PW's NCAA Tournament Championship Game Special

By Peyton Wesner

With another memorable, heart-racing moment in Indianapolis on Saturday, maybe the Final Four should always be held at Lucas Oil Stadium. With an undefeated season on the line and the Kentucky Wildcats down three points, Kentucky's star Freshman Karl-Anthony Towns stepped to the free throw line for two shots. The first was made by the future NBA lottery pick, but the second was missed causing the Badgers lead to stay at two points. A missed free throw in a Kentucky/Wisconsin Final Four game? Isn't that familiar? Wisconsin's Sophomore Bronson Koenig was then fouled by Andrew Harrison with a berth to the Championship Game on the line. Koenig, unlike Towns, swished both attempts making the Badgers lead four with thirteen seconds remaining. Aaron Harrison then rushed the ball up-court with precious time wasting away and fired a three-pointer with the chance to keep his team in the game. Airball! Airball! New year, new result as the Wisconsin Badgers avenged their 2014 Final Four loss by sending John Calipari's Kentucky Wildcats home two nights earlier than expected without the hardware they coveted all season.

9:18 PM EST-CBS

36-3 (16-2) #1 Wisconsin

34-4 (15-3) #1 Duke

(At Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana)

36-3 (16-2) #1 Wisconsin

---Big Ten Regular Season Champions

Great Wins:

-Georgetown 68-65 in Semi-Final of Battle 4 Atlantis.

-Oklahoma 69-56 in Championship of Battle 4 Atlantis.

-#25 Iowa 82-50 (Home)

-Michigan State 68-61 (Home)

-#23 Ohio State 72-48 (Road)

-Michigan State 80-69 in Overtime in Big Ten Championship (in Chicago)

Losses:

-#4 Duke 80-70 in ACC/Big 10 Challenge (Home)

-Rutgers 67-62 (Road)

-#14 Maryland 59-53 (Road)

NCAA Tournament Run:

-#16 Coastal Carolina 86-72 in Round of 64 (in Omaha)

-#8 Oregon 72-65 in Round of 32 (in Omaha)

-#4 North Carolina 79-72 in Sweet Sixteen (in Los Angeles)

-#2 Arizona 85-78 in Elite Eight (in Los Angeles)

-#1 Kentucky 71-64 in Final Four (in Indianapolis)

Key Contributors:

---#44 Frank Kaminsky (SR) 

-18.7 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.7 APG, & 1.5 BPG.

---#15 Sam Dekker (JR) 

-13.9 PPG & 5.4 RPG.

---#10 Nigel Hayes (SO) 

-12.4 PPG, 6.3 RPG, & 2.0 APG.

---#24 Bronson Koenig (SO)

-8.7 PPG, 1.8 RPG, & 2.4 RPG.

---#12 Traevon Jackson (SR)

(Played first game since suffering foot injury against #4 North Carolina.)

-8.5 PPG & 2.6 APG.

---#21 Josh Gasser (SR) 

-6.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, & 1.7 APG.

---#13 Duje Dukan (SR)

-4.7 PPG & 2.6 RPG.

34-4 (15-3) #1 Duke

Great Wins:

-#19 Michigan State 81-71 in Champions Classic (in Indianapolis)

-#2 Wisconsin 80-70 (Road)

-#6 Louisville 63-62 (Road)

-#2 Virginia 69-63 (Road)

-#10 Notre Dame 90-60 (Home)

-#15 North Carolina 92-90 in Overtime (Home)

-#19 North Carolina 84-77 (Road)

-NC State 77-53 in Quarterfinal of ACC Tournament (in Greensboro)

Losses:

-NC State 87-75 (Road)

-Miami (FL) 90-74 (Home)

-#8 Notre Dame 77-73 (Road)

-#11 Notre Dame 74-64 in Semi-Final of ACC Tournament (in Greensboro)

NCAA Tournament Run:

-#16 Robert Morris 85-56 in Round of 64 (in Charlotte).

-#8 San Diego State 68-49 in Round of 32 (in Charlotte).

-#5 Utah 63-57 in Sweet Sixteen (in Houston).

-#2 Gonzaga 66-52 in Elite Eight (in Houston).

-#7 Michigan State 81-61 in Final Four (in Indianapolis).

