No. 7 seed Connecticut (30-8)
Head coach: Kevin Ollie (second year)
Starters: G Shabazz Napier, F DeAndre Daniels, G Ryan Boatwright, C Phillip Nolan, F Niels Giffey
Key Reserves: G/F Lasan Kromah, C Amida Brimah
Record past 10 games: 8-2
KenPom.com ranking: No. 15
UConn remembers UF well.
The last time the two teams faced off, the Huskies won on a second-chance buzzer-beater jump shot by senior point guard Shabazz Napier, handing the Gators their second loss of the season.
“We took a lot from that game,” Huskies coach Kevin Ollie said during a teleconference Monday. “The resiliency that we had, we got down in that game and came back. We played hard. We played scrappy.”
UConn finished the regular season 24-7, but it went just 5-4 against teams who made it to the Big Dance, including two losses to eventual No. 4 seed Louisville.
Despite its lackluster record against top opponents in the regular season, East Region champion UConn has played better than its No. 7 seed ranking throughout the tournament. The Huskies head to Arlington, Texas, after topping No. 3 seed Iowa State 81-76 in the Sweet 16 and defeating No. 4 seed Michigan State 60-54 in the Elite Eight in Madison Square Garden.
While Napier, the most outstanding player of the East Regional, leads the Huskies with 18.1 points, 4.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game this season, DeAndre Daniels has had a breakout postseason.
The junior forward is averaging 17 points per contest since the NCAA tournament began. Against Iowa State in the East Regional semifinals, Daniels recorded his fourth double-double of the season by logging 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds.
No. 8 seed Kentucky (28-10)
Head coach: John Calipari (fifth year)
Starters: F Julius Randle, G James Young, G Aaron Harrison, G Andrew Harrison, C Dakari Johnson
Key Reserves: F Willie Cauley-Stein, F Alex Poythress
Record past 10 games: 7-3
KenPom.com ranking: No. 8
As coach John Calipari would say, Kentucky has seen a tweak in its performance heading into the postseason.
After dropping three of its final four regular season contests and becoming the first team in 34 years to drop out of the AP poll after being ranked No. 1 in the preseason, the Wildcats have been on fire as of late.
Kentucky cruised through its first two games of the SEC Tournament, beating LSU 85-67 in the quarterfinals and Georgia 70-58 in the semifinals, and was one play away from winning the SEC title over Florida.
Through the NCAA Tournament, No. 8 seed Kentucky has had wins against No. 9 seed Kansas State (56-49), No. 1 seed Wichita State (78-76), No. 4 seed Louisville (74-69) and No. 2 seed Michigan (75-72).
Freshman forward Julius Randle has posted a double-double in all four of Kentucky’s tournament games, averaging 15.8 points and 12 boards per contest. Fellow freshmen Aaron Harrison (16 ppg), Andrew Harrison (12.3 ppg) and James Young (10.5 ppg) are also averaging double-digit point totals throughout the NCAA tournament.
But while the Wildcats offense is flourishing down the stretch, they will be without a large cog of their defense with Willie Cauley-Stein doubtful to play against the Badgers on Saturday at 8:49 p.m. because of an ankle injury.
The 7-foot sophomore leads Kentucky with 106 blocks and 44 steals this season and averages 6.1 of UK’s 40.6 rebounds per game.
No. 2 seed Wisconsin (30-7)
Head coach: Bo Ryan (13th year)
Starters: F Frank Kaminsky, G Ben Brust, F Sam Dekker, G Traevon Jackson, G Josh Gasser
Key Reserves: F Nigel Hayes, G Bronson Koenig, F Duje Dukan
Record past 10 games: 8-2
KenPom.com ranking: No. 6
Wisconsin’s road to the Final Four has not been an easy one.
The Badgers had the second-toughest strength of schedule this season, trailing only Kansas in the category. Despite the rigor, Wisconsin managed to post its first 30-win season since the 2007-2008 season.
The Badgers have kept their momentum going heading into the NCAA Tournament, outscoring their opponents by a combined score of 293-227.
Wisconsin has utilized the same starting lineup all season, and those five players account for 80 percent of UW’s points. In the NCAA Tournament, four of the Badgers’ starting five have posted at least two double-digit scoring efforts.
Frank Kaminsky paces the Badgers on offense, scoring 14.1 points per game on 52.7 percent shooting.
“He’s just a tough young man who really wants to be a player, who has physically and mentally matured into what he feels he’s comfortable with as far as his body and mind are concerned,” Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said during a teleconference Monday. “He’s learned how to be stronger. He’s learned some nuances defensively of positioning and balance.”
The 7-foot forward has enhanced his game down the stretch. Heading into No. 2 seed Wisconsin’s Final Four matchup against No. 8 seed Kentucky on Saturday at 8:49 p.m., Kaminsky has scored 18.5 points per contest and averaged six boards per game in the tournament.
In Wisconsin’s 64-63 overtime win against top-seeded Arizona, the junior posted his second double-double of the season by logging 28 points on 11-of-20 shooting and 11 rebounds.
Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson1126
Dorian Finney-Smith (right) guards Kentucky's Julius Randle during the Gators' 61-60 win against the Wildcats on March 16 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
