Stop whining about UK basketball. It’s still the most influential program of all time.

Why is the media is wasting time covering the Ukraine War, the resurgence of a new covid variant, and inflation when clearly the most important topic is the two seeded Kentucky losing to a 15th seed St. Peter’s? Where are their priorities?

Big Blue fans are declaring this the worst UK loss ever. To me, UK losing to Kansas 150-95 in 1989 or UK losing to Georgetown University in 1984 because UK shot 3 for 33 in the second half are worse. Ten two-seeded schools to lose to a 15th seed including Duke, Arizona, Syracuse, Michigan State, Ohio State, Georgetown and Iowa State.

Angry fans calling for Coach John Calipari’s head need to think before they speak. This is the same John Calipari who coached UK to beat North Carolina 98-69, Kansas 80-62 at Kansas, and Tennessee 107-79. He is also the man who recruited the All American Oscar Tshiebwe from West Virginia.

I understand that UK fans have unrealistic expectations. Mitch Barnhart said he wanted to return to the days when UK was the gold standard, but I am trying to figure out when that was.

Adolph Rupp coached UK for 41 years, winning four championships between 1948 and 1958 and appearing in six Final Fours during his tenure. Unfortunately, his legacy was tarnished when UK banned from playing any games in 1952-53 over the infamous point shaving scandal.

The late Joe Hall coached UK 13 seasons, winning one title and 3 final four trips. Hall’s integrity was irreproachable, but the Lexington Herald Leader won a 1985 Pulitzer Prize for its investigation into widespread corruption in the basketball program caused by overzealous boosters. Irate UK fans called in bomb threats and death threats to the newspaper.

UK hired Eddie Sutton to replace Hall in 1985. Sutton never won a title or made the Final Four at UK. UK narrowly escaped the NCAA death penalty when charges of academic fraud and financial crimes when a $1,000 fell out of an Emery Air express mailer sent to a recruit.

Rick Pitino replaced Sutton. In his eight years, Pitino won one title and made three final fours as well as playing in the most celebrated game of all time against Duke in 1992.

Tubby Smith took over UK in the 1997-98 season where he led the Cats to the title in 1998. He made only one trip to the final four in ten years.

We will spare ourselves the Billy Gillispie era.

UK hired John Calipari in 2009. In thirteen years, Calipari has won one title in 2012 and has made four trips to the Final Four. He amassed a perfect season 38-0 in the 2014-2015 season. UK players have not been involved in any scandals or disciplinary action. Neither Calipari nor UK has been targeted by the NCAA.

So I am confused when Barnhart speaks of the gold standard at UK. After the Rupp Era, UK has won a title about every twenty years. Some people would say the Calipari years are the best years of all.

Luck plays a huge part in winning the title. In 2002-2003, UK lost no games in the SEC regular season or SEC tournament. Unfortunately, Keith Bogans suffered was an ankle injury and the Cats lost to Marquette in the regional final. Since 1985, the overall number one seed has won the title only fourteen years and any number one seed has won it only twenty-three times in thirty-six years.

Upset fans complain UK ‘should’ have won the game against a number two seed. Here is an idea to streamline the whole process. Once the NCAA Selection Team has set the brackets, we automatically assume the higher seeded team in any game will win because that is what should happen. We do not even have to play the games.

The problem is in our understanding the meaning of ‘should’. In 1966, UK should have defeated the Texas Western Miners because they were the number one team. But the all-white UK team lost to the all-black Texas team and the college game changed forever. Suddenly, black players had the opportunity to play Division One basketball and thousands of black players were lifted out of poverty to pursue collegiate and professional careers. Maybe karma saw that maybe the sport would be improved more over the long haul if the Texas team won so that is what should have happened. Ironically, even in defeat Kentucky has influenced college basketball more than any other school.

Go CATS.

Roger L. Guffey is an author and a retired mathematics teacher.