On April 4, 2015, Kentucky men’s basketball entered Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for its Final Four matchup against Wisconsin, just two games away from perfection.
Unfortunately for the Cats, when the final buzzer sounded, it was the Wildcats that were left shocked, heartbroken and 38-1.
Following the near perfect season, the Wildcats reset with another loaded roster that included freshmen Jamal Murray and Isaiah Briscoe to pair with sophomore returnee Tyler Ulis.
Ultimately, Kentucky finished with a 30-9 record and won the SEC Tournament, which earned the team a No. 4 seed and, in round one, the Cats easily blew out No. 15 Stoney Brook 85-67, setting up a clash with No. 5 Indiana, where a 17-4 run in the second half propelled the Hoosiers to the 73-67 upset.
While the seed-lines were close, very few watching Kentucky saw the early exit coming and were unaware of the disappointment that was to come.
Kentucky reloaded the roster the next season with a star-studded freshman class with De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk and Bam Adebayo, with the team once again winning the SEC Tournament and receiving a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats defeated Northern Kentucky 79-70 in round one, Wichita State 65-62 in the second round and, in the Sweet 16, Kentucky defeated UCLA 85-67.
With fans excited for the run and the possibility that “number nine” was on its way, Kentucky met No. 1 North Carolina in the Elite Eight. Then, with 0.3 seconds to go in the game, Luke Maye broke the hearts of Big Blue Nation by sinking a jumper to seal a 75-73 Tar Heel victory.
The next year, freshmen Kevin Knox, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and P.J. Washington arrived in Lexington and led the Wildcats to an overall record of 29-11, earning them a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Kentucky advanced with a 78-73 win over Davidson in the first round and defeated Buffalo 95-75 in the second.
With the bracket wide open after some upsets, Kentucky was set up for another favorable matchup against No. 9 Kansas State.
With Kentucky trailing, Gilgeous-Alexander had a chance to force overtime and avoid the upset, but his shot missed and the Wildcats’ season was snatched from them yet again as they lost 61-58.
In 2018, sophomores P.J. Washington and Nick Richards paired with freshmen Tyler Herro and Keldon Johnson to lead the team to an overall record of 37-7 to earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
It blew out Abilene Christian 79-44 before getting past Wofford in round two by a score of 62-56. Houston was next and Kentucky continued its run, winning 62-58.
Going into the Elite Eight, the matchup was a familiar foe as the Cats were to take on the No. 5 Auburn Tigers.
During the regular season, Kentucky had swept the Tigers by scores of 82-80 and 80-53, but finding themselves in overtime in the big dance, the Wildcats could not come back and ultimately fell 77-71. Another season, another heartbreak for Kentucky.
The next season, sophomore Immanuel Quickley, junior Nick Richards and freshman Tyrese Maxey led the Wildcats to a 28-6 overall record, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both the SEC and NCAA Tournaments were canceled, robbing Kentucky fans of what could have been the last NCAA Tournament run in recent history.
The very next season, the Cats finished 9-16 overall with a first round exit in the SEC Tournament, missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2012-13 season, but this time they weren’t even good enough for an NIT bid.
Looking to reload in 2021, transfer Oscar Tshiebwe and freshman TyTy Washington Jr. led Kentucky to an overall record of 28-8 to return to the No. 2 line for the NCAA Tournament.
With Tshiebwe being named consensus National Player of the Year, expectations were high as Kentucky entered the first round against No. 15 Saint Peter’s.
Shockingly, despite 30 points from Tshiebwe, the Wildcats were stunned in overtime 85-79.
In 2022, Tshiebwe, transfer Antonio Reeves and Jacob Toppin led Kentucky to a 22-12 overall record, a disappointing one for the expectations, and the team entered the NCAA Tournament a No. 6 seed.
Kentucky defeated Providence 61-53 in the first round, but in the second round Markquis Nowell and his 27-point performance ended the Wildcats’ season as they were defeated once again by a score of 75-69 against No. 3 Kansas State.
With the Cats failing to reach the Final Four since the heartbreaking 2014-15 campaign, the 2024 NCAA Tournament looms as freshmen phenoms Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard, along with superstar fifth-year senior Reeves, will look to right the wrongs of the teams that have come before them in hopes of capturing Kentucky basketball’s ninth National Championship.
