If you could change the outcome of one UK loss what game would it be
- Thread starter Vhskidmore
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I would argue that lack of motivation would have been a bigger factor than pressure.
To me it’s gotta be a title game, only way to guarantee a title. Assuming nothing else changes (no butterfly effect):
‘75 is the obvious choice, puts us only 1 behind UCLA. ‘66 would also be nice.
If we can’t guarantee what happens afterwards, 2014.
2015 no, we could’ve lost to Puke, we were playing way too nervous and you know the refs would’ve shafted us.
‘75 is the obvious choice, puts us only 1 behind UCLA. ‘66 would also be nice.
If we can’t guarantee what happens afterwards, 2014.
2015 no, we could’ve lost to Puke, we were playing way too nervous and you know the refs would’ve shafted us.
The east coast media would’ve never branded a rich east coast school like Puke as racist. It would hit too close to home.
I too was at this game. Obviously then I am old, but I think I remember that Issel’s foul was a charging call at about mid court as teams were coming down court after a basket at the other end. A guard jumped in front of Issel as he was not looking directly down court and he ran into the guard, sorta And the guard threw his hands up and staggered backward. A pretty bogus call. I knew Issel and Larry Steele the best as we ate in the complex on the specially held open, athletic food line, (I was on track team) in preceding years, Larry also was in several of my classes in accounting.
Pretty clear who the obnoxious one is here. Actually, the 84 team was fairly grossly underrated. Georgetown, which was loaded with talent needed a freakishly cold shooting streak in the second half to put them down. The same team also put down Houston which had Hakeem and a few others. If I were to flip one game, it would be that one.
97’ seems like the logical choice, but 2015 Wisconsin still hurts. I actually feel quite confident we would have spanked Duke in the finals.
the 2 teams that I thought had a chance of beating us that year was wisc and AZ, and of course they were both on our side of the bracket.
the 2 teams that I thought had a chance of beating us that year was wisc and AZ, and of course they were both on our side of the bracket.
Guys, the clear answer is 1975:
1. UK would have only 1 less title instead of three.
2. Joe Hall would be in the Naismith Hall of Fame
3. That cheating SOB Wooden would’ve gone out with a loss
1. UK would have only 1 less title instead of three.
2. Joe Hall would be in the Naismith Hall of Fame
3. That cheating SOB Wooden would’ve gone out with a loss
Not 2014, but he was in our Final Games of 2005 (E8 Double OT vs Michigan State) and 2011 (Final Four 1 point loss vs. UCon). Both also had controversies.
2009-2010 WVU game. Ultimately we woulda won the title and simultaneously taken it from Duke.
I know it is more of a risk, but a much greater reward. WIS 2015. I think we get past the revenge-minded badgers we dominate Dook giving us another title and taking one away from Dook. Pretty sweet, not to mention we record a 40-0 title team.
A close second would be the UCLA Wooden retirement game. If we win that one we sit at 9 titles to UCLA's 10, just a 1 game difference if that game goes down differently and cheater Wooden doesn't pull that crap last second.
1997 ARZ would be right there too for me.
A close second would be the UCLA Wooden retirement game. If we win that one we sit at 9 titles to UCLA's 10, just a 1 game difference if that game goes down differently and cheater Wooden doesn't pull that crap last second.
1997 ARZ would be right there too for me.
Really????! Over a basketball game ?? Crying is only appropriate in two cases:
-funerals
- the Grand Canyon
There's no guarantee we win in 1998 if we win in 1997. So much more pressure and who knows what happens with the head coach or players. Does Pitino leave with a shot at 3 straight or do we lose some guys who might be satisfied leaving with 2 straight titles?
I also have a hard time seeing them let us win in 2015 to go undefeated against Duke. Probably would have gotten an epic hose job. If I was going to pick a title game to win the 2014 run deserved to finish with a title and one of the most memorable stories in college basketball history.
I'm going to go a different route and say the 1966 Final Four game. Had we lost, then Duke plays Texas Western and gets labeled the racist school with their all white team. With perceptions possibly changed maybe Duke has to deal with what we did and we get all that favoritism they got with Coach K.
I also have a hard time seeing them let us win in 2015 to go undefeated against Duke. Probably would have gotten an epic hose job. If I was going to pick a title game to win the 2014 run deserved to finish with a title and one of the most memorable stories in college basketball history.
I'm going to go a different route and say the 1966 Final Four game. Had we lost, then Duke plays Texas Western and gets labeled the racist school with their all white team. With perceptions possibly changed maybe Duke has to deal with what we did and we get all that favoritism they got with Coach K.
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I would say the west Virginia game in 10 and honestly the game in 11 against uconn. I think uk goes back to back with those wins.
The loss to UConn pisses me off more than any other.We really should have beat that team.
It's obvious many of us have favs that we would like to change the outcome of. There are no "do overs" but we all can wish. Many great memories of games here.. Duke '92 would be my 2nd choice after the Jacksonville game. Don't like Duke and losing to "ratface" upsets my attitude. He's a cheater and must have something on some high ranking NCAA manager/V.P. '66 hurt also + the many mentioned Wisky game. Just MHO
You know the only reason the 92 Duke game has taken on legendary status is because Laettner made that shot. He misses and only ones that would think much of that game would be UK and Duke fans. Not sure UK wins a title that year anyway, although it was a heart breaker.
