Does last night rank as number 1? The way the team played last night, would have to go all the way back to I believe the 1984 game against Georgetown when they could not do anything right. How does last night's loss compare to the Duke loss,the UAB loss, the Marquette loss several years ago, the Michigan State loss? What are your top 5 most heartbreaking tournament losses ever?

The 1984 game against Georgetown is still #1 with me. The 1992 is hard to call disappointing because I honestly didn't expect them to win that game. It hurt like crazy because of the way it ended, but it didn't compare to 1984. Last night was also disappointing, but it wasn't surprising.

What about UAB beating UK? Or maybe Marquette?

What about UAB beating UK? Or maybe Marquette?

 

 

Sure both of those games were disappointing, but they still don't compare to the 1984 game to me. The Cats shot 9%, yes 9% from the field in the 2nd half in that game after leading by 7 at the half. How does that happen when you have two 7 footers, both of which had been All Americans, a 6'9 guy that can jump out of they gym, and a guard that was a great shooter from the outside.

The 1984 game against Georgetown is still #1 with me. The 1992 is hard to call disappointing because I honestly didn't expect them to win that game. It hurt like crazy because of the way it ended, but it didn't compare to 1984. Last night was also disappointing, but it wasn't surprising.

 

Am right with you on the '84 game, just because expectations were so so high for that year as well as this year and both games were atrocious as far as play wise. That team had the twin towers, as well as a very good starting 5. The UAB game just remember was a huge disappointment as well as the 'Dwayne Wade' game. '92 can't really be lumped into these games because they overacheived to begin with by getting that far. Anyone remember much about the UAB game or even more about the '84 game?

Sure both of those games were disappointing, but they still don't compare to the 1984 game to me. The Cats shot 9%, yes 9% from the field in the 2nd half in that game after leading by 7 at the half. How does that happen when you have two 7 footers, both of which had been All Americans, a 6'9 guy that can jump out of they gym, and a guard that was a great shooter from the outside.

 

Didn't Master just have an awful game? Was Beal on that team?

The 2005 Michigan State game was tough. We were so close and played so hard.

What about the '93 game against the Fab 5 after the way they blew everybody away coming into that game? Was the OT loss to MSU(the Patrick Sparks game) in the top 5?

Didn't Master just have an awful game? Was Beal on that team?

 

 

Yes Beal was the starting PG on that team. The Cats also had Winston Bennett and James Blackman as Freshman on that team.

The 1997 loss would also rank way up there for me. That one was tough knowing that Derek Anderson was healthy enough to play, wanted to play, but Pitino wouldn't play him. I'm not saying I blame Pitino, but knowing that he was on the bench, and that the Cats would have won if he had played really hurt.

This years game would not rank in my top 5 of dissappointing losses. You have to be thrilled that Kentucky was back in the mix after the past couple of years on below average teams. I'm hurt that we lost, but i'm also happy at the year these players gave us Kentucky fans this season. They brought back pride in the bluegrass state. IMO my heart breaking losses are:

 

1. Duke loss is by far the most dissappointment for me. Not even close!

 

 

2. Arizona in 1997

3. Louisville (not sure of the year in Knoxville) for a Final 4 trip. I believe Melvin Turpin was on that team.

4. UAB

5. Marquette

1. Texas Western 1966 championship game. Flu bug and injuries got the best of the Cats. Plus, Texas Western was pretty darn good.:sssh:

 

2. UCLA 1975 championship game. Wooden's last game. No way UCLA was going to lose this game, regardless of how the Cats played.

 

3. North Carolina 1977 regional final. UNC gets the lead and plays stall ball the rest of the game. Hit all their free throws too. Knocked UK out of what would have been back to back national championships imo.

 

4. Arizona 1997 championship game. Derek Anderson's injury keeps UK from winning another title.

 

5. Marquette 2003 regional final. Bogans played injured but I don't know if it would have mattered. Wade was incredible that day.

 

6. Louisville 1983 regional final. UK's Minniefield should have been given the Louisville MVP at their awards banquet that year.

 

7. Georgetown 1984. Twin towers and a great team but they could score in the second half. Unreal poor shooting. Lead at halftime didn't last long.

 

8. Jacksonville 1970 regional final. Bogus charging call on Dan Issel cost UK another national championship banner imo.

 

9. North Carolina 1995 regional final. Rhodes laid an egg in his last game in a UK uniform. UK had blown out every team up to that point, and if they take care of this game like they should have I believe they would have cruised to the national championship.

 

10.(A) Duke 1992. Team overachieved but it was a hurtful loss.

10. (B) Michigan 1993. Mashburn fouls out on a bad call and Dale Brown's injury late in the game defeated the Cats. UK was ref-jobbed in this one.

