Kentucky is undoubtedly one of the blue-blood schools of college basketball. It has the second-most wins in Division-I basketball history and the highest win percentage (sorry to the Whittier Poets, we’re counting current D1 teams only). Kentucky is also ranked second in the KenPom.com program ratings, which go back to 1997.
John Calipari had lost his stranglehold over the SEC, which he held until the pandemic-impacted 2020-21 season. In the early years, Cal and the Wildcats were a near lock to win the league, and they were good for a deep NCAA Tournament run.