Great moments in Kentucky vs. North Carolina history

Kentucky is officially playing North Carolina tomorrow in Las Vegas and we’ve got just over a day to prepare. Given the history between these two programs, that feels unfair. While we furiously work on scouting reports and matchup breakdowns, let’s relive some great moments in Kentucky vs. North Carolina history.

2001: Tayshaun’s Five Straight Threes

I was in the nosebleed seats at Rupp for this one and can still feel the building shake from when Tayshaun hit it from the logo.

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2009: John Wall makes a statement

A lot of people point to the UConn game in Madison Square Garden as the moment the world realized Kentucky was “back” but the game before was pretty special too. John Wall went off against the No. 10 Tar Heels, finishing with 16 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds in the two-point win, all while battling dehydration.

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2011: DeAndre Liggins sends the Cats to the Final Four

The 2010-11 Cats lost to North Carolina in Chapel Hill during the regular season but got revenge when it mattered the most, beating the No. 2 Tar Heels 76-69 to advance to the Final Four. DeAndre Liggins sealed the victory, hitting a three to put the Cats up by four with 37 seconds to play. The pictures of Calipari embracing him afterward will live on in history:

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2011: Anthony Davis’ block

Several months later, we got another great UK/UNC moment in the form of a big ole swat. Anthony Davis blocked John Henson’s shot in the final seconds to secure No. 1 Kentucky’s 73-72 win over No. 5 North Carolina. It was glorious.

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2014: Platoons keep Tar Heels at bay

The Kansas and UCLA blowouts are the obvious highlights of the 2014-15 team’s non-conference schedule, but the win over No. 21 North Carolina at Rupp was pretty sweet too. The game was relatively close throughout but the platoons eventually wore the Tar Heels out, paving the way for the 84-70 victory.

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2016: Malik Monk goes off in Las Vegas

Kentucky’s last game vs. North Carolina in Las Vegas is one of the best regular-season games I’ve had the privilege of seeing in person. Malik Monk erupted for 47 points, including the go-ahead three with 16.7 seconds left to give the Cats the lead. Monk was 18-28 from the floor and a stunning 8-12 from the outside. De’Aaron Fox had a double-double with 24 points and 10 assists and hit the final free throws to seal the 103-100 win.

Watching the highlights almost makes me forget about Kentucky’s other game vs. the Tar Heels that season.

Hopefully, we can add to this list tomorrow.