Tonight was our night. Credit to UK for hitting big shots down the stretch, but tonight was our night to make history. So many ifs.
This one hurts. So damn proud of this team.
This one hurts. So damn proud of this team.
Devestated
- Thread starter Yooper Irishfan
- Start date
Bodizephax
I've posted how many times?
I am proud of the team ! Not proud of Mike Brey, though. Why did he not save a timeout for the end?
Yes this one hurts...a lot. Thought this was going to be a magical year but it was not meant to be. Still proud of the team and the coaches. ACC champs, deep run in the tourney, and almost beat the unbeatable. Once the sting dies down I think we will be able to look back and see what this team did over the course of the season. Hoping that this helps with recruiting going forward.
As always...GO IRISH!!!!!!!
As always...GO IRISH!!!!!!!
I know it's a rough loss from an emotional game but your fans and players have nothing to hang their heads about. ND was by far the best team we've played this year in my opinion. And if on two different sides of the bracket I believe that would have been the championship game, and one for the books too! I'm not sorry for how the game ended because I'm a die hard UK fan but props to your team, players, coaches, fans. You all were a solid bball team with championship caliber. Your players played clean and didn't see much "jawing" just playing. The way the good lord designed it to be. But I can't give enough credit to your guys team. Congrats on a good season and as always be safe and go cats.
Those 3 missed foul shots under 230.... connaughton, grant, zac....no excuse, you gotta knock em down....
You Notre Dame fans have a lot to be proud of. With the way the Irish controlled this game from the beginning I couldn't stop thinking about who broke UCLA's unbeaten streak and thinking it would happen again.
I didn't think Notre Dame had a snowball's chance in hell. Worse to lose by 2 than by 20 in my mind.
WE missed a couple of FTs down the stretch, probably should have challenged Kentucky's last offensive possession and made them shoot earlier, and didn't have a timeout left at the end.
Still a great effort. Just came up short.
WE missed a couple of FTs down the stretch, probably should have challenged Kentucky's last offensive possession and made them shoot earlier, and didn't have a timeout left at the end.
Still a great effort. Just came up short.
Hats off to you guys for such a great game. It will go down as a classic. You guys played a near perfect game and we were very lucky to pull it out. It sucks that there has to be a loser in a game like this. I've been there and know your pain. It takes a long time to get over...if ever. Still, congrats on a great season.
That's going to be the narrative, but it's not true. We played our game, not a near perfect game. We did against you guys what we do against everybody, but we shot 4-14 from 3 pt range and missed 3 free throws down the stretch. Obviously some of those 3's were contested, but we also missed some open looks.
Going into the game, I felt if we played UK 100 times, we win maybe 5 or 6. After the game, I feel like it's 50-50.
The UK players did not back down in the last couple mins, and I give them credit for that. The players are respect-worthy and very likable. Coach Cal is a slime ball, and I wish him nothing but the worst in the future.
I can say the same about UK. They didn't play their typical game but still came out with a tough win. ND is one of the top 4 best teams in the country without a doubt. UK has the better talent and team and thats not taking anything away from your team. I don't know who wins what out of 100 games but I think UK is the better all around team and deserved to move on.
Neither team played their best. I've seen every UK game and as many ND games as possible, quite a few. I was one of the few UK fans who worried about this game, but I am an Irish fan too and have seen what they can do. Anyway, UK has never wilted this year, had several games like this and always finished. ND clearly didn't wilt either, very proud of both teams.
The thing that makes it so toiugh is that this may be a once in a generation team. The heart was unbelievable though. When the announcers said it was an offensive foul and it ended up being a 3 point play for UK in the first half, I told my friend that would come back to haunt ND. That and the UK offensive rebound off the missed FT deep in the second half hurt too. The 3 missed FTs late were obviously costly.
All said though, I can't imagine we could have gotten a better effort. ND was undersized, but played as well as they could have inside the paint. Noone was intimated playing Kentucky and that's huge. Credit to Brey and the team for not being intimated and giving it their all.
All said though, I can't imagine we could have gotten a better effort. ND was undersized, but played as well as they could have inside the paint. Noone was intimated playing Kentucky and that's huge. Credit to Brey and the team for not being intimated and giving it their all.
