Kentucky vs. Kansas: Comparing college basketball’s winningest programs
Kentucky and Kansas — the two winningest programs in men’s college basketball history — collide for the 29th time on Saturday (7 p.m., ESPN).
The Wildcats enjoy a 25-victory lead over the Jayhawks in the race for most all-time wins, UK with 2,194 and Kansas with 2,169.
UK also leads the all-time series between the teams, 22-6, but four of those Kentucky losses have come at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan., site of Saturday’s showdown.
Kansas (16-4) is ranked No. 4 by The Associated Press this week. Kentucky (16-4) is No. 20.
Kentucky-Kansas: By the numbers
Category | Kentucky | Kansas |
All-time wins | 2,194 | 2,169 |
All-time losses | 677 | 835 |
All-time win pct. | .764 | .722 |
NCAA titles | 8 | 3 |
NCAA Final Fours | 17 | 14 |
NCAA tourneys | 54 | 44 |
NCAA tourney wins | 120 | 97 |
Hall of Famers | 10 | 18 |
Consensus First-Team All-Americans | 24 | 28 |
1,000-point scorers | 60 | 55 |
NBA first-round picks | 40 | 32 |
Players currently in NBA | 21 | 12 |
NCAA TITLES
Kentucky (8) — 1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, 1998, 2012.
Kansas (3) — 1952, 1988, 2008.
NAISMITH HALL OF FAME MEMBERS
Kentucky (10) — John Calipari, Louie Dampier, Cliff Hagan, Dan Issel, C.M. Newton, Rick Pitino, Frank Ramsey, Pat Riley, Adolph Rupp, Adrian Smith.
Kansas (18) — Phog Allen, Larry Brown, John Bunn, Wilt Chamberlain, Paul Endacott, Bill Johnson, Allen Kelley, Arthur Lonborg, Clyde Lovellette, John McClendon, Ralph Miller, Dr. James Naismith, E.C. Quigley, Adolph Rupp, Dean Smith, Jo Jo White, Roy Williams, Lynette Woodard.
PLAYERS CURRENTLY ON NBA ROSTERS
Kentucky (21) — Eric Bledsoe (Phoenix), Devin Booker (Phoenix), Willie Cauley-Stein (Sacramento), DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento), Anthony Davis (New Orleans), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Charlotte), Archie Goodwin (Phoenix), Aaron Harrison (Charlotte), Terrence Jones (Houston), Enes Kanter (Oklahoma City), Brandon Knight (Phoenix), Trey Lyles (Utah), Jodie Meeks (Detroit), Nerlens Noel (Philadelphia), Patrick Patterson (Toronto), Tayshaun Prince (Minnesota), Julius Randle (L.A. Lakers), Rajon Rondo (Sacramento), Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota), John Wall (Washington), James Young (Boston).
Kansas (19) — Cliff Alexander (Portland), Cole Aldrich (L.A. Clippers), Darrell Arthur (Denver), Tarik Black (L.A. Lakers), Mario Chalmers (Memphis), Nick Collison (Oklahoma City), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia), Drew Gooden (Washington), Kirk Hinrich (Chicago), Sasha Kaun (Cleveland), Ben McLemore (Sacramento), Marcus Morris (Detroit), Markieff Morris (Phoenix), Kelly Oubre (Washington), Paul Pierce (L.A. Clippers), Thomas Robinson (Brooklyn), Brandon Rush (Golden State), Andrew Wiggins (Minnesota), Jeff Withey (Utah).
Kentucky-Kansas series
Kentucky leads 22-6
Date | Winner | Score | Location |
Dec. 16, 1950 | Kentucky | 68-39 | Lexington |
Dec. 14, 1959 | Kentucky | 77-72 (OT) | Lawrence, Kan. |
Dec. 6, 1969 | Kentucky | 115-85 | Lexington |
Dec. 4, 1971 | Kentucky | 79-69 | Lawrence, Kan. |
Dec. 23, 1972 | Kentucky | 77-71 | Lexington |
Dec. 3, 1973 | Kansas | 71-63 | Lawrence, Kan. |
Dec. 23, 1974 | Kentucky | 100-63 | Louisville |
Dec. 13, 1975 | Kentucky | 54-48 | Lawrence, Kan. |
Dec. 11, 1976 | Kentucky | 90-63 | Lexington |
Dec. 10, 1977 | Kentucky | 73-66 | Lawrence, Kan. |
Dec. 9, 1978 | Kentucky | 67-66 (OT) | Lexington |
Dec. 12, 1979 | Kentucky | 57-56 | Lawrence, Kan. |
Dec. 13, 1980 | Kentucky | 87-73 | Lexington |
Dec. 12, 1981 | Kentucky | 77-74 | (OT) Lawrence, Kan. |
Dec. 29, 1982 | Kentucky | 83-62 | Louisville |
Dec. 10, 1983 | Kentucky | 72-50 | Lawrence, Kan. |
Dec. 31, 1984 | Kentucky | 92-89 | Louisville |
Dec. 14, 1985 | Kansas | 83-66 | Lawrence, Kan. |
Dec. 9, 1989 | Kansas | 150-95 | Lawrence, Kan. |
Dec. 8, 1990 | Kentucky | 88-71 | Lexington |
Dec. 1, 199 | 8 Kentucky | 63-45 | Chicago (Great Eight) |
Mar. 14, 1999 | Kentucky | 92-88 (OT) | New Orleans (NCAA 2nd rd.) |
Jan. 9, 2005 | Kansas | 65-59 | Lexington |
Jan. 7, 2006 | Kansas | 73-46 | Lawrence, Kan. |
Mar. 18, 2007 | Kansas | 88-76 | Chicago (NCAA 2nd rd.) |
Nov. 15, 2011 | Kentucky | 75-65 | New York (Champions Classic) |
Apr. 2, 2012 | Kentucky | 67-59 | New Orleans (NCAA Title) |
Nov. 18, 2014 | Kentucky | 72-40 | Indianapolis (Champions Classic) |
Winningest programs
College basketball’s all-time winningest programs by number of victories:
1. Kentucky 2,194
2. Kansas 2,169
3. North Carolina 2,158
4. Duke 2,077
5. Syracuse 1,934
6. Temple 1,860
7. UCLA 1,815
8. Notre Dame 1,809
9. St. John’s 1,802
10. Indiana 1,773
11. Louisville 1,772
12. BYU 1,753
13. Utah 1,748
14. Illinois 1,739
15. Texas 1,732
16. Washington 1,730
17. x-Penn 1,729
18. Arizona 1,728
19. Western Kentucky 1,726
20. Cincinnati 1,721
21. Purdue 1,714
22. Oregon State 1,699
23. West Virginia 1,693
24. x-Princeton 1,684
25. x-North Carolina St. 1,672
x-Friday’s game not included
This story was originally published January 29, 2016 at 4:12 PM with the headline "Kentucky vs. Kansas: Comparing college basketball’s winningest programs."