WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW COLLEGE HOOPS FINAL - UCONN vs KENTUCKY

What you need to know for the Kentucky vs. UConn national championship game

By SCOTT GLEESON 8 hours ago

ARLINGTON, Texas – Bracket experts, media analysts and office pool juggernauts certainly didn’t expect these two teams to be in the national championship game. The players and coaches at Kentucky and UConn aren’t surprised much, go figure.

“I don’t think we were a No. 8 seed and I don’t think Connecticut was a No. 7 seed,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said.

These teams have had their inconsistencies, but their routes to Monday’s title game highlight the unexpectedness of the NCAA tournament and the maturation of two fiery teams. This game will come down to Xs and Os, sure, but the key to understanding these teams is simple: Resiliency and togetherness have got them here.

“I know we are fighters,” UConn coach Kevin Ollie said. “Dark times is what promotes you.”

Game Time: 9:10 p.m. ET

Location: Arlington, Texas

TV: CBS

Analysis: Who has the edge? Here’s a video breakdown and key factors for UConn and Kentucky.

How the Wildcats (29-10, 12-6) got here: Beat Kansas State, Wichita State, Louisville, Michigan, Wisconsin.

How the Huskies (21-8, 12-6) got here: Beat Saint Joseph’s, Villanova, Iowa State, Michigan State, Florida.

BACKCOURT

Key Kentucky players: Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison, James Young

Key UConn players: Shabazz Napier, Ryan Boatright, Niels Giffey

Advantage goes to: UConn. Napier and Boatright are arguably the best backcourt tandem in the country, and they undoubtedly have been the best in this NCAA tournament. Napier has ability to take over games offensively, but it was the duo’s defense that made the difference in the Huskies’ victory against top-ranked Florida. They held SEC Player of the Year Scottie Wilbekin to four points — which caused the Gators to completely unravel offensively. If they can put a similar defensive lockdown on Andrew and Aaron Harrison — forcing turnovers and bad shots— that can be the ultimate edge. Young, who paced Kentucky with 17 points against Wisconsin, could be the X-Factor. His length and athleticism will be tough for even Napier and Boatright to guard. And Aaron Harrison obviously wins the clutch award for his back-to-back game-winners, but Napier has been the definition of clutch this season. Giffey is a big-time glue guy to keep an eye on for Connecticut.

FRONTCOURT

Key Kentucky players: Julius Randle, Dakari Johnson, Alex Poythress

Key UConn players: Phillip Nolan, DeAndre Daniels, Amida Brimah

Advantage goes to: Kentucky. For all of the love Aaron Harrison and James Young have been getting for their backcourt heroics, it’s important to remember Kentucky wouldn’t be positioned to win if it weren’t for Randle, the Wildcats’ most consistent offensive force all season. His pitbull-like aggressiveness could be tough for Connecticut to handle. Daniels was the Huskies’ best player against Florida, finishing with a double-double (20 points and 10 rebounds). He’ll need a similar performance to keep UConn in the mix. Nolan and Brimah both had four fouls against Florida, and they’ll need to stay out of foul trouble against an athletically gifted, deep Kentucky frontcourt that got huge contributions from Johnson and Poythress vs. Wisconsin.

BENCH

Advantage goes to: Kentucky. The Wildcats got a much-needed boost from Marcus Lee in the win against Michigan, but the freshman wasn’t as effective in 10 minutes against Wisconsin. Poythress is a great sixth man who plays starter minutes, doing the little things to help win games — evidenced by his eight points and seven boards in 29 minutes vs. Wisconsin. Terrence Samuel had some big buckets for UConn against Florida, but the Huskies aren’t particularly deep. That could be an area that gets exposed.

COACHING

Advantage goes to: Ollie. Surprised by that answer? Calipari has a ring and has done perhaps his best coaching job in getting this initially undisciplined team to the title game. But Ollie’s leadership is the reason this Connecticut team has defied even bigger odds in beating national title favorites Florida and Michigan State en route to the championship game. He’s instilled the same chip-on-the-shoulder mentality he had as a player within his players.

“A lot of it has come from coach,” Boatright said of the team’s extra gear. “He played 13 years in the NBA, and he’s worked extremely hard for everything that he has. He’d be the first one to tell you that he wasn’t the most talented player. He just worked extremely hard and took a lot of pride in himself, and he instills that in us every day.”

(Graphics by Tim McGarry.)