Key Contributors:

---#15 Jahlil Okafor (FR)

-17.5 PPG, 8.6 RPG, & 1.5 BPG.

---#2 Quinn Cook (SR)

-15.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, & 1.0 SPG.

---#12 Justise Winslow (FR)

-12.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.1 APG, & 1.3 SPG.

---#5 Tyus Jones (FR)

-11.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.7 APG, & 1.6 SPG.

---#14 Rasheed Sulaimon (JR)

(Dismissed from team on January 29 for sexual assault allegation.)

-7.5 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, & 1.0 SPG.

---#21 Amile Jefferson (JR)

-6.2 PPG & 5.8 RPG.

---#13 Matt Jones (SO)

-6.2 PPG & 2.3 RPG.

Here we go again! The Duke Blue Devils are once again in the Championship Game of a Final Four in Indianapolis as they rolled over the Michigan State Spartans by twenty points. At the beginning of the match, the Spartans looked as if they were going to bury Duke as Junior Denzel Valentine racked up nine early points to give his team a quick 14-6 lead. Coach Krzyzewski’s Blue Devils had an answer though, and started a comeback spurred by a combined fifty-five points from the team’s Freshmen (Justise Winslow 19 points, Jahlil Okafor 18 points, Tyus Jones 9 points, and Grayson Allen 9 points) to swipe the lead back from Tom Izzo's team and never relinquish it again. Duke Senior Quinn Cook ended up neutralizing his counterpart, Travis Trice's, production by outscoring him seventeen to sixteen in points. The Freshmen (Okafor, Winslow, Jones, and Allen) and the Senior (Cook) were moving on to Monday night to face off with the Freshmen and Sophomores from Kentucky...or that's what the majority of America thought. 

The first punch was thrown by the Wildcats with an Andrew Harrison three from downtown and a thunderous slam by Willie Cauley-Stein, but Wisconsin did not roll. The Badgers fought back and the slugfest was on. The teams traded runs and leads the whole game until Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns missed a free throw that put the Wildcats in an unescapable steal trap. Towns finished with a team-high sixteen points and nine rebounds while Aaron and Andrew Harrison chipped in twenty-five total points (13 points from Andrew and 12 points from Aaron). Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker continued their great play by the Player of the Year Kaminsky scoring twenty points and grabbing eleven rebounds while Dekker bucketed sixteen points on an efficient six for nine shooting evening. Wisconsin Sophomores Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig proved to be the difference on the night as both scored twelve points apiece. Kaminsky and Koenig made five of their six free throws in the final thirteen seconds to keep the Badgers ahead by at least one possession and suffocate the Wildcats. Perfection was gone for Kentucky, but a Championship was still within reach for Wisconsin.

Keys to Championship for #1 Wisconsin:

-Contest every shot and keep Duke from shooting over 45%. The Blue Devils shot 65.2% at Wisconsin earlier this season and 52.0% against Michigan State on Saturday.

-Keep Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes involved in the offense with Kaminsky and Dekker because without production from the prior, victory will be harder, if not impossible for the Badgers.

-Limit offensive errors specifically turnovers and defensive mistakes such as offensive rebound opportunities for Duke. 

-Keep an eye on Quinn Cook at all times.

Keys to Championship for #1 Duke:

-Play four guards around Okafor in the post to allow for facilitation from the paint to open shooters for easy three pointers. 

-Make someone other than Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker beat you.

-Box out the Badgers on both the offensive and defensive glass and do not allow for Wisconsin to out-rebound or out-hustle.

Prediction:

Is there anything better than the two best players in college basketball facing-off for the National Championship crown? Exactly! Tomorrow night the champion of the 2014-2015 NCAA Men's Basketball season will be crowned and I believe that team will be the Wisconsin Badgers. In the first meeting between the two in December, Duke shot the ball at 65.2%, which is a percentage that will be almost impossible to replicate. In addition, now suspended Duke guard Rasheed Sulaimon played extremely well in Madison and scored fourteen points while Sam Dekker, Nigel Hayes, and Bronson Koenig were no factors and combined for only twelve points for Wisconsin. So, really the previous matchup does not matter since both teams have improved greatly and in the Blue Devils case, kicked off one of their key contributors from the team. At this point in the season, experience really should not play a factor since Duke's Freshmen have competed in some of the biggest moments of the season. 

