1995–96 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team

The 1995–96 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Kentucky in the 1995–96 college basketball season. Coached by Rick Pitino, the team finished the season with a 34–2 record and won the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship over the Syracuse University Orangemen, 76–67.

1995–1996 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
SEC regular season champions
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 1
APNo. 2
1995–1996 record34–2 (16–0 SEC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaRupp Arena
1995–96 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L PCT  W L PCT
East
No. 2 Kentucky160 1.000  342  .944
Georgia97 .563  2110  .677
South Carolina88 .500  1912  .613
Vanderbilt79 .438  1814  .563
Florida610 .375  1216  .429
Tennessee610 .375  1415  .483
West
No. 19 Mississippi State106 .625  268  .765
Arkansas97 .563  2013  .606
Alabama97 .563  1913  .594
Ole Miss610 .375  1215  .444
Auburn610 .375  1913  .594
LSU412 .250  1217  .414
1996 SEC Tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll[1]

Also known as "The Untouchables",[2] nine players from the 95–96 team eventually played in the NBA. These players were Derek Anderson, Tony Delk, Walter McCarty, Ron Mercer, Nazr Mohammed, Mark Pope, Jeff Sheppard, Wayne Turner, and Antoine Walker. The 1995–96 Kentucky team is widely regarded as one of the greatest teams in NCAA Division I Men's Basketball history.

Roster

1995–96 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearHometown
G 00 Tony Delk 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Sr Brownsville, TN
G/F 3 Allen Edwards 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
So Miami, FL
G 5 Wayne Turner 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Fr Boston, MA
C 13 Nazr Mohammed 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Fr Chicago, IL
G 15 Jeff Sheppard 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Jr Peachtree City, GA
G 21 Cameron Mills 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
So Lexington, KY
G/F 23 Derek Anderson 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Jr Louisville, KY
F 24 Antoine Walker 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
So Chicago, IL
G 25 Anthony Epps 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Jr Lebanon, KY
F 32 Jared Prickett  6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Jr Fairmont, WV
F 33 Ron Mercer 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Fr Nashville, TN
F 40 Walter McCarty 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Sr Evansville, IN
C 41 Mark Pope 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Sr Bellevue, WA
F 43 Jason Lathrem 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Fr Bowling Green, KY
G 51 Oliver Simmons 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Fr Nashville, TN
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

[3]

