Kentucky

Celebrate National Championship Monday with highlights of Kentucky's runs

Published

8 months ago

April 7, 2025

Celebrate National Championship Monday with highlights of Kentucky's runs

Tonight, the 2025 National Champion will be crowned. Sadly, it won’t be Kentucky, as the Cats headed home after the Sweet 16, but now that Duke is out of the running, we can enjoy a stress-free Championship Monday. Florida and Houston will face off at 8:50 p.m. ET in San Antonio, with the Gators hoping to win their first title since going back-to-back in 2006 and 2007 and the Cougars looking to cut down the nets for the first time ever.

Kentucky has had that honor eight times since the NCAA Tournament began in 1939. Add in the Cats’ runner-up finishes, and we’ve had 12 Championship Mondays in program history. As we count down until tipoff, let’s look back at each of them, both happy and sad.

1948: Kentucky 58, Baylor 42

The “Fabulous Five” of Ralph Beard, Wah Wah Jones, Alex Groza, Kenny Rollins, and Cliff Barke led Kentucky to its first national championship and a 36-3 record. Groza and Beard combined for 26 points, and the Cats held the Bears to just 16 points in the first half. Baylor wouldn’t get closer than 11 points in the second half. It was a decisive victory for the Cats in Madison Square Garden, with Groza earning MVP honors.

That wasn’t the end for the 1947-48 team. The Cats went on to represent the United States at the Olympics that summer in London, England, winning a gold medal with Adolph Rupp.

1949: Kentucky 46, Oklahoma A&M 36

Most of the Fab Five ran it back the next season and took Kentucky back to the title game. Led by Alex Groza, Ralph Beard, and Wah Wah Jones, the Cats went undefeated in SEC play and won the regular season and conference tournament titles. Groza scored 25 of Kentucky’s 46 points vs. Oklahoma A&M in the NCAA championship game in Seattle, winning Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors. Kentucky became just the second program to win back-to-back titles since the tournament started in 1939.

No video footage of this game exists, as far as I can tell, but there is an audio recording of Claude Sullivan’s call for WSGS.

1951: Kentucky 68, Kansas State 58

The 1950-51 season was Kentucky’s first in the newly built Memorial Coliseum. A new cast of stars led the Cats to their third national title in four years despite being plagued by illness throughout the season. Vanderbilt upset Kentucky in the SEC Tournament finals, but the Cats bounced back by beating Louisville to open the NCAA Tournament a few weeks later.

Kentucky had only six healthy players in the title game, with Cliff Hagan sparking the Cats’ run to cut Kansas State’s lead to two at halftime despite having a throat infection. Hagan and seven-foot center Bill Spivey dominated the second half to give Kentucky the ten-point win in Minneapolis. Spivey won Most Outstanding Player after totaling a game-high 22 points and 21 rebounds.

1958: Kentucky 84, Seattle 72

The Fiddling Five joined Kentucky Basketball lore, a nickname they earned from Adolph Rupp for how they played around and through their mistakes. The 1957-58 Cats weren’t as consistent as their predecessors, losing six games and yoyoing in the rankings, but they found their stride at the right time.

At a sold-out Freedom Hall, Kentucky battled back from an 11-point first-half deficit to beat Seattle to win the program’s fourth national championship. Don Mills’ three gave Kentucky the lead with six minutes to go, and Johnny Cox hit a jumper less than a minute later to get the momentum rolling. Kentucky pulled away to a 12-point win, an incredible accomplishment for a squad that didn’t have a single player on the All-SEC team. In his final game in a Kentucky uniform, Vernon Hatton led all scorers with 30 points, followed by Seattle legend Elgin Baylor, who had 25.

