Which college basketball teams are the best from each decade?

As this year marks the 80th anniversary of the first NCAA tournament, Daniel Wilco of NCAA.com composed a ranking of the top 3 basketball teams of each decade.

For the decade 1930-1939, the Kentucky Wildcats come in at No. 2 behind LIU Brooklyn. The Cats held a 163-34 record, which is good for an .827 winning percentage.

For comparison, Coach Cal holds an .811 winning percentage since he has been at Kentucky.

UK came in No. 1 for the 1940-1949 and 1950-1959 decades. In the 40’s, the Cats had a 239-42 (.851) record, winning two national championships. They also lost two national championships giving them a a 2-2 record in the big game during the decade.

The Kentucky Wildcats, led by Coach Adolph Rupp, would go 36-3 en route to their first national championship in 1948. That was quickly followed with their second in 1949.

As for the 50’s, UK held a 224-33 (.872) record, and again went 2-2 in national championship games. However, in 1951, after winning their third title in four years, Kentucky was forced to cancel the entire 1952-53 season following a point-shaving scandal led by Ralph Beard, Alex Groza, and Dale Barnstable.

In 1954, the Wildcats secured Rupp’s only undefeated season at Kentucky. They went on to win their fourth, and Rupp’s last title in 1958.

UK came in at No. 1 again for the 1990-1999 decade, narrowly edging out Duke. The Cats managed a 282-63 (.817) record, along with a 2-3 record in national championship games.

While everyone remembers Christian Laettner’s buzzer beater in 1992, Kentucky still won two titles that decade. In 1996, UK was led by Coach Rick Pitino and held a 34-2 record. Kentucky then won number 7 in 1998 behind first-year coach Tubby Smith and a 35-4 record.

And finally, as we enter the last season of the 2010’s decade, the Cats come in at No. 2 behind the Duke Blue Devils. Kentucky currently holds a 249-53 (.825) record since 2010, and they have gone 1-1 in national championship games.

We all know the Cats knocked off the Kansas Jayhawks back in 2012 led by Anthony Davis. And then there was the unforgettable run the 2013-14 team made before losing to the Connecticut Huskies in the national championship.

You can read Wilco’s entire article here.

Which decade of Kentucky basketball do you think was the best?