My first would be 2015 game cause that would have been a shot at immortality as someone said, those don't come around often. I'd have liked our chances in the title game.
2nd would be the loss to UCLA and Wooden for obvious reasons
3rd the 97 game for the title for 3 in a row. Although you know how you sometime get a feeling watching a game and mine was I never thought UK was going to win that game even when it went to OT.
My first would be 2015 game cause that would have been a shot at immortality as someone said, those don't come around often. I'd have liked our chances in the title game.
2nd would be the loss to UCLA and Wooden for obvious reasons
3rd the 97 game for the title for 3 in a row. Although you know how you sometime get a feeling watching a game and mine was I never thought UK was going to win that game even when it went to OT.
The Mississippi State game in the SEC tournament this year. I was promised that if we won that we were going to go on a roll all the way to the championship.
What’s up with these “no guarantees we win ‘98” if we win ‘97? If we win ‘75 then there’s no guarantee we win ‘78. That is NOT the question.
If you could change ONE DAMN GAME’s outcome from a loss to a win which ONE would it be. I said ‘97 title game, not change the the history of UK basketball. What am I, Doc Brown?
If you could change ONE DAMN GAME’s outcome from a loss to a win which ONE would it be. I said ‘97 title game, not change the the history of UK basketball. What am I, Doc Brown?
Well we did beat IU earlier in the year and it would have been a rematch. So at least a good shot at that one. I think Duke beat the freshmen version of the Michigan Fab 5 by like 20 in the title game. As good as we played Duke and with all that experience + Mashburn our chances were good to win it. So we had a really good shot at that title.
This. Anyone who says different, or any game that if we win, we win a ship, is stupid.
I would (tough decision) rank them:
2015 Wisc (perfection, we don’t lose that one to Duke, and it takes a title from Duke)
1975 UCLA (+1 for UK, -1 for cheater UCLA, but before my time)
1997 Ariz (3 maybe?)
1992 Duke (one of 2 most painful losses)
1984 G-town (my first year as fan)
2014 UConn
1993 Mich (loved that team)
2010 WVU (we had the best team, and could take one from Duke)
2017 UNCheat (win that one I liked our chances)
1966 Tex West (I still think we get negative stigma if had won)
2003 Marq (one of my favorite UK teams)
2011 UConn
2019 COVID (I know was 6 wins shy, but was liking our chances)
2015 Wisc (perfection, we don’t lose that one to Duke, and it takes a title from Duke)
1975 UCLA (+1 for UK, -1 for cheater UCLA, but before my time)
1997 Ariz (3 maybe?)
1992 Duke (one of 2 most painful losses)
1984 G-town (my first year as fan)
2014 UConn
1993 Mich (loved that team)
2010 WVU (we had the best team, and could take one from Duke)
2017 UNCheat (win that one I liked our chances)
1966 Tex West (I still think we get negative stigma if had won)
2003 Marq (one of my favorite UK teams)
2011 UConn
2019 COVID (I know was 6 wins shy, but was liking our chances)
Hard to choose between 15, 97, or 75
Though if we in 75 would we have won 78, without the pressure of Hall never having won a title? It would be a shame if Goose and the rest never get won that year.
Though if we in 75 would we have won 78, without the pressure of Hall never having won a title? It would be a shame if Goose and the rest never get won that year.
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I was going to post 84 as my second after 75 UCLA would now only have 10 and we would have 9. Wanted Bowie and Turpin to go on and win it all. Never saw such a bad shooting performance for a second half in my life up to that point.
Agreed. We would have had to play Duke and our game would have had to been flawless; we wouldn’t have gotten any favors that game
There are several games. To Start, I’m going to say 1992 and I’ll tell you why:
(Keep in my this is just mostly my opinion)
Krzyzewski had won the title in 1991..his first..
Kentucky winning in 1992 may not have guarantees a title for US that year, although it’s highly possible, but it may well have put the brakes On the media juggernaut Duke became. I honestly believe we would have won the title that year as well.
1966 is huge, too, given the years of racist accusations we’ve endured over the years. That would have been the case for any all white team who played Texas Western. It’s the only time I’d say I wish we had lost a game before the Final Four
1997 is difficult to say:
2003 hurt for sure
Really I could pick almost any year and say why but there are too many to count. The bigger question is what would the repercussions have been HAD we won or lost said games?
(Keep in my this is just mostly my opinion)
Krzyzewski had won the title in 1991..his first..
Kentucky winning in 1992 may not have guarantees a title for US that year, although it’s highly possible, but it may well have put the brakes On the media juggernaut Duke became. I honestly believe we would have won the title that year as well.
1966 is huge, too, given the years of racist accusations we’ve endured over the years. That would have been the case for any all white team who played Texas Western. It’s the only time I’d say I wish we had lost a game before the Final Four
1997 is difficult to say:
2003 hurt for sure
Really I could pick almost any year and say why but there are too many to count. The bigger question is what would the repercussions have been HAD we won or lost said games?
Anyone who doesn’t say 1966 against Texas Western doesn’t really care about UK now or they are just to young to understand why.
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