By LARRY VAUGHT

It was a bit unusual for a championship team to get into the White House to see the president as quickly as UK did in May after winning the title in early April. However, UK associate athletics director for basketball operations Chris Woolard  joked at the Ohio UK Convention that the invitation came within a few hours of word getting out on Twitter that former president Bill Clinton had been in Lexington and all the UK players had got their picture made with him and the championship trophy.

Woolard said the trip to Washington, D.C., was the last time the entire championship team was together.

“What a great way to cap off that season of friendship and family. As guys were getting on the bus (for the ride to the airport) and then going to be heading their own way when we got back to Lexington, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist got on the bus to grab his stuff. He was going to take the short train ride to Philadelphia.

“But when he got on the bus, it hit everybody this was it. It was an emotional few minutes with guys spending time telling each other how much they had meant to one another. They knew they had formed special friendships for life.”