In an era of upset?minded'Cinderellas' - including recent runs by Butler, VCU and George Mason - it seems that the country's rooting attention has begun to turn toward supporting underdogs over the traditional favorite. But as the 2012 Final Four approaches, that won't be possible, as the semifinals feature four prestigious programs which have all previously won national championships, making for what is likely to be one of the most exciting closing weekends of college basketball in recent memory.
The first matchup features traditional Bluegrass State rivals Kentucky and Louisville, who have met in the regular season every year since 1984. The Cardinals are led by Rick Pitino, who coached the rival Wildcats from 1989 to 1997 and guided them to a national title in 1996. He will hope to do the same with a Louisville squad that has won eight straight, including the Big East Tournament and a dominant defensive performance in an upset of No. 1 seed Michigan State in the West Region Sweet 16.
Louisville is led by a slew of talented wing players, including seniors Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith and junior point guard Peyton Siva, who leads the team in assists with 5.6 per game and shoots over 40 percent from the field. Smith, the younger brother of New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith, is one of Louisville's most consistent scorers, averaging 9.7 points per game and shooting nearly 40 percent.
In the paint, the Louisville defense is anchored by 6?11 sophomore center GorguiDieng. The Senegal native is averaging 3.2 blocks per game this season and has consistently shown that he is one of the best defensive big men in the nation. Complementing Dieng is freshman forward Chase Behanan, who is posting 9.5 points per game while shooting over 51 percent. Behanan shot 7?for?10 from the field in an Elite Eight victory against Florida, scoring 17 points to lead the Cardinals to a 72?68 win.
Meanwhile, Kentucky is the tournament's No. 1 overall seed and the youngest team still alive. The Wildcats have been paced all season by the play of freshman center Anthony Davis, who many believe will be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft next season. Davis has averaged a double?double this season and set SEC and NCAA records with 4.6 blocks per game.
He is joined in the post by sophomore Terrence Jones and freshman Michael Kidd?Gilchrist. The dynamic duo inside averaged a combined 24.6 points and 14.8 rebounds this season and, along with Davis, dominated the paint and formed one of the top front lines in the nation. In the backcourt, Kentucky is led by sophomore Doron Lamb and senior Darius Miller, both of whom are averaging double?digit scoring numbers and add legitimate outside threats to the Wildcats' offense, which has scored at least 80 points in all four tournament games so far. They are the first team to accomplish that feat since the 1998 iteration of the Wildcats.
In the other Final Four matchup, Kansas will face Ohio State in a battle of powerhouse No. 2 seeds. The Jayhawks knocked off the No. 1?seeded North Carolina Tar Heels in the Midwest regional, and the Buckeyes bested the top?seeded Syracuse Orange in the East. Both teams have had success in the Final Four recently: Kansas won the national championship in 2008, while Ohio State reached the championship game in 2007, losing to Florida.
The Jayhawks suffered a setback in the Big 12 conference tournament, losing to Baylor in the semifinals. But since then, the Jayhawks have retained their regular?season form. All?American junior forward Thomas Robinson, who leads the team in both scoring and rebounding with 17.7 and 11.8, respectively, paces the squad. Against North Carolina, Robinson neutralized the Tar Heels' front line defensively and was productive on the offensive end, scoring 18 points and grabbing nine boards.
Senior point guard Tyshawn Taylor is the primary facilitator for the Jayhawks, leading the team with 4.7 assists per game. But Taylor is not just a passer - he led all scorers in Kansas' Elite Eight matchup with 22 points and is typically strong, slashing toward the basket. Ohio State will probably task sophomore guard Aaron Craft, the team's best defender, with guarding Taylor. The results of this matchup could dictate which team wins the game.
As the Buckeyes' primary ball handler, Craft often distributes to sophomore forwards Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas and senior guard William Buford, who have each averaged double?digit scoring totals this season. The Buckeyes have scored more than 75 points per game and feature one of the most dynamic offensive lineups in the country.
Against Syracuse in the Elite Eight, Ohio State solved the vaunted Syracuse zone defense by feeding the ball inside to Sullinger and Thomas in the paint. Sullinger led all scorers with 19 points, while Thomas chipped in 14 to lead Ohio State over the Orange.
To beat Kansas, Ohio State will have to continue to pound the ball inside to its forwards, slow the Jayhawks' transition offense and control Taylor and Robinson in the half court.
Unlike in recent years, when it was easy to notice disparities among Final Four teams, this year's field appears evenly matched, which may ultimately produce two very competitive semifinal matchups and a thrilling championship game.
