Wisconsin Badgers' Final Four upset of Kentucky ranked way too low among top college basketball games

The Wisconsin Badgers' famous "Make 'Em Believe" 38-and-done victory over Kentucky in the 2015 Final Four was ranked way too low in The Athletic's list of top college basketball games of the last 25 years.

Apr 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Frank Kaminsky (44) shoots the ball against Kentucky Wildcats forward Willie Cauley-Stein (15) during the second half of the 2015 NCAA Men's Division I Championship semi-final game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Steppig/NCAA Photos-Pool Photo via Imagn Images | Pool Photo-Imagn Images

Only one team in the history of college basketball has pulled off a perfect season. The 2014-15 Wisconsin Badgers made sure of that.

Wisconsin delivered one of the greatest wins in program history and one of the most iconic March Madness upsets during the 2015 Final Four. Undoubtedly, it holds a place in college basketball history.

The Athletic ranked the Top 25 college basketball games of the last 25 years. Wisconsin's 38-and-done victory cracked the Top 25, but it came in way too low at No. 24.

Of the 26 games we settled on — two are a package deal, as you’ll see — 20 occurred in the NCAA Tournament, and eight were national championship games.

Enjoy the stroll down memory lane:https://t.co/DggPr20CvT

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 18, 2025

How did Kentucky — with its sterling 38-0 record, 10 former top-50 recruits, four future NBA lottery picks and the nation’s best defense — not even make the national title game? Because it ran into the nation’s No. 1 offense, led by Wooden Award winner Frank Kaminsky.

Brendan Marks, The Athletic

Marks added some of the specifics about how Wisconsin pulled out the win, highlighting Nigel Hayes' offensive rebound and putback, Sam Dekker's dagger three and Kaminsky's late free throws.

But it was about more than just Wisconsin ending Kentucky's perfect season. It was revenge for the Badgers, who had suffered a crushing loss to the Wildcats in the 2014 Final Four.

In a recent event that honored that Badgers team and their accomplishment, Kaminsky said he was happy to get the chance to play Kentucky again after drawing them in a difficult region.

"I remember just having like such this big laser focus about 'I want to play this team so bad,'" he said.

It was a battle of philosophy, too. Kentucky's 2014-15 squad consisted of nine future NBA players, including four lottery picks and future NBA stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Devin Booker. That squad had 10 players ranked in the top 40 of their high school class.

Wisconsin had two players ranked in the Top 100, both of whom were Wisconsin natives. The Badgers had four players make it to the NBA, though Kaminsky and Dekker were the only ones actually drafted.

It was a homegrown, developmental program.

Not only was Wisconsin's triumph a win for the school, but it a win for programs across the country who didn't hold blue-blood status. The Badgers' victory showed that any program with quality recruiting and coaching could compete. The key to success in college basketball didn't have to be acquiring one-and-done talent.

It was emblematic of the culture that Bo Ryan strived to build: a cohesive unit that can achieve something great if they work hard and buy in.

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