Men's Basketball

History Shows Losses to Unranked Teams Can Lead to Success

Published

6 years ago

November 19, 2019

Kentucky is not the only top-ranked team to have suffered an embarrassing loss in the regular season.

With that being said, it does suck when your team is embarrassed early in the year, especially to a team like Evansville

The reaction on social media to the loss hasn’t been surprising. Of course, all of the other fan bases are making fun of us, so if you get into a Twitter fight with a Tennessee fan, just be ready for the “Evansville” reply.

But, inside the BBN, the response on social media has been 50/50.

A fair amount of people are losing their minds and overreacting, while some fans are staying level-headed and know that when March comes around, the Cats will be right in the mix.

If the Calipari era has taught us anything, it’s that the losses in November and early December (embarrassing or not) don’t really matter.

Now, they certainly help if you win, but they don’t hurt nearly as much as they would in January or February.

A loss like last Tuesday will probably come back to haunt Kentucky with seeding come tournament time, but it will definitely help the team.

With that, let’s take a look at embarrassing losses by some top teams and where their season ended.

No. 1 North Carolina/Northern Iowa: November 21, 2015

Kentucky lost to a sub-.500 UCLA team early in 2015-16, but Kentucky’s loss was not nearly as bad as this one.

Justin Jackson dropped 25 points for the Tarheels but their next leading scorer was Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson both with 10.

Northern Iowa’s starting five combined for 69 of their 71 points that night, including 11 three-pointers, which gave them the 71-67 win over the Tarheels.

So close, just as they were to a national title that year.

Season results: NCAA Tournament Runner-Up, Record: 33-7

No.4 North Carolina/Santa Clara: January 19, 2004

Santa Clara’s most prominent alum is former NBA MVP, Steve Nash, but this game happened far after Nash’s time, and the Broncos were now a borderline .500 team.

Santa Clara outright won this game 77-66 as the rebounding battle shows, as the Broncos controlled the glass 40-37 overall, and dominated on the defensive boards 24-16.

Following this game, the Tarheels won 19 of their next 20 including three ranked opponents and went on to win Roy William’s first national title.

Season Results: NCAA Champions, Record: 33-4

No. 8 Michigan State/Wright State: December 30, 1999

Coined the “Upset of the Millenium”, a Wright State team that finished the season 11-17, beat the eventual national champion, Michigan State Spartans, 53-49.

In the words of Tom Izzo, the Spartans, “were totally outplayed from start to finish.” However, the Spartans weren’t outplayed many times following this game, going 23-3 en route to a national title victory over Florida.

Season Results: NCAA Champion, Record: 32-7

Syracuse/Rutgers: January 29, 2003

Carmelo Anthony is considered to be one of the greatest freshmen in college basketball history, but on January 29, 2003, he was not the best player on the floor.

That title belongs to Jerome Coleman who scored 31 points (12-23 FG) and helped an eventual 12-16 Rutgers team to upset the Orange.

Jim Boeheim and Company followed this game with a victory over No. 2 Pittsburgh and won 14 of their last 15 games, including a national title victory.

Season Results: NCAA Champion, Record: 30-5

No. 23 Butler/Evansville: November 27, 2010

Evansville may have just won their first game against a No. 1 AP team, but they are no stranger to upsets, beating an eventual NCAA Runner-Up Butler team 71-68 in overtime back in 2010.

The game was close but Butler’s 17 turnovers cost them the game. This Butler team turned it around and was a shot away from winning a title over Duke.

Season Results: NCAA Runner-Up, Record: 28-10

What did we learn?

In all of this, these losses don’t mean much. Like I said, really all they do is embarrass you, humble you, and make you better (Dang, I should be a head coach).

Kentucky will be just fine.

Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball’s Practice Facility Sees Major Makeover

The Joe Craft Center, after years of casual criticism from Wildcats fans, has finally been given an upgrade.

Published

1 day ago

June 21, 2025

Lane Mills

UK Athletics

Maybe the weirdest qualm of many that plagued John Calipari’s tenure at Kentucky were the consistent complaints about the team’s practice facility, the Joe Craft Center.

From exaggerated rumors about leaks in the ceiling to general observations made about the court and facilities, fans, especially towards the end of that era, pointed to the Craft Center’s age as one of many signs of the times. Even in spite of occasional, supposed changes now and again.

In only his second year, Mark Pope has seemingly already addressed that complaint — at least to an extent.

