By Kyle Lance
We sit 4 days from one of the great days of the sporting calender in the Final Four, and as we inch closer and closer to Saturday, the excitement continues to build. Today I will be counting down the Top 5 Final Four games since the dawn of the new millennium, and they will be National Semifinal games, as the countdown for National Championship games will be up tomorrow. Let’s get on with the countdown!
#5
Connecticut vs Duke
2004 Final Four
It looked like the Blue Devils were on their way to another National Championship game as they led the Huskies by 8 with less than 3 minutes to go. Uconn star Emeka Okafor was limited due to foul trouble, but he made certain that his Huskies wouldn’t go down without a fight. Okafor came up with big plays down the stretch, and scored all 18 of his points in the 2nd half. On the other side of things, All 3 Duke Centers, including future 1st round NBA Draft pick Shelden Williams (Wish you could have that one back Hawks?) fouled out of the game. Duke also didn’t make a Field goal in the final 4 minutes of the game until Chris Duhon’s 3 at the buzzer, which was irrelevant as Uconn won 79-78 and advanced to the National Championship. Duke is hoping someone with the last name Okafor can help them advance to the National Championship this season, instead of preventing them from doing so.
#4
Louisville vs Wichita State
2013 Final Four
#1 overall seed Louisville was riding an emotional roller coaster heading into Atlanta in 2013 after advancing to the Final Four, but losing Kevin Ware to a gruesome leg injury. #9 seed Wichita State had shocked the nation after upsetting #1 seed Gonzaga, and #2 seed Ohio State in their region to advance to Atlanta. The Shockers showed no fear of the mighty Cardinals, as Cleanthony Early (24 points, 10 rebounds) and Ron Baker (11 points, 8 rebounds) propelled them to a one point lead at the half. Wichita then opened up a 12 point lead in the 2nd half with 13:35 remaining and it looked as if the kids from Wichita were going to stun the nation again. The Cardinals then turned the game in a hurry. Led by Luke Hancock (20 points) Russ Smith (21 points), and walk-on Tim Henderson’s 3 point barrage, Louisville went on a 21-8 run to take a 56-55 lead, and control of the game. Wichita kept it close, but the Cardinals prevailed by 4, and would go on to win the National Championship.
#3
Kansas vs Ohio State
2012 Final Four
Both of these schools had toppled the respective one seeds in their region to advance to the 2012 Final Four in New Orleans. Ohio State beat Syracuse, while Kansas took down one of the tourney favorites in North Carolina. Ohio State rode a balanced attack from Jared Sullinger (13 points, 11 rebounds) and William Buford (19 points, 7 rebounds) to a steady double digit lead in the 2nd half with 10 minutes remaining. Then, as that Kansas team had done all season long, they stormed back. Tyshawn Taylor (10 points, 9 assists) and Thomas Robinson (19 points, 8 rebounds) led the charge and Travis Releford made 2 free throws with 2:48 to go to give Kansas their first lead since they led 2-0. In a game that came down to the wire, The Jayhawks finished the comeback and advanced to the National Championship game, after leading for a total of 3:48 the entire game. They would eventually lose to Kentucky in the Title game.
#2
Georgia Tech vs Oklahoma State
2004 Final Four
Needless to say the 2004 Final Four matchups were exciting, and this game embodied excitement in College Basketball. Oklahoma State and Georgia Tech seemed like a great matchup on paper, but the Yellow Jackets were out to prove doubters wrong. Jarrett Jack and Luke Schenscher carried Tech to a 7 point halftime lead and they stretched it out to 12 in the early stages of the 2nd half. The Jackets were closing in on their first National Title game appearance, but the Cowboys would not go quietly. John Lucas and Tony Allen kept the Pokes in the game and with the Cowboys trailing by 3 with less than 30 seconds to play, Lucas tied the game and the Alamodome filled with OSU fans erupted. The game was tied and it looked like Tech would go to Jack for the potential game winner. Instead Will Bynum got the ball, and drove to the basket and converted on a lay-up, which gave Georgia Tech the lead with 1.5 seconds to play. Lucas heaved a 3 quarter court shot for the win, but it was way short, and the Wrambling Wreck moved on to their first National Championship game, where they would lose to Uconn and Emeka Okafor.
#1
Wisconsin vs Kentucky
2014 Final Four
Before we get to the rematch this Saturday in Indianapolis, there was the 1st matchup last spring in Dallas between the Badgers and the Wildcats. Bo Ryan was in his first Final Four with Wisconsin and John Calipari had taken his 8 seed Wildcats on an improbable ride to Dallas. The Harrison Twins and Julius Randle were in their home state and Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker were out to silence the young Cats and etch their legacies in NCAA History. The game was back and forth with various momentum swings in the action. Kentucky would jet ahead, only for Wisconsin to speed back ahead. Wisconsin guard Bronson Koenig came off the bench and gave them 11 points, while Dekker (15 points) and Senior guard Ben Brust (15 points) kept the Badgers steady. James Young and Julius Randle combined for 27 points for Kentucky and the game was tied at 71 with less than 20 seconds to play, with Wisconsin having the basketball. Point guard Traevon Jackson drew a 3 shot foul on Andrew Harrison and he went to the line and made 2 out of 3. Then, as he had done all throughout the Tournament, Aaron Harrison made the big shot. He drilled a deep 3 as he had in the Sweet 16 against Louisville, and the Elite 8 against Michigan, which gave the Cats a one point lead. Jackson then had a chance to win it for the Badgers, but the shot rolled off and the Cardiac Cats had survived again, and advanced to the National Championship game. They would lose to Shabazz Napier and Uconn in the Championship 60-54.
That’s it for this countdown. Let me know what you think on here, and on Twitter @KyleLance_
4 days until the Final Four, the excitement continues to build! Have a great rest of your day.
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