Final Four 2012: Full Coverage Of The NCAA Tournament Semifinals

Final Four 2012: Louisville's Defense Will Need To Be Otherworldly Against Kentucky

When the Louisville Cardinals met the Kentucky Wildcats in December, the Cards played a spectacular defensive game. Kentucky shot just 30 percent from the floor and the only way that they could score points was by powering their way to the free throw line. The game was ugly, but Kentucky were able to grind out a win due to Louisville's offensive ineffectiveness and the Wildcats' ability to get to the free-throw line. Kentucky Wildcats blog A Sea Of Blue took a look at that game and the Louisville defense ahead of Saturday's rematch in the 2012 Final Four.

When the Cats and Cardinals got together 3 months ago it was an ugly game from an offensive perspective. Kentucky was held to its worst Offensive Efficiency of the season, their worst shooting game, and one of their worst games in terms of committing turnovers. In short, Louisville's defense was able to impose its strengths on Kentucky's offense and keep the game close despite the Cardinals having a pretty awful game themselves on the offensive end.

Obviously much has changed since then. In particular the Cats have become a much, much better ball handling team. Prior to the UL game Kentucky had turned the ball over on 20% or more its possessions in 5 out of 13 games. After the Louisville game that happened 4 times out of 24 games, and 2 of those were the very next two games against Arkansas Little Rock and South Carolina.

Louisville lost that game in December 69-62, even though they played stellar defense and Kentucky put in their worst offensive game of the season. To beat the Wildcats on Saturday, Louisville will need to match that defensive performance while making quite a few more shots of their own.

For coverage of the Louisville Cardinals, stop by Card Chronicle. For more on the Kentucky Wildcats, check out A Sea of Blue. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.

Final Four 2012, Kentucky Vs. Louisville: TV Schedule, Game Time And More

The Louisville Cardinals and Kentucky Wildcats will meet in the Final Four, in what is arguably the most important matchup in the rivalry's 99-year history. SI.com Live scoreboard

Final Four 2012: Defense Of Thomas Robinson And Jeff Withey Key To Kansas' Title Chances

The Kansas Jayhawks are underdogs in their rematch with Ohio State on Saturday night in New Orleans. KU beat the Buckeyes by double-digits in Lawrence in early December, but that game was glaringly missing one key player -- All-American Jared Sullinger. The Buckeyes rely heavily on their frontcourt duo of Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas, and crashing the boards and controlling the paint is the clearest path forward for Thad Matta's club. But the Jayhawks, coming off a stifling defensive performance against one of the best frontcourts in the country at North Carolina, will be ready to slow down the Buckeyes' interior attack.

As Luke Winn writes, the key to their success is the frontcourt duo of Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey and their significant impact on the defensive end. In a game that will likely be decided by one or two possessions, Winn analyzed the lineup combinations that give Kansas the best shot at clinching the 2012 title:

On the other 35 possessions, UNC averaged 1.17 PPP. To put this in context: Had Carolina's offense played the entire game at its Withey-Robinson rate, it would have scored just 52 points. Had Carolina's offense played the entire game at its other rate, it would have scored 82 points.

While it may not be surprising that having Withey and Robinson on the floor at the same time gives Kansas the best chance, the dramatic difference with any other lineup combo is certainly eye-opening. And as Winn notes, those few extra possessions could be all the difference:

The point is that if the Jayhawks can find a way to milk a few more possessions than average - even just 5-10 - out of the Robinson-Withey lineup, it would significantly increase their odds of knocking off Ohio State. And if they were to similarly lean on that lineup against (most likely) Kentucky in the title game, they might have a chance of pulling off that upset, too.

Bill Self, who many consider to have done the best coaching job in the tournament this March, is well-aware of the difference this duo makes on the defensive end. Winn already highlighted the advantage the Buckeyes have on the defensive end in the backcourt, so winning the paint is that much more important. Stopping Sullinger and Thomas will not be easy, but if Kansas can upset the favored Buckeyes, it will start on the inside.

For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along The Olentangy. For updates and perspective on the Kansas Jayhawks, head on over to Rock Chalk Talk. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.

Final Four 2012: Officials Announced For Semifinal Games

The NCAA has released the game assignments for the officials who will be working Saturday night’s Final Four games.

The officiating trio for the first game between Kentucky and Louisville will be Les Jones, Joe DeRosa, and Doug Shows. Jamie Luckie, Tom Eades and Patrick Adams will be working the nightcap between Kansas and Ohio State.

For complete coverage of March Madness, stay tuned to SB Nation’s dedicated 2012 NCAA Tournament hub.

Final Four 2012: 4 Of College Hoops Biggest Names On The Sport's Biggest Stage

The road to the Final Four has ended in New Orleans, where four of college basketball's most storied programs will battle it out for a shot at a national championship on Saturday night.

Final Four 2012: College Hoops' Best Rivalry Hits Bourbon Street

Louisville and Kentucky fans have taken over New Orleans on Final Four weekend. The result has made "March Madness" a more appropriate term than ever before.

Final Four 2012: Spotlighting Key Matchups And Advantages For Kentucky And Ohio State

After a week without games, the Final Four matchups have been sliced and diced in almost every way. In the first game between rivals Louisville and Kentucky, the Cardinals' stout defense hopes to disrupt a more talented Kentucky team with AP player of the year Anthony Davis. Sports Illustrated's Luke Winn has an excellent graphic analysis of each Final Four team, and he highlights the offensive versatility of Davis:

According to SI's charting, Davis has 47 offensive possessions in the NCAA tournament, and he's averaging 1.191 PPP, down from his season-long figure of 1.358. His ability to alter his offensive identity from game-to-game, though, has only gotten better.

The ways Davis tries to score in the tourney have varied widely. Against Baylor in the Elite Eight, Davis had 13 possessions and was heavy on spot-up jumpers (four) and lobs (four). He posted up just once.

Kentucky coach John Calipari insists that Davis will be a three at the next level, and much of Winn's analysis bolsters that notion and reiterates his outside skills on the offensive end of the floor.

The second game will feature a strength-on-weakness matchup when it comes to turnovers, as Ohio State guard Aaron Craft is one of the best in the country at forcing them and Kansas' Tyshawn Taylor has been one of the most turnover-prone guards in the tournament so far. Winn has two telling graphs that highlight these strengths and weaknesses, and he also drops this stat on Craft's defensive prowess:

This is my current favorite CraftFact: In the NCAA tournament, he's accounted for 40.20 percent of Ohio State's total turnover production. That includes 13 credited steals, 5.5 uncredited turnovers, one charge taken and one moving-screen foul drawn.

