UConn's Veterans Outlast Tough, Physical Title Game, top Kentucky

Veteran UConn beats Kentucky's youngsters for School's Fourth NCAA title

ARLINGTON, TEXAS —

Shabazz Napier scored 22 points and +UConn won its second NCAA title in four years, beating all those +Kentucky Wildcats Athletics freshmen 60-54 in the championship game Monday night.

Napier is among three UConn seniors who were part of the Huskies' 2011 title. That trio stayed after coach Jim Calhoun's retirement even when the Huskies were ineligible for the NCAA tournament last season.

They came back strong in coach Kevin Ollie's second season, and the Huskies (32-8) went all the way to their fourth overall title.

Kentucky (29-11), with five freshmen starters, never led in the championship game.

The Wildcats missed 11 of 24 free throws, while the Huskies were perfect on 10 tries.

The beginning of the game was marked by missed shots and turnovers, neither team seeming interested in taking control. That changed with little more than four minutes off the clock, when Napier stole the ball and was fouled, and UConn came out of a timeout on a 7-0 run that took less than two minutes.

From there, the Huskies built the lead to 17-8 before a Kentucky timeout, again got it up to 24-12 on a Napier 3 pointer with 8:33 to play in the half, then made it 30-15 with six minutes to go in the half.

However, Kentucky maintained its composure, began making baskets and outscored UConn 16-5 to end the half and trim the lead to just 35-31 at intermission.

During an on-air interview at halftime, Calipari said his team opened nervous, and that he stressed to his young squad that its late run kept the game well within reach.

“We could have been down 20. We have a chance to win this,” the Kentucky coach said he told his players.

Indeed, his team looked like it received the message, Aaron Harrison hitting a 3-pointer in the opening seconds of the second half to make it a one-point game.

Kentucky would climb within one on several other occasions, but would never take the lead in the game.

A thunderous dunk by Kentucky’s James Young looked like it could be the play that would finally kick the Wildcats into high gear, his throw-down over a pair of Connecticut defenders drawing Amida Brimah’s fourth foul and, with the free throw, making the score 48-42.

The energized ’Cats would draw within one at 48-47, but back-to-back 3’s by Napier and Niels Giffey quickly made it a seven-point game again.

Five Factors that Decided Outcome of UConn's Title

Eighth-seeded Kentucky vs. seventh-seeded UConn was the highest seed total to play for the title since they started putting numbers by the names back in 1979. The Wildcats, who missed March Madness last year, entered the game having not lost a tournament game since the 2011 semifinal against UConn — winning it all in 2012 and missing the tournament last season.

It's Kentucky going for its ninth national title and second in three years, with an almost completely rebuilt roster from 2012. It's the way coach John Calipari does it, like it or not, and it hasn't all been easy sailing. The team that was ranked first in the preseason poll fell out of it completely for the start of March Madness.

Only then, did the Wildcats start playing to their potential.

Kentucky reached the brink of an NCAA title with five freshman starters, including the cool right hand of Aaron Harrison and his decisive 3-pointers in three straight games.

Connecticut got to Monday night's championship game behind a pair of starters with Final Four experience, and a strong dose of defense.

''There's a lot of different ways to play this game and there's a lot of different ways to teach it and coach it and play it,'' Calipari said before the game. ''My whole thing is I'm coaching the hand that's dealt.''

Calipari's hand contained plenty of aces, and now he will once again face the annual question of how many will still be there after the NBA draft. Julius Randle, who played for the title in the Dallas area he calls home, seems the most likely to make the jump.

Aaron Harrison certainly received a lot of attention after last-second 3s to beat Michigan and Wisconsin and another late shot from long range that put the Wildcats in front of defending national champion Louisville.

Seniors Napier and Giffey also had roles on the Huskies' national title team in 2011.

Saturday's NCAA Tournament guide: Players to watch, keys to victory, more

Richard Mackson/Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Arizona guard Nick Johnson celebrates during the Wildcats' win against San Diego State

CORBETT SMITH
Staff Writer
corbettsmith@dallasnews.com
Published: 28 March 2014

Eight teams are one step away in the +NCAA Men's Basketball March Madness — but how meaningful that a step is, depends, on the program.

For the bluebloods of college basketball, getting past the Elite Eight means another crack at an all-important title. Otherwise, it’s just another item to update in next year’s media guide. But for those getting a rare — or even first-time — Final Four opportunity, the experience is potentially program-changing.

Here are my highly arbitrary rankings – from a “Meh” 1 to “Holy Smokes!” 10 – on the importance of a trip to Arlington.

SOUTH REGION

11. +University of Dayton (26-10) vs. 1. +Florida Gators (35-2)
5:09 p.m. today (TBS)

DAYTON: 9 (“Is that tear gas?”) +SPORTS CR3W finds little reason to not put this at a "10" though?! First since '47, why would it not be?

