It’s been 14 season since college basketball’s winningest team had been here. Roughly 5110 days had passed since Tubby Smith and his Wildcats had cut down the nets. And what a long 5110 days it way. After that 1998 win, Kentucky fans suffered through the decline of the Smith era, the indignation of watching the Florida Gators claim their birthright, and the whole Billy Gillispie error. Experts figured it would take years for Kentucky to become relevant again in college basketball. Too much damage had been done to college basketball’s King and the rabid Commonwealth fanbase was bitterly divided. Until. The April 1 hiring of John Vincent Calipari. Calipari immediately restored the roar to the lifeless Wildcats, and came increasingly closer to a National Title each year. With Calipari, Kentucky exorcised their demons. It all came full circle for Calipari as one last personal demon stood before him: Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks who stole the 2008 NCAA Title after experts say Calipari choked it away. But tonight, both Calipari and his Wildcats vanquished all the ghosts of their 14 year dry spell and Kentucky withstood a furious Kansas rally to capture the long awaited eighth title.
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