2015 Superlatives: Best Games

Here's a list of the best games of 2015, both football and basketball. We're not limiting it to Kentucky's wins. We're including losses. So read on if you want to relive some good memories but also some tough times.

We're not talking about the best performances strictly by the Wildcats. The other team had to play well, too.

1. Kentucky 68, Notre Dame 66 (basketball) - March 28, 2015. If anyone thought Kentucky was invincible this game should have put that to rest. The ACC champions took Kentucky down to the wire with both teams hitting high difficulty shots from deep. Karl-Anthony Towns had one of Kentucky's best NCAA tournament performances of all time (25 points, 10-13 FGs, four assists) and the efficient, impressive Irish offense was tough to slow down (16 assists, 7 turnovers). In the end the Cats won their 38th consecutive game. It was their last win of that remarkable season.

2. Wisconsin 71, Kentucky 64 (basketball) - April 4, 2015. This one will go down as one of the most difficult-to-stomach losses in Kentucky basketball history. The Badgers' Final Four win over Kentucky was Bo Ryan's redemption after the previous year's loss in the same national semifinal contest. It also ended Kentucky's perfect season. It was made worse for many Kentucky fans, in hindsight, because it kept Kentucky from getting a crack at Duke in the national championship game.

3. Kentucky 89, Ole Miss 86 (basketball) - Jan. 6, 2015. Kentucky's "almost" perfect season was "almost" never that. Early in SEC play the Rebels stormed Rupp Arena without any fear, nailing 9-17 three-point shots and leading at halftime. Ole Miss took Kentucky to overtime with the teams tied 77-77 at the end of regulation. Kentucky played well, too, at least on offense. The Cats were 11-20 from deep and Aaron Harrison had arguably his best overall game as a Wildcat with 26 points and no turnovers.

4. Auburn 30, Kentucky 27 (football) - October 15, 2015. It was Thursday night football on ESPN. Kentucky was 2-1 in the SEC with a chance to move to 5-1 overall, and historically that's not all too common. The Tigers were struggling and encountering fierce criticism locally, from fans and media alike. But they jumped out to an early lead in Commonwealth Stadium. Patrick Towles and the defense both made big plays but it wasn't enough and a pack crowd in Lexington went home disappointed, although they had seen a good game.

5. Florida 14, Kentucky 9 (football) - September 19, 2015. It sure wasn't pretty, but in hindsight the Cats did well to take the SEC East champions down to the wire. One Florida touchdown was set up after an early-game interception and a long return following it. The Kentucky defense held the Gators to just 245 yards of total offense. But it wasn't enough. Towles almost completed a difficult long pass that would have gone for a touchdown, after fighting off a near sack, but Kentucky could just never find the end zone.

Kentucky 71, LSU 69 (basketball). Baton Rouge has been home to some wild atmospheres in basketball as well as football and the intensity is always higher when Kentucky's in town. The Tigers had a great chance to knock off Kentucky late, but the Cats showed poise in surging ahead.

Kentucky 26, South Carolina 22 (football). The second half was almost a matter of running out the clock but the defense made timely plays and the Cats notched a huge road win, their second straight over Steve Spurrier and South Carolina.

Kentucky 21, Missouri 13 (football). It's often been said that Kentucky has to win their share against not only South Carolina, but now also Missouri. They got their first win over Gary Pinkel in what was probably the team's best performance of the season. The Tigers offense was anemic all year, but the UK offense played well against what turned out to be a pretty stout Missouri defense.

Kentucky 72, Georgia 64. Eight points on the scoreboard at the final buzzer doesn't necessarily indicate a classic, but the Bulldogs had a shot to knock off Kentucky, just as did LSU in Baton Rouge. This game in Athens went down to the wire with Georgia, improbably, winning the rebounding battle. Kentucky surged ahead late.