The official Kentucky men’s basketball account recently posted a video across all social media platforms of the team during summer practice, featuring and obviously removed Craft Center court.

The court itself has been redone, in addition to the graphics and banners on the wall. Alongside the hanging threads celebrating the program’s eight national championships, a ninth one has been tacked onto the end.

It simply reads: “#9 – The Assignment.” If fans weren’t already excited enough for Coach Pope’s sophomore season, a ninth title banner being fixed in the renovation’s spotlight should send folks through the roof.

It may seem like a small thing, but given the program’s track record in the last few years, it’s the small things that feel the biggest. Mark Pope not only understands the assignment, but he’s making sure his team does, too.

Men's Basketball

Jasper Johnson Makes Final U19 USA Roster Under Coach Mark Pope

Jasper Johnson has advanced in the U19 USA camp for the second time alongside the nation’s best recruits, and under Mark Pope’s wing.

Published

2 days ago

June 20, 2025

Lane Mills

Instagram: @bruhjasperj (UK Athletics)

In a surprisingly relevant development smack dab in the middle of the offseason, Jasper Johnson has yet again advanced in the pool of players participating in the USA U19 camp.

The program, which could be a described as a sort of extension of the Team USA that just took home the gold in 2024, is comprised of some of the nation’s most anticipated talents set to take collegiate courts in the next couple of seasons.

Blue Gets In

Among them is Kentucky native and commit Johnson, and was also incoming Cat Malachi Moreno, before the latter was cut as a result of a mild injury he obtained throughout the camp’s course. Despite Moreno’s exit, his future teammate continues to impress.

Under the wing of Coach Mark Pope, who’s helmed the team in the camp up to this point, Johnson has now made the final cut after multiple roster slashes – he and only 11 other players remain in the minority that will go forward to actually compete for the team in the 2025 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup, which will take place June 28 through July 6 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The pre-competition camp serves not only as a trial of play before these athletes disperse to their own respective rosters this fall and next, but for Johnson, as a preview of what it’s like to play under Coach Pope. If his current success is any indicator, Kentucky fans may be in for something special when the pair tackle opposing teams together for the blue and white.

In similar noteworthy news, also attending the event are Taylen Kinney and Tyran Stokes, two Kentucky-born athletes with ties to Kentucky that the program is heavily recruiting. Jasper’s strong performance, combined with Coach Pope’s presence, can only help the Wildcats’ chances on that front, too.

To say the least, Mark Pope has found a way to facilitate Kentucky’s influence far beyond the boundaries of Lexington. He and Johnson, for the time being, will continue to press turn heads on the national stage, and it’s very likely that fans aren’t the only ones paying attention.

Men's Basketball

Archie Goodwin and Kahlil Whitney Set to Join La Familia This Summer

La Familia continues to add more firepower to the 2025 roster.

Published

3 days ago

June 19, 2025

Kai McClelland

James Crisp (Left), Adam Hunger (Right) | Associated Press

As the start of the 2025 TBT Tournament inches closer, La Familia has been slowly but surely adding star Wildcats to the roster.

Usually, we see announcements for new additions to the squad roll out on social media in some form, whether it be a post from La Familia’s official accounts or in form of Ansley Almonor’s announcement, which took place on BBN Tonight.

However, this time, Archie Goodwin and Kahlil “The Dragon” Whitney were added to the roster on the TBT website without any announcement, surprising Big Blue Nation as the news leaked and began to circulate.

They were removed from the website afterwards, but as of Thursday, June 19, appear on the website as listed members of the roster.

Goodwin has been an active member for years, highlighted by his semifinals appearance last year where he averaged 13.8 points per game en route.

Whitney is a name that may cause some to shed a tear, with so much potential surrounding the former five-star leading up to his debut. Ultimately, he left the program after appearing in just 18 games for Kentucky.

La Familia is competitive as all get out, shown by chippy play with guys who have nothing to lose but everything to win for the place they call home. Goodwin and Whitney, now added to that list of guys, will look to redeem themselves with one goal in mind. Win.

The official La Familia roster as of June 19:

– Willie Cauley-Stein (2012-15)

– Doron Lamb (2010-12)

– DeAndre Liggins (2008-11)

– Aaron Harrison (2013-15)

– Andrew Harrison (2013-15)

– Ansley Almonor (2024-25)

– Archie Goodwin (2012-13)

– Kahlil Whitney (2019-20)