Ever year, UK fans believe (realistically or not) there's a chance that year's UK Wildcats Basketball edition can win the national championship. It's part of being a fan of UK basketball. Most years, it's the opposite of realistic and just hope of your wildest dreams. This year, it was a little of both.
There are several reasons UK isn't playing for the national championship tonight and the list doesn't include the referees, Kemba Walker or John Calipari. Ultimately, the weaknesses that plagued the team all season came back to haunt them at the worst possible time. It was a case of "they are who we thought they were", but it was also a case of "they are so much more than we could've ever hoped them to be."
At the beginning of the year, if someone would've said UK would not only get to the final four this year, but do it by beating West Virginia, #1 overall seed Ohio State and UNC, most fans would've said it's crazy and it would never happen.
But, it did.
So, while it is easy to think about the "what ifs" and "could'ves" and "should'ves" for that last game, it's important to remember what an incredible feat it was for UK to have even been playing in that game. The season should be judged on the body of work and a Final Four is always a success.
It's okay to be sad and it's okay to be a little disappointed, UK fans. Just remember this happened a year before it was supposed to, and the future is very bright... with a lot of the color Blue.
Go Cats!
