INDIANAPOLIS - For the first time since April 7, 2014, when the final
horn sounded the Kentucky Wildcats were not celebrating a victory.
For the first time all season, it was Kentucky that faltered down the
stretch as the opponent surged, and for the first time all season
Kentucky (38-1) was on the losing side of a game, falling to Wisconsin
71-64.
"Could not be more proud of this group of young people," UK head coach
John Calipari said. "What they did all year, just took us all on a
ride, our staff, our school, our state. Took us on a ride. We all
wanted to win those last two. These kids wanted to win it in the worst
way."
It was a season to remember, but more specifically, it was a team to
remember. Nine McDonald's All-Americans bought in, put the team and
their teammates before themselves, sacrificed, gave back and showed
what hard work and a selfless attitude can accomplish.
After the game, players spoke about the heartache of defeat in a
somber locker room reminiscent of a funeral visitation, and looked
back on the bond they shared throughout a historic season.
"The journey that we made with these guys right here--I know everybody
says that they love their teammates but we really are like brothers,"
sophomore Andrew Harrison said.
"It's the best team I've ever been a part of," freshman guard Devin
Booker said. "Best guys I've ever been a part of. Best coaching
staff."
"I think I'll just remember how much we love each other," freshman
forward Karl-Anthony Towns said. "We really love each other a lot. I
think it's our love that keeps us so together, even in this hard time.
It's hard. It's hard to think right now, but we just love each other
so much. That's what I'm going to take away: how close we really are
as a family, and how people really don't understand how close we
really are. Like brothers. How we almost always do everything
together, no matter what."
Despite the loss, the Wildcats still made history in a number of ways.
Their 38 wins are tied for the most wins in college basketball
history, and their 38-game winning streak is the longest ever to open
a season. The Cats became the first team from a power conference to
enter the postseason undefeated since Indiana in 1976.
They faced adversity, rallying from late deficits in each of their
first two Southeastern Conference games to ultimately win in overtime.
They also rallied late on the road against LSU and Georgia and again
in the Elite Eight round against Notre Dame before coming up with the
winning plays.
The fifth-youngest team in the country, these Wildcats played, spoke
and acted like seasoned veterans throughout a season in which they
received more national attention than any other college basketball
program has in the history of the sport.
Thirty-eight and 0 is how they started the night. The lone blemish
they leave it with is what had each of them questioning whether the
season was a success.
"For our personal goals I feel like it kind of ruins the season,"
Booker said. "But again, you can't overlook what we've done this year.
Thirty-eight and 0 is incredible, but we wanted the championship."
Kentucky's ninth championship banner will have to wait. After having
played in the Final Four in four of the past five seasons, no one
knows how long that wait will last. The 2015-16 version will
undoubtedly be a different one as some Wildcats will surely leave
Lexington after the semester is over to pursue their professional
careers.
In the immediate aftermath of the loss, however, all of the focus was
pointed inward toward each other and how much they will miss the team
camaraderie and brotherhood established through a grueling season that
began in the summer at the Bahamas, and ended in the spring in the
national semifinals.
"It's definitely a close-knit group and I'm going to miss all these
guys because the seniors and the rest of us who have a decision to
make, we won't ever be on the same team," sophomore guard Aaron
Harrison said. "It's just disappointing."
Disappointing, sure, but the special nature of their accomplishments,
despite the loss, wasn't forgotten.
"This season is historic," Coach Cal said. "I just can't believe
anybody is going to do what these kids just did to get to this point
unblemished with the schedule they played, then how they did it."
And it wasn't only what the team accomplished on the court, but also
all of their acts of greatness off the court. With a fan base as
passionate as any in the country backing the team's every basket or
defensive stop, these Wildcats recognized their place in the fabric of
the Commonwealth of Kentucky, as well as the Big Blue Nation as a
whole.
They visited hospitals, connected with fans and those less fortunate,
participated in the ALS Challenge and Samaritan's Feet, and
represented what many ask for in a team: humility, selflessness,
teamwork and talent.
In the eyes of Towns, more than the records, more than the numbers,
that may be what this team is remembered for the most.
"I think we should be remembered as great basketball players (and)
great human beings," Towns said. "A team that shows that success is
more important than individual success. Accolades don't count as much
as the team success. That we all gave up a part of ourselves for each
other to make a perfect mold in our minds. I think that just shows
that talent doesn't always come with egos, but it comes with great
human beings also."
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