| Background | Wins | Losses | Percentages |
Background
Below are some historic trends showing how Kentucky has fared against the top basketball programs historically. The information comes from historical NCAA information provided on their official website (Direct link) along with yearly totals found in media guides of the respective schools.
Included in the results below are the acknowledged top six programs of all-time: Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, Duke, Indiana and UCLA (in no particular order) along with Syracuse which is #5 in all-time wins. UCLA and Indiana are not in the top-5 in terms of all-time wins, however they are included due to their tradition and other factors. The table below provides the top-10 programs in terms of wins (through 2009). For current-season standings, please check the following page. For an up-to-date tally of Kentucky's all-time record, you can check the current year's schedule. For a historic look at the top-10 all-time win leaders at the end of each decade, please check this page.
(List as of the end of the 2008-09 Season) | |||||||
| # | School | First Season | Years | Won | Lost | Tied | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kentucky | 1903 | 106 | 1,988 | 635 | 1 | 75.8 |
| 2 | North Carolina | 1911 | 99 | 1,982 | 703 | 0 | 73.8 |
| 3 | Kansas | 1899 | 111 | 1,970 | 793 | 0 | 71.3 |
| 4 | Duke | 1906 | 104 | 1,876 | 815 | 0 | 69.7 |
| 5 | Syracuse | 1901 | 108 | 1,753 | 806 | 0 | 68.5 |
| 6 | Temple | 1895 | 113 | 1,711 | 960 | 0 | 64.1 |
| 7 | St. Johns (NY) | 1908 | 102 | 1,686 | 868 | 0 | 66.0 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 1897 | 109 | 1,657 | 949 | 2 | 63.5 |
| 9 | UCLA | 1920 | 90 | 1,672 | 726 | 0 | 69.7 |
| 10 | Indiana | 1901 | 109 | 1,641 | 909 | 0 | 64.3 |
Note - This information above was updated after the 2008-09 season. There are discrepancies with UCLA (one more loss) and Indiana (one less victory and one more loss); ie the NCAA records differ compared to their reported year-by-year results found in their media guide. Also, Duke's media guide reports three more victories and two more losses than the NCAA, I believe they had intended to update their records with previously unrecognized games (a common occurrence) but apparently haven't updated the NCAA yet.
While the table above reflects the NCAA record, the graphs below utilize the year-by-year results from the schools. The graphs below may also include partial records from the 2009-10 season as it progresses and teams come closer to the 2000-victory milestone, which is described in more detail on this page.
Total Wins
The above chart is also broken down into various time-periods to better show some of the placements and years where teams overtook others.
Important Note: These charts shows how the current top teams fared historically. For a view of who the leaders were at the time (including numerous schools which no longer compete for the all-times win lead), please consult this page.
1900-1930 - Kansas breaks on top, Syracuse makes a good showing, UNC gains momentum, UCLA gets a late start.
1930-1950 - Kentucky makes its move
1950-1980 - Kentucky overtakes Kansas, Indiana and Syracuse falters, Duke passes UNC briefly, UCLA makes up ground
1980-2010 - Kentucky and North Carolina battle for #1, Kansas stays in the hunt and takes advantage as Carolina falters briefly, Duke makes a strong push
Wins vs. Games Played
Total Wins vs. Total Losses
Losses vs. Games Played
Overall Cumulative
Three-year rolling average
Five-year rolling average
Ten-year rolling average
If there are additional graphs you would like to see or any comments or interesting findings you see in the graphs, feel free to with any corrections or additional information. Return to Kentucky Basketball page, statistics, team schedules, team rosters, opponents, players, coaches, opposing coaches, games, assistance or search this site.