Early on, the Blue Devils will jump ahead just like Kentucky did in the national semi-final against Wisconsin, but by halftime I foresee the Badgers being down by five points or less. In the second half, Wisconsin will take the lead on a three pointer from Sam Dekker and will never let it go again. Duke will have multiple opportunities to take the lead back in the final ten minutes of regulation, but will not be able to get their shots to fall. The Badgers will sink their free throws down the stretch, where they have shot 77.8% (91-117) during the NCAA Tournament, which will increase the margin of victory. Personal-wise, Bronson Koenig will outplay Tyus Jones and Frank Kaminsky will take advantage of his matchup against Jahlil Okafor by taking him outside on the perimeter. Duke does have the matchup advantage of Quinn Cook versus Josh Gasser, but in my eyes that is the only one. Also, Badgers' forward Nigel Hayes will expose Matt Jones providing another area where Wisconsin will be able to thrive and succeed. Justice Winslow against Sam Dekker is truly a toss up and, in fact, I think they will null each others production. The Blue Devils starting lineup is small, but placing Marshall Plumlee in the five will not change my pick nor opinion on how the game will play out. Tomorrow night we will see that the third time is not the charm for Coach K's Duke Blue Devils in the great city of Indianapolis.

---#1 Wisconsin 70, #1 Duke 68

PW's NCAA Tournament Pick'em Record (Since Sweet Sixteen): 10-4

PW's Postseason Pick'em Record: 18-5

PW's Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Prediction Record: 8-1

PW's Regular Season Prediction Record: 205-70 (81-18 in the MVC)

Pacers Remove Stingers From Hornets

By Peyton Wesner

INDIANAPOLIS---I know there are no play-in games to get into the NBA Playoffs, but tonight at Bankers Life Fieldhouse there was. Honestly, with the Final Four in town for the weekend, most people forgot that there was a basketball game between players that actually get paid as the 32-42 Charlotte Hornets buzzed into Indianapolis to take on the 32-43 Indiana Pacers.

Coming into tonight, the two teams were in the tenth and eleventh spots in the Eastern Conference with the Hornets possessing a slight half game lead over the Pacers while being 1.5 games back from Miami and Boston, who are tied for the eighth and final Playoff spot.

In three meetings this season, the Pacers lead the series 2-1 thanks to two game-winning shots, one an offensive tip-in from Indiana's Solomon Hill in the series opener in November and another a layup from George Hill in Charlotte. The Hornets only victory against Lance Stephenson's former squad came in the second match-up of the season between the two as the former Cincinnati product scored thirteen points, which helped make up for the absence of Kemba Walker due to injury. Would the Hornets be able to sting the Pacers and end Indiana's chances of making the NBA Playoffs?

In the first quarter, which was the only  twelve minute period that contained a competitive score throughout, the Hornets flew out to a 25-16 lead thanks in large part to a combined sixteen points from Marvin and Mo Williams (unrelated). In fact, with 1:43 left in the first, the two Williams had the same amount of points as the whole Pacers team! That soon changed with back-to-back made threes from the CJs, C.J. Miles and C.J. Watson, which created momentum while decreasing Indiana's deficit to three heading into the second.

The second quarter started off with much back and forth action as free throws and jumpers were traded by both teams. Then, after a thunderous jam by Bismack Biyombo the Pacers utilized an 11-0 run to turn a one-point deficit into a ten-point lead. Indiana's sixth man Rodney Stuckey was instrumental in the team's success and bucketed a three-pointer and a layup during the span. Charlotte guard Gerald Henderson eventually broke the scoreless segment with a layup, but the rout was just beginning.

Heading out of the halftime break, Indiana owned a 49-38 advantage, but by the end of the third they scoreboard read Pacers 70-47. So Charlotte only scored nine points in twelve minutes? Indeed they did and to simplify, the Hornets posted two points in the last seven minutes of the third quarter making the game all but over.

