I believe the difference was in the match ups. Having two bigs that are threats from the 3 point line is something UK has not seen and their bigs are not perimeter defenders.

 

It will be interesting to see the response from the NCAA if Wisconsin does beat Duke, which is essentially another one and done program.

Apparently a shot clock was a new thing to UK.

If money controlled the outcome of games UK would have won, a Duke-UK matchup in the title would be the biggest title game in the past 15 years probably

 

I hear many say this, and it just isn't true except for Kentucky fans.

WCS was a total no show and very poor offense management in last 4:00. Wisconsin out rebounded Cats 34-22. The veterans (Frank and Dekker) dominated the last possessions of the game. The no call on the obvious flagrant 1 and the horrible missed call on the shot clock violation were a wash . Wisconsin was just the better team and out-hustled and out-coached the Cats. Historical season though.

Also, I think every ref hates Cal. He always is on them and never lets things go. I think it's a personal problem between all of them, not a origanizational problem.

No one rides the refs like Coach K. Do the refs have it out for Duke as well?

No one rides the refs like Coach K. Do the refs have it out for Duke as well?

 

No... Don't you see all those flops Duke gets away with?

I hear many say this, and it just isn't true except for Kentucky fans.

 

I think you're wrong there. Duke-UK both are among the most popular--and most hated programs in the country. They are 2 of the true blue bloods of the sport. I don't think you'd find two current programs that would draw a bigger ratings number in the finals.

I think you're wrong there. Duke-UK both are among the most popular--and most hated programs in the country. They are 2 of the true blue bloods of the sport. I don't think you'd find two current programs that would draw a bigger ratings number in the finals.

 

Agreed. Ratings would have been huge Monday night.

 

 

Maybe the conspiracy goes even higher....

Could the conspiracy be that Cal just didn't do what needed to be done? That he only had a plan A, no plan B? Could it be that he just got out coached? Could it be that the youth of this team rendered them a little less able to make the decisions they needed to when they hit a rough spot? Could it be that the experience of the other team helped them steady the course for themselves? Could it be that a team finally found a way to exploit the weaknesses of the Cats, had the game plan and personnel to do it?

 

There are bad calls in every game. It happens. They go both ways. No one is paying anyone to make them.

 

Or maybe a couple of players missed a couple of shots they usually hit. It happens

Oh my goodness. Excuses, excuses, excuses.

This is the kind of thread that drives so many non-UK fans nuts and makes them really dislike UK. It's as if to some (not all) UK fans that it is UK's God given right to win the NCAA championship every year and if they don't, it is because of some conspiracy (NCAA, Vegas, refs...) against them. Please remember the other teams practice, the other teams have good players, the other teams have good coaches. The other teams are trying too...sometimes they just beat UK.

Yep. NCAA has no interest in a Duke/UK Natty game. Nobody would have watched it. Cal is a great recruiter. He is a mediocre game coach. He ran into a team that didnt allow his team to get runouts for easy buckets and forced them into the half court, and that weren't any good at it. Between not shaking hands, the A Harrison disaster, and the complete whiny woe is me fan base makes me as a UK hater giggle with happiness. Keep it up. Threads like these are pure gold.

Officials tend to get caught up in the momentum of the game. When UK had momentum, some calls went their way, late in the game after UK let the Badgers get the momentum back, there were 2-3 very bad calls that went against the Cats. They lost their composure and started blaming the officials instead of being aggressive and taking the game back over. Wisconsin regained their composure and executed better in crunch time and got a well deserved win. Officials miss calls every game, some are more crucial obviously, but UK had the opportunity to put it away, and didn't do it.

No... Don't you see all those flops Duke gets away with?

 

I like this Duke team, they don't seem to embrace the "flop", play really hard and together.

 

I think flopping should really be a T, since it is really no better than a method of trying to cheat in my opinion.