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That was as ugly of a basketball game as we have seen from this Kentucky Wildcats team. They shot poorly, turned the ball over, and looked out of sync defensively. They looked like a team that had never played together, and that is why they are going home in what will likely be the biggest upset of this year’s NCAA Tournament.
The final score after overtime was 85-79. But that does not begin to describe how painful the performance was to watch. This team seemed to have the potential to win it all this year. But they never gave themselves a chance.
Box Score
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MVP
There is no question who the MVP of this game was for Kentucky. With the rest of the team struggling to score, there was only one option offensively for the majority of the contest: Oscar Tshiebwe.
Yes, he put up monster numbers with 30 points and 16 rebounds. But he also played unselfishly, stayed out of foul trouble, and rarely got a break throughout the entire game.
Oscar has been the most important player on this team all season. But in March, you need strong guard play. Kentucky did not get that from anyone on Thursday, and it made Oscar’s performance that much more impressive with the defense knowing he was getting the ball every trip down the floor.