Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky sends players off court early for walk of shame during loss

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 2/27/22

Kentucky sent some of its players off the court early before Saturday’s game at Arkansas ended, raising some questions about sportsmanship. However, they had a different reason for doing the publicized walk of shame.

The Wildcats lost 75-73 to the Razorbacks in an electric atmosphere at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. Hog fans were going nuts throughout the game and color-coordinated their clothes for a “stripe out.”

Stripe out turned out really well pic.twitter.com/HWC4lGWdyx

— Sidelines – Arkansas (@SSN_Arkansas) February 26, 2022

Fans at the game rushed the court after the contest ended, and that was a scene Kentucky didn’t want its fans being a part of. With Arkansas’ Davonte Davis at the free throw line and 4.4 seconds remaining, Kentucky sent its bench players to the locker room.

Here is the video:

Kentucky players leaving the court early no handshakes pic.twitter.com/y0ip7Cch3N

— Ted Budd (@TedBuddy8) February 26, 2022

And this video from the crowd also shows the boos the players received.

The entire Kentucky bench filing out early. One of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen! And @Jay_MWilliams_ reaction made it that much better. pic.twitter.com/HQzV2fQi8B

— Blake Eddins (@BlakeEddins) February 27, 2022

Kentucky knew what kind of celebratory scene it was going to be inside the arena and wanted to have some of their players avoid the situation.

If anyone is wondering why Kentucky pulled its players off the court at the end, it was to avoid a potential scene like this one a couple of weeks ago. https://t.co/iaLtd2A2Uq

— Ben Roberts (@BenRobertsHL) February 26, 2022

JD Notae scored 30 for the Hogs, who have won 13 of 14. Notae said Kentucky leaving the floor early didn’t bother Arkansas, because they were the victors.

JD Notae when asked if he took issue with Kentucky players leaving the court early. "Nah, we won."

— JC Hoops (@JCHoopsPod) February 26, 2022

Shaking hands after a game is an important part of proper sportsmanship. But in this case, it was unlikely that the players would have been able to shake hands before the fans crowded the floor, so sending off the players early probably wasn’t a bad decision.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: