The inevitable occurs, Wildcats win national championship

Anthony Davis, Kentucky, against Kansas guards/AP Images

It almost seemed inevitable. 

By Trevor Hass

After all, they were the best team all season long. They had five players who will likely go pro. They had the best player in the country in Anthony Davis.

Sometimes the inevitable is denied in college basketball, as Goliath is slung and history is made.  Norfolk State beat Missouri and Lehigh beat Duke (on the same day, mind you). Upsets were galore throughout the tournament, but no team was able to upset the best team in the country, the Kentucky Wildcats.

The inevitable happened Monday night at the Superdome in New Orleans, as the Wildcats knocked off the Kansas Jayhawks 67-59, to capture their first championship since 1998.  

Anthony Davis didn't make a field goal until there were five minutes remaining and he was still remarkably named the MVP. He finished with six points, 16 rebounds, five assists, six blocks and three steals and showed why he was named AP player of the year.  

Doron Lamb had 22 points and Marquis Teague added 14. The Wildcats were up 41-27 at halftime. Kansas made a push late in the game as they have so often this year, but ultimately Kentucky’s physicality and balanced scoring were too much.

Thomas Robinson led the way for Kansas with 18 points and 17 rebounds. Tyshawn Taylor scored 19 points and finally connected on his first three of the tournament late in the second half, after previously missing 20 straight.

Kansas hung around and was somehow down only six with 1:37 left. The Wildcats made their free throws and put the game away, and the most Goliath of all possible Davids in Kansas was denied.  

Many are calling this Kentucky team one of the best in history, as they finished the season at 38-2 and set the records for most wins in a season.

Rick Pitino as Robin

Cardinals coach Rick Pitino (front center)/AP Images

As long as he stays where he is, he will always be Robin. As long as he stays where he is, he will always be the second most famous guy in town to Colonel Sanders. But now-a-days that does not bother Louisville’s head coach Rick Pitino. 


By Lauren Dellipoali 

He lead his Cardinals to the Final Four and they are the final Big East team remaining. After a tough loss to Syracuse to end the season, many did not predict the Cards to go far, but Pitino had faith, and how could he not?

Pitino has been around the block more than once. He used to coach at the rival school, Kentucky, and made the mistake of not guarding Duke’s Grant Hill in the infamous loss in 1992. He made up for that by winning the title in 1996, but then he jumped to the NBA before landing at Louisville.

With all Pitino has been through in his life from losing his six-month old son, to losing two brothers-in-laws to the famous extortion case, Pitino has been through it all. To him this is just a game, not life or death. The once hard-edged yeller from Long Island has toned it down, and is now simply enjoying the ride.

Pitino, 59, should be mentioned with guys like Krzyzewski, Boeheim and Calhoun on top on the wins list, but he’s not. His two NBA stints cost him years during which he could have added to his win total, which would likely be over 800. That doesn’t seem to bother Pitino as he recently said on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption that he doesn’t think about the wins he could have had, but he said he gained valuable information from his time with the Celtics and Knicks.

As the last Big East team remaining in this tournament, and as one of the few teams actually staying in the Big East, the Cardinals have shown the Big East and college basketball they are a force to be reckoned with. They may not receive the love and praise as their rivals Kentucky, and their town may always be better known as the birthplace of KFC, but Pitino and his team seem content with playing second fiddle.