History is (kind of) on Kentucky's Side in the 2023 NCAA Tournament

Winless in the NCAA Tournament since 2019, Kentucky will try to end its drought as the No. 6 seed against No. 11 Providence in the East Regional. Tip-off is set for 7:10 pm EST Friday night in Greensboro on CBS. A few historical trends favor the Wildcats, with a few small exceptions. Let’s get to the bad news first.

Kentucky has never won as a No. 6 Seed

This is only the second time Kentucky has ever earned a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The last time it happened in 1982, things did not go well for the Wildcats. Joe B. Hall had zero players score in double figures as the Cats were upset by Middle Tennessee State 50-44 in Nashville.

A Losing Record in Greensboro

Typically the opening round games at the Greensboro Coliseum are reserved for the teams on Tobacco Road, which is probably why Kentucky has never played an NCAA Tournament game in Greensboro. They have not played a postseason game at Greensboro Coliseum, but they did take on the North Carolina Tar Heels three times at the neutral site more than 50 years ago. Adolph Rupp defeated Frank McGuire’s team in 1960, but the Cats lost to Dean Smith in 1967 and 1973, giving Kentucky a 1-2 at this weekend’s venue.

Kentucky has Never Lost to Providence

Kentucky is a perfect 3-0 against Providence all-time, with John Calipari owning a pair of wins over Ed Cooley. Four Wildcats were in double figures in a 79-65 victory over the Friars at the Barclays Center in 2013. The following year Providence made the trip to Rupp and was suffocated by the 38-0 Cats. The Friars only made 11 field goals and the Platoon Squad rolled to a 58-38 win.

The Last Time Kentucky Played a former Cat in the NCAA Tournament

In John Calipari’s first season he faced a player from the previous regime. No. 12 seed Cornell upset Temple and Wisconsin to punch a ticket to the Sweet 16. An important role player for the Big Red was 6-foot-9 reserve big man Mark Coury “The Flurry.” He did not play a significant role against his old school. Coury had 0 points and 2 rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench as Kentucky suffocated Cornell in a 62-45 victory.

Kentucky has a Winning Record on St. Patrick’s Day

The Luck of the Irish is typically on Kentucky’s side in the Big Dance. Kentucky is 11-4 in NCAA Tournament games played on St. Patrick’s Day. Dating back to 1977, the Wildcats were on a 10-game win streak that was snapped last season by another Saint… Peter. We should’ve seen it coming.

Prior to last season’s upset, there were many memorable Kentucky victories on St. Catrick’s Day. The most recent win on March 17 silenced Nate Oats, then the head coach at Buffalo. Hamidou Diallo exploded for 22 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 27 in the 95-75 second round win. The 2012 National Champs eliminated Royce White and Iowa State at the Yum! Center. A year prior Brandon Knight did not score a point until the Cats needed a game-winner in the final seconds over Princeton.