Getty Zion Williamson
If you haven’t heard already, the #2 ranked Kentucky basketball team got absolutely slaughtered by #4 Duke last night. Freshmen Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, and Cam Reddish stomped all over the Wildcats on national television in the biggest blowout in Champions Classic history–and Kentucky coach John Calipari’s most handily-dealt career defeat.
The game was an absolute spectacle. There was simply nothing Kentucky could do to stop Duke’s talented “Big Three”. It was like watching the Harlem Globetrotters, or an NBA team. There was no mercy for Kentucky and Duke walked away with a 34-point win in Indianapolis.
Twitter Reacts
Twitter caught fire with reactions to the blowout. Here are some highlights.
Kentucky fans–notoriously raucous–were certainly not expecting this kind of loss leading up to the game:
Kentucky fans before the game, versus during the game.
Duke fans, on the other hand, were having a heydey:
With preseason rankings nearly unanimous in Kentucky’s favor, though, most people agreed that this caliber of a blowout was the last thing anybody expected:
Of all the scenarios, I did not see this one coming. Kentucky completely out of sorts.
Part of Kentucky’s downfall was their sub-par shot selection:
Kentucky’s shot selection is doo doo
One account called for the resignation of the preseason rankers. They were so, so wrong:
Fire everyone that put Kentucky ahead of Duke in the preseason standings
It’s been a rough week for Kentucky sports:
“Well at least there’s a football game Saturday.” -something I’ve never said during a Kentucky basketball game.
This gif usage is pretty accurate; Kentucky got ken-truckied:
Duke to Kentucky… #analysis
NBA star Donovan Mitchell, a former Louisville Cardinals player, chimed in gleefully about the carnage:
It’s always good when Kentucky loses ain’t that right #CardNation 😂
And even Duke’s Coach K was pleasantly surprised after the win:
Coach K: “I shouldn’t say I’m surprised. But to play on this stage, right away against Kentucky, was a little bit surprising.”
As far as Kentucky fans go, they can at least thank Reid Travis for putting up a solid effort and contributing 22 points. A silver lining on the otherwise dismal night:
Goodnight to Reid Travis and Reid Travis only
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