Kentucky basketball's history of playing on Easter weekend

AdamStrattonKSR

The scientific process for deciding which day Easter falls on every year is simpler than you might think. What happens is an oversized bunny throws a dart at the April calendar, and whichever day is closest to where it lands, that is Easter weekend for that year. Sometimes, like this year, the bunny’s aim is way off, and the dart lands in March. That is how you get college basketball over Easter weekend.

You probably thought it had something to do with the moon, tides, or the spring equinox, right? Pfft. That’s all hocus pocus. What society in their right mind would choose a holiday like that? The rabbit and dart theory is far superior.

The point of this completely accurate history lesson is that Kentucky should be playing basketball on Easter Sunday this year. All Calipari and his team had to do was not collapse in the postseason and they would be in Dallas taking on Duke for a chance to go to Phoenix and play on the weekend after Easter. Instead, they are dying eggs in Wildcat Lodge.

So on this Easter Sunday where we commemorate the entity we love most whose run ended too soon, let’s take a look through the history of Kentucky basketball over Easter weekend.

Overall, the Wildcats have had good luck around the holiday. Kentucky holds a 7-3 record over Easter weekend (0-1 record on Easter Sunday) and has won two national titles.

Kentucky has only played once on Easter Sunday

March 25, 2005 | 62-52 W vs. Utah | Sweet 16
*EASTER SUNDAY* March 27, 2005 | 94-88 L (2 OT) vs. Michigan State | Elite Eight

Throughout its vast history of being one of the last teams standing at the end of the NCAA tournament, Kentucky has only ever played one game on Easter Sunday proper. That is usually because Easter falls a week or two after a National Champion has been crowned, but when it falls earlier in the calendar, Easter sometimes overlaps with the Big Dance. Had Kentucky made it to another Elite Eight this season, their second-ever Easter Sunday game would have been in 2024.

Although they lost in double overtime, Kentucky’s sole Easter Sunday game was memorable. Back on March 27th, 2005, many members of Big Blue Nation broke all nearby eggs with excitement when Patrick Sparks pump-faked and got the shooter’s roll on a game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation against Michigan State.

Ultimately, it was a painful loss, but Sparks’ shot and subsequent high-five to notorious CBS commentator, Billy Packer, still finds its way into nearly every Kentucky basketball great shot supercuts you find.

To get to the Elite Eight in 2005, Kentucky beat Utah 62-52 on Good Friday.

Kentucky lost another OT thriller over Easter weekend in 1997

March 29, 1997 | 78-69 W vs. Minnesota | Final Four
March 31, 1997 | 79-84 L vs. Arizona | Championship

Similar to 2005, Kentucky lost another heartbreaker in OT over Easter weekend in 1997. This time, though, it was for the national championship. It didn’t come with quite the drama of the Patrick Sparks shot, but Anthony Epps drained a 3-pointer to tie the game with 12 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime.

Unfortunately, this was the year when Simon said championship, as Miles Simon and Mike Bibby combined for 49 of Arizona’s 84 points and sent Rick Pitino home with a loss in his final game as Kentucky’s head coach.

Kentucky beat the 1-seed, Minnesota, on the Saturday before Easter in 1997, 78-69.

Kentucky won its 5th national title over Easter weekend in 1978

March 25, 1978 | 64-59 W vs. Arkansas | Final Four
March 27, 1978 | 94-88 W vs. Duke | Championship

Easter hasn’t always been full of heartbreak for Big Blue Nation. In 1978, Kentucky beat Arkansas in the Final Four 64-59 and then went on to beat Duke in the Championship game 94-88 to win its 5th national title.

Jack “Goose” Givens bounced his way to 41 points on the day after the Easter Bunny visited him and helped put shiny new rings in his teammate’s baskets.

Kentucky came up short to UCLA in the 1975 championship game

March 29, 1975 | 95-79 W vs. Syracuse | Final Four
March 31, 1975 | 85-92 L vs. UCLA | Championship

Just a few years prior to winning the national championship over Easter weekend, Kentucky had another chance to achieve that feat. After getting by Syracuse 95-79 in the Final Four on the Saturday before the Easter Bunny came, they lost to UCLA 92-85 on the Monday after Easter Sunday.

Kevin Grevey led the way for the ‘Cats with 34 points on 30 field goal attempts, but it wasn’t enough to get by the Bruins.

Kentucky won its 3rd national title over Easter weekend in 1951

March 24, 1951 | 76-74 W vs. Illinois | Final Four
March 27, 1951 | 68-58 W vs. Kansas State | Championship

Kentucky won its 3rd national title over Easter weekend 27 years before they would do it again. Back in 1951, the ‘Cats beat Illinois 76-74 in the semifinals on Saturday in New York, NY, and then took down Kansas State 68-58 in the title game, which took place on a Tuesday in Minneapolis, MN.

Playing on Tuesday stretches the limit of what could be considered Easter weekend, but considering egg hunting ceremonies took place in between Kentucky’s net cutting ceremony, I think it qualifies.

Bill Spivey led the Wildcats with 22 points and 21 rebounds, as no one could out-hop his seven-foot frame.