Dayton, 11 seed, Dance on to Sweet 16, Beat Syracuse, 3 seed, 55 - 53

No. 11 Dayton dances on, sinking No. 3 Syracuse, 55-53

BY ZAC ELLIS

Dayton stifled Syracuse’s offense, including on the last possession, when the Flyers
prevented Tyler Ennis from getting a clean look at a game winner. (Elsa/Getty)

Tyler Ennis missed a potential game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer, and No. 11 Dayton survived No. 3-seed Syracuse 55-53 in the South Regional on Saturday. The victory sends the Flyers to their first Sweet 16 after two straight upsets in the NCAA tournament.

After Ennis missed an earlier jumper that would have given the Orange the lead with 11 seconds to play, Syracuse fouled Dyshawn Pierre who stepped to the free-throw line with a chance to put the Flyers ahead by three. He knocked down the first shot but missed the second, and Syracuse — with no timeouts — streaked down the court as Ennis advanced the ball and hoisted a trey. Dayton’s Vee Sanford rebounded the miss just before the clock struck zero.

The Flyers’ victory capped a wild second half after a slow-moving first half. Dayton held a slim 20-18 lead at the break, when neither team was hitting shots during the first 20 minutes. But Dayton made a real push after intermission when Khari Price nailed a triple to give his team a 32-26 lead and force a Syracuse timeout with just under 13 minutes to play.

Syracuse kept it close, however, and an Ennis layup with 18 seconds left push the Orange to within one. But his missed jumper on the ensuing possession led to Pierre’s free throws, and Ennis’ winning trey then clanked off the rim.

Syracuse couldn’t buy a bucket for much of the evening. It finished shooting 39 percent from the field — including 0-of-10 on three-pointers — and couldn’t take advantage of 14 Dayton turnovers. This program had national title aspirations when the season began, and those hopes continued as it started the season 25-0 and climbed to No. 1 in the AP poll. But the wheels came off for the Orange, losing five of their last seven games entering the big dance. Coach Jim Boeheim can blame a poor offensive effort for his team’s ultimate demise in the tournament.

Dayton, meanwhile, moves forward after two unlikely upsets. Most fans would blame Dayton for the first bracket-busting win of the postseason: Its 60-59 upset of 6-seed Ohio State on Thursday. Now the Flyers have guaranteed that the Sweet 16 will include two double-digit seeded teams: Dayton and the winner of Sunday’s meeting between 11-seed Tennessee and 14-seed Mercer. The Flyers will have to shoot a little better for 40 minutes to hang with the winner of Kansas and Stanford in the next round, but Dayton may finally have some fans rooting for the underdog.

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Morgain Miller, the wife of the Flyers Heach Coach, Archie Manning wears a shirt that we all can support 

 Other Memorable 11 Seeds in +NCAA Men's Basketball March Madness History: 2006 - +George Mason University

NCAA Tourney Starting Schedule and Slate of Match ups: Printable Bracket

Florida is the overall top seed in the NCAA tournament, and will be joined on the '1' line by Arizona, +University of Virginia, and Wichita State.

The selection committee released its pairings Sunday, not long after the Gators defeated Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference tournament final to bring their winning streak to 26 games.

Fifth-seeded +University of Cincinnati Bearcats takes on No. 12 +Harvard University in Spokane, Wash. on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Xavier will play fellow 12 seed North Carolina State in a First Four game in Dayton. The winner advances to play St. Louis in Orlando.

The Kentucky Wildcats opens up against +Kansas State University, in an 8-9 matchup. That game will be played in St. Louis. Meanwhile rival +Louisville Cardinals, a surprising No. 4 seed, opens up action against Manhattan.

Both Commonwealth schools are in the Midwest Region.

In an all-Ohio battle, the sixth-seeded +Ohio State Buckeyes take on the 11 seed, +Dayton Flyers, in Buffalo, N.Y. on Thursday.

+Florida Gators is seeded first (number one overall seed) in the South Region. On Thursday, the Gators play the winner of a First Four game between +Albany Devils and St. Mary's.

+Arizona Wildcats got top billing in the West Region despite losing to +UCLA Bruins in the +Pac-12 Conference final Saturday. The Wildcats will open Friday against +Weber State University.

+Wichita State is the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region — that includes Big Ten regular season champs, +University of Michigan and AAC regular season and tournament champs, Louisville, who joined the Shockers in the Final Four last year. The reigning NCAA Div. 1 Champions are seeded fourth. The Wolverines are seeded second.

+Kansas Jayhawks earned the No. 2 seed in the South Region and +Wisconsin Badgers are No. 2 in the West.

First Four matchups involving bubble teams are +Iowa Hawkeyes against +Tennessee Vols, as well as the previously stated XU and N.C. State contest.

Free Fillable Online Brackets Found Here and Printable Brackets Linked to Bracket: