College Basketball reacts to Kentucky’s stunning comeback win vs. Duke
2 years ago
Have you caught your breath yet? Me neither. We’re all still processing No. 19 Kentucky’s 77-72 victory over No. 6 Duke, a comeback that would have made the 1998 team proud. It was the Cats’ first victory over the Blue Devils since 2015 and sent a message to the rest of college basketball that Kentucky is back, albeit in a very different way.
The Cats trailed by nine at the half but clawed back, tying the game at the 3:57 mark and not giving up an inch the rest of the way. Duke superstar freshman Cooper Flagg finished with a game-high 26 points but made some crucial mistakes down the stretch, which the Cats pounced on. Experience triumphed over young talent, a script that’s played out against Kentucky for so many years in this event; however, with veterans on their side and Mark Pope’s halftime adjustments, the fairytale start to the program’s era just got so much better.
Twitter is on fire with takes about Pope’s Cats. Here’s a running list of tweets from former players, coaches, and college basketball pundits.
That’s how you play KENTUCKY !!!!!!! Hard Work & to have the Heart of a Wildcat! Great Win @CoachMarkPope#WeRUK
That game was a pretty good reminder of how important experience still is in college basketball. No freshmen-heavy team has won it all since 2015. Probably isn’t going to change, either.
I love Andrew Carr. have known him since high school. 6-10 fifth year forward finished with 17 and 7 for Kentucky in a huge win over Duke. great kid from a great family. typical of the Cats, who have a high basketball IQ.
I have renewed faith in Kentucky basketball during the mark pope era. he’s smart and really cares about his players. he could turn into a younger version of rick pitino. big blue nation should be ecstatic
Mark Pope has a team full of grown men and that mattered in the final seconds of this game. Cooper Flagg looked young. He had tunnel vision for three possessions in a row. He’s great. You want the ball in his hands late in the game. But Kentucky wasn’t intimidated by that moment.
In Pope they trust. As well they should. This has to be the best Kentucky fans have felt about their program in years. They’ve got a leader who’s one of their own. They ran offense and relied on veterans late. They finished — and can celebrate. Hell of a foundation win.
