Change the outcome of a game (no E8, FF, Title)

[Joneslab]

I have a very hot take about Wisconsin. I mean this is scalding hot. I'm almost ashamed to say it.

But Wisconsin doesn't bother me as much as some of our other losses only because I had a feeling Wisconsin was going to beat us when I first saw them back in November.

They were the team I feared the most. And when you put the revenge factor from the Aaron Harrison game in there...I wasn't surprised at all about what happened in that game.

I mean (and this is blasphemous) I'm not even entirely sure Kentucky was that much better than that Wisconsin team. I mean yeah, we should've won. Coaching mistakes, etc. No doubt.

But Wisconsin didn't move the needle for me anywhere close to how the COVID team did, or St. Peter's, or Oakland.

That's just an explanation about why I personally didn't go out and buy a pitchfork. I was still pretty high on Cal through 2020 and that Quickley team. That said, the whole one-and-done philosophy paired with a dismissal of in-game coaching did rear its head long before 2020 for sure, so some of the signs were there.

[SportsFan]

I have a very hot take about Wisconsin. I mean this is scalding hot. I'm almost ashamed to say it.

But Wisconsin doesn't bother me as much as some of our other losses only because I had a feeling Wisconsin was going to beat us when I first saw them back in November.

They were the team I feared the most. And when you put the revenge factor from the Aaron Harrison game in there...I wasn't surprised at all about what happened in that game.

I mean (and this is blasphemous) I'm not even entirely sure Kentucky was that much better than that Wisconsin team. I mean yeah, we should've won. Coaching mistakes, etc. No doubt.

But Wisconsin didn't move the needle for me anywhere close to how the COVID team did, or St. Peter's, or Oakland.

That's just an explanation about why I personally didn't go out and buy a pitchfork. I was still pretty high on Cal through 2020 and that Quickley team. That said, the whole one-and-done philosophy paired with a dismissal of in-game coaching did rear its head long before 2020 for sure, so some of the signs were there.

That's not as crazy as you think others might perceive it.

Wisconsin was a good team. They were well coached and had solid players who were fundamentally sound and could shoot. Two guys played for several years in the NBA. They were the exact type of team that would worry me in that situation.

I think it's just the disappointment in going 38-0 and being that close. It just screamed "CAL'S A CHOKER!!! IT'S MEMPHIS UP 7 AGAINST KANSAS WITH LESS THAN A MINUTE TO GO ALL OVER AGAIN!"

No, that's not crazy... looking at it from an "opponent " standpoint. For me, the disappointment was like I said, along the "Cal's a choker" standpoint.

And that's why....the real "I've had it with Cal" moment occured in 2019. I remember walking out of the room in disgust.... looking back over my shoulder at the score on the TV to make sure that it was really real....when we lost to Auburn in the Elite 8 in 2019. I think that was the moment I realized that John Calipari was never winning another national championship again at Kentucky. But Cal actually did me one better. He never made it out of the first weekend again after that. Hey, he had his "lifetime contract" after that, so what did he care .....

[WeWant9]

I have a very hot take about Wisconsin. I mean this is scalding hot. I'm almost ashamed to say it.

But Wisconsin doesn't bother me as much as some of our other losses only because I had a feeling Wisconsin was going to beat us when I first saw them back in November.

They were the team I feared the most. And when you put the revenge factor from the Aaron Harrison game in there...I wasn't surprised at all about what happened in that game.

I mean (and this is blasphemous) I'm not even entirely sure Kentucky was that much better than that Wisconsin team. I mean yeah, we should've won. Coaching mistakes, etc. No doubt.

But Wisconsin didn't move the needle for me anywhere close to how the COVID team did, or St. Peter's, or Oakland.

That's just an explanation about why I personally didn't go out and buy a pitchfork. I was still pretty high on Cal through 2020 and that Quickley team. That said, the whole one-and-done philosophy paired with a dismissal of in-game coaching did rear its head long before 2020 for sure, so some of the signs were there.

I knew I didn’t want to see Wisc after we played UGA in Athens. We seemed to have struggles with that style, and Wisc played a similar style with way better talent. I hate everything about Wisc, but I do respect that core of players and honestly wish we could’ve had a game 3. But I will forever have nightmares of Bo Ryan switching Dekker into Bookers defense.

