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Making history: Kentucky set a new record for Top 15 wins in a season

Drew Franklinby:Drew Franklin•02/11/25•

DrewFranklinKSR

otega-oweh-tennessee
Feb 11, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh (00) celebrates with fans in the student section after the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Kentucky broke a school record with its win over Tennessee on Tuesday. By beating the fifth-ranked Volunteers, Mark Pope and his Wildcats passed Tubby Smith’s 2002-03 team for the most regular-season wins against teams ranked in the Top 15 of the AP poll.

The 2024-25 Wildcats have already logged wins over No. 6 Duke, No. 7 Gonzaga, No. 6 Florida, No. 14 Mississippi State, No. 11 Texas A&M, No. 8 Tennessee, and then Tennessee again, ranked No. 5. The seven top-15 wins are one more than the six Tubby’s bunch had in ’03, a season that culminated in an SEC Tournament championship and an Elite Eight finish.

Looking ahead, this year’s Wildcats still have at least two top-15 opportunities on the schedule, with a trip to No. 2 Alabama on Saturday, February 22, followed by No. 1 Auburn coming to Lexington on Saturday, March 1.

Sure, there have been a few low points, but this team has already racked up more regular-season highs than any team before it.

Let’s get two more.

7 wins against the Top 15

2024-25
#6 Duke
#7 Gonzaga
#6 Florida
#14 Mississippi State
#11 Texas A&M
#8 Tennessee
#5 Tennessee

Kentucky’s previous record

2002-03
#12 North Carolina
#6 Indiana
#10 Notre Dame
#15 Alabama
#1 Florida
#3 Florida

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2025-03-15