In the shadow of a team last year, which many predicted to win the national championship, the Kentucky Wildcats have made it to the final four surpassing the Wall/Cousins squad.
This happened after defeating North Carolina on Sunday in a tight game where, again, Josh Harrelson was the deciding factor. Written off by many Kentucky fans last year, Missouri native Harrelson has proven to be a solid and dependable big man underneath.
Of course, the difference between the Tarheels and Cats yesterday seemed to be the three-point shooters. Darius Miller, Brandon Knight, and DeAndre Liggins put up impressive numbers, which put Kentucky on top. This victory came after a win against West Virginia, who knocked the Cats out last year.
Calipari’s team is set to face off against Big East tournament champs, UConn, Saturday night. It will be the second outing for these two; the first one concluding with a narrow victory for the Huskies in Connecticut.
It’s not Connecticut and Kentucky, though, that are huge surprises in the final four. Rather, (11) Virginia Commonwealth and (8) Butler is the stunner. Further, there are no number one seeds in the final four; a fact which is practically unheard of. There aren’t even any number two seeds. Highest ranked is the Huskies at a number three. Certainly, this hodgepodge of teams has destroyed many brackets.
It’s been thirteen years since the blue and white last appeared in the final four, a series which concluded in Kentucky defeating Utah in the championship led by Jamaal Magloire, Scott Padgett, and Nazi Mohommed.
As for me, I saw all this happen at a local restaurant filled with blue and a lot of yelling, and just a hint of cursing. Elbows deep in nachos filled with saturated fat and cholesterol, man, I love March!
Image courtesy of UK Athletics