[Joneslab]

When Dekker hit the three with under 2:00 to play to put them up 3 I knew. That was more than a dagger, it was a sword.

In the mentioned Auburn game, Cal did the team no favors but there was a play at the very end of regulation where he gave it to Reid Travis and Travis could've iced the game, but he missed an easy shot and left the door open. One of those great what-if moments.

[Fox2Monk]

2004 UAB for sure then. Second place would be 2016 Indiana game.

[true blue1]

It was definitely the 2004 UAB game!

[H00SIER-Cat1997]

1975 UK vs. UCLA .

UK would now have 9 and UCLA would have 10.

[The Great Bordeni]

The game at North Carolina in 1991. We outplayed them all game long and then got homered by the refs and an 81-74 lead became an 84-81 loss.

[The Great Bordeni]

I have a very hot take about Wisconsin. I mean this is scalding hot. I'm almost ashamed to say it.

But Wisconsin doesn't bother me as much as some of our other losses only because I had a feeling Wisconsin was going to beat us when I first saw them back in November.

They were the team I feared the most. And when you put the revenge factor from the Aaron Harrison game in there...I wasn't surprised at all about what happened in that game.

I mean (and this is blasphemous) I'm not even entirely sure Kentucky was that much better than that Wisconsin team. I mean yeah, we should've won. Coaching mistakes, etc. No doubt.

But Wisconsin didn't move the needle for me anywhere close to how the COVID team did, or St. Peter's, or Oakland.

That's just an explanation about why I personally didn't go out and buy a pitchfork. I was still pretty high on Cal through 2020 and that Quickley team. That said, the whole one-and-done philosophy paired with a dismissal of in-game coaching did rear its head long before 2020 for sure, so some of the signs were there.

You know why that game didn't affect me the way it could have? I watched the "homer" broadcast with Dave and Rex. Rex was calling out the fouls that I was seeing and I didn't have to listen to national broadcasters rooting for the underdog.

[Joneslab]

You know why that game didn't affect me the way it could have? I watched the "homer" broadcast with Dave and Rex. Rex was calling out the fouls that I was seeing and I didn't have to listen to national broadcasters rooting for the underdog.

I think we were screaming too much in our living room to hear anything.

And that's another thing: there was A LOT of pressure on that game. A few people pointed out during that season how it just became not fun as it moved toward the end, simply because the pressure was too much.

I don't totally agree with that. That team was awesome. But I get the sentiment. I've always felt like if they dropped two or three during the season they might've won that Wisconsin game...maybe.

[KCKUKFan]

I don't totally agree with that. That team was awesome. But I get the sentiment. I've always felt like if they dropped two or three during the season they might've won that Wisconsin game...maybe.

I don't buy this.

We play that Wisconsin team ten times, we win eight. That's the joy and pain of the NCAA tournament. Losing a couple of Tuesday night games during the season wouldn't have changed that outcome. We had a tough matchup go off down the stretch, and we made some crucial playmaking errors. It happens.
I think the pressure was more immense on Cal than on our players; none of them seemed particularly phased. They were all clearly shocked at the end.

You could, however, see the pressure all OVER the faces of our guys in the 2014 championship game. Those guys weren't ready for that spotlight that night.

[Trueblujr]

I'd rather change the outcome of Cal trying to go to UCLA around 2018 or whenever that was. If we'd have let him go, it would have changed the trajectory of the program.

Well, would we have Pope right now if that was the case? The trajectory could have went either direction depending on the hire. Remember Billy Gillispie?

As for the game that stings the most right now I'll say the Oakland game simply because that team was way too good to even be challenged by a team like Oakland.

[darkshadesofblue]

What most have already said 2004 UAB
That team was clicking towards the end of the year and a lot had Kentucky winning it, all it took was one bad game

I would also say 2006 UConn, we had them down to the wire. That would’ve given the team a major boost in confidence going deeper into the tournament

[Spiritof96]

We lost to Michigan State in Rupp a few years back under Tubby. We wore hideous silver uniforms. I would have that one back. I also got tickets for some friends to go to a Kansas game in Rupp. We got blown out.

Either one of those...

[chroix]

Every Michigan State loss for about a decade. Each one of those games hurt worse than the last one to me.

I'll also throw in that GD game against A&M where they hit Humphries with the tech to make us lose. Those boys fought their asses off and earned that win and they straight up stole it from us so bad.