What seasons/games could we really have had another championship if just a little something had been different.
66 Sick players?
70 Casey injury?
75 Wooden curtain call announcement blah
93 Fab Five was a touch matchup. Squeak by in OT and I think we beat UNC.
95 If we beat UNC I think we win but this one may may need to be taken off
97 one FT Nazr/Anderson injury
03 Bogans injury/Wade ugh
10 horrid shooting/match up well in FF
11 Just get past a hot UConn and Kemba Walker and imo we win
14 just ran out of gas and stupid Shabazz couldn't be stopped
15 just a minor adjustment or two and we win it all imo/Dekker killing us on matchups
From the above, if we would just have gotten 5/11. Wow.
Nice list! I'll go by what I've been around for regarding the years you listed...
1993 - I've only watched that game once. I just remember Ford struggling with his shot and some of the calls that didn't go our way in the second half, especially Mash fouling out, killed us. That Michigan team was legit, talent-wise. Still, definitely one I wish we could get back.
1995 - This one was a legit loss in my book. You can't expect to win when you shoot under 30% for the game. Shots weren't falling and UNC had a good team that year.
1997 - This game will always kill me. DA on the sideline, could he have played? I know he came out and hit the two free throws vs Minnesota two nights before after the tech. I respect Pitino for looking out for his player, but man what could have been! Not to mention Arizona didn't score a single field goal in OT! All free throws. I remember losing my s#it watching essentially all of our starters foul out.
2003 - Bogans rolling his ankle vs Wisconsin...Wisconsin has been ruining Big Blue lives for years! Wade had a game for the ages and honestly I'm not even sure if a two legged Bogans would have helped. Wade was just in a zone that few college basketball players have ever been in. And he chose to be in that zone against us unfortunately. 26 in a row and a stacked team, they absolutely would have won had they not run into Dwyane Wade at the wrong time.
2010 - At the time this was the most painful loss since He Who Shall Not Be Named. Brick after brick, watching our guys struggle with the 1-3-1 and Joe Mazzulla having his way with our team. Easily one of the most frustrating 40 minutes of basketball ever. Knowing the talent that was on that floor, three franchise players (Wall, Boogie, Bledsoe) plus a solid rotation guy in PPatt. That team and that game is one that will forever hurt.
2011 - Terrence Jones going 0-5 from the free throw for the game is probably the most infuriating. When Knight's first two shots came up short I knew we were in trouble. Considering we had knocked off both OSU and UNC who were probably both better teams then us, I can't get that mad. But then again, UCONN was a one man wrecking crew with Kemba and we should have beat them. They smacked us around earlier in the year which should have been enough motivation to end their season and then dust off Butler for our 8th title.
2014 - Again, we were playing a bit with house money. But so was UCONN. Two teams hit their stride at the right time. We probably rode the greatest revenge tour I've seen that March. Knocking off an undefeated team, ending Ricky P's season, game winners vs Michigan and Wiscy. Shabazz and Boatwright were just too much. Not to mention losing Willie inside and Randle cramping up the entire game. Ugh, this one hurts more now that I start thinking about it.
2015 - This is the mother of upsets. The most difficult loss as a UK fan I've ever endured. I was in Indy, had tickets for Monday night. Sitting at a bar downtown with my closest of friends. We had bought our tickets to the title game on Selection Sunday. To go there and feel the weight of that loss. The first loss since losing to UCONN the year before. Pain of astronomical proportions. A lot of people point to Poy being out and thinking he could have guarded Dekker, perhaps not allowed him to hit that three from the top of the key. Or the Nigel Hayes shot after the shot clock. Ultimately we ran into the one team in the nation who could bang with us that year. If we played them 10 more times I think we win all 10. But they knocked us in the mouth and instead of feeding Karl, we went to Willie who ended up with 2 and 5 that game. The twins were on the court while Booker and Ulis sat on the bench. We only took 5 three point attempts for the game. There are so many things Cal probably looks at that occurred during that game that he would change. We had our shot at immortality. And we came up short.
