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Kentucky: A team, season to remember

For the first time since April 7, 2014, when the final horn sounded the Kentucky Wildcats were not celebrating a victory.

Kentucky Huddle - photo by Walter Cornett

Huddle – photo by Walter Cornett

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 71-64.

“Could not be more proud of this group of young people,” head coach 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.

Read full article here.

On This Day In UK Basketball History

On March 28, 1992, in what many called the “best NCAA Tournament game ever,” Kentucky takes defending NCAA champion Duke into overtime before losing 104-103 in the East Regional finals in Philadelphia. A last-second shot by Christian Laettner sends Duke to the Final Four, and breaks the hearts of Wildcat fans everywhere. It is Cawood Ledford’s last game as the “Voice of the Wildcats.”

 

On March 28, 1998, against Stanford, Kentucky rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit, then grabbed a 5-point overtime lead, before fending off the Cardinals to advance to the title game for the third straight season. Jeff Sheppard canned three long-range three-pointers - two in the final three minutes and one in overtime - en route to a career-high 27 points.

 

On March 28, 2014, unranked Kentucky beat No. 5 Louisville 74-69, in the 2014 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.  Aaron Harrison buried a three-pointer from the left corner with 39 seconds left that put UK ahead to stay before 41,072 in Lucas Oil Stadium.

 

On March 28, 2015, No. 1 Kentucky defeated No. 8 Notre Dame, 68-66, in the 2015 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.  With its 37-0 record on the line, Kentucky trailed Notre Dame 59-53 with 6:14 left. UK rallied in front of 19,464 fans in Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena and preserved its perfect season thanks to a crucial blocked shot by Willie Cauley-Stein and two game-deciding free throws from Andrew Harrison in the final seconds.

 

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