Schedule

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
11 July 1995*
no, UKTV
Cagiva Varese W 98–74 
Rupp Arena (–)
Lexington, KY
17 November 1995*
no, UKTV
Athletes in Action W 119–80 
Rupp Arena (–)
Lexington, KY
Regular Season
24 November 1995*
no, ESPN
No. 1 vs. No. 14 Maryland
Tip-off Classic
W 96–84  1–0
Springfield Civic Center (8,999)
Springfield, MA
28 November 1995*
no, ESPN
No. 1 vs. No. 5 Massachusetts
Great Eight
L 82–92  1–1
The Palace (15,454)
Auburn Hills, MI
12 February 1995*
no, CBS
No. 1 vs. Indiana W 89–82  2–1
RCA Dome (41,071)
Indianapolis, IN
12 June 1995*
no, UKTV
No. 5 Wisconsin-Green Bay W 74–62  3–1
Rupp Arena (22,825)
Lexington, KY
12 September 1995*
no, ESPN
No. 5 No. 16 Georgia Tech W 83–60  4–1
Rupp Arena (24,238)
Lexington, KY
16 December 1995*
no, UKTV
No. 5 Morehead State W 96–32  5–1
Rupp Arena (24,065)
Lexington, KY
19 December 1995*
no, UKTV
No. 5 vs. Marshall W 118–99  6–1
Freedom Hall (19,795)
Louisville, KY
23 December 1995*
no, CBS
No. 4 No. 25 Louisville W 89–66  7–1
Rupp Arena (24,340)
Lexington, KY
27 December 1995*
no, UKTV
No. 2 vs. Rider
ECAC Holiday Festival
W 90–65  8–1
Madison Square Garden (13,175)
New York, NY
29 December 1995*
no, UKTV
No. 2 vs. Iona
ECAC Holiday Festival
W 106–79  9–1
Madison Square Garden (13,659)
New York, NY
1 March 1996
no, JP
No. 2 at South Carolina W 89–60  10–1 (1–0)
Frank McGuire Arena (12,068)
Columbia, SC
1 June 1996
no, UKTV
No. 2 Mississippi W 90–60  11–1 (2–0)
Rupp Arena (21,275)
Lexington, KY
1 September 1996
no, ESPN
No. 2 at No. 12 Mississippi State W 74–56  12–1 (3–0)
Humphrey Coliseum (10,315)
Starkville, MS
13 January 1996
no, UKTV
No. 2 Tennessee W 61–44  13–1 (4–0)
Rupp Arena (24,247)
Lexington, KY
16 January 1996
no, ESPN
No. 2 at Louisiana State W 129–97  14–1 (5–0)
Pete Maravich Assembly Center (12,684)
Baton Rouge, LA
20 January 1996*
no, ESPN
No. 2 Texas Christian W 124–80  15–1
Rupp Arena (24,189)
Lexington, KY
24 January 1996
no, JP
No. 2 at Georgia W 82–77  16–1 (6–0)
Stegeman Coliseum (10,523)
Athens, GA
27 January 1996
no, UKTV
No. 2 South Carolina W 89–57  17–1 (7–0)
Rupp Arena (24,229)
Lexington, KY
2 March 1996
no, JP
No. 2 Florida W 77–63  18–1 (8–0)
Rupp Arena (24,251)
Lexington, KY
2 July 1996
no, JP
No. 2 at Vanderbilt W 120–81  19–1 (9–0)
Memorial Gymnasium (15,311)
Nashville, TN
2 November 1996
no, CBS
No. 2 Arkansas W 88–73  20–1 (10–0)
Rupp Arena (24,336)
Lexington, KY
2 November 1996
no, JP
No. 2 Georgia W 86–73  21–1 (11–0)
Rupp Arena (24,206)
Lexington, KY
17 February 1996
no, JP
No. 2 at Tennessee W 90–50  22–1 (12–0)
Thompson-Boling Arena (23,115)
Knoxville, TN
20 February 1996
no, ESPN
No. 2 Alabama W 84–65  23–1 (13–0)
Rupp Arena (24,175)
Lexington, KY
24 February 1996
no, CBS
No. 2 at Florida W 94–63  24–1 (14–0)
Stephen C. O'Connell Center (10,697)
Gainesville, FL
27 February 1996
no, ESPN
No. 2 at Auburn W 88–73  25–1 (15–0)
Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum (10,108)
Auburn, AL
3 February 1996
no, UKTV
No. 1 Vanderbilt W 101–63  26–1 (16–0)
Rupp Arena (24,257)
Lexington, KY
1996 SEC Tournament
3 August 1996
no, JP
No. 1 vs. Florida
Quarterfinals
W 100–76  27–1
Louisiana Superdome (21,248)
New Orleans, LA
3 September 1996
no, JP
No. 1 vs. Arkansas
Semifinals
W 95–75  28–1
Louisiana Superdome (24,556)
New Orleans, LA
3 October 1996
no, CBS
No. 1 vs. No. 25 Mississippi State
Finals
L 73–84  28–2
Louisiana Superdome (24,462)
New Orleans, LA
1996 NCAA Tournament (Tournament seeding in parentheses)
14 March 1996*
no, CBS
No. 2 (1) vs. (16) San Jose State
Midwest Regional 1st Round
W 110–72  29–2
Reunion Arena (13,458)
Dallas, TX
16 March 1996*
no, CBS
No. 2 (1) vs. No. 16 (9) Virginia Tech
Midwest Regional 2nd Round
W 84–60  30–2
Reunion Arena (15,469)
Dallas, TX
21 March 1996*
no, CBS
No. 2 (1) vs. No. 10 (4) Utah
Midwest Regional Semifinal
W 101–70  31–2
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (30,334)
Minneapolis, MN
23 March 1996*
no, CBS
No. 2 (1) vs. No. 13 (2) Wake Forest
Midwest Regional Final
W 83–63  32–2
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (30,397)
Minneapolis, MN
30 March 1996*
no, CBS
No. 2 (M1) vs. No. 1 (E1) Massachusetts
National Semifinal
W 81–74  33–2
Continental Airlines Arena (19,229)
East Rutherford, NJ
4 January 1996*
no, CBS
No. 2 (M1) vs. (W4) Syracuse
National Championship
W 76–67  34–2
Continental Airlines Arena (19,229)
East Rutherford, NJ
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.

[4]

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. т = Tied with team above or below. ( ) = First place votes.
Week
Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Final 
AP 1 1 1 5 5 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 Not released 
Coaches 1 1 1 5 5 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1

Awards and honors

Players drafted into the NBA

RoundPickPlayerNBA Club
16Antoine WalkerBoston Celtics
116Tony DelkCharlotte Hornets
119Walter McCartyPortland Trail Blazers
223 (52)Mark PopeIndiana Pacers

[6]

References

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