# 1980–81 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team

The 1980–81 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented University of Kentucky in the 1980–81 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Joe B. Hall and the team finished the season with an overall record of 22–6.

## Schedule and Results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Site city, state |
| Regular Season ||||||
| November 29, 1980* | No. 1 | East Tennessee State | W 62–57 | 1–0 | Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky |
| December 3, 1980* | No. 2 | No. 9 Ohio State | W 70–64 | 2–0 | Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky |
| December 6, 1980* | No. 2 | No. 5 Indiana Rivalry | W 68–66 | 3–0 | Assembly Hall Bloomington, Indiana |
| December 13, 1980* | No. 2 | Kansas | W 87–73 | 4–0 | Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky |
| December 19, 1980* | No. 2 | Alaska Anchorage | W 91–56 | 5–0 | Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky |
| December 20, 1980* | No. 2 | UAB | W 61–53 | 6–0 | Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky |
| December 27, 1980* | No. 2 | No. 8 Notre Dame | L 61–67 | 6–1 | Freedom Hall Louisville, Kentucky |
| December 30, 1980* | No. 5 | Maine | W 100–54 | 7–1 | Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky |
| January 3, 1981 | No. 5 | Georgia | W 76–62 | 8–1 (1–0) | Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky |
| January 7, 1981 | No. 4 | Auburn | W 79–66 | 9–1 (2–0) | Memorial Coliseum Auburn, Alabama |
| January 10, 1981 | No. 4 | No. 13 Tennessee | W 48–47 | 10–1 (3–0) | Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky |
| January 14, 1981 | No. 3 | Ole Miss | W 64–55 | 11–1 (4–0) | Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky |
| January 17, 1981 | No. 3 | Alabama | L 55–59 | 11–2 (4–1) | Memorial Coliseum Tuscaloosa, Alabama |
| January 19, 1981 | No. 6 | No. 5 LSU | L 67–81 | 11–3 (4–2) | Maravich Assembly Center Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
| January 21, 1981 | No. 6 | Florida | W 102–48 | 12–3 (5–2) | Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky |
| January 24, 1981 | No. 6 | Vanderbilt | W 78–64 | 13–3 (6–2) | Memorial Gymnasium Nashville, Tennessee |
| January 28, 1981 | No. 7 | Mississippi State | W 71–64 | 14–3 (7–2) | Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky |
| January 31, 1981 | No. 7 | Georgia | W 71–68 $^{2OT}$ | 15–3 (8–2) | Stegeman Coliseum Athens, Georgia |
| February 4, 1981 | No. 6 | Auburn | W 102–74 | 16–3 (9–2) | Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky |
| February 7, 1981 | No. 6 | No. 10 Tennessee | L 71–87 | 16–4 (9–3) | Stokely Center Knoxville, Tennessee |
| February 11, 1981 | No. 11 | Ole Miss | W 62–55 | 17–4 (10–3) | Tad Smith Coliseum Oxford, Mississippi |
| February 14, 1981 | No. 11 | Alabama | W 77–62 | 18–4 (11–3) | Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky |
| February 18, 1981 | No. 10 | Florida | W 69–56 | 19–4 (12–3) | O'Connell Center Gainesville, Florida |
| February 21, 1981 | No. 10 | Vanderbilt | W 80–48 | 20–4 (13–3) | Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky |
| February 25, 1981 | No. 9 | Mississippi State | W 78–74 | 21–4 (14–3) | Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky |
| March 1, 1981 , NBC | No. 9 | No. 2 LSU | W 73–71 | 22–4 (15–3) | Rupp Arena Lexington, Kentucky |
| SEC Tournament ||||||
| March 5, 1981 | (2) No. 7 | (7) Vanderbilt Second Round | L 55–60 | 22–5 | Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Birmingham, Alabama |
| NCAA Tournament ||||||
| March 15, 1981 | (2 ME) No. 8 | (7 ME) UAB Second round | L 62–69 | 22–6 | Memorial Coliseum Tuscaloosa, Alabama |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. SE=Southeast. ||||||