Cats’ story not done yet
March 31, 2014
By David Schuh | Men’s basketball columnist
INDIANAPOLIS — UK is writing a story for the ages.
It seems like an ESPN documentary playing out right before our eyes: A 10-loss team that was dead, relegated to an 8-seed in the NCAA Tournament, trying somehow to prolong a season that seemed destined for an abrupt, disappointing end.
After four wins (three of which many will undoubtedly say are the greatest games they’ve ever seen in person), the Cats are improbably going to the Final Four.
From every setback, they rose. With deficits of nine points against Wichita State University, 13 against the University of Louisville and 10 on Sunday against the University of Michigan, the Cats fought back.
On Sunday, UK’s deficit seemed like it might have been too big of a hurdle to overcome. Sophomore forward Willie Cauley-Stein’s left ankle injury kept UK’s rim protector on the bench in a sweatshirt and crutches. Without him, many wondered whether the Cats’ obvious size advantage would be compromised and overcome by the sharpshooting Wolverines.
Freshman forward Marcus Lee came out of nowhere. After scoring just nine points in the calendar year, Lee tallied 10 by halftime. He blocked shots, defended Michigan guards on ball screens and blocked two shots at the rim.
When one man went down, another stepped up.
Three weeks ago, UK seemingly didn’t know how to overcome those obstacles, how to make the big play or even how to win. Fans had mentally prepared to move on to next season, accepting that this team filled with ultra-talented freshmen would never figure it out.
So as those same fans dance in the streets in Lexington, celebrating a team that impossibly beat three of last year’s Final Four teams in eight days, I can’t help but wonder how it is possible that UK is one of four teams left standing.
An enigmatic group of 18-year-olds look like the seasoned veterans. They are the ones making the big shots in the waning seconds, the ones keeping their heads with the greatest pressure on their shoulders.
“They play better when they’re down, and I don’t know why,” UK head coach John Calipari said. “They play fearless, they’re aggressive … and they have a will to win.”
In the past three weeks, Calipari has unleashed a monster — a team with more talent and more to prove than any in the country, playing its best when every game could be its last.
Everyone thought UK would make the Final Four. But that was six months ago as the preseason No. 1 team in the country, sporting the best recruiting class in history. The odds were certainly in the Cats’ favor then.
Ten losses later, Sunday night seemed like a miracle that had no chance. Not even the most ardent of the Big Blue Nation could have honestly believed in such a fairytale.
Everyone was wrong. Everything we believed about UK was wrong, or at least premature. So the Cats will embark to Dallas next weekend with a sea of blue-clad fans behind them.
Time after time, it has seemed like their season would end. These young Cats wouldn’t let it.
Their story isn’t quite done yet.
