For decades, Kentucky basketball has been synonymous with the absolute peak of the sport, eight national championships, 17 Final Fours, and a legacy unmatched by almost any other program. But there's one significant benchmark of dominance that hasn't graced Lexington in a full decade: a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That streak must end if banner number 9 is going to be won.
A decade since dominance
The Wildcats’ last top seed came during the unforgettable 2014-15 season, the year of the 38-1 near-perfect run that ended tragically in the Final Four. Since then, Kentucky’s tournament seeding has been consistently good, but not elite: 4, 2, 5, 2, 2, 6, and 3 in their subsequent appearances.