1966: Texas Western 72, Kentucky 65

History will remember this game as the first title game featuring an all-white starting five (Kentucky) vs. an all-black starting five (Texas Western). Rupp’s Runts came into the tournament ranked No. 1 in the country with just one loss. Texas Western was No. 2, also with just one loss. The Cats were a 6.5-point favorite but couldn’t overcome a bad shooting night, connecting on just 38.6% of their shots. Louie Dampier and Pat Riley both had 19 points in the 72-65 loss.

1975: UCLA 92, Kentucky 85

Joe B. Hall’s Super Kittens advanced to the Final Four with a win over Indiana, ending the Hoosiers’ undefeated season and avenging the 20-point loss during the regular season. Freshman Jack Givens led Kentucky to an upset over Syracuse in the semifinals with 24 points, but the fairy tale story came to an end in the championship game vs. UCLA.

The day before the game, John Wooden announced he was retiring, giving the Bruins even more fuel. Kentucky stayed with UCLA for most of the game, cutting the Bruins’ lead to one point with six minutes left, but ultimately, UCLA held on for the 92-85 win and their 10th national championship. At the time, it was the second-highest scoring NCAA title game ever. Senior Kevin Grevey led all scorers with 34 points, bringing his career total to 1,801, which ranked second in program history behind Dan Issel.

1978: Kentucky 94, Duke 88

You know the hero in this one. Jack Givens scored 41 points, three shy of the record in a championship game, to led the Cats to their fifth title, the first in 20 years. Twenty-three of those 41 points came in the first half to give Kentucky a 45-38 lead at intermission. He finished 18-27 from the field and 5-8 from the free-throw line, adding in eight rebounds and three assists en route to Most Outstanding Player honors.

Highlights:

Complete game:

1996: Kentucky 76, Syracuse 67

Tony Delk tied a championship game record with seven 3-pointers, and Kentucky held off a late Syracuse rally to claim the program’s sixth national championship in the Meadowlands. The Cats were up by 13 in the second half, but the Orangemen narrowed the lead to two with just under five minutes left. From there, Walter McCarty tipped in a Tony Delk miss to push the lead back to four, and Derek Anderson’s three extended it to seven. Kentucky held Syracuse to only one basket in the final 3:23.

Delk was named Most Outstanding Player and was joined on the Final Four All-Tournament Team by freshman Ron Mercer, who scored a career-high 20 points on 8-12 shooting from the field, including 3-4 from 3-point range. Mark Pope, the team captain, also made some big plays down the stretch, hitting a jumper with three minutes to go to extend Kentucky’s lead to seven and two free throws to seal the win with a minute to go.

Highlights:

Complete game:

“One Shining Moment”:

1997: Arizona 84, Kentucky 79 (OT)

A year later, the Cats would not be so lucky. Kentucky came back to force overtime thanks to a three by Anthony Epps with 12.1 seconds left and held Arizona without a field goal in overtime, but the other Wildcats made 10 of 14 free throws in OT to escape with the win. Arizona’s Miles Simon was 14-17 from the free-throw line en route to 30 points and Most Outstanding Player honors. Scott Padgett led Kentucky with 17 points but made only 5-16 from the floor and fouled out. Ron Mercer was held to 13 points after averaging 17 in Kentucky’s previous tournament victories.

1998: Kentucky 78, Utah 69

The Comeback Cats did it again, rallying from a 41-31 halftime deficit to win the program’s seventh national championship at the Alamodome. Rick Majerus’ squad owned the boards 24-6 in the first half, but Heshimu Evans came off the bench and scored seven straight to spark Kentucky’s comeback in the second half. Jeff Sheppard’s baseline jumper with just under five minutes left gave Kentucky a 65-64 lead, and Utah missed 11 straight field goals down the stretch.

Sheppard finished with 16 points (7-14 FG) and was named Most Outstanding Player. Scott Padgett, who had a team-high 17 points, was also named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team.

Highlights:

Complete Game:

“One Shining Moment”:

2012: Kentucky 67, Kansas 59

Doron Lamb led Kentucky in scoring with 22 points, including back-to-back threes to put the Cats up by 16 with ten minutes to go. Kansas came back to cut the lead to five with 1:37 left, but the Cats hit five straight free throws to put the program’s eighth national championship on ice.

