Mar 26, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Willie Cauley-Stein (15) against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the semifinals of the midwest regional of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
12. West Virginia Mountaineers vs Kentucky Wildcats
2015 NCAA Tournament
Didnât they learn that these Wildcats donât like smack talk?
"West Virginia freshman guard Daxter Miles Jr., tell us your thoughts on your Sweet 16 matchup with undefeated Kentucky. âSalute to them getting up to 36-0, but tomorrow theyâre gonna be 36-1. Theyâre gonna be 36-1.â Ah, so youâre confident. Do you have anything else to say? âI donât think theyâve played a team like us. To me, they donât play hard. To me, they donât play as hard as we play. Nobody is invincible, so their time will come, and I think weâre going to pull it out.â Okay then! The Wildcats, as youâve probably heard, are undefeated and more or less untested during the NCAA tournament so far. With an entire starting five of future NBA players, theyâre seeking to become the first team to go undefeated and win the national title since Indiana in 1976. Kentuckyâs players seem to relish the trash talk from the opposing team. âThatâs good. Adds fuel to the fire. Puts a little personal stuff into it,â UK 7-footer Willie Cauley-Stein told the Louisville Courier-Journal (supplier of the rest of the quotes in this post). âWhen teams talk like that, it puts a different mindset in your head. Itâs not just playing to try to win the game anymore.â Said freshman guard Devin Booker: âA lot of teams have said things, but eventually they have to step in the ring. Weâll see how that turns out.â"
Wellllll, that didnât go as planned for the Mountaineers. The Wildcats came out with a chip on their shoulder and dominated.
They were led by Trey Lylesâ 14 points, Willie Cauley-Steinâs 10 rebounds and Tyler Ulisâ 4 assists in their 78-39 win over the Mountaineers.
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