While the main focus will be on the inside clash between the All-Americans, Jared Sullinger of OSU and Thomas Robinson of KU, the second game will likely be won or lost in the backcourt.

For coverage of the Louisville Cardinals, stop by Card Chronicle. For more on the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville's Final Four foe, check out A Sea of Blue. For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along The Olentangy. For updates and perspective on the Kansas Jayhawks, head on over to Rock Chalk Talk. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.

Final Four 2012: Kansas Building Off 2 Straight Disappointing NCAA Tournaments

The Kansas Jayhawks have made it to the Final Four in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, rebounding from two straight disappointing appearances in the two previous seasons. In 2010 the Jayhawks were knocked out early by ninth-seeded Northern Iowa, and in 2011 they fell victim to 11th-seeded VCU. Both were shocking early defeats by highly-seeded Kansas teams. Those loses brought the team close together though, according to senior guard Jordan Juenemann.

Juenemann told Brian Burnsed of NCAA.com:

"We had fire, and we wanted to be at the Final Four this year so bad. Those losses really did that to us."

Those losses sparked a fire, Juenemann says, which led the Jayhawks to a No. 2 seed and all the way to the Final Four. There are still seven players on the Kansas roster who experienced the consecutive early knock outs in the previous two tournaments.

Junior guard Travis Releford told Burnsed:

"I think we're more together than the teams from the past couple of years. It's a different team now. To be a great team we had to come together and be one."

The sting of that defeat has helped the Jayhawks power through Purdue and N.C. State, and to a blow-out win against North Carolina. Kansas will look to continue to ride that wave against Ohio State on Saturday.

For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along The Olentangy. For updates and perspective on the Kansas Jayhawks, head on over to Rock Chalk Talk. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.

Final Four 2012: Ohio State And Kansas Likely To Provide Best Game Of Night

While the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry may get all the hype and attention, the Ohio State-Kansas rematch is considered to be the better basketball matchup. The game lacks the outsized coaching personalities of the Commonwealth clash, but it does pit two evenly-matched teams led by two of the best power forwards in the country. While many in the media may focus on the 'Cats and Cards, Andy Glockner of Sports Illustrated writes that there's a reason CBS chose to schedule this game second in primetime. He provides some of the best reasons for why this game should have a spotlight of its own:

We get to see the Sullinger-Robinson showdown, even if Jeff Withey and Deshaun Thomas get involved more than you'd like to see as a neutral. We also get to see how many turnovers Tyshawn Taylor can commit being guarded by Aaron Craft (while still somehow having a 20-point game). Each of the coaches has a big mark in play. Thad Matta can trump Cal and win his first crown, capping off an impressive last six seasons at the helm in Columbus, while Bill Self can take another step toward the Pantheon with a second title. That's a big differentiator. When you join a list that includes Dean Smith, Roy Williams (who you just vanquished in a KU pride match) and Mister Iba, you're in elite company. We may also get to see the fewest subs ever in a Final Four game and all 10 starters play about 37 minutes.

This is just one answer to "10 burning questions" Glockner has heading into Saturday night's Final Four. Of course, more than a few of those questions focus on Kentucky-Louisville. But with the Buckeyes favored by less than three points, the second game of the night may have all the on-court drama which hoops fans will be talking about on Sunday.

For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along The Olentangy. For updates and perspective on the Kansas Jayhawks, head on over to Rock Chalk Talk. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.

Final Four 2012 Predictions: How Does Kansas Match Up Against Ohio State?

The Final Four in the 2012 NCAA Tournament takes place Saturday in New Orleans featuring two pairs of evenly matched teams squaring off for the right to compete in the national championship game. In a battle of No. 2 seeds, the Ohio St. Buckeyes will face the Kansas Jayhawks in the first NCAA Tournament meeting between the two teams.

Rob Dauster at SI.com offers a full position-by-position breakdown of how well the two teams stack up against one another. Here's how he views the point guard situation of the two teams.

Point Guard

Without a hint of exaggeration, this may be the most intriguing individual matchup of the entire Final Four. Ohio State's Aaron Craft is arguably the best on-ball defender in the country. He doesn't give ball-handlers an inch of space and forces enough turnovers that SI.com's Luke Winn created a stat just to track them. Kansas' Tyshawn Taylor, on the other hand, has become notorious for the turnovers he commits and the bad shots that he takes. And while Bill Self would surely have less gray hair if Taylor had managed to eliminate that aspect of his game, there is no denying just how much the senior point guard means to the Jayhawks. He had 22 points, six boards, five assists and five steals against North Carolina. I've maintained all season long that Taylor is the most important player for Kansas, and if Craft can limit his production, that becomes a difference maker for the Buckeyes.

Edge: Even

The entire article is thorough and illuminating and well worth the click-through, so check it out for yourself.

For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along the Olentangy. For updates and perspective on the Kansas Jayhawks, head on over to Rock Chalk Talk. For complete coverage of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, stop by SB Nation's dedicated tournament hub.

Bill Raftery On The Final Four And New Orleans

Final Four 2012: Kansas PG Tyshawn Taylor Is Confident Jayhawks Can Win

One of the most crucial man-to-man matchups in the entire 2012 NCAA Tournament will be realized on Saturday in the Final Four in New Orleans. Kansas Jayhawks point guard Tyshawn Taylor will square off against Ohio St. Buckeyes point guard Aaron Craft. Both players will be attempting to guide their team to a spot in the national championship game.

Stewart Mandel of SI.com reports that Taylor has deep respect for Craft, but an even stronger confidence that his team will prevail.

"As many questions I'm answering about how good he is on defense -- he must be. That's all I'm talking about" said Kansas' bubbly and ever-candid senior point guard. Earlier, told of an Ohio State player's observation that Craft was the superior defender, Taylor replied: "He's great. I'm just way too confident in my abilities to give him that much credit. I guess I'll have to see for myself."

The rest of the nation will see for themselves as well on Saturday. Only one team can advance. Perhaps Taylor's confidence will be validated when all is said and done.

For all news and information regarding the Kansas Jayhawks, please visit Rock Chalk Talk. For complete coverage of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated tournament hub.

Final Four 2012: Kentucky Facing Highest Expectations, Immense Pressure

The first-overall seeded Kentucky Wildcats enter Saturday's game with in-state rival Louisville with all the pressure on their backs. For more than a month they have been the favorites of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, and this weekend in New Orleans is all about whether or not they will fulfill expectations. They have the rock star coach, the roster full of lottery picks and the most loyal and rabid fan base in the country, which will surely be on full display at the Superdome. Michael Rosenberg of Sports Illustrated penned a column highlighting the pressure on the 'Cats and noting which team could shatter their march to a Big Blue party in New Orleans on Monday:

This NCAA Tournament is about Kentucky and whether anybody can stop Kentucky. That seemed pretty clear two weeks ago, clearer a week ago, and is plainly obvious now. Louisville, Kansas and Ohio State all have a lot of fans, of course, and those fans will watch primarily to see if their team can win the national title. The rest of us want to know if somebody can beat Kentucky.

