And then there were four. The Final Four is set for Saturday as all four #1 seeds – UCLA, North Carolina, Memphis and Kansas – advanced for the first time in NCAA Tournament Final Four history. Here’s a recap of how they got there with analysis of each Elite Eight contest……
UCLA 76, Xavier 57: Once again, Ben Howland’s Bruins won with their trademark defense. Since coming over from Pittsburgh a few years ago, Howland has restored a certain level of toughness at UCLA. With it comes the storied program’s third consecutive trip to the Final Four. What did the Musketeers in was the fact they scored only two points off ten UCLA turnovers in the first half. In other words, Xavier didn’t capitalize on early opportunities. Additionally, no one for Xavier scored more than 13 points, and Drew Lavender and Josh Duncan were a combined 1-for-8 from the field. Lavender was noticeably bothered by his ankle. UCLA began the second half on a 14-0 run, and whenever they get a lead above 15 points on an opponent, the game is pretty much done. Kevin Love and Darren Collison each scored 17 points and combined to go 14-of-23 from the field. Luc Ricard Mbah a Moute added a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds, seven of which offensive. Really this was one of UCLA’s sharper performances we’ve seen this year, particularly offensively.
North Carolina 83, Louisville 73: When leading at the half this season, the North Carolina Tar Heels entered Saturday’s Elite Eight game against Louisville with a 29-0 mark. So when UNC led 44-32 at the break, there wasn’t much to worry about, right? Not necessarily. While the Cardinals got killed on the boards, weren’t aggressive enough and settled for too many bad shots in the first half, they turned up the intensity level in the second half. They showed better half-court execution of their offense with effective basket cuts and eventually tied the game up at 59-apiece. As a team, Rick Pitino’s unit shot 29-for-55 (52.7%), which generally is good enough for a victory. However, 19 Louisville turnovers and the Tar Heels’ inside game went a long way towards deciding the outcome. Tyler Hansbrough scored 20 of his 28 points in the second half and was 12-of-17 from the floor with 13 rebounds as well. Guard Ty Lawson was a perfect 6-for-6 at the foul line and handed out nine assists. Louisville shot 9-of-16 from the free-throw line, but it’s worth pointing out too that many of those seven misses were critical ones where had Louisville made them they would’ve likely gone ahead in the second half. Talented 6-foot-8 reserve swingman Earl Clark was turnover city with seven by himself. Sophomore point guard Edgar Sosa did give the Cards a lift off the bench with 12 points.
Memphis 85, Texas 67: Out of 341 Division I programs, Memphis ranked 339th this season in free-throw percentage as only Washington and Winthrop were worse. Sooner or later, many experts have predicted that flaw would come back to bite the Tigers. Not against Texas at least. As a team, John Calipari’s bunch shot 30-of-36 from the charity stripe for a surprisingly sharp 83%. Memphis’ third straight Elite Eight appearance resulted in a victory that now means the program will make its first Final Four trip since 1985. Perhaps the Tigers’ defense and unselfishness are two things that often go unnoticed about this team with an abundance of athleticism. The Tigers limited Texas guard D.J. Augustin to 4-of-18 shooting. Rick Barnes’ Longhorns struggled from the outside, going 9-for-28 from three-point land. Shot blocking is one of this team’s fortes, too. Five different players accounted for a block. Derrick Rose scored 21 points, shot 70% from the field, hit 7-of-8 free-throws and hauled in six rebounds. Chris Douglas-Roberts was steady with a game-high 25 points and 14-for-17 shooting from the foul line. Memphis tallied 18 assists, nine of which belonged to Rose.
Kansas 59, Davidson 57: That 0-4 record in Elite Eight games nearly dropped to 0-5 for Bill Self, but fortunately for the Jayhawks’ Head Coach, Davidson decided not to have unquestionably their best shot maker attempt a potential game-winner that would put the underdog Wildcats in the Final Four. Instead, point guard Jason Richards’ three-pointer sailed left and Kansas will face North Carolina and Roy Williams, once the Jayhawks’ Head Coach, in Saturday’s Final Four. Stephen Curry scored 25 points, but had only ten in the second half and finished 4-for-15 from beyond the arc to cap what was a remarkable tournament by the young sophomore guard. Nonetheless, Davidson did everything right as they had the pace/tempo right where they wanted it, their transition defense was solid for the most part, and they led by four in the second half with less than nine minutes to play in a game where they were expected to be blown out. Clearly, Kansas was tight and playing not to lose in some respects. While Sherron Collins’ go-ahead jumper proved to be huge for Kansas, Sasha Kaun may have been the unsung hero in this one. Kaun finished with 13 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting and grabbed corralled rebounds. Rebounding played a big part in this one as the Jayhawks won that category 33-24. What also came back to bite the Wildcats was that they went 5-for-12 from the free-throw line. A couple more makes would’ve extended the game to overtime.
*** Stay tuned to Hatfield Sports – www.matthewhatfield.com – for more coverage of the Final Four and a preview of the UCLA/Memphis matchup as well as the North Carolina/Kansas battle! ***
