For the first time in three years and just the third time in the John Calipari era, Kentucky won’t be playing on the final weekend of the college basketball season.
The Wildcats’ season came to an end with a 73-67 loss to Indiana in the second round of the NCAA Tournament two weeks ago, the earliest tournament exit for a Calipari-coached team at Kentucky. The previous two years, the Wildcats were part of the Final Four, losing to Connecticut in the finals in 2014, followed by a stunning national semifinal setback to Wisconsin a year ago in Indianapolis.
Although the Wildcats aren’t part of the festivities in Houston this weekend, Kentucky has connections to North Carolina, Syracuse, Oklahoma and Villanova, giving the Wildcats a link to each of the four teams competing for a national championship.
The connections are as follows:
Oklahoma
Sooners coach Lon Kruger, the only coach to lead five different schools to the NCAA Tournament, was part of history seven years ago when his UNLV Rebels played Kentucky at Memorial Coliseum in the NIT in 2009.
The Wildcats defeated UNLV 70-60 in what turned out to be one of the most memorable moments of my journalism career, covering a UK men’s basketball game inside Memorial Coliseum.
Kruger also coached at Rupp Arena while coach of the Florida Gators from 1990-96.
Villanova
In one of the most memorable championship moments in tournament history, the Wildcats shocked Georgetown 66-64 in 1985 at Rupp Arena, denying Patrick Ewing and the heavily-favored Hoyas a repeat national championship.
The Wildcats, coached by Rollie Massimino at the time, were a No. 8 seed and played a near flawless game to overcome John Thompson’s squad.
Georgetown won the national title the previous year in 1984.
Syracuse
In East Rutherford New Jersey 20 years ago, the Orange joined Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi State in the Final Four.
In the semifinals, the Wildcats defeated John Calipari’s Minutemen, while Syracuse beat the Bulldogs to reach the finale.
In the championship, Kentucky captured its sixth title with a 76-67 victory over Syracuse. The following year, the Wildcats lost to Arizona in the national championship game. Seven years later, the Orange defeated Kansas to win the national title in 2003.
North Carolina
Like Kentucky, the Tar Heels are one of the premier traditional powerhouse programs in college basketball.
Kentucky is the all-time NCAA Division I leader in wins with 2,178, followed by Kansas (2,153) and North Carolina is third with 2,140 victories.
North Carolina has won five national championships, including two under current coach Roy Williams.
Prior to taking the reigns at North Carolina, Williams spent 15 years at Kansas, leading the Jayhawks to three Final Four appearances.
Late Kentucky coach and Hall of Famer Adolph Rupp played at Kansas and was coached by Forrest “Phog” Allen from 1921-23.
Prediction: In the semifinals, North Carolina, one of the hottest teams remaining in the field, will end an amazing run by Syracuse while Oklahoma will hold off Villanova in a tight one.
In the finale, Oklahoma will edge the Tar Heels in overtime.
Keith Taylor is a columnist and senior sports writer who covers University of Kentucky athletics for KyForward.com