Anthony Davis made only one field goal but made up for it with 16 rebounds and six blocks en route to Most Outstanding Player honors. He was joined by Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Doron Lamb on the Final Four All-Tournament Team.

Highlights:

Complete Game:

“One Shining Moment”:

2014: UConn 60, Kentucky 54

Once again, Kentucky’s magical run was ended by UConn. This time, Shabazz Napier played the villain, scoring 22 points to lead the Huskies to the title. Kentucky never led but cut the deficit to one with eight minutes left. Aaron Harrison had a look from beyond the arc to give Kentucky the lead but missed. That was pretty much it. Eleven missed free throws certainly didn’t help.

I can’t end on that note, so here is James Young’s dunk that would have gone down in history had the Cats won.

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Kentucky

Kentucky lawmaker introduces federal bill to fight pharmacy benefit managers

Published

2 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Kentucky lawmaker introduces federal bill to fight pharmacy benefit managers

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Kentucky lawmaker is taking the fight for pharmacists to Washington.

Representative James Comer introduced the Pharmacists Fight Back Act on Thursday.

Kentucky already has a similar law in place that WKYT Investigates’ Kristen Kennedy has been following as the state works to get the law enforced.

Kentucky pharmacists may now get help on the federal level.

“Rarely does a day go by without hearing from my constituents in Kentucky who are struggling under the weight of soaring prescription drug costs,” Comer said. “The questions I’m consistently asked are, ‘why? Who is benefiting from the system? Why isn’t it patients?’ My response is the same each time. It’s the PBMs.”

Federal bill targets pharmacy benefit managers

Comer says pharmacy benefit managers have outgrown their role in healthcare. State legislators agreed when they passed Senate Bill 188 last year. The law was supposed to increase reimbursement rates for pharmacies and keep PBMs from steering patients to affiliated pharmacies.

The regulations are similar to what Comer wants to do on a federal level.

“Our oversight investigation, which culminated in a report last year with our findings and recommendations, found PBMs have largely operated in the dark,” Comer said. “PBMs have abused their positions as middlemen to line their own pockets by retaining rebates and fees, undermine our community pharmacists and pass along costs to patients at the pharmacy counter. It’s unacceptable, and Congress has a responsibility to act.”

If the act becomes law, it would affect pharmacies across the U.S.

Pharmacists in Kentucky are already seeing some advantages with the regulations placed on pharmacy benefit managers, but their biggest complaint is that the law isn’t being enforced.

That could change if the federal government gets involved. The Kentucky Pharmacists Association thinks Frankfort has a responsibility to act on the PBM law that passed in the state. They’re still asking the governor to make sure the Department of Insurance is enforcing the law in place.

Stay informed on investigations like this by checking out our WKYT Investigates page at wkyt.com/investigates.

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Kentucky

Several people hurt in Western Kentucky Parkway multi-car accident, officials say

Published

14 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Several people hurt in Western Kentucky Parkway multi-car accident, officials say

MUHLENBERG, Ky. (WFIE) – Kentucky officials says there are multiple people injured in a three-car accident on Western Kentucky Parkway.

According to a post made by the Central City Fire Department, three vehicles were involved in a crash between the 64 and 65 mile markers eastbound of the parkway.

They say both the eastbound and westbound lanes are closed at this time. The closure should last around 3 hours.

Two people were extricated from a vehicle. Four adults and three juveniles are being taken to the hospital. No update has been given on their conditions.

They say a mass casualty incident was declared, and Ohio County Fire and EMS were called to the scene due to the number of patients.

We will update you when we learn more.