The Wildcats have the best team, far and away the best talent, and a very good coach, no matter what you think of him. Still, do you think we can turn the hype switch off for a minute?

Rosenberg thinks the Buckeyes have the best shot of knocking off the Cats, but they'll obviously have to get by Kansas first. With such a talented but young team, it will be interesting to see how UK responds to the hoopla at the Superdome on Saturday, especially given all the pressure and expectations coming down on them from "Big Blue Nation" and the college basketball punditry. They'll start the weekend on Saturday as nine-point favorites against the rival Cardinals.

For coverage of the Louisville Cardinals, stop by Card Chronicle. For more on the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville's Final Four foe, check out A Sea of Blue. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.

Final Four 2012 Predictions: How Does Louisville Match Up With Kentucky?

In one of the most eagerly anticipated NCAA Tournament matchups in recent memory, the Kentucky Wildcats and the in-state rival Louisville Cardinals will square off in New Orleans on Saturday in the Final Four. The Wildcats are the favorites going in, but all bets are off in this game where the intensity is sure to be off the charts.

Rob Dauster of SI.com runs down the matchup position by position to determine whether Louisville has what it takes to pull off the upset.

Small Forward

Simply put, Louisville does not have anyone who can match up with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Few have this season, but the Cardinals are going to find themselves at a severe disadvantage. What MKG provides the Wildcats is a spark in transition. No one in the country is more dangerous than he is in the open floor, as he can get up and down the court with the quickness of a point guard and finish around the rim with the efficiency of someone four inches taller. MKG is also a terror in the paint, both on the glass and in the post. He's as strong as any small forward in the country. Louisville will be playing a lot of zone against the Wildcats, but if the Cardinals are forced to go man -- as they were against Florida -- it will be interesting to see if Kyle Kuric and company will be able to contain Kidd-Gilchrist. At the other end, Kuric has struggled with shooting this season, but when he gets into a rhythm he is as dangerous as anyone.

Edge: Kentucky

The full article is well worth a read-through, so please click through to check it out for yourself.

For all news and information regarding the Kentucky Wildcats, please visit A Sea of Blue. For updates and perspective on the Louisville Cardinals, head on over to Card Chronicle. For complete coverage of the 2012 NCAA Tournament, stop by SB Nation's dedicated tournament hub.

Final Four 2012 Schedule And Bracket For Saturday's Semifinals

The Final Four on Saturday marks the end of March Madness when the Kansas Jayhawks, the Kentucky Wildcats, the Louisville Cardinals and the Ohio St. Buckeyes all compete for a spot in the title game.

Final Four 2012: Rivalry Lost On Friendships Between Louisville And Kentucky Players

Saturday's Final Four tips off with the much-atnicipated and heated in-state rivalry game between Louisville and Kentucky. As soon as the Wildcats pulled away from Baylor last Sunday, a full week of rivalry discussion commenced. While the fan bases of each school are on less-than-friendly terms, the players for each school have known each other for a long time and tend to have amicable relationships. While the fans may be getting in fights at dialysis clinics, Louisville freshman Chane Behanan, who is friends with Kentucky's Marquis Teague and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, discussed the friendships among both teams with Matt Norlander of CBS:

"We talk about how our schools are, our communities, how the parties are and how hot the girls are," Behanan said of his conversations with UK's guys.

These are just a couple of the many friendships between players on both sides. Anthony Davis and Wayne Blackshear have a pre-existing friendship, and Peyton Siva and Terrence Jones have a relationship going back to their boyhood days in Seattle. It's not exactly the blood feud that exists between the fans that has been highlighted in the run-up to their rematch. John Calipari noted this earlier in the week when he said almost all of his players hailed from out-of-state and were not caught up in the rivalry hype heading into the clash in New Orleans. Obviously, when the ball goes up Saturday evening, those friendships go out the window.

For coverage of the Louisville Cardinals, stop by Card Chronicle. For more on the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville's Final Four foe, check out A Sea of Blue. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.

Final Four 2012: Why Kentucky And Ohio State Will Win This Weekend

VIDEO: Louisville President Predicts Cards Will Win National Championship

VIDEO: Previewing Kansas Vs. Ohio State Final Four Game

2012 Final Four: Previewing The Kentucky Wildcats, Favorites For A Reason

While the Kentucky Wildcats may not be able to take out the Charlotte Bobcats, and while they must withstand what will be crippling intensity in the Final Four on Saturday versus Louisville ... we'll just keep repeating it: they are the favorites for a reason.

Final Four 2012 Predictions: Expect Kentucky And Ohio State To Find A Way To Advance

This is as stacked a Final Four as any in recent memory, but look for favorites Kentucky and Ohio State to squeak out victories in Saturday's national semifinals.

2012 Final Four: Previewing The Kansas Jayhawks, Beautifully Ugly Winners

Kansas plays an uglier style of ball than they have in years past, but they have also advanced to their first Final Four since their 2008 national title. Can they work some more late-game magic and take out Ohio State for the second time in 2011-12?

John Calipari, Rick Pitino, And The Practical Joke That Never Ends

Kentucky and Louisville have one of the best rivalries in all of sports, but Rick Pitino and John Calipari add a whole new dimension to the hate that lasts forever. It all comes full circle at the 2012 Final Four this weekend.

2012 Final Four, Ohio State Vs. Kansas: Thomas Robinson, Jared Sullinger Square Off

The Kansas Jayhawks and Ohio State Buckeyes are two of the four teams left in the NCAA Tournament and they'll have their second meeting of the season in New Orleans. The Jayhawks will be hoping for a repeat of a 78-67 victory in Kansas, while the Buckeyes will be hoping that Jared Sullinger's presence will help them earn revenge for their first loss of the season.

Kansas earned its win in the first matchup of the two squads thanks to Thomas Robinson's scoring and Tyshawn Taylor's distribution. Robinson, an athletic multipurpose forward, had 21 points and seven rebounds in the game, and Taylor dished out a career-high 13 assists, helping offset his seven turnovers. But Robinson may be even more crucial as a scorer to match Sullinger in the second go-round, and Taylor will have to deal with the harrying of Buckeyes ballhawk Aaron Craft. Jeff Withey, a premier shot-blocker, should help Kansas contain Sullinger, but the Jayhawks will be hard-pressed to replicate their defensive brilliance from their Elite Eight win over North Carolina, in which they limited the Tar Heels to 20 second-half points.

