UK owns the SEC in basketball

http://www.secsportsfan.com/top-all-time-sec-basketball-program.html

By almost all statistical measures, the University of Kentucky men’s basketball program must be considered the best in the history of the Southeastern Conference, and by most of those measures it really isn’t even close.

First a little perspective as far as where UK stands nationally. Among all NCAA men’s basketball programs, Kentucky ranks #1 all-time with 1,948 career victories (the University of North Carolina is second, with 1,914 career victories). With an all-time record of 1948-608, Kentucky is also #1 all-time in winning percentage, at .762. This marked success most definitely has carried over into SEC play as well.

The University of Kentucky basketball program has been in existence for 101 years, although among all current SEC programs, it actually only ranks 2nd in longevity, behind Vanderbilt University.

However, over the course of those years, Kentucky has significantly distanced itself from Vanderbilt, and all other SEC programs for that matter, in total number of wins. As of the close of the 2005 season, UK had won 1904 games all-time, nearly 500 more than 2nd place, a tie between the University of Arkansas and the University of Alabama (1409).

When only considering regular season SEC performance, consider this. From 1933 to 2005, UK had won 823 games against only 217 defeats, which amounted to a winning percentage of .791. The next closest teams according to all-time SEC regular season winning percentage are the University of Alabama at .577 (674-495 overall), the University of Arkansas at .559 (123-97 overall), and the University of Tennessee at .555 (598-480 overall).

Another telling indicator of the dominance that UK has had over their SEC rivals has been its head to head record vs. other individual SEC programs. UK has a winning percentage of at least .667 against every other SEC program, in most cases, that winning percentage is comfortably higher. The most one-sided match up is probably UK vs. Ole Miss, in which UK is 91-11 all-time (.892).

Another possible measure of SEC basketball greatness is the number of regular season SEC championships that each program has won. From that same period, 1933-2005, UK won 43 SEC championships. Tied for 2nd, well back at 8 SEC titles, are Tennessee and LSU. Alabama currently stands in 4th on the list with 7.

UK also stands alone at the top when considering total number of SEC Tournaments won. UK has won 25 SEC Tournament Championships. To put that number in some perspective, the remaining SEC teams have won 20 combined. Of those teams, Alabama has the 2nd most SEC Tournament Championships with 6, and Tennessee stands 3rd with 4 SEC Tournament Championships won.

And looking beyond the SEC, to the NCAA Tournament, only reaffirms the idea that UK is in fact the best all-time program in the SEC. UK has won 7 NCAA Championships all-time. The only other SEC program with more than one is the University of Florida, who just won their two in 2006 and 2007. The only other SEC program with an NCAA Championship is the University of Arkansas, who won in 1994.