The fourth quarter was purly mop up time  as Charlotte's coach Steve Clifford cleared the bench by continuing to play formerly benched guard Lance Stephenson after he played two minutes to wrap up the third quarter and the Hornets first round pick, ninth overall, center, who has dealt with injuries this season, Noah Vonleh. Stephenson played with an ego in the fourteen minutes he was on the court, but he did finish with ten points as the boo birds came out from their nests. Amazingly, Charlotte outscored Indiana 27-24, the only problem was that they needed to outscore the Pacers by twenty-three points to walk out of Bankers Life Fieldhouse with a win and a better chance of making the Playoffs. 

Vogel's 200th Victory

Although the season has not been easy for Indiana Pacers' coach Frank Vogel, picking up his two hundredth career win tonight should help bring some positive energy in what will be his first under .500 season since becoming head coach in January of 2011. Despite the under .500 season being inevitable, Indiana is still in the hunt for eighth and could deliever Vogel's fifth consecutive team to make it to the postseason.

Kemba "Anything But Fierce" Walker

Charlotte Hornets star Kemba Walker really struggled from the floor against Indiana and ended the night one for nine from the field with six points. Walker, who airballed a three pointer in his first shot attempt, could have been playing hurt, but as of now no reports have came out on the matter.

Help on the Horizon

With the Pacers one and a half games  behind the Miami Heat for the last playoff spot, news has broke that Indiana star Paul George will play his first game of the 2014-2015 season Sunday against the Heat in an influncential match that will affect the "race for eighth." George has not played in a basketball game since breaking his leg in a Team USA scrimmage in August.

Players of the Game:

Charlotte: Bismack Biyombo

---10 points and nine rebounds.

Indiana: Rodney Stuckey

---15 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist.

Coming Up:

Charlotte: Hosts the 18-58 Philadelphia 76ers at Time Warner Cable Arena on Saturday Night.

Indiana: Hosts the 34-41 Miami Heat at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday Night.

PW's NCAA Tournament Final Four Special

By Peyton Wesner

There were 3.6 seconds left and Duke's Brian Zoubek was at the free throw line with the Blue Devils up two points. The first attempt from the big man was made with ease, but the second led to one of the most lasting images in Final Four history. Clank! Butler forward and current Utah Jazz star grabs the rebound. At 2.6 seconds, Hayward pivots and starts dribbling towards his basket. Then with the clock at 1.1 seconds, Butler center Matt Howard screens Duke forward Kyle Singler giving Hayward an open look at the basket from half court. With 0.2 seconds, Hayward heaves a potential game-winning shot with the chance to be a part of one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history. The ball soared through the air while looking on target, hit the backboard, tapped off the front rim and fell harmlessly to the floor. Duke's 2010 National Championship along with Hayward's missed attempt was the last moments in a Final Four game in Indianapolis. Will there be another memorable moment this weekend in Lucas Oil Stadium?

6:09 PM EST-TBS

27-11 (12-6) #7 Michigan State

33-4 (15-3) #1 Duke

(At Lucas Oil Stadium In Indianapolis)

27-11 (12-6) #7 Michigan State

Good Wins:

-Indiana 70-50 (Home)

-Iowa 75-61 (Road)

-#23 Ohio State 59-56 (Home)

-Purdue 72-66 (Home)

-Indiana 72-66 (Home)

-Ohio State 76-67 in Quarterfinal of Big Ten Tournament (in Chicago).

-#8 Maryland 62-58 in Semi-Final of Big Ten Tournament (in Chicago)

Questionable Losses:

-Texas Southern 71-64 in Overtime (Home)

-Nebraska 79-77 (Road)

-Illinois 59-54 (Home)

-Minnesota 96-90 in Overtime (Home)

NCAA Tournament Run:

-#10 Georgia 70-63 in Round of 64 (in Charlotte).

-#2 Virginia 60-54 in Round of 32 (in Charlotte).

-#3 Oklahoma 62-58 in Sweet Sixteen (in Syracuse).

-#4 Louisville 76-70 in Elite Eight (in Syracuse).

Key Contributors:

---#20 Travis Trice (SR)

-15.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 5.1 APG, & 1.1 SPG.

---#45 Denzel Valentine (JR)

-14.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, & 4.4 APG.

---#22 Branden Dawson (SR)

-11.9 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, & 1.7 BPG.

---#5 Bryn Forbes (JR)

-8.7 PPG.

