The University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team is one of the most storied division one programs in the nation. Kentucky has been a national power for decades. The school located in Lexington has been a fixture on the National Championship scene for years. A regular season contest with Columbia University should be a cake walk for Kentucky. Last years national runner-up boasts one of the best recruiting classes in America. Kentucky's roster has at least five future NBA players. Columbia, on the other hand boasts a roster full of young men eager to head into the work field post graduation.
Columbia and Kentucky are the complete opposite of one another. Kentucky prides itself in dominating it's opposition. Excellence has long been the standard for Kentucky Athletics. Basketball happens to head that list in the Blue Grass State. Since taking over the program in 2009, John Calipari has returned the program to prominence. Kentucky won their first NCAA Championship sine 1998 in 2012.
Columbia shocked Kentucky by scoring the first 11 points of the game. The Lions executed their game plan well early. Kentucky had a hard time getting their transition game going in the first half. The Wildcats are NCAA Basketball's version of "lob city". However, Columbia's stingy defense and disciplined game plan caught Calipari off guard. Columbia took a surprising 25-23 advantage into intermission.
Kentucky eventually overwhelmed Columbia as expected. The Wildcats took their first lead of the game at the 13 minute mark of the second half. Considering the discrepancy in talent, the notion of Kentucky being tied or trailing an IVY League school for the first 27 minutes of a game is an amazing feat. Kentucky held off Columbia in the waning moments of the match, preserving a 56-46 victory.
Despite falling short in the end, the Columbia Lions should be commended for an amazing effort. Columbia is a program on the rise. This effort could serve as a spring board moving forward for the program. This could be the year Columbia makes their long awaited return to the NCAA Tournament. The Lions have only qualified for the big dance on three occasions in school history. Columbia is the fifth oldest institution in the country.
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