Four games away from the Final Four..
We are down to the final eight teams.
It doesn’t get much better than this as the remaining eight teams will try to make history and bring glory to their school with a Final Four appearance. Last night delivered four marquee match ups and something had to give. Defending champions Louisville and a strong contender Virginia both went down last night against some quality opponents and this is just the beginning of the madness.
With an average margin of victory of 3 1/2 points from all four games last night, the eight teams in action left everything on the court with an Elite 8 appearance on the line. Check out the scores and recaps of the remaining Sweet 16 match ups.
#2 Michigan 73, #11 Tennessee 71
The #2 Michigan Wolverines had the upper hand throughout most of the game, but the #11 Tennessee Volunteers wouldn’t go out without a fight. The Wolverines held a 15 point lead that dwindled throughout the second half and this game came down to the last possession. A questionable call ended this battle as Michigan forward Jordan Morgan drew a charge foul on Tennessee forward Jarnell Stokes to seal the victory for Michigan.
Morgan led Michigan to their second straight Elite 8 appearance with 15 points and they will face #8 Kentucky on Sunday with a Final Four on the line.
#8 Kentucky 74, #4 Louisville 69
This in-state rivalry lived up to the hype. As it always does.
The #8 Kentucky Wildcats were on their heels throughout the entire game against the defending champion #4 Louisville Cardinals. Kentucky got off to a slow start and were down 20-9 to start the game, but they rallied and showed poise by knocking down tough shots to pick up the huge win.
Starting five freshman, the young Wildcats are growing up before our eyes after taking down #1 Wichita State last week and now #4 Louisville in the Sweet 16. The Wildcats had an all around performance in the victory as Dakari Johnson, Julius Randle and Aaron Harrison all scored 15 points. Andrew Harrison chipped in 14 for Kentucky.
Free throws plagued Louisville’s chances for a championship repeat last night. The Cardinals went 13-23 and the young Wildcats went 22-27 in the victory. Kentucky continues to make us believe that another young Wildcat team can win a championship (Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 2012). For Louisville, this loss marks the end of an era for seniors Russ Smith, Luke Hancock, Stephan Van Treese and sophomore Montrezz Harrell who will likely enter the NBA draft.
Russ Smith led the way for Louisville with 23 points and Luke Hancock added 19 points. Montrezz Harrell also added 15 points and fouled out of the game.
Kentucky will face #2 Michigan in the Elite 8 On Sunday.
#7 UConn 81, #3 Iowa State 76
This game was basically a home game for the UConn Huskies. This is familiar territory for the former Big East members and the MSG crowd made them feel welcome. Iowa State made it tough for UConn in this one but it wasn’t enough as DeAndre Daniels finished the game with a career high 27 points. Shabazz Napier added 19 points and Ryan Boatwright chipped in 16 points for the Huskies.
UConn has no problem scoring the basketball as their triple threat of Daniels, Napier and Boatwright are hard to guard. They will need to step up the defense against their next opponent if they hope to make it to the Final Four.
UConn advances to their first Elite 8 since Kemba Walker’s incomparable run to a championship in 2011. The Huskies will face #4 Michigan State on Sunday in the Elite 8.
#4 Michigan State 61, #1 Virginia 59
Sweet 16′s and Elite 8′s are familiar territory for head coach Tom Izzo and his #4 Michigan State Spartans. Another #1 seed went down last night but this loss was far from an upset as the #1 Virginia Cavaliers took a 2 point loss to the Big 10 champion Spartans. Michigan State advances to the Elite 8 for the eighth time since 1999 under coach Izzo.
Brandon Dawson led the way for the Spartans with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Their defense and all around scoring makes them a legit threat to take home a national championship. This game became a race against the clock late and Michigan State made their free throws late to seal the victory.
For Virginia, Joe Harris and Malcolm Brogdon each had 17 points for the Cavaliers. Virginia finishes the seasonwith a 30-7 record and as ACC Champions. They have accomplished a lot in their great season but couldn’t achieve the ultimate goal and bring a national championship to Virginia.
The Spartans will face off against #7 UConn with a trip to the Final Four on the line tomorrow at MSG.
-Patrick Hazel (@pattywack25)
