The Kentucky Wildcats were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament in Round 2 by the Kansas State Wildcats, and Twitter immediately went into attack mode.
Hey, when you’re good people want to come after you whether you succeed or not, but especially when you don’t. Basketball programs like North Carolina, Duke, Kansas and (gulp) Kentucky know this all too well.
The Wildcats were 2.5 point favorites over the…uh…Wildcats, the purple ones from Manhattan, Kansas, in the NCAA Tournament second round, and with the reigning player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe leading the way, they looked poised to return to the Sweet 16 since 2019.
Kansas State had a different agenda, and out-played, and out-muscled Kentucky en route to a 75-69 win.
Kentucky loses…Twitter trolls. Set your watch by it.
Of course, there’s the obligatory “ha ha look at Kentucky fans” tweet
Kentucky Twitter is in full meltdown 🤣🤣🤣🤣
— Troy Elliott (@utracefan72) March 19, 2023
One thing you never want to do if you don’t want trolls to engage…never, ever blame the refs.
Maybe, just maybe, the better team won.
— Panjandrum (@PJ_Drumm) March 19, 2023
I know that’s difficult for a Kentucky fan to fathom. https://t.co/j0NZyvGYOZ
Even The Athletic got in on the action, noting how the traditional blue bloods are nowhere to be seen in the Sweet 16
❌ No Kansas
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 19, 2023
❌ No Kentucky
❌ No Duke
❌ No North Carolina
This will be just the second men's Sweet 16 without the "blue bloods" since 1980.
H/T @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/0nY9XFoUcP
And then the reference to Kentucky’s internal strife between football and basketball coaches. Are they a football or basketball school? Or is it baseball? Inquiring minds want to know.
Alabama is a better basketball school than Kentucky
— caleb! (@iCalebDavis) March 19, 2023
Is Kentucky a….football school?
— Cousin Dave (@cousindaveUF) March 19, 2023
Kentucky clearly is a baseball school….
— Jimmy Thomas (@spartacus_69) March 19, 2023
OK, trolling is all well and good, but let’s not go attacking the nuns, especially Sister Jean. Sinner.
That's the last time I listen to a nun. And I grew up in Catholic grade & high schools. I listened to Sister Jean & went & picked Kentucky as my NCAA champ. Thanks to Kansas St. that pick ain't happening.
— Joe Tisone (@BrooksideRaider) March 19, 2023
Kentucky fans are even jumping in and piling on coach John Calipari. Is this a case of “expectations are too high”?
🤔🤔 what happens next? As many Kentucky fans and alumni are upset, as they get their fair share of 5 star players and 1 and done, but can't win the title. Do they need a new voice? Roy Williams changed teams.
— Jonathan Zakutansky (@JonathanZakuta1) March 19, 2023
Fashion trolls? Why not.
I have a soft spot for UNC because I lived in Chapel Hill for 5 years, but I’d like them more than Duke/KU/Kentucky anyway because their blue is a better shade
— Lass McConkey (@ShieldofPallas) March 19, 2023
There’s a lot to be said for winning a lot, but when losing causes this level of trolling, it might be better to fly under the radar.