The 2014-15 Kentucky Wildcats are no longer perfect.
Kentucky Wildcats Lose First Game of Season in 2015 NCAA Tournament to Wisconsin Badgers
Many sports writers became more and more skeptical whether they would type that sentence in an article as the college basketball season went on. It did happen though, as the Wildcats lost to the Wisconsin Badgers by a score of 71 to 64. In what was a historic season, even with the loss, John Calipari’s bunch will end with a 38-1 record.
A year after a roller-coaster ride that saw a young and inexperienced Wildcats make the championship game only to lose to Connecticut, Kentucky was out for blood. They added four freshman — Karl-Anthony Towns, Trey Lyles, Devin Booker, and Tyler Ulis — to a battle-tested group of sophomores and juniors. That proved to be a devastating combination early in the season, and Kentucky danced their way to a 34-0 record entering the NCAA tournament. They were the first “Power 5” school to accomplish such a feat since the 1976 Indiana team coached by legendary Bob Knight.
Even with a loss in the Final Four in an unbelievable game against the Badgers, Kentucky has undoubtedly put themselves in the conversation for being one of the most entertaining and dominating teams in recent memory. They were a great overall team. The blue chip stars that are only a couple years out of high school learned they needed each other, and they learned that quickly. The Wildcats showed some of the most unselfish plays this season, whether it was a lob to Willie Cauley-Stein along the baseline, or a kick out from Marcus Lee to Aaron Harrison for a big three-pointer, it seemed as though they would do everything to perfection.
There’s that word again… perfection. It is what everyone strives for, but almost no one can attain. Wisconsin Badgers made sure Kentucky would have to get by them first to reach their miracle goal, and for the first time all season, the Wildcats faltered under the pressure.
Of course, the NCAA tournament is much different from the regular season. In a one-game elimination type of format, it is natural for teams to get nervous in the middle or end of games. There is literally no tomorrow. For a team like Kentucky, who was expected to win the tournament, it can be a bad five or six minute stretch that not only ruins their record, but their season. It’s the ultimate pressure-packed situation, and some teams handle it better than others. It is easy to think the Wildcats handle that situation better than everyone else, but that’s why they play the games.