Sunday, March 23, 2014

Wichita State's loss to Kentucky did plenty to show who they are

If there was ever a college basketball class war, this was it.

Wichita State a dominant mid-major who coasted through a perfect regular season.

Kentucky the highly-touted preseason No. 1 who faced its fair share of ups and downs.

Wichita State a veteran-laden squad coming off a Final Four appearance.

Kentucky starting five freshmen, a totally different group from last year's which was bounced from the first round of the NIT by Robert Morris.

Wichita State full of unheralded recruits developed by coach Gregg Marshall.

Kentucky with a boatload of top-rated prospects, one of whom is projected as a top five pick in the NBA draft.

Blue blood vs. little guy.

The Shockers don't play like the little guy and were the higher seed but when it comes to tradition, history and recruiting clout they're in a different realm than their opponent Sunday, the Kentucky Wildcats.

Their matchup was one that captivated the masses and not just because it turned into the best game of the year and one of the most hard-fought in recent tournament history.

Eighth-seed Kentucky's 78-76 win over top-seed in the Midwest Wichita State wasn't compelling just because it was an upset that sent one of the nation's top four teams home before the second weekend.

Last year, Wichita State played the role that Kentucky did, knocking off a No. 1 in the tournament's first weekend. That was different. The Shockers knocked off another mid-major Gonzaga, a No. 1 seed who received many of the same complaints as the Shockers this year. When you dominate a non-power conference, questions arise about toughness or strength of victory.

Wichita State's first loss of the season answered some of those - just not in the way naysayers may argue.

Not that they were overrated or any less deserving of their No. 1 seed or that their perfect regular season was a sole consequence of a weak schedule.

No, the Shockers' heartbreaking loss showed off the basket-making of Ron Baker, scintillating skills of Cleanthony Early, precision and mettle of a team that didn't lose all year - until Sunday.

On this day, Kentucky played its best game of the season - by far. They needed a few things to happen to win: the Harrison twins to have big days, Julius Randle to put up a double-double and to limit mistakes in crunch time. They got all of those - and still Wichita State was only two points less. That's all it takes - two points, like the two that slipped away when Early narrowly mistimed what would have been an authoritative dunk late in the second half.

This loss isn't an indictment of what Wichita State aren't.

It's an indictment of what they are - a great team that played a great game and lost to an extremely talented opponent that played at its best and finally lived up to lofty expectations.

Wichita was up to the task. They just fell short but that doesn't discount 35-0. The "1" that now sits beside that 35 should be a badge of honor, a testament to a team that proved its mettle in a colossal battle.

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