Several people hurt in Western Kentucky Parkway multi-car accident, officials say(Central City Fire Department)

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Kentucky

2027 top in-state prospect talks about his Kentucky unofficial visit on Tuesday

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

2027 top in-state prospect talks about his Kentucky unofficial visit on Tuesday

Kentucky’s recruiting efforts in the 2026 class have hit a current rough patch, but things are looking promising in the 2027 class, as the staff has already casted a very wide net in the class, with a number of top targets in the fold. As they’re continuing to pursue mostly national targets, a local star is now on the staff’s radar.

2027 in-state guard Braxton Keathley, one of the state’s top prospects even regardless of class, took an unofficial visit to Kentucky on Tuesday for the game against NC Central. Keathley is native of Martin County, KY, and has took the state by storm as he has really stuffed the stat sheet. Just recently, he dropped a triple-double of 34 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds last weekend.

The Kentucky staff has certainly seemed to take notice really quickly. He’s also getting plenty of other interest, too, including having frequent contact with Louisville, LSU, Purdue, South Carolina, and Florida State, plus offers from Eastern Kentucky, UT Martin, Ohio, and Bowling Green, among others. Keathley sat down with Kentucky Wildcats on SI to talk about his recent visit to Kentucky. What were his impressions of the staff? He shared a conversation he had with them before Tuesday’s game. He also had some interactions with others, too.

“They really talked about how well I scored it and how they’ve been hearing about me for a long time,” Keathley said of his conversation with the Kentucky staff. “One of the (Kentucky) assistants mentioned he had a coaching friend tell them that they better jump on me quick cause I was really good. I had several fans come up to me and take pictures. Jack Givens welcomed me and talked to me for a little bit and said he’s highly impressed with my game and plans on coming to a game soon. A couple of other UK players came up, they were really nice and said they been keeping up with me.”

Braxton Keathley | Photo via Jessica Adkins

As a Kentucky kid, Keathley says he been a fan of the Wildcats since he was little, even getting to train with Tyrese Maxey this summer, and he also had some great things to say about what he saw from fellow Kentucky natives and current Wildcats Trent Noah, Jasper Johnson, and Malachi Moreno. “I looked up to players like Tyler Herro, SGA, Tyrese Maxey, Devin Booker, Malik Monk and Reed Sheppard. I got lucky that I got to train with Maxey for a week in August,” Keathley said. “I saw Trent Noah last night having great energy and keeping a smile on his face during warmups. You could tell he loved every minute wearing that Kentucky uniform. He cares and it shows. I saw Jasper and Moreno warming up hard. The one thing about it, and my dad always told me, it’s a different place. You got to be special to play there and be willing to accept everything that comes with wearing that jersey.”

Interestingly enough, Keathley’s dad coached former Kentucky greats Anthony Epps and Wayne Turner after their time at Kentucky, so Keathley has a family history of being around all that comes with the passion of Kentucky basketball. What did Keathley’s dad learn about the two former Wildcats he got the privilege to coach? “He said they carried a chip on their shoulder and were great leaders always humble but tough. and I have to do the same.” Now, for Keathley, it’s about climbing the ranks nationally. “A couple (recruiting services) don’t have me ranked yet and that’s ok. I’m going to walk in the gym every night and know I outworked you and I’m going to outplay you,” he said. “I’m going to compete like every game is a championship. I’m going to to play with the same passion that the fans have. I’m always all in there’s no going back or in-between.”

Keathley has so much passion for his community in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, and he has plans of doing big things at Martin County. He also shared a message Trent Noah’s dad had for him during their interaction at Tuesday’s Kentucky game. “Something he said that really stuck out. ‘Us mountain people have got to stick together.’ He’s right, Eastern Kentucky has great people and basketball players. Kentucky basketball as whole, we got to stick together through the highs and lows. That’s what we do.”

That’s a great message from a parent of a current Wildcat who was in his shoes before, being a fellow native of that part of the state. The Kentucky staff is certainly going to keep an eye on him as he continues the impressive run he is on so far this season, because he just continues to catch more and more people’s attention with his play.

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