Given the upsets and the drama that marked the first three rounds of tournament play (see: Wisconsin-Milwaukee as this year's Cinderella team, and victories from Bucknell and Vermont), round No. 4 had a lot to live up to. And it did so, as there has never been an Elite Eight as exciting as the one we were treated to on Saturday and Sunday.
Albuquerque Regional Final, Louisville vs. West Virginia: Coming into this Saturday afternoon game, it looked as though West Virginia didn't stand a chance. The Mountaineers had barely squeaked by Texas Tech by dropping three-pointers left and right. With Louisville's slaughter of top-seeded Washington, it looked as though the seventh-ranked Mountaineers would need a miracle to knock off the fourth-seeded Cardinals.
But West Virginia shocked the nation in the first-half, hitting 10 of 14 threes and giving themselves a 40-27 lead at halftime. The Cardinals were stunned as coach Rick Pitino was forced to abandon his game plan and rethink his team's second-half strategy.
Louisville came out roaring in the second half, playing much more aggressively and forcing Mountaineer turnovers. Despite playing without star player Francisco Garcia in the final minutes because he had fouled out, the Cardinals found a way to send the game to overtime knotted at 77.
In OT, Louisville took over and continued their aggressive play. Behind Taquan Dean's shooting (seven threes for 23 points) and the gutsy play of injured guard/forward Larry O'Bannon (24 points), the Cardinals outlasted West Virginia's 18 three-point baskets to earn their first trip to the Final Four since 1986.
Chicago Regional Final, Illinois vs. Arizona: After squeaking by a feisty Oklahoma State team on Thursday evening, the third-seeded Arizona Wildcats looked poised to knock off top-seeded Illinois. The first half was an even game, with Illinois taking a small two-point lead into the half.
But when the second half began, Arizona brought the noise. Rallying behind the play of small forward Hassan Adams and big man Channing Frye, the Wildcats held an enormous 15-point lead with four minutes to play. An impossible comeback for Illinois?
No way. With Arizona beginning to play passively in hopes of milking the clock and coasting their way to St. Louis, the Illini stepped it up. They forced a few Arizona turnovers that allowed the Illinois All-American backcourt of Dee Brown, Deron Williams and Luther Head to step up in the clutch. In the final minutes, the Illini guards combined for 17 points and a handful of key plays that eventually sent the game to overtime, tied at 80.
In OT, Williams continued to dominate. He hit two more three-pointers that helped his team to victory after Arizona's Adams missed a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer. Final score: Illinois 90, Arizona 89.
Syracuse Regional Final, UNC vs. Wisconsin: This game happened to be the only Elite Eight game that did not go into overtime. But the match-up was not lacking in suspense or pure fun.
No one thought that Wisconsin had a chance against the powerhouse top-seeded Tar Heels, but at halftime, the game was tied. Behind Alando Tucker's 25 points and Clayton Hanson's hustle, energy and five three-pointers, the upset seemed within reach for the sixth-seeded Badgers.
But the Heels came out running in the second half, hungry for a trip to St. Louis. UNC's coveted junior class of Sean May, Rashad McCants and Raymond Felton stepped up huge for coach Roy Williams, in search of his first NCAA title. Their efforts throughout the game and near the end, when McCants made a three-pointer and then blocked Hanson's three-point attempt, while Felton hit clutch free throws down the stretch, propelled the Heels to the Final Four by a count of 88-82.
Austin Regional Final, Michigan State vs. Kentucky: Fifth-seeded Michigan State was coming off of an upset of top-seeded Duke in the Sweet Sixteen and promised a good game for second-seeded Kentucky in the fourth round.
The game was even until Kentucky found themselves down eight points with just over five minutes to go. But the Wildcats clawed their way back, using outside shooting to pull themselves within three.
At the end of regulation, down three, Kentucky hoisted up two desperation threes, off the mark until the ball landed in Wildcat guard Patrick Sparks' hands. Sparks released a three-point attempt from the top of the key just before time expired and watched the ball bounce four times on the rim before falling through the hoop. Controversy arose immediately after the shot, as officials took over five minutes on the replay TVs to see if Sparks' feet were truly behind the three-point line when he released his shot. Referee James Burr decided the shot was good, sending the game into overtime.
After one overtime wasn't enough, Michigan State took over in the second OT. They hit 11 straight foul shots and didn't look back. Final score: MSU 94, Kentucky 88.
By any measure, the 2005 Elite Eight ranks up with the best. With the four games averaging a five-point margin of victory and with three of the four games going to overtime (one to double overtime), one can only hope the Final Four will bring as much excitement.
