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2011-12 National Champions

Sitting: Assistant Coach Kenny Payne, Assistant Coach Orlando Antigua, Brian Long, Sam Malone, , Marquis Teague, Ryan Harrow, Jarrod Polson, Head Coach John Calipari, Assistant Coach John Robic Standing: Jon Hood, , Terrence Jones, Kyle Wiltjer, , Eloy Vargas, Darius Miller, Twany Beckham

Championship #8
67, 59
April 2, 2012
New Orleans, LA

Season Recap

On the heels of a school record 30-win regular season, including a 24-game winning streak and 16-0 mark in league play, Kentucky earned the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats defeated in-state rival Louisville, 69-61, to earn a spot in the championship game en route to Kentucky's eighth national title and John Calipari's first.

The Wildcats scoring was as balanced as ever with five players averaging double-figures led by Anthony Davis' 14.2. Doron Lamb (13.7), Terrence Jones (12.3), Michael KiddGilchrist (11.9) and Marquis Teague (10.0) rounded out 's top five in scoring.

Davis finished with 10.4 rebounds and a national best 4.7 blocks per game shattering the school, SEC and NCAA freshman records for blocks in a season.

Championship Game

Kentucky's top freshman, Anthony Davis, had a rough shooting night, but John Calipari coached this team to a wire-to-wire victory, to cap a season that cried for no less than a championship for their ol' Kentucky home.

Doron Lamb led the Wildcats with 22 points, including back-to-back 3-pointers that put them up by 16 with 10 minutes left.

The Jayhawks, kings of the comeback all season, fought to the finish and trimmed that deficit to five with 1:37 left. But Kentucky made five free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, was another headliner, creating space for himself to score all 11 of his points in the first half.

Davis, meanwhile, might have had the most dominating six-point night in the history of college basketball, earning the nod as the most outstanding player. He finished with 16 rebounds, six blocks, five assists and three steals – and made his only field goal with 5:13 left in the game. It was a surefire illustration of how the 6-foot-10 freshman can exert his will on a game even on a rare night when the shot isn't falling.

 

Most Outstanding Player: Anthony Davis – six points, game-high 16 rebounds and a game-high six blocks

 

2012 NCAA Tournament Bracket

On This Day In UK Basketball History

On March 28, 1992, in what many called the “best NCAA Tournament game ever,” Kentucky takes defending NCAA champion Duke into overtime before losing 104-103 in the East Regional finals in Philadelphia. A last-second shot by Christian Laettner sends Duke to the Final Four, and breaks the hearts of Wildcat fans everywhere. It is Cawood Ledford’s last game as the “Voice of the Wildcats.”

 

On March 28, 1998, against Stanford, Kentucky rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit, then grabbed a 5-point overtime lead, before fending off the Cardinals to advance to the title game for the third straight season. Jeff Sheppard canned three long-range three-pointers - two in the final three minutes and one in overtime - en route to a career-high 27 points.

 

On March 28, 2014, unranked Kentucky beat No. 5 Louisville 74-69, in the 2014 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.  Aaron Harrison buried a three-pointer from the left corner with 39 seconds left that put UK ahead to stay before 41,072 in Lucas Oil Stadium.

 

On March 28, 2015, No. 1 Kentucky defeated No. 8 Notre Dame, 68-66, in the 2015 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.  With its 37-0 record on the line, Kentucky trailed Notre Dame 59-53 with 6:14 left. UK rallied in front of 19,464 fans in Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena and preserved its perfect season thanks to a crucial blocked shot by Willie Cauley-Stein and two game-deciding free throws from Andrew Harrison in the final seconds.