Sullinger and Craft form the core of an Ohio State team that has played some of its best ball in the NCAA Tournament, but neither will likely be the team's key player on offense, despite Sullinger seemingly hitting his stride with three straight outings of better than 50 percent shooting from the field. That player would be Deshaun Thomas, recently one of the nation's most explosive scorers; he has been held to single digits just twice since 2011 became 2012 and has averaged almost 22 points and more than eight rebounds per game in the NCAA Tournament. If Thomas can't prop up the Buckeyes, Ohio State will have to hope William Buford can pull out of his slump. The senior guard hasn't made more than five shots in a game since a win over Michigan State in early March and is just 13-of-44 in the NCAA Tournament.

This will be the first-ever meeting between the Buckeyes and Jayhawks in the NCAA Tournament.

For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along The Olentangy. For updates and perspective on the Kansas Jayhawks, head on over to Rock Chalk Talk. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.

Final Four 2012, Kentucky Vs. Louisville: Wildcats Hold Talent Advantage On The Court

The significance of this Saturday's Final Four matchup between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Louisville Cardinals has been dissected endlessly. If you haven't quite figured out how significant the intra-state battle is, SB Nation bloggers at Kentucky blog A Sea Of Blue and Louisville blog Card Chronicle are more than happy to oblige you. While heads have been clashing all over the state, there will still be a game played on the court, determined by real 20-somethings with really different skill sets.

The Wildcats should be the clear favorites based on talent alone. They earned the NCAA tournament's top overall after compiling a 32-2 record through the regular season and the conference tournament. They are stacked with NBA-caliber talent at practically every spot on the floor, though freshman Anthony Davis has earned the most headlines for his 6-foot-10 frame and freakish athletic ability. He is averaging 14.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game this season, and is in line to clean up once postseason awards are doled out.

He draws one of the toughest defensive matchups in the country, however. Louisville's 6-foot-11 center Gorgui Dieng has been dominant inside throughout the tournament. Against the Michigan St. Spartans in the Sweet 16, he recorded seven blocked shots and helped hold Big Ten Player of the Year Draymond Green to just 5-of-16 shooting from the floor.

Though the Cardinals have been excellent defensively, the Florida Gators proved they could be beaten on the perimeter. The Gators shot 8-for-20 from 3-point range to open up the paint for Erik Murphy and Patric Young inside. Kentucky's Doron Lamb has proven he can both penetrate from the perimeter and hit from long range (47.1 percent from 3-point land for the season), which could make him a nightmare to defend. It will be up to Louisville guards Chris Smith and Russ Smith, both of whom have been spotty scorers throughout the year, to keep pace.

For more on Louisville, be sure to head to Card Chronicle. For news and updates on the Cardinals' opponent, visit Kentucky blog A Sea Of Blue.

Final Four 2012: Rick Pitino Reportedly Not Elected To Basketball Hall Of Fame

Getting the 2012 Louisville Cardinals to the Final Four is likely one of Rick Pitino's finest accomplishments in a storied career that includes Final Fours at three schools (Providence, Kentucky and Louisville) and multiple Final Fours at two (Kentucky and Louisville). But Pitino won't be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame this year, according to a report from ESPNNewYork.com's Ian O'Connor.

SB Nation's Louisville blog, Card Chronicle, is okay with that idea:

While I think this is borderline absurd and would have obviously preferred Pitino to get the nod, there is a part of me that is selfishly happy to have yet another piece of motivation heading into one of the biggest weekends in the history of Louisville basketball.

Two more wins would make a nice little statement.

For coverage of the Louisville Cardinals, stop by Card Chronicle. For more on the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville's Final Four foe, check out A Sea of Blue. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.

Final Four 2012: Kansas Won't Let Danny Manning's Departure Be A Distraction

The Kansas Jayhawks are preparing for their appearance in the Final Four and what they hope will be the penultimate step on their road to the national championship. When they meet up with the Ohio St. Buckeyes in New Orleans on Saturday, it will be the first time the two teams have ever met in the NCAA tournament.

On top of the preparation the team will have to go through for the game, they will also be dealing with the loss of a member of their coaching staff. Assistant coach Danny Manning -- a former Jayhawks star who holds all-time KU scoring and rebounding records, and helped lead the team to a national title in 1988 -- left the team this week to accept a head coaching job with the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

According to David Steele at AOL FanHouse, the Jayhawks are not going to let Manning's departure distract the team from their goal of a national title. KU center Jeff Withey had nothing but praise for Manning.

"He's meant so much to me. He's an awesome coach and a great mentor," Withey said. "It's sad to see him go, but I'm happy for him. He deserves it. He's going to make Tulsa a lot better."

Kansas head coach Bill Self still has just one thing on his mind: winning the next two games.

For updates and perspective on the Kansas Jayhawks, head on over to Rock Chalk Talk. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.

Final Four 2012: All-Time Tournament Records Between Remaining Teams

The 2012 NCAA tournament has come all the way down to the Final Four, with just two pairs of teams remaining from the original 68. All four will attempt to advance and play for a chance at the national championship, but how have these teams fared against one another historically?

Evan Jacoby at Run the Court provided an in-depth breakdown on the histories of the four teams and their records against one another in the NCAA tournament.

In the most eagerly anticipated matchup yet in this year's tournament, the Kentucky Wildcats will take on their in-state rivals, the Louisville Cardinals. The two teams have met four times in the NCAA tournament, although the most recent of those games was in 1984. The rivals are 2-2 all-time against one another.

On the other side of the bracket, the Ohio St. Buckeyes will face the Kansas Jayhawks in a battle of No. 2 seeds. This will be the first-ever meeting between these two teams in the NCAA tournament.

Should Kentucky advance, they are 1-1 all-time against the Jayhawks in the tournament, while Ohio State has a stellar 5-1 record against the Wildcats. However, Kentucky's lone win came just last year, in the 2011 Sweet 16.

If Louisville advances to the national championship game, they hold an 0-1 record against both Kansas and Ohio State in the tournament, although those losses are ancient history. The Cardinals lost to OSU in 1961 and to the Jayhawks in 1967.

For lots more on the Kentucky Wildcats, check out A Sea of Blue. For coverage of the Louisville Cardinals, stop by Card Chronicle. For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along The Olentangy. For updates and perspective on the Kansas Jayhawks, head on over to Rock Chalk Talk. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.

