So instead of studying for my finals like I should be doing, I went back and watched Kentucky-Wisconsin for the first time since the game actually happened. I would imagine a lot of you probably haven't watched it since and maybe won't ever do so. I don't blame you.
I just had some thoughts to share:
I just had some thoughts to share:
- After a really bad charge call against Wisconsin wiped away a three, Aaron Harrison scored on a layup to give Kentucky a two point lead. Then Karl-Anthony Towns grabbed two offensive rebounds and finished with a turnaround over Frank Kaminsky. This put Kentucky up 60-56. Unfortunately that's when the Cats started stalling. Harrison shot an air ball for the first shot clock violation (Trey Lyles got away with a flagrant foul by hitting Sam Dekker in the face, no idea how he didn't get called for that). Kentucky forced two stops but had three shot clock violations. Pretty infuriating to look back on it now. Some defensive credit to Wisconsin but they were only having to defend for essentially 10 seconds.
- Wisconsin was a great, great team. So efficient. Made you pay for nearly every defensive mistake you made. Kaminsky was excellent and Dekker had an unbelievable tournament up to that point and through that game. Wasn't that good against Duke in the championship.
- No idea how the refs missed the shot clock violation on Wisconsin. Obviously a huge play and eventually led to a rules change this year.
- It was simply a great college basketball game. Both teams were punched in the mouth and fought back multiple times. Willie Cauley-Stein had a really bad game and the poor offensive possessions down the stretch led to Kentucky's demise. Wisconsin made more plays in the end. I still think Kentucky wins more often than not if those two teams played 10 times. But that's the NCAA tournament for you. Just a few bad possessions was the difference in 39-0 and 38-1.
