I have followed Kentucky basketball as long as I can remember. I've been around for 4 of our championships, but I wanted to reflect on the ones that got away for various reasons. When I think of some of the injuries or questionable calls, I could probably make a case for us winning at least 4 or 5 more in my lifetime. What if Derek Anderson played the entire year in '97, Keith Bogans didn't severely sprain his ankle in '03, Christian Laettner had been thrown out of the '92 game after stomping on Aminu Timberlake. I know injuries are a part of the game for every team, but we've had several key ones over the years....and definitely had our share of 'unfortunate' calls or no calls. I have many more, but which ones stand out to you.
We have 8 National Championships, but what if.......
- Thread starter ALL4UK
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2015 Wisconsin Final 4 game and the 2017 UNC Elite 8 game. Guess what the common denominator in both games was?
His name is John Higgins and he is the anti christ
We should have had three or four more in the 50's and 60's, but a certain referee made sure our dreams went unfulfilled. He owned and operated a small business on the outskirts of Steubenville. Of course there was no Facebook in those days, but once the BBN was on to him....
John Wooden announced his retirement the weekend of the final four in 1975, and both Louisville and Kentucky got absolutely hosed.
I agree with some of these, but not the 2003 game. We weren't winning that game.
19/75I can't remember the exact year, but Kenny Walker was a freshman, with Bowie, Turpin, and company? The loss to Jacksonville with Dan Issel, Mike Pratt, and Artis Gilmore! I thought my DAD was going to blow a gasket? He BOTH 
of those ref's! SAD LOSS... I also remember four of the eight championship's!!! GREAT MEMORIES!!!
of those ref's! SAD LOSS... I also remember four of the eight championship's!!! GREAT MEMORIES!!!All valid "possibles", but any discussion of what-should-have-been has to start with the undefeated '54 team who's graduate players were denied eligibility to play in the post season
19/75I can't remember the exact year, but Kenny Walker was a freshman, with Bowie, Turpin, and company? The loss to Jacksonville with Dan Issel, Mike Pratt, and Artis Gilmore! I thought my DAD was going to blow a gasket? He BOTH
That fifth foul on Issel was a terrible call.
I KNOW! iS MY MEMORY WRONG, OR DID BIG DAN PLAY THAT GAME WITH A STONE BRUISE ON ONE OF HIS HEEL'S?
I know it's a little bit of a reach, but with a healthy Bogans we could have possibly slowed down Wade enough to win. Bogans was definitely not himself. We also had a chance to cut the lead to 10 around the 10min mark of the second half, when Antoine Barbour was called for a 'very questionable charge'. We had made a comeback up to that point, but the momentum switched back to Marquette after that call.
I thought that announcement came on Saturday after the Louisville win in the Final Four?
I'm still pissed I was 10 my dad almost lost it.
I can still see it even today in my mind.
Not as much of a reach as you might think. I always remember reading a story by a player who'd been involved in a point shaving scandal (can't remember who, possibly from the Boston College scandal?) saying it was easy to do, and you didn't have to score less. All you needed to do was to back off your opponent a foot or so, and nobody could tell. Everyone would simply attribute a career game to the opponent, and no one would suspect. His premise was that most any high level player could go nuts if he wasn't really guarded, and backing off a foot or two is all most players needed to have a much better than average game.
Now, UK may have lost THAT particular game even so, as both Wade AND Jackson had stellar games. But Jackson's alone may not have been enough if Bogans, an excellent defender, had been himself. But with a healthy Bogans, UK wins that game 8 or 9 times out of 10. Marquette quickly folded after this victory, they were playing out of their minds, and before Bogans injury, UK was on a 26 game win streak with victories over seven ranked teams, including a 15 point pasting of then-number-one Florida (game was nowhere near as close as the final score indicated, UK was up 45-22 at the half and coasted in), a 15 point victory over #10 Notre Dame and a 20 pointer over #20 Georgia. They'd won their previous six games in the post season by an average margin of 17 and held their previous 19 opponents to an average of 59 points and a maximum of 69 (Marquette scored 83).
Mashburn fouling out of '93 final four against Michigan.[/QUOTE]
Another huge play was when Dale Brown injured his shoulder diving after a loose ball. He was having a great shooting night...6-10 (4-6 on threes). Up until that game we had completely dominated everyone we had played in the tournament.
Another huge play was when Dale Brown injured his shoulder diving after a loose ball. He was having a great shooting night...6-10 (4-6 on threes). Up until that game we had completely dominated everyone we had played in the tournament.
54 Indians, 60 Yankees, 83 Houston Cougars, 85 Georgetown Hoyas etc. It just happens.
I really hope the refs aren't trying to determine the outcome of a game. Who knows? If true, would set back the integrity of the game 100 years.
The old saying says 'It's hard to beat a team 3 times'. I would add that it's nearly impossible to beat a team 4 times...which we couldn't do. I'll never forget the name Ricky Blanton!!
Anderson plays I think we win. But one or two more made FTs would have been the same result.
Bogan's at 100% wasn't going to slow down Marquette that night (69-83) They shot 56% compared to UK's 39%. Recall that game was played in Minneapolis...basically a home game for Marquette. Dwyane Wade had a career that night scoring 29 on 11/16 shooting. UK wasn't going to win that one.
Laettner misses UK goes to the Final Four. Would have to face Indiana who had lost to UK 76-74 and then Michigan and the Fab Five as freshmen. Not a guarantee but I would have felt UK was a team of destiny in 1992.
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