Arizona-Wisconsin Part II with trip to Final Four at stake

LOS ANGELES – Arizona guard Gabe York remembers having the ball in his hands, taking a couple of dribbles and failing to get a shot off before time expired.

Wisconsin 64, Arizona 63, in overtime.

The Badgers advanced to the Final Four for the first time under coach Bo Ryan a year ago, and the Wildcats went home, unable to deliver the same initial appearance for coach Sean Miller.

“They made one more play in overtime than we did,” York said Friday. “That was a crazy, crazy scenario. There were only 2 seconds left and it took them about 15 minutes for those 2 seconds to end.”

Now, they’re going to do it again.

This time, the Badgers (34-3) have moved up from the No. 2 seed to No. 1, led by 7-footer Frank Kaminsky. The Wildcats (34-3) are No. 2, a spot lower than last year, and Pac-12 player of the year Nick Johnson graduated.

The stakes are the same: a trip to Indianapolis awaits the winner of Saturday night’s West Regional title game at Staples Center.

“Obviously, it’s icing on the cake that we get to play Wisconsin in the Elite Eight and have a chance to go to the Final Four,” York said. “We’re extra amped.”

Ditto the Badgers.

“We know they’ve added some pieces, but at the same time we’re better than we were this time last year,” Kaminsky said. “They’re long, they’re athletic and they’re animals.”