Sunday Elite 8 Open Thread - Where We Learn The Last Half Of The Final 4

Has had their fun, now it’s time for them to meet their demise.

VCU is in the final four. VCU. in the final four. Against BUTLER. Butler.

The Jayhawks were the last #1 seed left, but trailed most of the game, and most of it by double digits.

The Rams have now won 5 tournament games, 4 by double digits, all against “BCS/Power” Conference foes (from 5 different conferences) who were higher seeds.

VCU will play Butler in the semi-finals, which guarantees one of the Cinderellas won’t get to the title game, but it also guarantees a Mid-Major underdog will play for the National Championship for the second year in a row.

delivering the third upset of the four Elite 8 games. If you can count UConn’s improbable run as a non-upset.

As it was in the first game, 3 point shooting was the difference, with the Wildcats hitting 12 of 22, 54.5%, including one by DeAndre Liggins with 35 seconds left, to just 3 of 16 by the Tar Heels. Taking too many three pointers can lose you a game, but making almost none almost always will lose the game in this day and age.

Brandon Knight made 5 of 11 three pointers and had a game high 22 points for Kentucky, more on all accounts than anyone. Tyler Zeller had 21 points for North Carolina, and Harrison Barnes 18, but Barnes missed 7 three pointers, and the Tar Heels didn’t provide their big two with much support.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats got double figures from all five of their starters.

John Calapari’s personnel management and job hopping may be controversial, but he is proven again as a good in game coach.