---#10 Matt Costello (JR)

-7.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, & 1.2 BPG.

---#34 Gavin Schiling (SO)

-5.2 PPG & 3.9 RPG.

33-4 (15-3) #1 Duke

Great Wins:

-#19 Michigan State 81-71 (Home)

-#2 Wisconsin 80-70 (Road)

-#6 Louisville 63-62 (Road)

-#2 Virginia 69-63 (Road)

-#10 Notre Dame 90-60 (Home)

-#15 North Carolina 92-90 in Overtime (Home)

-#19 North Carolina 84-77 (Road)

-NC State 77-53 in Quarterfinal of ACC Tournament (in Greensboro)

Losses:

-NC State 87-75 (Road)

-Miami (FL) 90-74 (Home)

-#8 Notre Dame 77-73 (Road)

-#11 Notre Dame 74-64 in Semi-Final of ACC Tournament (in Greensboro)

NCAA Tournament Run:

-#16 Robert Morris 85-56 in Round of 64 (in Charlotte).

-#8 San Diego State 68-49 in Round of 32 (in Charlotte).

-#5 Utah 63-57 in Sweet Sixteen (in Houston).

-#2 Gonzaga 66-52 in Elite Eight (in Houston).

Key Contributors:

---#15 Jahlil Okafor (FR)

-17.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG, & 1.4 BPG.

---#2 Quinn Cook (SR)

-15.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, & 1.0 SPG.

---#12 Justise Winslow (FR)

-12.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.1 APG, & 1.3 SPG.

---#5 Tyus Jones (FR)

-11.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.7 APG, & 1.5 SPG.

---#14 Rasheed Sulaimon (JR)

(Dismissed from team on January 29 for sexual assault allegation.)

-7.5 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, & 1.0 SPG.

---#21 Amile Jefferson (JR)

-6.4 PPG & 5.7 RPG.

---#13 Matt Jones (SO)

-6.1 PPG & 2.3 RPG.

The one matchup that did not occur in the 2010 Final Four will finally happen tomorrow, but there is no Nolan Smith or Jon Scheyer playing for the Blue Devils or Durrell Summers suiting up for the Spartans. Really though, it is very impressive that these two teams made it back to the Final Four in the same city as before. 

The Michigan State Spartans are considered by many to be this year's UConn, but unlike the 2014 Huskies, the Spartans will be required to defeat two number one seeds to be crowned champion. Tom Izzo's team has been no stranger to defeating ACC teams in the last month as they have defeated the first (Virginia) and fourth (Louisville) best teams in the top conference this season. A plethora of experience has pushed the team through the tournament with the bulk of the production coming from Seniors Travis Trice and Branden Dawson and Junior Denzel Valentine. Trice has been phenomenal of late as he has taken over as the primary scorer for Michigan State by averaging 19.8 points per game in his last four while Valentine has brought a solid second option on the perimeter by bucketing 13.3 per game. On the block, Dawson has filled the stat sheet in the "the Big Dance" with two games of over ten points, two of eleven rebounds, and two of four blocks! Dawson must be a factor when facing the next opponent that finished second in regular season standings in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

I am not sure what is more spectacular, Duke making it to the second straight Final Four being played in "The House that Peyton Manning Built" or that the Blue Devils made it this far with three Freshmen starting rather than their veteran lineup full of Juniors and Seniors. The storied university from Durham, North Carolina, has been in the opposite situation as their opponent since they have defeated every team in the NCAA Tournament besides Utah by double-digit points. Interestingly enough, possible number one selection in the 2015 NBA Draft Jahlil Okafor was not the player who led the way for Coach K's group from the Sweet Sixteen to the Final Four. In fact it was the other two young studs, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones, who came in clutch for the Blue Devils when needed. In the Sweet Sixteen, Winslow stepped-up his performance by posting twenty-one points and ten rebounds against the Utes while in the Elite Eight Jones added fifteen points and six assists to move Duke into the Final Four. What did Okafor do against Utah and Gonzaga? The highly sought afterprospect scored a total of fifteen points...not in one game, but both!

Keys to Advancement for #7 Michigan State:

-Keep the score under seventy.