This years game would not rank in my top 5 of dissappointing losses. You have to be thrilled that Kentucky was back in the mix after the past couple of years on below average teams. I'm hurt that we lost, but i'm also happy at the year these players gave us Kentucky fans this season. They brought back pride in the bluegrass state. IMO my heart breaking losses are:

 

1. Duke loss is by far the most dissappointment for me. Not even close!

 

 

2. Arizona in 1997

3. Louisville (not sure of the year in Knoxville) for a Final 4 trip. I believe Melvin Turpin was on that team.

4. UAB

5. Marquette

 

 

Using your logic, why is the Duke game #1 for you? It seems that the circumstances were the exact same for that game as they were for the WVU game, except for the fact that Uk wasn't expected to win the Duke game. They were a program just getting started after some dissapointing seasons.

 

1. Arizona in 97

2. Mich St.- I loved Chuck Hayes and didn't want to see him go

3. Marquette- Bogans getting hurt killed us

4. UAB- Taylor bothers burst onto the scene and quickly burned out

5. WVU- I am very happy with what this team accomplished and it is hard to have such high expectations for freshman, but I just can't see another class like this coming along for a while.

 

Just to clarify, I'm only 27 so these are the worst that I've seen. And I did cry at the Duke loss in 92, but I was really too young to understand at the time.

Edited March 28, 201016 yr by Devil4Life33
Adding to post

I'm 28 years old and the first NCAA tournament that I remember was in 1988, so I can't say anything about the disappointing losses to Georgetown in '84 or LSU in '86, although my dad's disappointment in those over the years make me feel like I remember them. But since 1988, it would look like this:

 

1. 1992 - Duke 104, Kentucky 103, ot (Elite 8)

Everything always means more when you are young and I was only ten. I really had never seen a Kentucky team challenge for a national title and I thought this team was there for sure. I didn't know that we weren't as talented as Duke; I guess I was too young. But as a fifth grader I cried when Laettner hit his shot and it hurts the same this many years later.

 

2. 1995 - North Carolina 74, Kentucky 61 (Elite 8)

This season seemed like a championship year. Everyone knew Kentucky was good and the Cats had absolutely blitzed their first three tournament opponents. I knew Carolina would be difficult, but I didn't think we would be intimidated. We were, and it showed. Plus, the shooting was awful. The positive was that it set the stage for an absolute torching of the 1996 season.

 

3. 2005 - Michigan State 94, Kentucky 88, 2ot (Elite 8)

Something about losing in the Elite 8 hurts worse than losing at any other time. This one was about as bad as any. Kentucky was the higher seed, but I don't believe we were much, if at all, better than the Spartans. It was just a great game that was lost due to poor execution and perhaps to a better team. In no way do we win a title that year, but I'd like to have at least made it to St. Louis.

 

4. 2004 - UAB 76, Kentucky 75 (Second Round)

Prohibitive favorite. Dominated the conference. Clutch group of solid seniors. And it's all gone by Sunday evening of the first weekend. Still a big what-if at my house.

 

5. 1997 - Arizona 84, Kentucky 79, ot (National Championship)

Most would think that losing a national championship would be higher and certainly it was bad. But I think I was still happy about winning it the year before. And then winning it again in 1998 has made me almost forget the Arizona loss. It's weird to say that, but it's true. Also, if Kentucky wins this title, what happens in '98? Does Pitino stay? Does Tubby still win one? Lots of what-ifs tied to this game.

 

HONORABLE MENTION

 

1993 - Michigan 81, Kentucky 78 ot (Final Four)

As I said, I didn't remember the '84 Final Four so this was my first time. I was sort of in a "just happy to be there" mode so this one has never killed me.

 

2003 - Marquette 83, Kentucky 69 (Elite 8)

Bogans getting hurt in the Sweet 16 had me worried about Marquette, but I had fretted over them ever since I saw Dwyane Wade single-handedly beat Louisville earlier in the season. He was dominant and it was never close. Hard to be disappointed when you just flat out get beat.

 

2010 - West Virginia 73, Kentucky 66

Maybe this will hurt more in the future, but right now I'm pretty happy. Kentucky came from the depths of the valley to the top of the peak in 365 days. I would have been ecstatic a year ago if you promised me 35-3 and the Elite 8. The players were so fun to watch. The talent was so impressive. I'm choosing to remember the good times!

The 1997 loss would also rank way up there for me. That one was tough knowing that Derek Anderson was healthy enough to play, wanted to play, but Pitino wouldn't play him. I'm not saying I blame Pitino, but knowing that he was on the bench, and that the Cats would have won if he had played really hurt.

Derek Anderson couldn't have played that game. No one is ready to play two months after having surgery to repair a torn ACL. There is no way that Anderson could have had the lateral movement required to play basketball.