Cinderellas won't dance much longer
by DICK "HOOPS" WEISS, Special to FOXSports.com
We hate to be the one to throw cold water on this party, but their respective roads won't lead to San Antonio.
This is madness
 |
The Final Four
-
National Championship
- Kansas shocks Memphis in OT National Semifinals
- Memphis takes down UCLA
- Kansas never trails vs. UNC
Bracket Central!
FOXSports.com analysis
- Kriegel: Chalmers comes through
- Goodman: Foul ending for Memphis
- Burlison: Saving the best for last
- Capsules of all 65 tourney teams
- Complete college hoops coverage
Also...
Photos:
Video:
Shopping:
Davidson coach Bob McKillop and sophomore guard Stephen Curry co-authored Davidson's fairy tale in Raleigh last weekend. Curry went off for 70 points in a pair of wins over Gonzaga and Georgetown at the RBC Center, making 13 of 25 3-pointers.
The Southern Conference champs already have been competitive with both UNC and Duke in non-conference road games, but it is hard to tell how the Wildcats will do in the Midwest semifinals Friday in Detroit against the No. 3 seed Badgers, the physical Big Ten champions who are equally as well coached. Wisconsin guards well on the perimeter and has an on-the-ball defensive stopper in Michael Flowers — who has already publicly baited Curry.
Western Kentucky and Villanova were both the beneficiaries of an unexpectedly good draw. The Wildcats beat Clemson, then had to beat 13th-seeded Siena, which upset Vanderbilt in the first round, to advance. But now they face a serious upgrade in competition; top-seeded Kansas awaits in the Midwest Regional semifinals.
Meanwhile, Western Kentucky upset possibly over-seeded Drake 101-99 in overtime on a last-second, 26-foot 3-point prayer by Ty Rogers and then battled past 13th seed San Diego, which upset UConn in the first round. Now, the Hilltoppers must face UCLA here in Phoenix Thursday night, just a short plane flight from Westwood.
Davidson's best chance is to hope Curry goes off again, but it will not be easy. Wisconsin prides itself in its defense, and it should. The Badgers limited Kansas State to just 39.6 percent shooting and 0 for 13 from 3-point range while containing the Wildcats' 6-10 freshman Michael Beasley, who finished his college career with just 23 points on 8-of-19 shooting.
Look for Bo Ryan to start Flowers on Curry to try to wear him down. "At the end of the game, I want him to be breathless and remember what team he played against and how hard he worked,'' Flowers said.
Davidson's bigger problem against Wisconsin may be trying to defend the Badgers' size inside and their patient, efficient offense. Even though the 'Cats limited Georgetown to 32 points in the second half, the Hoyas shot 63 percent for the game and might have done even more damage if 7-2 center Roy Hibbert had stayed out of foul trouble and gotten more touches. Those 20 ugly turnovers didn't help either.
Villanova has had success in the past playing against a No. 1 seed, pushing North Carolina to the limit in a controversial Sweet 16 loss at Syracuse in 2005, the year the Heels won the national title.
But Jay Wright's current team is so young — with no seniors — and although they showed character coming back from an 18-point deficit to defeat Clemson in the first round, they lack the type of size necessary to rebound with a team like Kansas. They may lack the talent, too — especially with 6-10 sophomore center Casiem Drummond out with a stress fracture and no lock NBA first-round picks, although sophomore guard Scottie Reynolds and freshman wing Corey Stokes have been on fire in the tournament. Kansas, conversely, has the best experience at the guard spots of any team remaining, can go 10 deep with quality players and has at least five draftable players, including forward Dorrell Arthur and guard Brandon Rush.
Wright must hope the naturally unselfish Reynolds, who has scored 21 and 25 points in the first two games and seems more comfortable at the point where he has the ball in his hands, goes off again for a big number and Kansas begins to feel the pressure to advance.
Of the group, Western Kentucky might have the best chance to make it interesting. The biggest reason: Fifth-year coach Darrin Horn, who was a star guard on the 1993 Sweet 16 team, has both experience and talent at guard, where seniors Courtney Lee, Tyrone Brazelton and Ty Rogers have been game changers. Brazelton had 34 points against Drake and Lee, who surprisingly disappeared down the stretch against the Missouri Valley Bulldogs in the opener, went off for 29 points, fueling an 18-2 run that helped the Hilltoppers overcome San Diego. Rogers is not a prolific scorer, but he provided inspirational defensively, limiting San Diego's biggest perimeter threat Brandon Johnson to just 4 for 15 shooting and only 13 points.
"I'm not totally surprised,'' Horn said. "We thought this was a special team coming in. We spent years developing this style of play and putting together the kind of depth and athleticism and skill that give you a chance to do this in tournament action.
"We've been telling these guys for two years at least, three years really, if we get there we've got a real chance to make some noise.''
The Hilltoppers may also benefit from the fact that UCLA, which needed to rally to beat Texas A&M 51-49 in a second-round game at Anaheim, has not been healthy all tournament. Freshman Center Kevin Love, who had 19 points, two rebounds and seven blocks against the Aggies, has been treated for a balky back. Forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute just underwent an MRI on his sprained left ankle and forward Josh Shipp has strep throat.
Mbah a Moute did not play against Mississippi Valley State in the tournament opener and struggled with his timing against A&M, contributing two points, eight rebounds, six turnover and four fouls in 32 minutes against the physical Aggies. Shipp, who went scoreless in 37 minutes against A&M, was given antibiotics after the game.
But even if they're not feeling too well before the game, it's likely the Bruins will feel just fine after it.
And Cinderella will be done dancing for another season.
Dick "Hoops" Weiss covers college basketball for the New York Daily News. Find more at his blog.
advertisement