-Rattle Duke's Freshmen allowing for the experience within the Spartans to play a significant role.

-Get Branden Dawson involved against Okafor and run the offense through him and Trice.

Keys to Advancement for #1 Duke:

-Play four guards around Okafor in the post to allow for facilitation from the paint to open shooters for easy three pointers.

-Limit Travis Trice's scoring production.

-Play "Duke Basketball" and do not let the magnitude of the moment change the identity of the group.

Prediction:

Jahlil Okafor will shine on the biggest stage with a near double-double performance and get Branden Dawson in foul trouble early ultimately limiting the Spartans' Senior's floor time and production. Michigan State's Travis Trice will continue his hot shooting by posting at least seventeen points, but his positive effect will be neutralized as Quinn Cook will score almost as much. The difference makers in this semi-final will be none other than Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones as I see the two Freshmen outperforming Denzel Valentine and Bryn Forbes on the offensive end where Michigan State is not as naturally gifted. 

---#1 Duke 71, #7 Michigan State 63

8:49 PM EST-TBS

35-3 (16-2) #1 Wisconsin

38-0 (18-0) #1 Kentucky

(At Lucas Oil Stadium In Indianapolis)

35-3 (16-2) #1 Wisconsin

---Big Ten Regular Season Champions

Great Wins:

-Georgetown 68-65 in Semi-Final of Battle 4 Atlantis.

-Oklahoma 69-56 in Championship of Battle 4 Atlantis.

-#25 Iowa 82-50 (Home)

-Michigan State 68-61 (Home)

-#23 Ohio State 72-48 (Road)

-Michigan State 80-69 in Overtime in Big Ten Championship (in Chicago)

Losses:

-#4 Duke 80-70 in ACC/Big 10 Challenge (Home)

-Rutgers 67-62 (Road)

-#14 Maryland 59-53 (Road)

NCAA Tournament Run:

-#16 Coastal Carolina 86-72 in Round of 64 (in Omaha)

-#8 Oregon 72-65 in Round of 32 (in Omaha)

-#4 North Carolina 79-72 in Sweet Sixteen (in Los Angeles)

-#2 Arizona 85-78 in Elite Eight (in Los Angeles)

Key Contributors:

---#44 Frank Kaminsky (SR) 

-18.7 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.7 APG, & 1.5 BPG.

---#15 Sam Dekker (JR) 

-13.9 PPG & 5.5 RPG.

---#10 Nigel Hayes (SO) 

-12.4 PPG, 6.3 RPG, & 2.0 APG.

---#12 Traevon Jackson (SR)

(Played first game since suffering foot injury against #4 North Carolina.)

-8.6 PPG, 2.6 APG, & 1.0 SPG.

---#24 Bronson Koenig (SO)

-8.6 PPG, 1.7 RPG, & 2.4 RPG.

---#21 Josh Gasser (SR) 

-6.9 PPG, 3.4 RPG, & 1.8 APG.

---#13 Duje Dukan (SR)

-4.8 PPG & 2.6 RPG.

38-0 (18-0) #1 Kentucky

---SEC Regular Season Champions

---SEC Tournament Champions

Great Wins:

-#5 Kansas 72-40 in Champions Classic (in Indianapolis)

-#6 Texas 63-51 (Home)

-#21 North Carolina (Home)

-UCLA 83-44 in CBS Classic (in Chicago)

-#4 Louisville 58-50 (Road)

-#18 Arkansas 84-67 (Home)

-#21 Arkansas 78-63 in SEC Tournament Championship (in Nashville)

NCAA Tournament Run:

-#16 Hampton 79-56 in Round of 64 (in Louisville)

-#8 Cincinnati 64-51 in Round of 32 (in Louisville)

-#5 West Virginia 78-39 in Sweet Sixteen (in Cleveland)

-#3 Notre Dame 68-66 in Elite Eight (in Cleveland)

Key Contributors:

---#2 Aaron Harrison (SO)

-11.0 PPG, 2.6 RPG, & 1.3 SPG.

---#1 Devin Booker (FR)

-10.1 PPG & 2.0 RPG.

---#12 Karl-Anthony Towns (FR)

-10.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG, & 2.2 BPG.

---#5 Andrew Harrison (SO)

-9.2 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, & 1.0 SPG.

