How every Phoenix Suns player played in the NCAA tournament

Devin Booker

2015: (1) Kentucky lost to (1) Wisconsin in Final Four

Many Kentucky basketball fans will tell you the day Christian Laettner hit that over-replayed turnaround jumper in 1992 to go to the Final Four was the worst day of their lives. I disagree.

Granted, it is top-5 for me, but the day Kentucky lost to Wisconsin in the Final Four in 2015 is a day that will live in the dark corners of my memory for all eternity.

I was there. It was the second game of the Final Four doubleheader and I bought the ticket stub of a sad Michigan State fan with a good seat as he walked out of the arena. The Spartans had just lost to Duke, and many of them had no interest sticking around to watch the second game. It was a great way to upgrade from the nosebleeds to the lower level.

Kentucky was undefeated going into this game and had a chance to become the only team to ever go 40-0. It was there for the taking, but stupid Frank Kaminsky and company had to go and ruin everything.

This is also the game that caused officials to change the rule about reviewing whether or not a shot clock violation occurred. Wisconsin tipped in a shot late in the game after the buzzer, but the refs missed it (because college basketball refs are the worst of the species) and may have led to them winning.

But enough of that.

Devin Booker came off the bench during his one season for Kentucky on a stacked team. He averaged 10 points per game and shot an incredible 41.1 percent from deep throughout the season, and took home the SEC 6th Man of the Year award.

He did not have a great tournament, however. He only averaged 7.2 points per game and was cold from outside, shooting just 26.7 percent from deep. A lot of people said he and Tyler Ulis should have been on the court during the final few minutes, but alas, we will never be able to replay those minutes.

Unlike “The Shot,” I have not seen one replay of that game, and that is the way I prefer to keep it.