Memphis missed its chance at toppling Kentucky in the NCAA record books on Wednesday, but couldn't get past UTEP.

And if you're sitting there asking yourself what the record was, you're probably not alone. Don't worry. The NCAA wants it that way.

The Tigers' 72-67 loss snapped their Conference USA winning streak at 64 games, which leaves them tied with Kentucky. (Adolph Rupp's group dominated the SEC from 1945 to 1950.) Memphis hadn't lost a C-USA game since March 2, 2006 when it lost to UAB.

That's almost four years, or 1,419 days.

But because of rules violations committed during the 2007-08 season, 19 of those wins will be vacated if the NCAA rules against a Memphis appeal later this month. So technically, the win streak doesn't exist.

Yet. If the appeal is granted, the loss to UTEP is going to sting.

Does this fall under the "better to have had a chance at the record than no chance at all" category?

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Those watching the end of the 24-hour hoops marathon Tuesday night should see some classics. Gonzaga vs. Michigan State. Arkansas vs. Louisville. Memphis vs. Kansas.

The final two are part of the Naismith Hall of Fame Classic and features four of the game's most successful programs.

Not that those four exhibited Hall of Fame behavior during the offseason. Rob Dauster at Ballin' Is a Habit thinks the tourney name is worthy of a little irony. Perhaps the Role Models Classic?  

Rob offers up the details:

Memphis lost their coach, his recruiting class, four of their own players, and their trip to the national title game.

Louisville had to deal with Rick Pitino's extortion case, the accusations and eventual admission of his affair and abortion, and as if they were adding icing on the cake, Terrence Jennings and Jerry Smith got arrested for scuffling with cops in Indiana.

(whistles)

It's not all bad behavior – Memphis got hosed by the NCAA clearinghouse and kept its nose out of the police blotters – but it does give me a small chuckle. (I wish Luke Winn had done one of his graphics for Arkansas when he touched on Louisville, Memphis and Kansas this summer.)

Is there any way the TV folk can't spend time talking about these team's offseasons tonight? Get ready for those awkward pauses – and for the tournament officials to cringe. Just a bit.

Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

Every scandal needs a villain. In the case of Memphis' vacated Final Four season, two have emerged. But I'm unclear why there aren't three.

Popular opinion is saddling John Calipari with most of the blame. No surprise there. Coach Cal was Memphis' coach since 2000 and turned the Tigers into a national title contender. Anything regarding the program – victories, recruiting, publicity, compliance – falls to Calipari.

Yet, he's emerging unscathed from the whole mess, at least as far as NCAA punishments are concerned. His reputation isn't.

Nick Laham/Getty

Derrick Rose

Some critiques are levelheaded, like Luke Winn's from SI.com. The punishment may not affect Coach Cal, but it's an indictment on Calipari's program management. Such is life when you become the only coach to ever have Final Fours vacated at two different schools.

Others are more than a little miffed with Calipari. Take Geoff Calkins at the Memphis Commerical-Appeal. Doesn't sound like he'll ever forgive Calipari for leaving Memphis AND not sharing any of NCAA punishment. Our own Mike Celizic is of the same opinion: Calipari's reputation is in tatters, and rightly so.

Of course, some aren't concerned with the Coach as much as they are with the NCAA.

The NCAA erred when it came to administering justice toward Memphis. Gregg Doyel thinks the organization is selective when crashing down on schools or coaches. Not that Memphis shouldn't be punished if it broke the rules, but apply the same rules to ever school. His biggest example? Duke's 1999 Final Four appearance has never been vacated despite Corey Maggette accepting $2,000 from a summer basketball coach. A decision is still coming on that. (To Mike Krzyzewski's credit, he said all the right things when the Maggette news emerged.)

Mostly, I agree with Truzenzuzex at ASeaofBlue. This is one scandal that has something to anger everyone. The NCAA chose the easy scapegoat in Memphis, but there's plenty of blame to go around.

Like some for Derrick Rose, the guy who is at the center of the mess.

Rose was accused of having another person take his SAT. Memphis and the NCAA clearing house cleared the player, but SAT officials later conducted their own investigation and notified the player, the school and the NCAA.

(Rose's brother also received free transportation and hotel lodging that season, but the main issue is the academic eligibility.)

Rose denied the allegations, telling ESPN this summer that he "didn't do anything wrong. That was up to Memphis what they had to do."

So not only was Rose ineligible, but he didn't learn how to take responsibility for his actions. An apology might've helped the school. It might've helped his coach. But he's washing his hands of a mess he helped create.

There's room for a third villain in this mess. When you rip Calipari and the school, save some for Rose, too.

UPDATE: Saw Mike DeCourcy's story on the whole mess later Thursday. If you haven't yet, please read it. Stop right now. Read it. He details the test-taking mess, why it became an issue (oddly), how it was handled (poorly) and a closer look at the investigation (goofy).

The "I told you sos" will surely come Kentucky's way. But I'm not sure school officials will lose too much sleep over them. They knew this was coming.

It sounds batty – cocksure, perhaps  – to suggest that Kentucky isn't worried about NCAA allegations regarding Memphis' 2007-08 men's basketball season. After all, that's where new Wildcats coach John Calipari spent the previous nine seasons. The 2007-08 season was a biggie, too. Calipari helped lead the team to a Final Four berth and an NCAA record 38 victories that season.

Yet, it's one player on that team – reportedly Derrick Rose, now a guard with the Chicago Bulls – who is the focal point of those NCAA allegations of "knowing fraudulence or misconduct" on an SAT exam, not Calipari. The coach will cooperate with the investigation, and Kentucky made clear that he "is not at risk of being charged with any NCAA violations in this case."

In fact, Calipari told Kentucky about the allegations during his March job interview. How's that for be upfront with your prospective employer?

From a statement released by the school:

"Coach Calipari was forthcoming with the University of Kentucky during the hiring process about any issues under investigation at the University of Memphis at that time. It is normal procedure for the NCAA to ask a former coach to participate in a hearing. Therefore, Coach Calipari will participate as requested."

As far as Kentucky's concerned, Calipari hasn't done anything wrong.

Indeed, when the hiring was announced, athletic director Mitch Barnhart talked at length about the school's vetting process. As the Lexington Herald-Leader reports: "We then started our due diligence, more calls and background checks. Sandy Bell and the compliance folks talked with the NCAA and checked records and facts. David Price (the NCAA vice president of enforcement services), other people at the high level with the NCAA, assured us how much they enjoyed working with John in that process."

Still … it has to be unnerving.

This isn't the first time the NCAA has accused a Calipari program of major violations. Massachusetts was forced to vacate its 1996 NCAA tournament results, which included a Final Four berth, because star center Marcus Camby received money from an agent. Calipari bolted for the New Jersey Nets and UMass was left to rebuild.

The catch is that Calipari wasn't found personally culpable for Camby's mistakes. But the perception hung around.

When Memphis made its Final Four run last season, Calipari had to continually address impressions that his programs were tainted. The new allegations aren't going to help those perceptions, but that's to be expected.

It's been a big spring for Kentucky. The Wildcats, behind their new coach, have made recruiting headlines and been the buzz of college hoops. But the school knew these allegations were coming and officials still decided Calipari was worth it. Memphis thought the same thing.

And when everyone wants you despite any perceived imperfections, that's a game worth playing.