The 1947–48 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, also known as the Fabulous Five,[1] represented University of Kentucky. The head coach was Adolph Rupp. The team was a member of the Southeast Conference and played their home games at Alumni Gymnasium.
| 1947–48 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball | |
|---|---|
 | |
NCAA tournament National champions SEC regular season and tournament champions | |
| Conference | Southeast Conference |
| Record | 36–3 (9–0 SEC) |
| Head coach | |
| Assistant coach | Harry Lancaster |
| Home arena | Alumni Gymnasium |
They won 36 of 39 games in their conference, earning them the 1948 NCAA basketball tournament championship.[2]
NCAA tournament
- East
- Kentucky 76, Columbia 53
- Final Four
- Kentucky 60, Holy Cross 52
- Championship
- Kentucky 58, Baylor 42
Awards and honors
Team players drafted into the NBA
| Player | NBA Club |
|---|---|
| Joe Holland | Baltimore Bullets |
| Ken Rollins | Fort Wayne Pistons |
| Jack Parkinson | Washington Capitols |
Fabulous Five
Though the Fabulous Five referred to the whole team during the 1947–1948 season, five players stood out in particular: Ralph Beard (guard), Alex Groza (center), Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones (forward), Cliff Barker (forward), and Kenny Rollins (guard).[2][1] Following the successful 1947–1948 season at UK, all five competed as a unit and won gold at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London.[2][5][6] Rollins graduated but the other four returned for the 1948–1949 season, which they dominated. Coach Rupp then retired the jerseys of Barker, Beard, Groza, Jones, and Rollins.[7][1]