Michigan State coach Tom Izzo holds up the net after his team defeated Louisville 76-70 in overtime in the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament East Regional in Syracuse, N.Y., Sunday, March 29, 2015. (AP Photo/Post-Standard, Kevin Rivoli) more >
- Associated Press – Sunday, March 29, 2015
If you liked the look of last year’s Final Four, you will love the 2015 edition.
One game — Kentucky vs. Wisconsin — is not only a matchup of two No. 1 seeds, it’s a replay of last year’s semifinal won by Kentucky, 74-73.
Seventh-seeded Michigan State will face Duke, a four-time national champion led by coach Mike Krzyzewski, who is in his 12th Final Four, tying the legendary John Wooden.
PHOTOS: Three No. 1 seeds in the Final Four
It is the fifth time at least three No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four. The only top-seed sweep was in 2008.
This is the third straight year one conference has had two teams in the Final Four with Wisconsin and Michigan State coming from the Big Ten. The Southeastern Conference did it last year with Kentucky and Florida and the Big East had Louisville and Syracuse in 2013.
The end of the tournament will have plenty to watch, from Kentucky’s unbeaten streak to a matchup of some of the game’s top coaches. Here’s a peek at what to look for in Indianapolis:
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MEETING AGAIN: No team has attracted the attention that Kentucky has. The Wildcats (38-0) are two wins away from becoming the first undefeated national champion since Indiana in 1976.
Kentucky survived its toughest test of the tournament in the regional semifinals with a 68-66 victory over Notre Dame that came down to the final possession.
“We figured out a way to win it. We’ve had other tests, but we have a will to win,” Wildcats coach John Calipari said.
Now they get to face Wisconsin, which like Kentucky, is making its second straight Final Four appearance.
Last year’s national semifinal came down to a big jumper by Aaron Harrison with 5.7 seconds left.
“That loss left a sour taste in our mouth, so we wanted to get back,” Wisconsin’s Sam Dekker said of the loss to Kentucky. “As a team we set some goals of what we wanted to do, and now we’re two games away from our last goal.”
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COACHING ROYALTY: Tying UCLA’s Wooden puts Krzyzewski one appearance ahead of Dean Smith, who made 11 trips to the Final Four. Coach K is tied with Adolph Rupp for second in titles with four.
Story Continues →
Three No. 1 seeds in the Final Four - Washington Times
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