College Basketball: Kentucky Didn't Finish as No. 1, but Its Fans May Have

INDIANAPOLIS — Following one of the most thrilling national championship games in years, spectators clad in blue and white piled out of Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday night.

Minutes after the nets were cut and "One Shining Moment" blared throughout the arena, the celebration was merely beginning. The fans had just finished watching their team, a freshman-laden squad led by a legendary coach, cement its place as the top dog in college basketball.

But the JW Marriott's colossal tournament bracket, only blocks from the stadium, didn't bear Kentucky's name as the champion. Duke's logo—not UK's—was plastered on the building minutes after the final buzzer.

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No, head coach John Calipari and his Kentucky Wildcats didn't even appear in the title game, despite being the favorites since the season began. Although there wasn't any Wildcat blue on the court Monday night, UK could still be considered among the best—if not the best—in the country.

I'm not talking about Willie Cauley-Stein, Karl-Anthony Towns and the other Wildcats that laced 'em up 39 times this season. The loss to Wisconsin in the semis speaks for itself in terms of Kentucky's final rank among other teams. It's the thousands of fans across the country, the ones who filled arenas and supported this team from day one, who should be considered as the country's elite.

UK's fanbase is affectionately known as "Big Blue Nation" by no mistake. There isn't an accurate way to tell how many loyal Wildcat fans there are, but be assured that their numbers rival any group in the country. For the record, if the followers of Kentucky Basketball's official Twitter page made up a nation, it would be larger than 56 different countries worldwide.

Kentucky fans sold out every arena that the team played in during the tournament, including less-than-entertaining blowouts over Hampton and West Virginia. They drove Final Four ticket prices to record highs. Around 12,000 of them packed the KFC Yum! Center's lower bowl on a Wednesday last month—to watch a practice.

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But it's not strength in numbers that is so impressive about this group of fanatics. Sure, they travel as well as anyone in the country, but there is much, much more to Big Blue Nation than its size.

For fans of Kentucky, in the state or elsewhere in the country, basketball is more than just a sport. It ranks as one of the biggest things in their lives.

"In Kentucky, you can't love your grandmother more than basketball," said Van Florence, the president of UK's booster organization (via ESPN.com). "And if you did, your grandmother would tell you you're stupid."

To be that fixated about college basketball sounds unrealistic to sports fans and insane to anyone else. But it's easy to see that there's something different about Big Blue Nation, and until one realizes how huge basketball is for these fans, it's hard to comprehend.

"The tradition at Kentucky is unlike anywhere else. A lot of people hate us because of that," said Shane, a lifelong UK fan, to Bleacher Report. "There are so many people that are just brought up as Wildcats, born and bred."

Undoubtedly, there are the few fans out there who tarnish the collective reputation of the fanbase. And considering that there's not much gray area between loving or hating the 'Cats, having good reasons for disdain is always welcome.

On that same note, every sports team that goes through periods of success will pick up its fair share of "bandwagon" fans. But for UK, these represent a small fraction of the fanbase.

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But whether you're a Louisville fan or just an all-around Kentucky hater, you have to give respect where it's due. Rarely do amateur programs have pro-level followings like Kentucky does.

This season, the Wildcats arguably had a team that was as elite as their fans from the season's start. And because of the role that basketball plays in each fan's life, going from an undefeated world-beater to an upset semifinal loser is a tough blow.

Kentucky fans wanted nothing less than a national championship from their 'Cats, and surely Coach Calipari and his players understand that. The folks in Lexington and around the country dreamed of having a team that was as good as their fanbase is.

Which, arguably, may be nothing short of the best in the nation.

Samuel Benson is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Contact him at [e-mail].@sambbenson