I feel for those guys . It's easy here to dissect the game but all I know is that this ND team is as good as anyone in college basketball . Give Kentucky credit . In order to win tonight they had to make EVERY basket from the 11 minute mark on???? I'm dyin right now but really proud of Brey and these players . Charles Barkley is a great announcer BTW. He said it best " Kentucky didn't play bad .. Maybe ND is that good and he said one thing that I hope happens. He said he just wants his teams to compete , make the tourneys and that is what we all hope to expect. I cannot see any reason for a few top 100 players attend ND. It has so much to offer . Brey should build on this run. A great nucleus coming back . They should be competitive every year. Season over 32-6 ACC tourney Champs and took the TEAM that everyone was talking about beating the Knicks and you know what ? ND was the better team tonight but not in the last minute of the game. I am proud fan. Just keep it rolling.
How do you come to the conclusion ND was the better team? They shot 46% for the game and 4-14 from 3. UK shot 53% for the game and 4 for 8 from the 3. UK didn't miss a shot the last 11 or 12 minutes. It was a great game all around but I can't see ND out played UK shooting worse and losing as well. Maybe you have a different measuring stick.
ND got their ass whipped down the stretch. Plain and simple. UK was never out of the game.
38-0
FINAL FOUR
38-0
FINAL FOUR
I am a UK fan, so certainly glad they won, but yeah, ND was the team that was going to beat them. I know it sucks, feel bad for you guys, but on the upside, ND is going to be the team that had a legit shot to beat them, and that is a game that will be remembered.
UK fan here - Notre Dame is the best team we've faced all season, I thought you guys had us - great season Notre Dame!
You play to win, no excuses. Kentucky clearly has better talent. However, ND is not without talent themselves. They moved the ball around and spread the floor negating Kentucky's size to some extent. This was one of those games that easily could have went either way. Kentucky did what they needed to do to win. They are 38 and 0 for a reason. They are an excellent team. ND is also an excellent team. It sucks as an Irish fan that they lost. I don't believe in moral victories. But sometimes you give everything you have and still, it simply isn't enough because your opponent is just better. That is the reality of that game. The Irish lost in dramatic fashion. They can walk tall knowing they played as good as they could possibly play even though they didn't win. Congrats to Kentucky. They have a huge target on their back every game. Champions usually find a way to win and Kentucky did just that. Anyway, it was an awesome game and as a fan you couldn't ask for a better game.
There's no need for ND to hang their head. They played great and almost did the impossible. If ND had pulled the win off it would go down in history as one of the biggest upsets of all time. No one (outside of South Bend) gave ND a chance in hell of beating KY and ND almost proved them wrong. Fantastic effort.
Probably the best thing to happen to KY was almost getting beat last night. A humbling wake up call that should propel them to the National Champion.
Great game by ND. Congrats for a terrific season.
Probably the best thing to happen to KY was almost getting beat last night. A humbling wake up call that should propel them to the National Champion.
Great game by ND. Congrats for a terrific season.
Wildman . All day long I NYC on talk radio the question was can this Kentucky team beat the Knicks right now . It was 50-50 that they could and that was from experts . ND had no chance vs this Frontline ND outplayed Kentucky . Down the stretch ND lost the game by missing 3 wide open 3's and missed 3 foul shots . They could have sealed the deal and did not . So IMO yes , the better team LAST night lost. However , congrats because your team did have to play perfect offensively and did a sign of a great great team.
jr97...3 things stand out for me...1) Missing 3 free throws late by 3 good free throw shooters, just have to make them, no excuses 2) not blocking out on the UK missed free throw, fouling and giving them a basket, NEVER can that happen. I think it was a 4-5 pt possession for them 3) and I don't know if anyone remembers this one....ND is up 48-44, Grant penetrates to the rim. I swore he was in, just lay it in!!! Instead he whips a pass to a wide open Connaughton in the corner and he misses a 3...
Do one of those 3 things listed above and we are playing next weekend. Games like this usually do come down to one or two little things...ugh....woulda rather lost by 50. What a great ride.
Do one of those 3 things listed above and we are playing next weekend. Games like this usually do come down to one or two little things...ugh....woulda rather lost by 50. What a great ride.
What happened in the last three minutes was your guys got tired. Not gassed. Just tired. They got a half step slower. The rim seemed 3 inches higher and the free throw/three pt lines seemed six inches further away. It's happened to every team we've played this year. Usually about the 10:00 mark of the second half. Your team made seven minutes longer. That showed conditioning, discipline, and guts.
You have a great team. It's a shame we couldn't have been in different brackets. That game deserved to be part of a Final Four.
I was, but now that it's over I feel great. We needed a bad game prior to the Final Four. I think they learned they can't just show up and win by 30.
