Focus on what happened, not what could have been

This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Loosing in the Final Four was never an option that was even considered. Undefeated, a ninth national title. That's how it was supposed to be. But sadly, that is not how it ended up. Wisconsin, hungry for revenge, played the best they played all season and in the end they were the ones that got to stay three more nights in Indy. Not us. We were the ones that had our hearts ripped out of our chests as we watched our coach and four beloved players do their final press conference of the year, and possibly their college careers. Visibly heartbroken as their season of a lifetime came to a close. Sure we could sit around today and point out everything that went wrong last night--the shot clock violations, the time-outs not called, the points awarded when they should not have been, and the lethargic play. But, we should instead be rejoicing and reminiscing on a season that was historic no matter the outcome of last night's game. Stop focusing on the what could have been and focus on the what did happen. The what did happens were phenomenal. 26-0 marked the best start in Kentucky basketball. 31-0 represented the first team to finish the regular season undefeated since the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers' team. And who can forget about the beat downs? Kansas got stomped all over, UCLA only scored seven points in a half, Arkansas got a taste of their own medicine - twice, West Virginia ate their words. They brought back a SEC tournament championship to Lexington for the first since 2011. Raw talent and athleticism graced our televisions 39 times this season and amazed us at what a group of 16 kids my age can do. But what about the genuinely remarkable characters on this team? I've been around sports in some fashion my entire life and never have I seen a team this close. They're all their brothers keepers. We read story after story this season about the closeness of this team and we saw first hand the fun they had. Staying up late playing Super Mario Bros., the pre-game dance huddles, photobombs, interrupting each other's interviews - the list goes on and on. These players also gave back to the city that would do anything for them. Karl-Anthony Towns gave his shoes to a handicapped fan, Marcus Lee made friends with a kid fighting cancer, Willie Cauley-Stein had lunch with a fan the week leading up to a Final Four, and the list goes on. They have hearts for others and they know that basketball isn't the end all be all. They exhibited selflessness on and off the court. As for on the court, nine McDonald's All-Americans sacrificed their own playing time and stats in order for this team to function at their peak. Very few kids would go along with that. In the end, what this team accomplished has changed college basketball for the better. We shouldn't sit and wallow in the what could have beens and focus on the greatness of this season. We got to witness what was one of the best teams to suit up in a Kentucky uniform. Cherish what time we did have with these 16 players and remember the incredible highs of a season that will without a doubt live in infamy.