Kentucky basketball's season was filled with miserable moments, and it ended with a whimper. But perhaps the low came on December 5th in Nashville.
That was the day that Gonzaga opened a can on Kentucky, dominating the Cats 94-59. But perhaps worse than the score was the reaction from the Kentucky fans who made the trip down to Tennessee. As the Cats were being bullied by the Bulldogs, Kentucky fans were booing loudly and consistently all night long.
CBS aired its Kentucky Basketball Confidential documentary yesterday, and in it, Mark Pope spoke about how much that moment impacted him.
"There is nowhere like Kentucky Basketball. There is no one that cares as much as we do, and I walked off the floor in Nashville after we got crushed and embarrassed by Gonzaga. People all decked out in Kentucky gear were booing so loud because we care so much, and it spills over. I would give everything I had to be a part of that. Just like every bit of adversity, just like every bit of hate, if you do it right, it is the greatest gift ever. If you don't do it right, it destroys you. I don't want to see it or hear it ever again, but we'll take it, and it will make us better. It will make us stronger."
BBN can be the biggest blessing you could ask for as a player. They will have your back for the rest of your life, but if they feel you aren't trying, they will let you know about it.
Kentucky basketball felt the boo's, but players know it was deserved
Malachi Moreno was asked about the moment as well: "Fans have every right to be angry with us. We didn't come to play that night." There were too many nights that Kentucky just didn't "come to play." Gonzaga was just one of those.
Kentucky also lost by 17 to Michigan State, 15 to Alabama, 25 to Vanderbilt, 11 to Texas A&M, and had home losses to Georgia and Missouri. That kind of effort led to the worst-ever SEC finish and Kentucky's 6th-worst record ever.
Some fans pushed back on the booing, even some former players like "Goose" Givens, when he said, "Look, I played basketball here, you don't boo the home team." Few times in history has a Kentucky team ever deserved to be booed, but this season was definitely one of them.
These aren't just student athletes now; they are being paid extremely well thanks to NIL. And that is the biggest difference, when there is a roster that is built with over $20 million, a boo isn't any worse than losing by 25.