'I'm Glad Nobody Won': The Louisville-Kentucky Rivalry, And The City It Destroyed

Louisville, Kentucky is morbidly obsessed with college basketball. And when the Cards and Cats met in the Final Four, it was more than the city could bear. Here, an outsider journalist documents the devastation he witnessed.

Final Four Predictions: Kentucky Is An NBA Team Playing College Basketball

The Final Four tips off Saturday in New Orleans, and it's all about Kentucky. Louisville, Ohio State and Kansas have all been good, but they'll have to be great if they want to steal headlines from the Cats.

Final Four 2012 Predictions: Kentucky, Ohio State Will Meet Monday

Who will play for the National Championship on Monday night? Bomani Jones answers that with his his 2012 Final Four predictions for Saturday's games. | Final Four schedule

PHOTO: Churchill Downs Ready For Kentucky-Louisville

Final Four 2012: Jared Sullinger And Thomas Robinson Face Off In Ohio State-Kansas Rematch

The 2012 Final Four features four teams that were ranked in the top 15 in the country when this season started -- a change from the bracket-busted previous three editions. The Saturday evening games will also feature two rematches from the regular season, one the highly touted in-state rivalry game between the Louisville Cardinals and Kentucky Wildcats, and the other less-hyped bout between the Ohio St. Buckeyes and Kansas Jayhawks.

The Jayhawks handed OSU their first and only out-of-conference loss this season in early December. The Buckeyes traveled to Lawrence and faced KU without All-American forward Jared Sullinger, who was held out of the lineup with back spasms. Sullinger is sure to have an impact on Saturday's game, which will likely be decided in the paint and on the glass. Thad Matta discussed the importance of the rebounding margin, and SB Nation's Bill Connelly provided a statistical spotlight on the interior strength that has carried the Buckeyes in March.

But Kansas will counter with its own talented frontcourt duo of Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey. Robinson, the Big 12 Player of the Year, had his way against the Buckeyes in December. Kansas assistant coach Danny Manning discussed the first game with WHB in Kansas City:

"I think for us and for our players we have a chance to really go back, watch tape, and see what the other players did in terms of how good they are in their roles. Aaron Craft is a terrific point guard and in four games you can talk about how well someone does this or does this but not until after you play him do guys realize he is the best on-ball defender in the country and you kind of get a grasp for it. So the biggest thing for us is knowing how talented that team is and then we have to get ready for [Jared] Sullinger because he didn't play. He's a first team All-American, he's a load, and we will have our hands full but it's a challenge that we gladly accept and we're looking forward to it."

There's almost nothing that will keep Sullinger out of the game this time around, so it will certainly be interesting to watch this strength-on-strength matchup. While each are elite post players, Sullinger largely plays below the rim while Robinson has the bounce to dominate with his athleticism. The clash of styles will be a highlight of the second game on Saturday.

For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along the Olentangy. For all news and information regarding the Kansas Jayhawks, please visit Rock Chalk Talk. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.

Hypocrisy Now: Kentucky's One-And-Done Players, And The NCAA's Stupidest Lie Yet

Kentucky is in the Final Four, and the best player in America is a freshman who'll probably jump to the top of the NBA Draft this spring. That means it's time for everyone to argue about "one-and-done" players again.

2012 Final Four: Previewing Ohio State, Which Looks To Continue Amazing March Run

Since the calendar turned to March, the Buckeyes have played some incredible basketball. Will Jared Sullinger's presence be enough to flip what was an 11-point gap between Kansas and Ohio State in December? | Previously: Louisville Final Four preview

Final Four 2012: What Prior Meetings Can Tell Us About Saturday's Rematches

Both of Saturday's Final Four games will be rematches from last December, but do those first meetings have any real bearing on what's about to take place in New Orleans?

Final Four 2012 Predictions: SB Nation Bloggers Make Their Picks

SB Nation bloggers like Kentucky and freshman star Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to be the stars of this weekend's Final Four action in New Orleans.

NCAA Final Four 2012, Kentucky: Anthony Davis, Doron Lamb Lead Formidable Offense

The road to the national championship has come down to the Final Four in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. So far, the No. 1 overall seed has lived up to its top billing, as the Kentucky Wildcats have dominated in impressive fashion. Now they'll be headed into the Final Four in perhaps the most anticipated matchup of the entire tournament, as they will face their in-state rivals the Louisville Cardinals. Kentucky's key contributors have been showcased in their four wins thus far, giving the national audience a taste of the deep talent the team possesses.

As expected, freshman phenomenon Anthony Davis has lived up to the hype. The forward led the Wildcats in both points and rebounds during the regular season and has not let up in the tournament. He reached double digits in both scoring and rebounds in three of the four games.

Fellow forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has also been invaluable to the team, putting up 24 points and 10 rebounds in their game against the Indiana Hoosiers and dropping another 19 on the Baylor Bears in the regional finals.

Sophomore guard Doron Lamb averaged the second-highest points per game for the Cats during the regular season and has put up 14 points or more in each of their wins, including 21 points against Indiana.

Freshman guard Marquis Teague is another member of the starting five that has continued to be a valuable contributor who had a huge game against the Iowa St. Cyclones, leading all players with 24 points and seven assists. His eight points against Baylor marked the only game in the tournament where Teague did not reach double digits in scoring.

Terrence Jones rounds out the starting five for Kentucky and is another threat to score in bunches at any time. He has only had one game in the tournament with fewer than 10 points and exploded for 22 against Western Kentucky in the Round of 64, which led all scorers in the game.

The Wildcats have used few bench players in the tournament to this point, proving the immense talent that exists in their starting five.

For all news and information regarding the Kentucky Wildcats,, please visit Bring on the Cats. For complete coverage of March Madness, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated 2012 NCAA Tournament hub.

NCAA Final Four 2012, Louisville: Rick Pitino Has Interesting Array On Offense

The Louisville Cardinals enter the NCAA Final Four as the team most casual fans likely know the least about considering their 2012 roster doesn't include the mainstays everyone grew to love like Edgar Sosa, Preston Knowles, Jerry Smith and all of the other four-year contributors from yesteryear.

That doesn't mean that Louisville is lacking in talent -- they wouldn't be written about at this point of the postseason if that was the case -- but they have some new impact players that haven't really shown up on the big stage prior to this year's Big Dance.

Rick Pitino's offensive leader is point guard Peyton Siva, a 6-foot junior that has yet to find his scoring thus far in the tournament. The shifty guard isn't known for his outside shot so it shouldn't surprise anyone that he's made just 12 of his 34 attempts thus far in the Big Dance, but Siva is still averaging seven assists per contest and coming big on the defensive end more often than not to cement his role as an "impact" player.

