ST. LOUIS — Wichita State’s perfect season had an imperfect ending.
Heartbreaking, devastating and agonizing also would describe the sudden conclusion to the top-seeded Shockers’ dream year.
Coach Gregg Marshall and his tough-minded group of under-recruited and unsung players are going home for good — and not headed to Indianapolis for the Sweet 16 following last year’s Cinderella Final Four run — after Sunday afternoon’s 78-76 loss to No. 8 Kentucky at the Scottrade Center, an elite-level, back-and-forth contest both coaches described as a classic.
“It’s been such a fun, enjoyable, magical season,” Marshall said. “I mean, it’s literally been a magic carpet ride. And to have it end is going to be something that we have to get used to.”
Wichita State (35-1) had the last shot, a chance to improve to 36-0 and survive and advance, but point guard Fred VanVleet’s 3-pointer at the buzzer hit off the backboard and far side of the rim, ending the storybook season in sad fashion. Kentucky will meet bitter rival Louisville, the fourth seed, in the Midwest Regional semifinals Friday in Indianapolis.
There’s been an ongoing debate about Wichita State’s worthiness as a No. 1 seed because of its mid-major conference and soft non-league schedule, its only win over a ranked opponent coming against Saint Louis. The discussion will rage on now, as fans debate what this early exit from the tournament does to the Shockers’ place in history.
“I don’t have any control over what folks want to believe or think that they saw,” Marshall said. “I know what’s in my heart, I know what I saw. … And to take anything away from what these young men have done all season long, and more importantly, how they’ve done it, if they want to do that, so be it.”
The first team to enter the NCAA Tournament undefeated since UNLV in 1990-91, Wichita State received a difficult draw. Despite an underwhelming regular season, Kentucky (26-10) had played its best of late, nearly upsetting overall top-seed Florida in the SEC Tournament, and the young Wildcats were up to the daunting task of knocking off the Shockers.
The lead changed hands 14 times, seven in each half, and there were three ties. It very much lived up to the enormous hype of Wichita State’s experience and poise under pressure against Kentucky’s multi-talented phenoms.
“This was an Elite Eight game,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said. “The winner should have gone to the Final Four. That’s how good they are and how we’re playing right now.”
Trailing by five with 4:11 left, Kentucky ripped off a 10-2 run to take control. Wichita State wouldn’t go away quietly, however, answering with a Ron Baker 3-pointer and two Cleanthony Early free throws. After Kentucky point guard Andrew Harrison — who played brilliantly, with 20 points despite a hyperextended right elbow — split a pair of free throws with 7.2 seconds to go, Wichita advanced the ball and called a timeout.
The play was set up for Early or Baker, who combined to score 51 points, but Kentucky switched on both. The Shockers wound up with VanVleet, limited to four points and limited time because of foul trouble, at the top of the key. His shot was long and off to the right.
“In retrospect I could have let them play. Could have done a lot of things during the course of the game,” Marshall said. “There is probably a thousand decisions and a thousand plays in the game, and that was just one of them. But we had a shot in the air from the MVP of our league who is a clutch performer.”
When it clanged off the rim, Kentucky’s players erupted in jubilation near mid-court. Wichita State’s five slowly trudged off the court. There were no tears, then or later in the press conference. Just a sad realization it was over.
“It’s just one of those things growing up, you go through some humps in your life, kind of like this one,” Baker said. “It’s tough to see us go out like this. We all wanted more and at the end of the day somebody’s got to go home.
“I thought we had a great year and it’s just unfortunate we won’t be playing next week.”