 1996 kentucky would have actually only lost 1 game but every one knows that rick pitino lost that game against mississippi st to make his players not get the big head

[bac2369]

1997 team should of won the national title 2, but that was bough off because he knew he was leaving for the NBA.

[TidesHoss32]

And of course they're gonna load up the list with UCLA teams..Yes, UCLA was great, and had a great dynasty in the 60s and 70s, but none, and I repeat NONE, of those teams could play within 15 points of the '82 UNC team, the '91 UNLV and the '96 UK team. I would even take the '94 Arkansas team as one of the alltime most underrated teams. I cant believe they dont even get mentioned..Corliss Williamson was a beast, Scotty Thurman was one of the best clutch shooters ever, Corey Beck was a true point guard, and was, IMO as good as Anthony Epps. They had unbelievable depth, great guard play, everybody could shoot the three ball, rebounding, yet when the all time great teams get mentioned, they are left out..they went 31-3, lost to Alabama (who was ranked in the Top 20, 66-64), lost to Miss. State 72-71, and lost to UK in the SEC Tourney by a game much closer than the 11 point deficit. That team beat a Missouri team that advanced to the Elite 8, by 52 points! They came to Rupp and beat the Cats, by coming from 17 down and won 90-82..just always wondered, how this team always gets left out of the alltime greats conversations..

[Junk Yard Dog]

I certainly think the 96 UK team should be ranked among the best of all time. According to ESPN though they are not even in the top ten. I would have to disagree with that. I would rank them them in the top 5 teams college teams of all time IMO.

[Super-Card]

The 1996 UK team was the best college basketball team I have ever seen in the course of my life, but I would have a hard time putting them ahead of the 1968 UCLA Bruins. Lew Alcendor was probabley the greatest college basketball player ever and with maybe the greatest basketball coach ever. Hard to top that team IMO, but that is some pretty lofty company. Espically for a team that was about 5 years off probation.

[TidesHoss32]

Although ESPN would never admit it, the '96 UK team would beat the '68 Bruins by AT LEAST 15 to 20 points, probably a lot more. ESPN will NEVER give UK its rightful due.

The 1996 UK team was the best college basketball team I have ever seen in the course of my life, but I would have a hard time putting them ahead of the 1968 UCLA Bruins. Lew Alcendor was probabley the greatest college basketball player ever and with maybe the greatest basketball coach ever. Hard to top that team IMO, but that is some pretty lofty company. Espically for a team that was about 5 years off probation.

[OMG]

I certainly think the 96 UK team should be ranked among the best of all time. According to ESPN though they are not even in the top ten. I would have to disagree with that. I would rank them them in the top 5 teams college teams of all time IMO.

actually they are number 2 on this ESPN site...

http://espn.go.com/page2/s/list/greatest...tball.html

[OMG]

Thank you Playboy. IMO, the greatest team in the history of college basketball never even won the national championship. The 1991 UNLV Runnin Rebs (34-1, lost to Duke in the final four, 79-77) were the best team I ever saw. The 1996 UK team is a close second though. Both teams had so much talent, it was almost unfair to the rest of college basketball, lol..

i agree they were a great team, i would love to get their stats and compare them...ill do that and try to post them on here...

[pillsburythrowboy]

Actually, the sargain ratings have thge 96 kentucky wildcats as the best team.

This was got off of wikipedia-

• The Untouchables: The 1996 team was arguably the most talented team in college basketball history, with nine players who would eventually play in the NBA:
  • Derek Anderson
    
  • Tony Delk
    
  • Walter McCarty
    
  • Ron Mercer
    
  • Nazr Mohammed
    
  • Mark Pope
    
  • Jeff Sheppard
    
  • Wayne Turner
    
  • Antoine Walker

Since the Sagarin ratings have been in use, the 1996 Kentucky ranks first among the all-time best teams[citation needed]:

• Kentucky (34-2) 1996 103.26
  
• Indiana (32-0) 1976 102.36
  
• UNLV (34-1) 1991 101.14
  
• Indiana (31-1) 1975 101.06
  
• North Carolina (34-4) 1993 100.10

This team became the first SEC team in 40 years to go through the conference regular season unbeaten. After stumbling in the SEC tournament final against Mississippi State, they would make a dominating run to the Final Four. They avenged an early-season loss to UMass in the national semifinals, and defeated Syracuse in the final. Many of these players, including Scott Padgett, another future NBA player who was ineligible in 1996, returned the following season as part of The Unbelievables.

[OMG]

Actually, the sargain ratings have thge 96 kentucky wildcats as the best team.

This was got off of wikipedia-

• The Untouchables: The 1996 team was arguably the most talented team in college basketball history, with nine players who would eventually play in the NBA:
  • Derek Anderson
    
  • Tony Delk
    
  • Walter McCarty
    
  • Ron Mercer
    
  • Nazr Mohammed
    
  • Mark Pope
    
  • Jeff Sheppard
    
  • Wayne Turner
    
  • Antoine Walker

Since the Sagarin ratings have been in use, the 1996 Kentucky ranks first among the all-time best teams[citation needed]:

• Kentucky (34-2) 1996 103.26
  
• Indiana (32-0) 1976 102.36
  
• UNLV (34-1) 1991 101.14
  
• Indiana (31-1) 1975 101.06
  
• North Carolina (34-4) 1993 100.10

This team became the first SEC team in 40 years to go through the conference regular season unbeaten. After stumbling in the SEC tournament final against Mississippi State, they would make a dominating run to the Final Four. They avenged an early-season loss to UMass in the national semifinals, and defeated Syracuse in the final. Many of these players, including Scott Padgett, another future NBA player who was ineligible in 1996, returned the following season as part of The Unbelievables.

thats pretty impressive...i had forgotten why was padgett ineligible that year? besides of course the UCLA teams that era of uk basketball was unbelievably dominating and by far the best...a couple of points away from a 3 peat is just unheard of, especially in the 90's decade where so many teams were getting upset on a daily basis...

[BlackcatAlum]

They are the best team ever in my book. Just about all those players on that roster had a successful NBA career.

[RedSeal]

Yea IMO they were the best team in the History of College Basketball, but I would have to say the 90' UNLV team would be right there in the mix also

[OMG]

i still think the 96 team would have beaten those UNLV teams on any night of the week

[HAIL PIKEVILLE!]

UKs second five off the bench wouldve been a top 10 team that year. Their third 5 off the bench wouldve been top 25. They were and still are the best team top to bottom Ive ever seen. Youre rarely ever gonna see a team that deep off the bench.

[Horse Head]

I would say 1st

[Tubby Hater]

The 96 team was great but actually I think the 78 team was the best in school history and both teams rank in the top 5. The press would not have affected the 78 team near as much as most teams struggled with it that year and the 96 team would have had no answer for the inside game of Robey, Phillips, and James Lee.