Season’s sad ending does not dull Keion Brooks’ joy for playing at Kentucky
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Men’s NCAA Tournament: Saint Peter’s stuns Kentucky
Click below to view more content from the Lexington Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com on the Kentucky’s men’s basketball team’s loss to 15th-seeded Saint Peter’s on Thursday night in the NCAA East Regional at Indianapolis.
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The coronavirus pandemic canceling the 2020 NCAA Tournament.
Kentucky’s first losing record since 1988-89 (and only its second since 1926-27).
Being on a team that was a popular pick to win this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Keion Brooks has been through a lot in his three seasons playing for Kentucky. He said a disappointing first-round loss to Saint Peter’s on Thursday night would not mar his memory of being a Wildcat.
“The ending didn’t change how I feel about these guys,” he said after the game. “I love every single one of them.”
Brooks acknowledged that some metaphorical rain has fallen during his three seasons.
“My tenure here has been a little funky and difficult,” he said. “A little different.
“But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Brooks thanked UK Coach John Calipari for doing a great job “shaping me into a better man.
“I don’t regret anything I’ve been through.”
Oscar update
Oscar Tshiebwe added to this season’s lead in double-doubles with his 28th. He had been tied with Fardaws Aimaq of Utah Valley with 27 each. Utah Valley’s season ended with a first-round loss in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament last week.
A double-double in each game of a Kentucky advance to the Final Four would have enabled Tshiebwe to break the NCAA record for double-doubles in a season. David Robinson had 31 in the 1985-86 season.
The one player with the best chance to catch Tshiebwe and Aimaq is Armando Bacot of North Carolina. He has 26 double-doubles after the Tar Heels’ first-round win against Marquette. Bacot had 17 points and 10 rebounds Thursday.
Tshiebwe’s 16 rebounds against Saint Peter’s gave him 515 for the season. He became only the third Kentucky player to grab 500 or more rebounds in a season.
Bill Spivey grabbed a program record 567 in 1950-51. Cliff Hagan grabbed 528 in 1951-52.
UMass reprise
Scrappy team. Unfazed by a high-profile opponent. Unwilling to ever concede.
Calipari acknowledged that Saint Peter’s reminded him of his UMass teams that defied expectations in the 1990s.
“Undersized, but they fight,” Calipari said of Saint Peter’s now and UMass then. “Athletic enough to guard bigger guys and played the way I played and coached at UMass.”
Underdog
After the game, Saint Peter’s players spoke of not being intimidated by Kentucky.
“We came with the mindset we’re not losing …,” forward KC Ndefo said. “We just love being the underdog.”
Said Coach Shaheen Holloway, “Our guys stepped up to the level of the competition … No disrespect to anyone, we were not coming here just to lose.”
Back to-back?
Defending champion Baylor is the No. 1 seed in Kentucky’s region. Winning back-to-back titles would be an unusual accomplishment.
Only Florida (2006 and 2007) and Duke (1991 and 1992) have done it since John Wooden led UCLA to seven straight titles beginning in 1967.
“In this day, if you win it all, probably you have a lot of pros that leave,” Baylor Coach Scott Drew said. “And then with the transfer portal, people leave. And it’s hard to have enough talent or chemistry to repeat.”
On the plus side, Drew noted that a revamped roster lessens expectations.
“We haven’t approached it with pressure,” Drew said, “but more opportunity.”
Rare occurrences
Kentucky had not lost a first-round game in an NCAA Tournament since 2008. UK lost to Marquette in that first year with Billy Gillispie as coach.
Kentucky had not lost a first-round NCAA Tournament game against a lower seed since 1987 when No. 9 seed Ohio State beat eighth-seeded UK.
Fan support
Saint Peter’s guard Doug Edert noted the large number of UK fans who attended the game.
Laughter erupted when he added, “We had our little section (of fans), too. I don’t know if you saw it.”
This story was originally published March 18, 2022 at 1:15 AM.
