Rivalry Renewed.

Last week I spent some time thinking about the UK-Indiana "rivalry." For most of my lifetime the annual matchup between Kentucky and Indiana has been largely one-sided in the Cats' favor. To be honest, the game barely made it into my top-10 games I look forward to list. The Louisville game is always number one, followed by North Carolina. This year, the Kansas game at Madison Square Garden was number three. The six conference games against Florida, Vanderbilt, Alabama, and Mississippi State rounded out my top-nine. Then at number 10, the UK vs. Indiana game at Assembly Hall. Before the game, I thought the Cats were at least 12 points better. I thought that Kentucky had a better chance of winning by 20 than it did of losing this game. I guess I underestimated the effect the Assembly Hall crowd would have on the young Cats. I underestimated the passion and fire Indiana would play with. Add the Hoosiers' ridiculous three-point shooting and Kentucky's poor free-throw shooting and foul trouble, and you have all of the ingredients of a HUGE upset. On a neutral court, I still believe the Cats are 10-12 points better. At Rupp, there's no way Indiana keeps it within 15 points. But last night in Bloomington, Indiana was clearly the better team. They deserved to win. Obviously it wasn't the preferred outcome, but that was one hell of a college basketball game.

Before last night's game I had no problem with the fact that future scheduling issues may result in the annual UK-IU game being removed from the schedule. But after last night's game, the rivalry that was alive and well in the '70s and '80s, has been renewed. I want a rematch in Rupp in 2012.