(Associated Press)

Dayton coach Archie Miller is most famous for being the younger brother of Arizona coach Sean Miller. During a Sweet 16 news conference, someone even called him Sean, then quickly apologized. “You don’t have to worry about that,” Archie, 35, said. “Everyone calls me Sean.”

The elder brother by 10 years, Sean was the Big East freshman of the year, eventually setting the career assists record at Pitt. Archie was no slouch, a four-year letterman at +North Carolina State, but he could never get away from comparisons to his brother, who actually gave him the nickname “Archie.” His birth name is Ryan.

Sigmund Freud, go nuts with that.

The Flyers made the NCAA title game in 1967, led by Dayton native Don May (who later had a nine-year career in the NBA, winning a title with the Knicks in 1970). +UCLA Bruins beat the Flyers, 79-64, led by 20 points from sophomore Lew Alcindor.

FLORIDA: 3 (Gators’ spring football in two weeks!) Sorry buddy, +SPORTS CR3W will point out that the Gators have become much more of a basketball school to Donovan's credit and over a decade of perhaps the strongest run in all of college basketball regarding programs. Football prowess or lack thereof, does not diminish what Gators' hoops has become.

(Associated Press)

Want a gauge of how much basketball matters in the state of Florida? There was some concern this March that fans of the football-crazed Gators wouldn’t sell out its opening-round games in nearby Orlando.

“If it’s not, the iconic Billy Donovan should leave Florida for a fan base that appreciates the amazing job he’s done in building an elite basketball program where nobody thought it was possible,” +Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi wrote.

Florida is the only program in the country to make the Elite Eight in each of the past four seasons. With another title, Donovan would become the sixth coach to win at least three titles (Florida won back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007), better than Dean Smith, Roy Williams and Denny Crum. Gator fans would be proud of such an accomplishment. But would they rather have a football title, like rival +Florida State Seminoles? Absolutely.

WEST REGION

2. +Wisconsin Badgers (29-7) vs. 1. +Arizona Wildcats  (33-4)

7:49 p.m. today (+TBS)

WISCONSIN: 8 (“On, Wisconsin!”) Another undervalued meaning, this is a "9" or "10"

Photo Courtesy: Official +NCAA Men's Basketball March Madness 

When Wisconsin won its only basketball title, 1947, the NCAA Tournament played second-fiddle to the NIT. There’s been a lot of basketball talent roll through Madison since then, both players and coaches.

The Badgers have been a solid but not spectacular program in the basketball-crazy Big Ten for more than a decade, making 16 straight NCAA appearances. +University of Michigan, +Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan State, +Fighting Illini and +Indiana University Athletics have all had their time in the Final Four spotlight since Wisconsin’s last appearance. In 2000, former coach Dick Bennett led a workman-like No. 8 seed to the semifinals, beating No. 1 seed Arizona (with Gilbert Arenas) in the Round of 32 in the process. Wisconsin lost to Big Ten rival +Michigan State Athletics, 53-41, the year of Tom Izzo’s only national championship.

Current Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan is one of the best in basketball, but he also wears the badge of “best current coach to never reach a Final Four.” He does, however, have four Division III titles at Wisconsin-Platteville.

ARIZONA: 5 (“Bringing the dry heat.”)

(Associated Press)

When Lute Olson led Arizona to the 2001 Final Four, eventually losing to +Duke Athletics in the final, the Wildcats' were considered one of the preeminent basketball programs in the country. At that point, Arizona had the best winning percentage of any team over the previous 13 years. Well, it’s been 13 years since the Wildcats have played on the final weekend.

Current coach Sean Miller (see above) hasn’t made the Final Four in his career, despite making the Elite Eight twice before (with +Xavier University in 2008, and Arizona in 2011). But he’s probably not sweating it as much as his brother; after all, he has one of the nation’s premier jobs.

That said, this would be as good a time as any for a Final Four trip; star freshman forward Aaron Gordon isn’t likely to stick around. Gordon continues to boost his +NBA draft stock, going 7-for-9 from the field in a 15 point, six-rebound performance last round against +San Diego State Athletics.

Early Games for Sweet 16 Tonight.

This is for Morgan Miller, of course, we are riding the Dayton High Life (+University of Dayton) Flyers, of course, although +Stanford Athletics might overwhelm with length. And as we have this bracket in tact, going with the +Baylor Athletics Bears, who are scorching hot, to take +Wisconsin Badgers in a high scoring game (not a lot of stiff defense with these two this year, normally, but nerves might affect that).

It's time for the #Sweet16! http://t.co/ZS4UtoNxux #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/3rIoudbfWi
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 27, 2014

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