College Basketball: 2014 Year in Review

2014 Game of the Year: Kentucky vs Wichita State

The showdown between the Kentucky team that the country expected to be unbeaten and the actually unbeaten Wichita State Shockers in the Round of 32 exceeded all possible expectations for drama and quality of play. The Shockers received a deserved #1 seed before the tournament, but were “rewarded” with a date with Kentucky in their second game. Kentucky came into the game finally starting to resemble the team that we expected to see all year. With the Wildcats firing on all cylinders, the Shockers fought them tooth and nail. The battle didn’t have the look of an upstart trying to steal a win against a storied program. The Shockers clearly belonged on the floor with Kentucky, and they showed it until the sounding of the final buzzer.

Cleanthony Early, the Shockers go-to player all season, was the best player on the court. Ron Baker and Fred Van Vleet also introduced themselves to the nation as top-tier players. Even though Kentucky ultimately won the game 78-76, viewers left raving about the level of play that Wichita exhibited for a full 40 minutes. It was a performance that ended all doubts about whether or not the Shockers were truly an elite team.