The best UK basketball win from each of the past 5 seasons

In the last five years of the greatest tradition of college basketball, each season has had amazing moments and thrilling victories for BBN! Here’s one from each of the past five seasons. In some years it was hard to find any, in others it was hard to just pick one:

2016-2017: Malik Monk’s 47 leads UK in thrilling shootout with UNC

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

103-100, no overtimes. How often does college basketball give you that? Not very often. Kentucky and North Carolina, the two greatest programs in college basketball, hit almost every shot left and right in a game that if in the NCAA Tournament would’ve been right up there with the all-time greatest. Fittingly, Monk had the go-ahead trey that put UK up for good with 0:19 to play. This game probably won’t be topped in the CBS Sports Classic.

2017-2018: Knox’s 34 lead UK to 17-point comeback road win over #7 Mountaineers

Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Down 17, on the road against the #7 team in the country that runs a full-court press the entire game. None of it mattered for Kevin Knox and the Kentucky Wildcats, as his 34-point performance carried them to a signature 83-76.

2018-2019: Herro’s 3 sends UK to the Elite Eight

Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

There’s no more exhilarating feeling for a college basketball fan than when your team is down with less than thirty seconds left and then BANG! They hit a three and take the lead! That’s exactly what Tyler Herro did for UK after a big-time block by PJ Washington, and the ‘Cats held on to win 62-58. I watched the entire game but only remember that shot—I’ll probably never forget it.

2019-2020: Tip-In in Gainesville

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

There were several great ones in the cut-short season, but this one had the sweetest finish. After trailing by as many as 18 points, the ‘Cats slowly clawed back until with 0:27 left Florida turned the ball over while up 70-69. UK had to come away with points on this critical possession, and EJ Montgomery, who had struggled all season and the season prior, tipped in a Keion Brooks Jr. miss in his final game in Kentucky blue to put the ‘Cats up 71-70 after trailing for the entirety of the game. Florida’s three-point heave at the buzzer was no good, and the ‘Cats started celebrating.

2020-2021: Clobbering Tennessee in Knoxville

I know, not a lot of highlights from this one, but beating your ranked rival while you stink is always pretty fun, right? Most years they would really struggle to get this win, but they somehow got it by 15 points in a season they lost almost every game. Wasn’t great enough to get a picture here, though.

So far I’d say the best win of this year has been the 107-79 clubbing of Tennessee, but hopefully that was only the beginning. Notice how only one of these five year’s highest moment came in the NCAAs. I think that’ll be changing soon. Go ‘Cats!