Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Kentucky tries to shake ‘The Curse of the Big East Champ’

Louisville Cardinals guard Peyton Siva and guard Russ Smith hold up the Western Regional Trophy after coming from behind to defeat the Florida Gators in the NCAA men's West Regional basketball tournament in Phoenix

Louisville Cardinals guard Peyton Siva (3) and guard Russ Smith (2) hold up the Western Regional Trophy after coming from behind to defeat the Florida Gators in the NCAA men’s West Regional basketball tournament in Phoenix, Arizona March 24, 2012. REUTERS/Paul Connors (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

REUTERS

For the third consecutive season, the winner of the Big East tournament has made it all the way to the Final Four.

In 2010, West Virginia lost to Duke in the national semifinals. In 2011, UConn finished off their incredible March run by winning the national title. And this season, it’s Louisville, who went from the No. 7 seed in the Big East tournament to the Final Four.

But what is more intriguing about the Big East champs is that in each of the last two seasons, they have ended Kentucky’s season.

West Virginia knocked off national title favorite Kentucky in 2010 as the Wildcats went ice cold from the perimeter in the Elite Eight. The following season, Kentucky became UConn’s second to last victim, as Brandon Knight shot 6-for-23 from the floor as he was outdueled by Kemba Walker and company.

And now Kentucky will be playing Louisville.

Kentucky has plenty to deal with heading into this Final Four. Not only are they playing their in-state rivals in what is undoubtedly the most important game in the history of the rivalry, they are doing so while their current head coach tries to shake his national title demons against their former head coach, the one that pulled the team out of the doldrums of the Eddie Sutton era.

I’m sure that the Wildcats aren’t concerned in the least with the fact that they will be taking on their third straight Big East tournament champ in the NCAA tournament.

But if they lose?

Would it be ok to say Kentucky is afflicted with “The Curse of the Big East Champ”?

Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.