Picking up the slack in scoring, then, has been sophomore guard Russ Smith off the bench. The 6-foot guard hasn't played more than 23 minutes during the tournament, but the waterbug guard is averaging 20 points over the course of Louisville's last three games.

On the defensive side of the ball, sophomore center Gorgui Dieng has come up huge, as the 6-foot-11 Senegalese native attempts to block every shot available. Dieng's only done anything in double-figures once this postseason, when he posted 10 rebounds against New Mexico, but his seven blocks against Michigan State all but secured the upset victory over the Spartans to help Louisville andvance to where they are now.

Other players to keep an eye on include Chane Behanan and Kyle Kuric, though J.R. Smith's little brother Chis Smith is also capable of coming up clutch.

For more on Louisville, be sure to head to Card Chronicle. For news and updates on the Cardinals' opponent, visit Kentucky blog A Sea of Blue.

NCAA Final Four 2012, Kansas: Thomas Robinson, Tyshawn Taylor Lead Talented Group

The NCAA Final Four was set last weekend and, although only one top seed advanced all the way to the semifinals, the 2012 version of college basketball's biggest games should still be pretty exciting. The Kansas Jayhawks will play the Ohio St. Buckeyes on one side of the bracket with a couple of star players leading the way for both teams.

The Jayhawks have advanced through the tournament on the backs of just a few players, though it's been quite awhile since all of their "impact" players were able to impact the same game. Regardless, the men that should be most influential to this weekend's game are included below.

Thomas Robinson has been the team's most consistent player all season, earning the Big 12 Player of the Year award to go with All-American honors in his first year as a starter. The 6-foot-10 junior is probably going to be overlooked when it comes to his matchup with Jared Sullinger and the Buckeyes, but Robinson's been excellent all season and currently holds averages of 17.9 points and 11.8 rebounds while missing a double-double just once (by a single rebound) thus far this tournament.

The other brand name player on the Kansas roster is 6-foot-3 senior point guard Tyshawn Taylor. Nobody has ever accused him of being consistent, but he can take over a game when he's on -- and his 22 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Elite Eight back that up. He scored just six points on 2-of-14 shooting before fouling out in the Sweet 16, though, so it's tough to know exactly what Taylor will bring to the Final Four's table.

While the above-named players are going to garner most of the headlines, the Jayhawks do have other members on the roster who occasionally are able to contribute to victories.

• Jeff Withey, a 7-foot junior center, is averaging a mediocre 9.3 points and 6.2 rebounds this season as the defensive complement to Robinson's offensive game in the frontcourt. His defense has been impeccable, though, as he's averaging five blocks per game thus far in the tournament -- including a 10 block effort against the N.C. State Spartans.
• Elijah Johnson wasn't much of a factor during the regular season, but the junior guard has been asked to step up in the tournament as Taylor continues his yo-yo production. Johnson's delivered, though, scoring in double figures every game of the tournament while finding his shot from beyond the arc (9-of-20 in four games).

The pickings are slim as far as impact players after those four, but having four players all capable of contributing in key areas should certainly help Kansas as they move closer to the championship game.

For all news and information regarding the Kansas Jayhawks, please visit Rock Chalk Talk. For complete coverage of March Madness, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated 2012 NCAA Tournament hub.

NCAA Final Four 2012, Ohio State Impact Players: Jared Sullinger Not The Only Star

When the Ohio State Buckeyes met the Kansas Jayhawks earlier in the season, they didn't fare well. Kansas shot a spectacular 58 percent from the floor in a 78-67 win. Unlike the Final Four meeting between the two teams, that game was at Allen Fieldhouse, not at a neutral site. Also unlike that game, Ohio State will have all of their key players.

Three players in particular will be in the spotlight for Ohio State, though there's one that sticks out.

Jared Sullinger

Sullinger was the one key player that Ohio State did not have when they first met Kansas, and it showed. Thomas Robinson scored 21 points on 7-9 shooting for the Jayhawks and was the team's co-leading rebounder with seven boards. Ohio State lost the rebounding battle in that game and had zero blocks.

With Sullinger on the floor, things should be a bit different. At 6'8", 265 pounds, he's easily the best-equipped player to defend Robinson. On the other end of the floor, he might be guarded by Jeff Withey, provided that Kansas doesn't decide to bust out their triangle and two defense again.

Sullinger is an immovable object on the low block and has some fantastic low-post moves. He hasn't had a dominant season, but he's a terrific low-post scorer and Ohio State will probably look to get the ball in his hands on a regular basis. He's been criticized for lacking the size and athletic ability to be a star in the NBA, but Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey aren't athletic freaks to the degree that they can slow down Sullinger on that aspect of their games alone.

Deshaun Thomas

Thomas has quietly been one of the best players in this NCAA tournament. He has the ability to score inside and out, and he should test Thomas Robinson's range as a defender. Late in this season and in the NCAA tournament, Thomas has improved his rebounding numbers significantly, and he was a major threat from three-point range in the Gonzaga and Cincinnati games.

Even though Thomas doesn't have an elite outside shot, elite size or elite quickness, he's very solid all-around and he presents matchup problems for everyone.

William Buford

Buford's length, build, lateral quickness, work ethic and intelligence make him a top-end perimeter defender at the college level, and his defense has been what has made the biggest impact for Ohio State in this NCAA tournament. He's an excellent three-point shooter, but he only attempted two threes against Cincinnati, while he wasn't terribly effective from behind the arc against Gonzaga or Syracuse.

Buford's biggest offensive impact in the three games where he had significant scoring performances -- he only recorded four points against Cincinnati -- has been in his ability to get to the free throw line. Even when Buford isn't hitting shots, he finds a way to make a serious impact for his team by getting to the line, finding his teammates and working hard on the other end.

For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along the Olentangy. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.

Final Four 2012: Kentucky And Louisville Fans Fight At Dialysis Center

Final Four 2012: Ohio State's Thad Matta Discusses Story On His Disability

This weekend, Ohio State's Thad Matta will return to the Final Four for the second time as the head coach of the Buckeyes. It's been five years since his last trip, however, and plenty has happened in Matta's life since then. Prior to Ohio State's Sweet 16 game against Cincinnati last Thursday, there was a widely-circulated story about the handicap Matta now deals with after complications from a back surgery that took place right after OSU's last run to the Final Four. Matta discussed the decision to go public and cooperate with the story on radio today with 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis:

"My wife kind of talked me into it from the standpoint of letting people know that have a disability that you can go on and do things. ... I didn't want to do it and I told him no several times. ... I'm kind of glad I did it because it let's people know that have a disability that hey, they can go on and do things in life. If one person's helped by it, I'm happy."

