Kentucky is a very special team and Ms. State gave them everything they wanted. John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe are the best players in the conference and there are some very good ones including Jarvis Varnado, Dee Bost and Barry Stewart of State. I take back what I said about player of the year in the conference. Wall and Cousins, like Joe Dean Jr. said, should have been co-players of the year. Cousins sank the put back as time expired in regulation–there was probably a tenth of a second left when he released it–and Wall made the tremendous desperation three with time running out on the shot clock to put Ky up by five in overtime. Don't forget Bledsoe making the first free throw with four seconds left in regulation then missing it perfectly on his second free throw-a high miss that hit the back of the basket– and Kentucky somehow getting the ball back. This team is something else.
Calipari told Jimmy Dykes of ESPN before the season that he'd rather have talent over experience in March. It'd be good to have both, but the talent won out today. Heck, these Ky frosh have been through the wars in the season, they've had pretty good experience. But I'll never forget frosh Derrick Rose of Memphis two years ago missing the free throw that would have won the national championship game for the Tigers with Calipari on the sideline. An experienced Kansas team sank a three at the buzzer to send it into overtime and won it in the extra period. So I don't agree with Calipari completely. You probably need both. But Kentucky is so good they may overcome it.
As for State, they deserve a bid. The committee needs to do the right thing and extend one. They went toe-to-toe with the best team in the country besides West Virginia and really outplayed them most of the game. They should be in. What should happen and what will happen isn't always congruent. It'll be interesting. I say State is in.