Kentucky is undefeated in games following a break of 10 or more days

Calendars are weird. Months don’t all have the same number of days, there are extra days in certain years, and no one even knows when Easter will be each Spring. The seemingly randomness of the Gregorian calendar also occasionally throws a wrench in the Kentucky basketball schedule. This season features one of those schedules.

The Wildcats are on a whopping 10-day break before their matchup with Brown, giving them plenty of time to regroup following that ugly 20-point loss to Ohio State in New York.

Double-digit day lulls in the basketball schedule are a rare phenomenon in Kentucky history, but the ‘Cats have fared well in them. In fact, they’re undefeated.

By my count, Kentucky is 7-0 in games where the previous matchup was 10 or more days beforehand going back to 1950. Before that, I’m sure there were times when long droughts happened due to Kentucky not getting their belts delivered for their uniforms. Or maybe the YMCA was closed for a week. Or maybe war. But still, 75 years is a healthy look back.

Kentucky had two 10-day breaks in the Cal era

Oddly enough, as rare as 10-day breaks are throughout Kentucky history, they came in waves. There were two instances of them in the John Calipari era in back-to-back years, and the last time it happened was during the 2014-15 season.

That year, after beating Louisville on their home court, they took 10 days to celebrate and then beat Ole Miss, but it wasn’t an easy win. It took overtime to take down the Rebels, but the ‘Cats got the dub to remain undefeated in both the season and this frivolous category.

The season prior to that one also featured a long break. During the 2013-14 campaign, Kentucky took on Mississippi State 11 days after another victory over Louisville. That year, they comfortably rolled to an 85-63 victory against the Bulldogs in Rupp Arena.

Mark Pope once recorded a double-double after a 10-day break

Do you want to hear one of the most Mark Pope stats ever? The seemingly unreal figure whose fingerprints are absolutely everywhere around this program played in a game for Kentucky after a 10-day break. His stats? 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Yep, that’s 10 points and 10 rebounds following a 10-day break. He probably signed 10 autographs after the game that day as well.

Pope’s double-double helped the Wildcats defeat Marshall 85-63 back in the 1994-95 season.

Long breaks were the cool thing to do in the ’70s

Bellbottoms, mustaches, and extended periods with no Kentucky games were en vogue in the 1970s. Ironically, all three of those things are making a comeback in 2024, but I’ll save my rant about young men growing crusty hair on their upper lip for Kentucky’s next 10-day break. For the purpose of this post, four of the program’s seven instances of the 10-plus-day calendar faux pas happened between 1971 and 1977 and the ‘Cats won them all.

Three of those contests came against Notre Dame, as the two played on a neutral court for several years during this time.

Kentucky’s longest break between games was 12 days during the 1976-77 season. That year, they beat the second-ranked Fighting Irish 102-78. This was the only time (besides this year) when Kentucky’s previous game was a loss, as Utah upset the ‘Cats that year 70-68 just before blowing out one of the nation’s best. Joe B.’s Wildcats beat Notre Dame two more times in addition to Washington State once in the 1970s after extended hiatuses.

Is history an indication of how this year’s Kentucky team will perform against Brown on Tuesday? Probably not. But it is interesting, nonetheless. Besides, we have time time to kill.

Kentucky games after breaks of at least 10 days

Year	Day Break	Opponent	Result
2024-25	10	Brown	?
2014-15	10	Ole Miss	W 89-86 (OT)
2013-14	11	Mississippi State	W 85-63
1994-95	10	Marshall	W 116-75
1976-77	12	(2) Notre Dame	W 102-78
1975-76	10	(5) Notre Dame	W 79-77
1974-75	11	Washington St	W 97-75
1971-72	10	Notre Dame	W 83-67