The tall task that the Kentucky Wildcats face going into this week’s SEC Tournament begins Wednesday afternoon in Nashville. Kentucky needs to win five games in five days to win the SEC Tournament, a tournament they haven’t won since 2018.
It’s a daunting task. So daunting that only two teams have accomplished it in the history of college basketball. Interestingly, both teams that have done it have done so within the last 16 years. The UConn Huskies did it in 2011, and the NC State Wolf Pack did it in 2024. Both teams would go on to play in the Final Four, with UConn winning the National Championship in 2011.
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So, winning five games in five days is possible. Honestly, with the rollercoaster that has been Kentucky’s season, it wouldn’t be that shocking if it actually happened. That’s not to say it will, but it is possible. With Kam Williams returning, and based on what we have seen when Kentucky plays at its best, they can beat any team in the SEC and the country.
UConn and NC State have shown that winning five games in five days in the conference tournament is not impossible. Here’s an oral history of how both teams pulled off the feat, and how they both carried over the momentum into Final Four and National Championship runs in the NCAA Tournament.
2011 UConn Huskies
Regular Season Record: 21-9 (9-9, Big East)
The Huskies were undefeated in non-conference play, including an 84-67 win over Kentucky in the Maui Invitational Championship. Big East play was a gauntlet for UConn. They played eight games against ranked teams, going 2-6. Five of those six losses, though, were by less than 10 points, including two three-point losses to Notre Dame and a double-overtime loss at home to Louisville. Keep in mind, the Big East sent 11 teams to the NCAA Tournament that season.
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This was a talented UConn team, with Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb, and Shabazz Napier going on to play in the NBA. In addition, Niels Giffey was a freshman on that team and would play four years with UConn, winning two national championships.
Speaking of Kemba Walker, you may remember a certain shot in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament against No. 1 seed Pittsburgh. Facing four ranked teams in succession in the Big East Tournament, after playing the first game on Tuesday in Madison Square Garden, Walker stepped back and hit an iconic game-winning jumper to upset No. 1 seed Pitt, which was ranked No. 3 in the country at the time, for UConn’s third win in three days.
The Huskies then avenged their six-overtime loss against Syracuse from two years prior with an overtime win over the Orange in the Semifinals. Then, in the Championship, UConn edged Louisville 69-66 to accomplish something no other team had accomplished before in college basketball history.
UConn’s run earned them a No. 3 seed in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament. They beat Bucknell and Cincinnati in the opening weekend to advance to the Regionals in Anaheim. The Huskies outlasted San Diego State in the Sweet 16 before edging Arizona 65-63 in the Elite Eight.
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In the Final Four, the Huskies grinded out a 56-55 win over Kentucky to advance to the National Championship. Despite shooting just 34.5 percent from the floor and 1-11 from three-point range, UConn’s defense took over and held Butler to just 18.8 percent shooting overall and 3-31 from three-point range to win their 11th straight game and the national championship. The Huskies outscored Butler 34-19 in the second half after trailing 22-19 at halftime.
2024 NC State Wolf Pack
Regular Season Record: 17-14 (9-11, ACC)
Finishing just 10th in the ACC and losing four straight games to close out the regular season, not much was expected from the Wolf Pack in the ACC Tournament. That team doesn’t have a player currently in the NBA, and they didn’t have a single player garner a Postseason honor or earn a single point for consideration for those Postseason honors. Their head coach, Kevin Keatts, didn’t earn a single point for ACC Coach of the Year.
So, naturally, the Wolf Pack get to the Quarterfinals and edge Kyle Fillipowski and the No. 2-seeded Blue Devils to keep the dream alive. Then, against Virginia in the Semifinals, Michael O’Connell made a miraculous three-pointer with one second remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime. The Wolf Pack would win the game, and they would beat top-seeded North Carolina the next night to win the ACC Tournament. Somewhere, Jim Valvano was smiling.
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But NC State’s magic didn’t stop there. They upset Texas Tech, as a No. 11 seed, in the First Round, to ignite a run to their first Final Four since their legendary “Survive and Advance” run in 1983. The Wolf Pack beat Duke, again, in the Elite Eight to advance to the Final Four. They would eventually fall to No. 1 seed Purdue in the Final Four, but it was still a memorable, unexpected run.
It was a run that came from nowhere, led by Tournament darling D.J. Burns and a resilient group that just kept on winning. Sometimes runs come from teams you least expect them to, and that’s what NC State proved just two years ago.
UConn more resembles Kentucky in that they are a blue blood. They struggled in the 2010-11 regular season before unleashing an 11-game winning streak to win both the Big East and NCAA Tournaments. That team, like Kentucky this season, had talent. It just took them until the Postseason for it to come to fruition.
NC State proved that any team can get hot starting in March. Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio said it best Saturday night that the NCAA Tournament is so random. The same can be true for the conference tournaments. Any team can string together three, four, or five straight wins in as many days. Kentucky is in that boat. They’re not expected to make a run this week in Nashville, but there’s always a chance.
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Imagine if Kentucky becomes the third team in college basketball history to win five conference tournament games in five days. It’s been done before, and it can be done again. Why not the Cats? This is the time of year for optimism.
