Headlines: The Kentucky Wildcats’ Perfection is Over

Last night, in the first round of the Final Four, the Kentucky Wildcats were shockingly defeated by the Wisconsin Badgers, a team looking to get revenge on the Wildcats for their game-winning shot that sent the Badgers home just a year ago in last year’s semifinal. The Wildcats, who were 38-0, only had to win two more games to complete the first undefeated season since 1976.

"For the final 5.5 seconds of game clock that he was still technically undefeated, Aaron Harrison stood on Kentucky’s sideline – first doubled over, then with his head buried in his hands. The hero of last season’s national semifinal against Wisconsin could not watch the end of Saturday night’s Final Four rematch. Live Feed kentucky wildcats 2023 Week 4 AP Poll Top 25: Every SEC team’s highest, lowest spot on ballot South Bound & Down SEC Football: Florida, LSU rise in Week 4 2023 power rankings South Bound & Down SEC Tailgating: Where should you go in each town? South Bound & Down SEC football standings based on yards per play through Week 2 FanSided SEC Football: Arkansas, Florida rise in Week 3 2023 power rankings South Bound & Down 2023 Week 3 AP Poll Top 25: Every SEC team’s highest, lowest spot on ballot South Bound & Down The Badgers, who came here to Lucas Oil Stadium seeking revenge for Harrison’s late dagger a year ago, denied the Wildcats perfection with a stunning 71-64 upset to reach Monday night’s national title game against Duke. “Could not be more proud of this group of young people, what they did all year, just took us all on a ride – our staff, our school, our state,” coach John Calipari said. “Took us on a ride. We all wanted to win those last two. These kids wanted to win in the worst way. But you have to give Wisconsin credit. They did to us what we have done to teams.” “This doesn’t feel as real,” Harrison said. “I still haven’t wrapped my mind around it, really.”"

Apr 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Wisconsin Badgers players react after the 2015 NCAA Men

After the heartbreaking loss, Wildcat fans can only look forward. The question on every fan in the Bluegrass’s mind, “who is staying, who is going?” will start to answer itself in the coming weeks, but even as of now we have a thought of who could be taking their talents to the next level.

"Kentucky Wildcats junior forward Willie Cauley-Stein hasn’t yet officially committed to making the jump to the NBA, but it sure sounds as if he’s leaning that way. “It’s time to take another step,” Cauley-Stein told reporters after the Wildcats’ 71-64 loss to Wisconsin in the national semifinal. “I mean, obviously, I’m not 100 percent on it, but I’m pretty sure I know what I want to do. Gotta talk to a couple more people, but probably was my last game here.” The 7-footer, who averaged 9.3 points and 6.4 rebounds this season, is projected as a lottery pick and is ranked as theeighth-best NBA draft prospect by ESPN NBA Insider Chad Ford. He finished with just two points, five rebounds and two blocks in the Wildcats’ loss to the Badgers on Saturday night. “That’s going to probably eat at me for the rest of my life, just knowing I had so much more that I could’ve given and changed the outcome of the game,” Cauley-Stein told reporters. “But I just didn’t do it. That’s really going to kill me on the inside.” Other Kentucky players still to make a decision as to their future are freshmenKarl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker, Trey Lyles and sophomores Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison and Dakari Johnson. The 6-11 Towns, who had 16 points and nine rebounds against the Badgers, is ranked No. 1 on Ford’s NBA draft prospect rankings. “I can’t even think about that. I just lost in the Final Four with my brothers,” Towns told reporters after the game. “We could be really good, but we just need to make it further than we did this time. We gotta get it all the way this time. We need to do better. We could be really good, though.”"

Apr 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Willie Cauley-Stein (15) and Wisconsin Badgers forward Frank Kaminsky (44) watch a shot during the second half of the 2015 NCAA Men