It was the first time that many Ohio State fans were even made aware of the disability, as the coach has hid it well in public.

On Saturday, Matta will look to match the success that 2007 team had and advance one more round to Monday's title game. To get there, he will have to face a Kansas team the Buckeyes lost to in the regular season while playing without Jared Sullinger. He discussed the challenge of facing the tall front line of Kansas

"They pose a lot of problems with their size. They've got guys that can make plays off the bounce. Once again, we're going to have be as sound as we possibly can. But the thing, the last three games, I think they're averaging 17 offensive rebounds a game, so we've got to come up with the first-time rebounds."

To match the Jayhawks' bigs, Ohio State cannot afford to get in foul trouble as they did against Syracuse. Both Sullinger and backup Evan Ravenel played less than six minutes in the first half against the Orange after picking up two early fouls.

For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along the Olentangy. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.

Final Four 2012: John Calipari Downplays Louisville Rivalry, Calls 2012 Kentucky Squad His 'Best Team'

The Kentucky Wildcats enter Saturday's Final Four matchup with rival Louisville as heavy favorites. It's been called the biggest sporting event in the history of the state, but John Calipari said he doesn't have to do much to keep his players from engaging in the rivalry hoopla. He spoke with Mike Francesa from WFAN in New York and tried to downplay the effect the rivalry will have on his team this week:

"None of these kids are from Kentucky. I got one Kentucky player on the team, so they don't know. Some of them have been here six months. They have no idea about any of that stuff. I don't think it's an issue."

Francesa also asked Calipari if he considered the 2011-2012 edition of the Wildcats to be the best team he has coached. They enter the Final Four as the No. 1 overall seed, with four straight double-digit wins in the tournament. Semantically, Calipari agreed with the notion that this edition is the best "team" he's had, despite some of his past clubs at Kentucky and his previous stops having more talent:

"Now talent wise probably two years ago with [John] Wall and [DeMarcus] Cousins and those guys and Patrick Patterson and Eric Bledsoe and all those guys and a young Darius Miller was talented, but probably this team is the best team."

The oddsmakers certainly believe that they're the best team heading into Saturday, favoring the Cats by 8.5 points.

For more on the Wildcats, check out A Sea Of Blue. For news and updates on their opponent in the Final Four, head to Card Chronicle.

2012 Final Four: Previewing The Louisville Cardinals, Who Look To Pull Off A Massive Upset

Louisville fell into two separate serious slumps this season, but here they are, preparing for an end-all, be-all Final Four game with the hated Kentucky Wildcats. How can the Cardinals pull off the upset? And if Russ Smith isn't hot, can Louisville score enough to keep it close?

Final Four 2012: Officials For NCAA Tournament Semifinals Announced

Though the individual game assignments have not been announced, the NCAA has released the names of the officials who will be working this weekend's Final Four games in New Orleans.

They are:

- Pat Adams

- Roger Ayers

- Joe DeRosa

- Tom Eades

- Verne Harris

- Les Jones

- Jamie Luckie

- Doug Shows

- Mike Stuart

- Mark Whitehead

I suppose the bigger story here might be the names that aren't on the list. Familiar faces like Jim Burr, Tim Higgins, Karl Hess and Teddy Valentine will all be watching the festivities from home this year.

Since the common thought is that the more well-known an official is, the worse he is at his job, this list is probably going to go over just fine with fans of the four teams remaining.

For complete coverage of March Madness, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated 2012 NCAA Tournament hub.

2012 Final Four, Louisville: The Cardinals' Path To New Orleans Mirrors 2011 UConn

Stop me if you've heard this one before: a Big East team, projected for great things in the preseason and loaded with talent and a legendary coach, led by a senior point guard, stumbles early, makes a shocking run to win the conference tournament and keeps it going in the NCAAs all the way to the Final Four.

It's the precise path the Connecticut Huskies took to the 2011 NCAA Championship behind Jim Calhoun and Kemba Walker, and it's exactly what the Louisville Cardinals are trying to do this year with Rick Pitino and Peyton Siva, who, admittedly, is no Kemba Walker. Still, the Cardinals have proved that they can beat any team in the country with wins against Florida in the Elite Eight, Michigan State in the Sweet 16 and New Mexico and Davidson in the tourney's first weekend.

In the Big East tournament, the Cardinals ran the table with wins over Seton Hall, Marquette, Notre Dame and Cincinnati in consecutive days, and Siva was the tournament MVP. The Cardinals are even built eerily like the Huskies last year; like Alex Oriakhi, Gorgui Dieng is their dominant paint presence, though Dieng is a far superior shot blocker. Instead of Jeremy Lamb, the Cardinals have freshman Chane Behanan, who has more of an inside game but is still a sparkplug who can score in bunches.

The Cardinals face their in-state rival Kentucky Wildcats, the team Rick Pitino coached to the 1996 national championship, in the Final Four, where they are the heavy underdogs. If they continue to follow the script UConn wrote for them last year, however, then defying the odds is all part of the plan.

For more on Louisville, be sure to head to Card Chronicle. For news and updates on the Cardinals' opponent, visit Kentucky blog A Sea of Blue.

Final Four 2012, Ohio State: How The Buckeyes Made It To New Orleans

The field of competitors in the 2012 NCAA Tournament has been whittled down from the initial 68 teams, all the way to the Final Four. One of the four teams traveling to New Orleans for a shot at the national championship is the Ohio St. Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed in the East Region, hoping to build on their strong Big Ten season and showcase Jared Sullinger, just one year removed from winning National Freshman of the Year.

The first game for the Buckeyes in the tournament came in the Round of 64, when they handily defeated the No. 15 seed Loyola, Md. Greyhounds by a final score of 78-59. In the round of 32, they similarly had little trouble knocking out the No. 7 Gonzaga Bulldogs, 73-66, to advance to the Sweet 16. They met up with No. 6 Cincinnati Bearcats in the regional semifinals and put up another decisive win, 81-66.

In the regional finals, the Buckeyes had by far their toughest challenge in the bracket, as they went up against the No. 1 Syracuse Orange, who entered the tournament as the second overall seed. In the end, the Buckeyes prevailed by a final score of 77-70 to send Syracuse backing and reach the Final Four.

If the Buckeyes want to make it to the championship game, they have another tough task ahead. They'll be taking on the No. 2 seed from the Midwest Region, the Kansas Jayhawks.

For all news and information regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes, please visit Along the Olentangy. For all your 2012 March Madness needs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NCAA Tournament hub.

