Kentucky's undefeated streak of five-point home wins is a sign of greatness

John Calipari, Pat Adams — Photo by Dr. Michael Huang | Kentucky Sports Radio

Kentucky basketball made history in its win over Ole Miss on Senior Night, becoming just the 14 team to go undefeated at Rupp Arena in the venue’s 46-year history. Finishing 18-0 at home on the year, it was also just the sixth time a John Calipari-coached Kentucky team went undefeated at Rupp, joining the 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2015-15 and 2015-16 teams.

More impressively, every home win for the Wildcats — all 18 of them — was by at least five points. The slimmest margin of victory at home this season was five (71-66 vs. LSU), with the Wildcats racking up 13 wins of 10-plus points at home on the year.

Winning every game by at least two possessions is a feat in itself, proving the outcome wasn’t decided by a buzzer-beater or a single defensive stop. No luck involved on either end of the floor. An opponent wasn’t able to decide Kentucky’s fate at any point this season at home; the Wildcats controlled their own destiny. Historically speaking, that’s a sign of greatness.

What does that mean exactly? Only nine times in school history has a Kentucky team finished the season undefeated at home with every win coming by at least five points, this group being the tenth. Of those nine previous seasons, every team made it to the Elite Eight, at minimum. Four of those teams won a national championship, with two making the title game.

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Don’t believe me? The numbers released by Corey Price of UK Athletics don’t lie.

1944-1945 – Elite Eight
1947-1948 – National Champions
1948-1949 – National Champions
1950-1951 – National Champions
1951-1952 – Elite Eight
1965-1966 – National Runner-Up
1974-1975 – National Runner-Up
1985-1986 – Elite Eight
1995-1996 – National Champions

Four titles, two championship appearances, three Elite Eights. Nothing less in nine tries, with zero such instances since 1996. 26 years since Kentucky’s last undefeated home slate featuring only wins of five-plus points.

Not a bad sign going into postseason play.

Factoring in Kentucky’s 18-0 home record this season, the Wildcats now have an all-time Rupp Arena record of 633-77, good for a winning rate of 89.2 percent. Kentucky is now 216-17 (92.7 percent) at home under Calipari.