Kentucky to Celebrate 50th Anniversary of the Wildcats' 1975 National Runner-Up Team

When Kentucky hosts South Carolina at Rupp Arena, it will be a special day for some folks in the stands. The University of Kentucky will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1975 basketball team, arguably the greatest team to play at this school who didn’t claim a National Championship.

Joe B. Hall’s Cats were led by senior Kevin Grevey, the sensational 6-foot-5 shooter who still ranks seventh on the all-time points list with 1,801 as a Wildcat. Grevey was a two-time SEC Player of the Year and an All-American who averaged 21.4 points per game in 1975.

Grevey was a part of a terrific tandem with senior Jimmy Dan Conner. The Lawrenceburg native was an All-SEC selection who led the team in assists (3.4 per game) and averaged 12.4 points per game. You might recognize a few other names on the roster, like Jack Givens, Rick Robey, and Mike Flynn.

They led Kentucky to a 26-5 record and an SEC title, winning the tiebreaker with Alabama thanks to a pair of regular season wins over the Crimson Tide. The 1975 Kentucky basketball team left three distinct legacies.

1. They Beat Bob Knight’s Best Team

If you’re a fan of a certain generation, the 92-90 victory over Indiana in Dayton at the Mideast Regional Final is the best win of your lifetime. Indiana only lost one game during the 1975 and 76 seasons. It was to Kentucky.

The victory was personal for Joe B. Hall. He considered himself a friend of Bob Knight’s until the two teams played in the third game of the 74-75 season. That was when Knight infamously smacked Hall in the back of the head during a route of the Wildcats. Kentucky got the last laugh in the NCAA Tournament.

2. John Wooden Spoiled a Kentucky National Title

After beating the Hoosiers and rolling Syracuse, Kentucky looked like a team that could dethrone the dynasty in Westwood. UCLA had won nine titles over 11 seasons when John Wooden announced prior to the National Championship, that it would be his last game. It wasn’t his best team, but they played like it to send Wooden off as a winner.

3. A Preface to the “Season Without Celebration”

Rick Robey, Jack Givens, Mike Phillips, and James Lee were all freshmen on the 1975 team. That loss simmered for years. By their senior seasons, there was pressure to avenge that National Championship loss. Those great expectations made pundits call the 1978 year a “Season Without Celebration” until the Cats ultimately cut down the nets in St. Louis.

Read more about the historic run from the 1975 Kentucky Wildcats in this detailed redemption story from Corey Price.