Kentucky chose not to cut down the nets at the SEC Tournament

Kentucky ran through the SEC Tournament similar to the way it ran through the regular season: emphatically, unblemished and without much cause for concern. As the Wildcats breezed past Arkansas in Nashville on Saturday to capture the tournament championship game, Kentucky bypassed one of college basketball’s best rituals. That’s right, Kentucky didn’t cut down the nets.

Ask five people and you’ll get five different answers for why the Wildcats chose not to do it. Center Dakari Johnson said his team simply forgot. A spokeswoman at Kentucky said the team needed more time to prepare for the selection show. Star big man Karl Towns had a different explanation:

“We all looked at each other, and we all said that this is not over,” said Towns, who added that he wasn’t sure how he had acquired the net he wore around his neck. “We have a lot more to strive for.”

This might seem like an arrogant quote coming from both teams, but Kentucky has probably earned that right. 34-0 won’t mean a thing unless they’re cutting down the nets in Indianapolis on April 6, and Calipari’s team knows it.