NEWARK, N.J. – Kentucky prides itself on its history, and rightfully so. The Wildcats have done just about everything there is to do in college basketball. Whether you’re talking about their 51 NCAA tournament appearances, 13 Final Fours or seven national championships, few programs rival the bluebloods from the Bluegrass State.
NEW ORLEANS – Matt Howard and Butler are starting to make this look a little bit easier. After narrowly surviving its first two NCAA tournament games by margins of two points or less, Butler led by 20 points before holding on for a 61-54 victory over Wisconsin on Thursday night.
ANAHEIM, Calif. – Derrick Williams carried Arizona in the first half, keeping the Wildcats in the game against Duke. His teammates returned the favor in the final 20 minutes with an offensive barrage that stunned the defending national champions. Williams scored 25 of his career-high 32 points in the first half of Arizona’s 93-77 victory Thursday night, helping the Wildcats reach the final eight for the first time since 2005.
SEATTLE – Lorenzo Romar anticipated the question before it was asked. The University of Washington men’s basketball coach hears it at about this time every year. Where will you get your inside scoring next season?
DENVER – It’s no easy task defending BYU’s Jimmer Fredette, the nation’s top scorer. It’s even tougher when Fredette and his teammates are highly motivated.
DENVER – The chant went up from the thousands of BYU fans inside the Pepsi Center with roughly 30 seconds remaining: “You Got Jimmered, You Got Jimmered.”
DENVER – This was the game – Gonzaga vs. Brigham Young – that wasn’t supposed to happen until next year. So let today’s third-round meeting in the NCAA tournament serve as the preface to BYU’s entrance into the West Coast Conference for the 2012 men’s basketball season.