2012 Final Four, Kentucky: How The Wildcats Got To New Orleans

The Kentucky Wildcats, the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, have done nothing to dispel the notion that they're the team to beat now that the Final Four is set. Their four games in the tournament so far — wins over Western Kentucky, Iowa State, Indiana and Baylor — have all been decided by double digits, and their core of freshmen Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marquis Teague and sophomores Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb, along with senior Darius Miller, has been absolutely superb. It helps that they've been completely healthy, too.

What's been terrifying about the Wildcats is how balanced they are. Only Kansas' Jeff Withey has blocked more shots than Davis in the tournament, but the scoring comes from everywhere — four different Wildcats are averaging more than 13 points in their four games (Davis, Teague, Kidd-Gilchrist and Jones) — and they're superb in transition.

In the regular season, the Wildcats lost just one game, to Indiana, when Davis was less than healthy. They didn't lose again until they faced a red-hot Vanderbilt team in the SEC Tournament finals. They've been the No. 1 team in the country for most of the season, and still appear to be just that.

SB Nation's college basketball editor, Mike Rutherford, said anything less than a national championship for Kentucky would be a colossal failure for head coach John Calipari, and he's right. In terms of pure talent, no team can even hold a candle to this team, and they're playing at a completely different level than anyone else heading into their game against the in-state rival Louisville Cardinals.

For more on the Wildcats, check out A Sea Of Blue. For news and updates on their opponent in the Final Four, head to Card Chronicle.

Final Four 2012, Kansas: Looking At The Jayhawks' Path To New Orleans

The 2012 NCAA Tournament is nearly at an end. After a whirlwind event filled with upsets, heartbreakers and last-minute heroics, the field of 68 has come down to the Final Four. One of the four teams heading to New Orleans to duke it out for a shot at the national championship is the Kansas Jayhawks.

The Jayhawks entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region and hoping to continue the momentum from a strong season where they captured the regular-season Big 12 title. Their first game in the tournament came in the Round of 64, when they defeated No. 15 seed Detroit Titans, 65-50.

Next up for Kansas was No. 10 seed Purdue Boilermakers, who presented a tougher challenge. KU was ultimately able to prevail, 63-60, to advance to the Sweet 16. In the regional semifinals, the Jayhawks faced the surprising No. 11 N.C. State Wolfpack, but once again were able to pick up a slim 63-60 win and make it to the Elite Eight.

The Jayhawks went up against the No. 1 seed North Carolina Tar Heels and stunned UNC with their most decisive victory in the bracket, winning by a final score of 80-67.

In New Orleans, the Jayhawks will meet a fellow No. 2 seed from the East Region, the Ohio St. Buckeyes. The winner will make it to the national championship game and have a chance to win it all.

For all news and information regarding the Kansas Jayhawks, please visit Rock Chalk Talk. For complete coverage of March Madness, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated 2012 NCAA Tournament hub.

Final Four 2012: Mayors Of Louisville And Lexington Place Friendly Wager Before Clash

A lot has been made of the Final Four matchup between the in-state rival Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals, two teams that face off every year. There's no love lost between these two schools and the cities of Louisville and Lexington, Ky., either, and the mayors of the respective cities have made a friendly wager on the game.

While giving each other gifts of a Bourbon nature, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and Lexington Mayor Jim Gray bet that whoever's team loses Saturday would have to wear the others' colors at the championship game Monday night. Obviously, this doesn't compare to when the mayor of Pittsburgh literally changed his name from Luke Ravenstahl to Luke Steelerstahl before a Steelers-Ravens playoff game, but it's cute and will likely be humiliating for the loser.

The two politicians also traded some light-hearted trash talk — Fischer said he hoped the Woodford Reserve Bourbon gift he gave Gray would help him "start medicating" once the Wildcats lost to the Cardinals, for example — before getting down to some boring political meeting.

For more on the Wildcats, check out A Sea Of Blue. For news and updates on their opponent in the Final Four, head to Card Chronicle.

Final Four 2012: Kentucky Vs. Louisville Rematch Brings Out Passion In Fanbases

So the Kentucky Wildcats and the Louisville Cardinals will tip off in the Final Four on Saturday. In case you didn't know, this is a very big deal. The UK-UL rivalry is arguably the sport's most heated, spanning 43 meetings over nearly 100 years and whole mess of cultural differences. Mike Rutherford at Cards Chronicle writes why the rivalry is the best in college basketball.

The use of "hate" is excessive in almost any context, but this rivalry brings the utilization of the word closer to the cusp of appropriateness than any other.

Without delving too much into the issues, there is a definite disconnect between the city of Louisville and the state of Kentucky.

Though relatively insignificant in the eyes of the rest of the country, Kentuckians outside of Louisville view the Derby City the same way someone from upstate Vermont views New York City: prostitutes parading around the KFC Yum! Center, muggers behind the doors of every store in the local mall and gang-bangers residing in each and every high-rent neighborhood home.

Kentucky blogger Ken Howlett over at A Sea Of Blue didn't hesitate to throw more fuel on the fire. The top-seeded Wildcats have been the odds-on favorite to win the championship since the NCAA Tournament began. With all of Kentucky's NBA talent, Howlett says a loss to the Cardinals would be an unmitigated disaster.

Simply put, Louisville winning Saturday is a Kentucky fans' nightmare. As a matter of fact, I just got this in ... Webster's has issued a press release officially redefining "hell." It reads like this: Webster's Dictionary has redefined the word hell to mean the following -- The unmitigated horror any Kentucky Wildcat basketball fan must live through if UK loses to the University of Louisville in the 2012 Final Four.

So there you have it. It's official. Hell awaits if the 'Cats go down to the Cards.

There will be no shortage of passion on either side of the court come tip-off. Luckily, the rest of us can sit back and enjoy the spectacle on college basketball's biggest stage from afar.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub, and remember to pick up our printable NCAA Tournament bracket.

The Final Four Includes 4 Major Programs, But 1 Giant Favorite

Despite a stacked 2012 Final Four, the heavy weight of expectation appears to be the only thing capable of preventing Kentucky from claiming its eighth national championship and head coach John Calipari from getting his first.

Final Four 2012 Schedule: Battle For The Bluegrass Rematch Highlights Semifinals

The 2012 Final Four schedule was released following the conclusion of Sunday's games in the NCAA Tournament's bracket.

The 2012 Final Four Gets Dream Game With Kentucky Vs. Louisville

The NCAA Tournament has provided a perfect Final Four scenario with the biggest rivalry in college hoops -- Kentucky vs. Louisville -- taking center stage in New Orleans. Plus: Roy Williams gets outcoached, Tiger isn't really back, and more.