---#15 Willie Cauley-Stein (JR)

-9.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.7 BPG, & 1.2 SPG.

---#41 Trey Lyles (FR)

-8.7 PPG & 5.4 RPG.

---#44 Dakari Johnson (SO)

-6.5 PPG & 4.7 RPG.

---#3 Tyler Ulis (FR)

-5.6 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 3.7 APG, & 1.0 SPG.

38-0 with the chance to go 40-0 and become the first team to complete a perfect regular season since Bob Knight's 1975-1976 Indiana Hoosiers. It’s only fitting that it would happen in no other state than Indiana! That is what the Kentucky Wildcats are playing for this weekend.

A year ago tomorrow, these two teams faced off for the opportunity to play for a National Championship against seventh seeded Connecticut. For those of you that don't know or have forgotten the result of the game, allow me to refresh your memory.

With under thirty seconds left, the Badgers were scrambling to find a clear look at the rim as the shot clock dwindled under ten. Sam Dekker, who has been arguably the best player on the hardwood for Bo Ryan's team since the Big Ten Championship against Michigan State a few weeks ago, passed the ball to then Junior, now Senior, Traevon Jackson. The point guard dribbled in the direction of the free throw line and performed a step-back move, which caused his defender Kentucky's Andrew Harrison to become off-balanced. Jackson then pump-faked getting Harrison to jump into the air and then went into the body of the young Kentucky guard drawing the shooting foul with 16.4 seconds remaining in regulation. After an official review to confirm it was a three-shot foul by Harrison, Jackson stepped to the line to attempt his first free throw with the score tied at 71. It rattled out. Wisconsin's Jackson would make the next two, but the door was now open for the Wildcats to take the lead on a made three-pointer. Kentucky brought the ball up court with the shot clock null for the remainder. The ball was driven down the lane by Andrew Harrison, who then dropped a pass down to fellow Freshman Dakari Johnson. Johnson with his back to the basket, then kicked the ball back out to Andrew Harrison in the corner. Andrew Harrison next showed some brotherly love by passing the ball to Aaron Harrison, who canned a trey in a defender's eye to give Kentucky a one-point lead with 5.7 tics left. The Kentucky faithful was going crazy, but the game wasn't over yet! Wisconsin would have a chance to answer. The ball was inbounded to Badgers' point guard Traevon Jackson and he rushed the ball downcourt until he pulled up from two feet inside the three point line on the left side of the basket. Jackson's potential game-winning shot looked on line to bank in, but was just a tat off the mark causing the Wildcats to prowl into the Championship Game. Will the same outcome occur in 2015?

Keys to Advancement for #1 Wisconsin:

-Win four minute segments before trying to win the forty minute game.

-Stretch the offensive side of the floor with Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker, so Kentucky's rim protectors like Willie Cauley-Stein, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Dakari Johnson must go outside the paint to play defense.

-Limit offensive errors specifically turnovers and defensive mistakes such as offensive rebound opportunities for Kentucky. 

Keys to Advancement for #1 Kentucky:

-Use the "Blue and White" platoons early and often to test the stamina and mental endurance of Wisconsin's starters.

-Control the tempo and push the ball in transition.

-Play with the same confidence as the first thirty-eight games and never allow the thought of defeat cross mind.

Prediction:

As the first semi-final of the 2015 Final Four, Kentucky versus Wisconsin will be another battle of experience versus youth that the Big Ten along with the Juniors and Seniors will lose. Karl-Anthony Towns, who is jockeying with Okafor for the right to be the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, will come out with motivation to outplay the fellow Freshman and have a great game. Despite myself picking the Wildcats, I do foresee the match being close. Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker will combine for thirty-seven plus points, but it will not be enough as I see Nigel Hayes struggling against the opposition's length and athleticism. Bluntly, my pick is sealed with conviction due to the excess of talent Kentucky has compared to the Badgers.

---#1 Kentucky 65, #1 Wisconsin 64

PW's NCAA Tournament Pick'em Record (Since Sweet Sixteen): 9-3

PW's Postseason Pick'em Record: 17-4

PW's Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Prediction Record: 8-1

PW's Regular Season Prediction Record: 205-70 (81-18 in the MVC)