Kentucky 81 - 62 Indiana (Final) (No. 2,030)

Let's imagine that you had a college basketball team. You have a group of young, athletic men who have spent their whole lives training to play the most beautiful game in the world. If you studied great coaches like Adolph Rupp, John Wooden, Dean Smith, or Coach K, you would know that the way to build a great basketball team is to teach quick passes, fast breaks, agile ball-handling, and speed, speed, speed.

But that's not how the folks in Hoosier-land roll. They don't like fast breaks. They don't like slam dunks. To be honest, they really don't like to see anyone score. Here's how IU plays the game:

1. Get a bunch of big, heavy-set guys to stand around the goal and hammer anyone who gets close to the basket.

2. Train your team to foul anyone who looks like they might be able to score for any reason.

3. When you have the ball, hold it for 25 seconds while your guys run a very complex series of weaves and motions looking for a back-door layup. When the shot clock goes below 10 seconds, send a guy driving toward the basket looking for a foul. If he's not fouled, he should kick it out to someone for a three-point shot.

4. At all times, look for every opportunity to set moving picks, trip people, knock the other side's best players down, and dive on the floor for loose balls.

5. When you lose to a faster, quicker team, complain that "no one really respects the spirit of the game any more." Also, accuse the other team of violating NCAA rules -- even in years when IU is on probation. Then go back to watching the Colts.

Now this is how IU plays -- this is how they always play, even when they have good players. And they don't have good players now, so they turned the first 30 minutes of this game into a nightmare of knees, elbows, and free throws. Jones and Knight, who were obviously confused by the concept of a basketball team that didn't actually want to play basketball, looked uncertain and slower than usual. UK's other players, for the most part, played with the air of people who were about to be nailed in the back of the head by a flying elbow. The fans were nervous. Tom Crean, IU's self-righteous coach, was yelling "Good foul!" to his guys and screaming at the officials. With less than nine minutes to go, IU had a 56-57 lead.

But fortunately, UK has two players -- Josh Harrellson and DeAndre Liggins -- who have vivid memories of when Billy Gillispie (the Captain Queeg of college basketball), tried to bring the IU style of play to Lexington. They seemed right at home in all the mayhem, and they kept the Wildcats alive. Harrellson -- who actually did not get into foul trouble for once -- scored 14 points and had 12 rebounds. Liggins played his best game ever, with 19 points and 9 rebounds. And eventually the rest of the Cats figured out how to stop the Hoosier offense, holding them to only one field goal in the last nine minutes of play. The Cats also showed they were not intimidated by IU's football tactics, out-rebounding them 43-34. UK finally hit some threes. (They made only 6-17 in the game, but hit some big ones down the stretch). And the Wildcats pulled away for an 81-62 victory.

The truth is, this was the best result from everyone's perspective. Kentucky fans are happy because we won. Indiana fans are happy because, in their minds, they played the game "the right way." Based on what I've seen today, both the Hoosier fans and the Wildcat fans have got the type of team they deserve.