LEXINGTON — Kentucky is the winningest program in college basketball history, so it's no surprise few foes have winning records versus the Wildcats.
North Carolina is an exception.
In fact, no opponent is more successful than the Tar Heels. Among programs UK has faced at least 10 times, no school has a better record than UNC. The Tar Heels have won 58% of the 43 games in the series, leading 25-18. The only other Division I school Kentucky has faced more than 10 times and has won more than half of the contests is Saint Louis; it's won 9 of 17 games versus UK (winning percent of 53).
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWith the Wildcats preparing to host the Tar Heels at Rupp Arena in this year's ACC/SEC Challenge on Tuesday, here's a look back at previous memorable matchups between the two:
Kentucky basketball history vs. North Carolina
Memorable games
March 26, 2017: North Carolina 75, Kentucky 73
Synopsis: Luke Maye. Those two words symbolize this game, which occurred in the Elite Eight. The North Carolina forward nailed the game-winning shot with less than a second to play to end Kentucky's season in stunning fashion.
Dec. 17, 2016: Kentucky 103, North Carolina 100
Dec 17, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Malik Monk (5) smiles after scoring a three point bucket during a game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at T-Mobile Arena.Synopsis: The "Malik Monk Game." The star guard poured in 47 points — the most scored by any player during the John Calipari era (2009-10 through 2023-24) — to lift the Wildcats to a three-point win in a CBS Sports Classic clash in Las Vegas.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDec. 3, 2011: Kentucky 73, North Carolina 72
Synopsis: Barely a month into the 2011-12 season, top-ranked Kentucky welcomed fifth-ranked North Carolina to Rupp in yet another highly anticipated tilt. And it lived up to the hype. The Tar Heels led by five points (43-38) at intermission. UNC's Reggie Bullock nailed a 3 to cut UK's advantage to 73-72 with only 48 seconds to play. Then, Kentucky freshman Marquis Teague couldn't convert the front end of a one-and-one, giving the visitors a chance to pull off the upset. Anthony Davis wouldn't allow it. He rejected John Henson's shot, came up with the rebound and then threw the ball ahead to Teague, who ran out the clock to preserve the one-point win.
March 27, 2011: Kentucky 76, North Carolina 69
Synopsis: A little more than eight months before Davis' memorable block, the Wildcats and Tar Heels met with far more on the line: a Final Four berth. North Carolina was the No. 2 seed in the East Region, while Kentucky was the 4-seed. But the Wildcats played as if they were the higher seed. After UNC took a 4-2 advantage, it never led again. Kentucky boasted an advantage as big as 11 in the second half. UNC rallied to make it 67-all with 3:18 to play, but UK scored nine of the game's final 11 points for a 76-69 win. It gave Calipari his first Final Four as Kentucky's coach — and marked the program's first appearance in the national semifinals since they won it all in 1998.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDec. 8, 2001: Kentucky 79, North Carolina 59
Former UK player Tayshaun Prince walked out to center court during a timeout in the game against Florida. March 9, 2019Kentucky Vs FloridaSynopsis: The "Tayshaun Prince Game." The All-American from California set the tone from the get-go, scoring the first 15 points for the Wildcats — all from beyond the 3-point arc. As each shot found the bottom of the net, the decibel level at Rupp Arena rose higher and higher; by the time the final 3 of his 15-point spree swished through, the crowd was in a state of delirium, putting it in the argument for the loudest the venue has ever been since it opened in 1976. His early sharpshooting was a sign of what was to come: Prince ended with 31 points (matching his career high to that point) in a 79-59 UK win.
Dec. 26, 1981: North Carolina 82, Kentucky 69
Mar 27, 1982; New Orleans, LA, USA; FILE PHOTO; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Michael Jordan (23) in action against the Houston Cougars during the 1982 Final Four semi finals at the Superdome. North Carolina defeated Houston 68-63. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY SportsIt was the first — and to this point, only — time these members of the sport's reigning class squared off as the top two teams in The Associated Press poll. Entering this game at Brendan Byrne Arena in New Jersey, both were undefeated, with the Tar Heels ranked No. 1 and the Wildcats next in line. Though UK trailed by just three at halftime (35-32), it was no match for UNC. Without star center Sam Bowie, who was sidelined after fracturing his left tibia, the Wildcats had no presence on the interior. The Tar Heels punished them for that, as forward James Worthy and center Sam Perkins combined for 47 points (26 for Worthy and 21 for Perkins). Worthy added eight rebounds and six assists. Perkins pulled down 11 rebounds and blocked four shots. A freshman guard named Michael Jordan had 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting for the Tar Heels in an 82-69 triumph. While Bowie never recovered to play that season, UNC went on to capture the national championship, felling Georgetown in the title game.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDec. 17, 1962: North Carolina 68, Kentucky 66
When Adolph Rupp was forced to retire in 1972, he was college basketball?s all-time wins leader.Synopsis: In a rare occurrence in this series, neither team was ranked when they met at Memorial Coliseum. But the teams went tooth and nail in the first meeting between iconic coaches Adolph Rupp and Dean Smith. It was knotted at 32-all at the half. The visitors escaped with a two-point win, as future Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown scored a game-high 19 points.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball game North Carolina, UK-UNC series history
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