Kentucky at Kansas | ||
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Sat., Jan. 29 – 6:00 p.m. ET Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence, Kan. Game Notes: UK (PDF) | KU (PDF) UK Athletics App |
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Coverage | ||
TV: ESPN Radio: UK Sports Network Watch Listen Live Stats |
The buildup to Saturday's game between Kentucky and Kansas will be all about history. And why not? When talking about the most storied programs in college basketball, the conversation starts with Kentucky and Kansas.
Kentucky has won the most games of any college basketball program (2,343), while Kansas is second (2,340). Kentucky has won eight championships, which is second all-time. Kansas has claimed three titles, which is tied for seventh. Kentucky has been to 17 Final Fours, which is third all-time, while Kansas has appeared in 15 Final Fours, fifth in the history of the game.
There's also synergy between the programs. Legendary UK coach Adolph Rupp played at Kansas under “Phog” Allen, the namesake of KU's Allen Fieldhouse. Among the assistant coaches that Rupp played for at Kansas was James Naismith, the inventor of basketball.
Current UK head coach John Calipari also spent some time in Lawrence. Calipari was an assistant for the Jayhawks under Ted Owens and Larry Brown from 1982-85.
And speaking of Calipari, he would be happy to tell you what all of this history means for Saturday's game – exactly nothing. This game is strictly about the 2022 Cats and Jayhawks.
Walter Cornett, of Glendale, Kentucky, is the owner and operator of Walter's Wildcat World. He founded WildcatWorld.com in 1998 making it one of the oldest Kentucky basketball fan sites in operation today.