Kentucky fans shocked to see their wildcats lose
by Ryan Bali ’18
Many people all around America were shocked when the undefeated the University of Kentucky team lost to the University of Wisconsin in the NCAA March Madness 2015 semifinals. Kentucky was 38-0 going into the game, having never been defeated during the whole regular season and the first four rounds of the March Madness tournament. If they won, they would have been the second Division 1 college to go undefeated in history since Indiana in 1976. Kentucky lead 60-56 after overcoming a deficit, but they couldn’t hold it, as Wisconsin outscored them 15-4 down the stretch. Sophomore guard Andrew Harrison said “After the missed shot clock violation call, we just never recovered. It sucked the air completely out of us, but there’s bad calls in basketball all the time.” The play wasn’t reviewable, and it resulted in the game tying basket for Wisconsin, and they carried that momentum to beat Kentucky.
Many people thought that it was very bad that Kentucky lost. Out of a random survey of 30 people, 21 of them were disappointed that Kentucky lost. Kyle Underhill, a freshman, expressed his view on the result of the game, “They were undefeated and on the verge of making history. They would have remembered that victorious moment for the rest of their lives, but instead they will remember that crushing defeat to Wisconsin.”
It was a very crushing defeat for the players, the program, and the fans. There were riots and fires in the streets, all because of the loss. Andrew Harrison also muttered a derogatory comment about Frank Kaminsky in the press conference after the game. Everyone who supported the college was furious, and who could blame them? The team was one game away from making history.
If they won, they would have been the second Division 1 college to go undefeated in history since Indiana in 1976.
If they won, the college would have gained a massive amount of popularity to the already large number that they have right now. Head Coach John Calipari was very disappointed, and just didn’t think that they executed as well as they did in previous games. Even after the game, Calipari is scheduled to be inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame for being such a great coach.
Even after all the turmoil and controversial calls, the team did lose. Many players from the team have already declared to be in the NBA draft this year, including the starting five, so this team can never be recreated again. Wisconsin destroyed their perfect season, and Kentucky fans will remember their team almost being undefeated in college basketball.
Many happy to see Kentucky lose in the Final Four
by Katelin Brito ’18
In this year’s NCAA Final Four tournament, heavily-favored University of Kentucky lost to University of Wisconsin. Many people were upset at the fact that a team with an undefeated record did not make it to the final two, but some people think that it was better that Kentucky didn’t move on because of Kentucky’s athletes and students’ unsportsmanlike behavior during and after the game.
Last year in the Final Four, Kentucky and Wisconsin played each other. Kentucky won that game, leaving Wisconsin with their heads down, but not causing riots outside the campus. When Wisconsin lost, they shook the other team’s hands and didn’t make a huge deal about the loss. However, this year is a whole different story with Kentucky’s loss. According to Reuters.com, “Thirty-one people were arrested overnight near the University of Kentucky.” Those arrested face charges including public intoxication and disorderly conduct. This behavior caused some people to lose respect for the University of Kentucky, and the team itself.
University of Kentucky can be a great college to go to for basketball, but so is the 2015 NCAA Final Four Champions Duke University, for example, even for academics and other sports too. It is important for the favorite team to sometimes lose in big games in order for the student-athletes to learn sportsmanship.
Another reason that it was good that Kentucky was eliminated from the tournament, would be because of the behavior of one of the players. As slate.com said, “Kentucky player, Andrew Harrison, muttered an offending phrase, that quickly spread through social media.” This comment against Wisconsin player Frank Kaminsky caused fans to see the Kentucky players as sore losers. Harrison was not only friends with the Kaminsky, but actually truly respected his rival. Therefore, his frustration took over, leading to his comment. A team like Kentucky can’t appreciate the level of competition that Wisconsin gave them, and making this game one that will be hard to forget.
University of Kentucky is royalty in college basketball. However, academically, Kentucky is not a “Harvard”. It is well-known for their players getting into the NBA early. As aseaofblue.com stated in an article, “Daniel Orton, a 2010 player, did not finish his spring semester and wasn’t in good academic standing when he left school.” As for other colleges, many students/players graduate college with a good GPA, and still even go to the NBA. University of Kentucky can be a great college to go to for basketball, but so is the 2015 NCAA Final Four Champions Duke University, for example, even for academics and other sports too. It is important for the favorite team to sometimes lose in big games in order for the student-athletes to learn sportsmanship.
