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.

Nine years later, Pats get vengeance at the corner spot

Ty Law has long been a mentor of Darrelle Revis.

Revis wears the No. 24 like Law, blankets receivers like Law and has now pulled a free agent crossover reminiscent of Law.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Wednesday night that the New England Patriots will sign Revis to a one-year, $12 million deal, just one offseason after the star corner was traded from the New York Jets after the two sides couldn't come to a new contract.

Jets fans are fuming as Revis moves north to a division rival to play for a coach who he called a "jerk" only a couple years ago.

If you're looking for a similar example, look no further than these two teams and this same position.

Jump back nearly a decade ago to 2005 - Law was cut by the Patriots after 10 seasons in New England because they didn't want to pay him more than $12 million.

Like Revis, Law was not far removed from an injury. The Jets opened their checkbooks and scooped up the corner who was long an enemy twice every football season.

Back to 2014 - the Bucs released Revis Wednesday one year after acquiring and signing him to a six-year, $96 million, non-guaranteed deal.

Who else but New England to land the man who built his island in the green and white. These two teams have a pretty rich history of snatching each other's goods.

Bill Parcells bolted New England for New York in 1997 and eventually took Hall-of-Fame running back Curtis Martin with him too. Years later, the Jets were on the other side when Bill Belichick quit after one day as their head coach and then took the same position with the Patriots.

Law played only one season with the Jets, who couldn't afford to keep his contract. He was 31 but scored a career-high 10 picks en route to a Pro Bowl selection. Revis is 28. It's yet to see how much dividend he will pay.

What's for certain is New England will again have a shutdown No. 24 lining up at corner and surely a sweet shot of vengeance slugged in front of a division foe's face.

Trading for Revis is tricky proposition

On paper it looks excellent.

Darrelle Revis, still one of the best cornerbacks in the game last season despite coming off a knee injury. ProFootballFocus graded him the top Cover-1 corner ahead of Super Bowl champion Richard Sherman.

So it's no surprise that one of the most-buzzed about rumors at the start of the NFL's new year is that the Bucs will either trade Revis or flat out release him. At this point, it seems like a near certainty that Revis will not don the pewter next season.

But you have to ponder - why would a second team in two offseasons be looking to move a player who could be so valuable on the field, who experts still consider the best at his position?

When it came to the Jets last offseason, the two sides were never going to come to a money figure that appeased both. Revis didn't want to just be paid handsomely but at a historic rate.

The Jets moved him for a first-round pick and Tampa Bay was willing to dole out $96 million over six years. Yes, none of that money is guaranteed but his yearly figures are massive.

Revis is scheduled to make $16 million in 2014 under his current contract. The next highest-paid corner, Dallas' Brandon Carr, will make just more than $10 million.

That's a lofty number, even for a team with a lot of cap space. You tie up that much money in one position and it's rarely a boon, especially for a team in search of a franchise quarterback, as those are the guys who typically warrant that type of payday.

But many fans are salivating over the prospect of their team adding Revis, similar to Nnamdi Asomugha in the 2011 offseason.

Remember him? Asomugha is out of the league now but just a few years ago he was the hot ticket, considered an elite cornerback. Philadelphia won the sweepstakes, signing Asomugha to a five-year, $60 million deal. Jets front office members were "deflated," bummed they were unable to create their monster tandem (on paper) with who else but the guy we're talking about now, Revis.

Those 2011 Eagles were supposed to have a dream secondary combining Asomugha with Asante Samuel and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. But that joyous offseason turned into a nightmarish regular season in which Philadelphia finished a disappointing 8-8. The darlings of free agency failed to make even the playoffs, let alone reach the Super Bowl.

Asomugha never turned out to be worth that chunk of change. In fact, he didn't even play out the entirety of that contract, cut by the Eagles after just two years and then the Niners three games into last season.

If Revis can reclaim his island, he could make a general manager's gamble look wise. But if he's even just a good corner, not an exceptional one that disrupts the offensive gameplan, then it could be an Asomugha redux.

Again, as with much of free agency, it's a case of buyer beware - and crucial to remember the Super Bowl champions build teams through quality drafting and continuity, not the biggest splashes.