| Mode: | Basketball |
| Year: | 1947–48 |
| Team: | Kentucky Wildcats |
| Conference: | Southeast Conference |
| Short Conf: | SEC |
| Record: | 36–3 |
| Conf Record: | 9–0 |
| Champion: | NCAA tournament National champions SEC regular season and tournament champions |
| Bowl: | National Championship Game |
| Bowl Result: | W 58-42 vs. Baylor |
The 1947–48 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, also known as the Fabulous Five, 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.
They won 36 of 39 games in their conference, earning them the 1948 NCAA basketball tournament championship.
| Player | NBA Club |
|---|---|
| Joe Holland | Baltimore Bullets |
| Ken Rollins | Fort Wayne Pistons |
| Jack Parkinson | Washington Capitols |
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).[3] [4] Following the successful 1947–1948 season at UK, all five competed as a unit and won gold at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London.[3] [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] [4]