In the month of March, sports fans all over the United States and even all over the world tuned in to watch some of college basketball’s best and brightest stars. At the end of the month, only four teams remained. Two proverbial “Cinderellas” in University of Connecticut and University of Kentucky and two high seeds in University of Wisconson and University of Florida were able to fight their way into the final four.
Wisconsin, led by Coach Bo Ryan,came onto the game with a record of 30-7 after a strong season in the Big 10. They played Kentucky who had a 29-9 record out of the Southeastern Conference. Kentucky is the second team in NCAA history to start five freshmen. The first team was the 1991 Michigan Wolverines and “The Fab 5”. After a hard fought game, Kentucky’s Aaron Harrison hit a three pointer to seal the victory for the Wildcats.
“It was such a clutch shot, I was going crazy!” says junior Nick Mysyk.
In the second game Uconn, led by super senior, Shabazz Napier, trying to capture his second National Championship played the number one overall seed, Florida. After a game that in which both teams battle back and forth, Uconn was able to pull one out to play Kentucky for the championship.
“The game was great,” says junior Clay Ahlman, “I was really excited for the championship game.”
The game was a battle of styles with the senior lead Huskies played the youthful Wildcats. Kentucky was trying to become the second team to win the National Championship as a number 8 seed. The first team was the 1984 Villanova Wildcats.
The game also had an impact internationally; Uconn’s Niels Giffey and Amida Brimah were both born. Giffey’s parents were in Germany trying to watch the game at 3 A.M.
“It really shows how the game of basketball has grown across the world,” comments senior Joe Connick.
It was a game of runs with neither teams really being able to get ahead by too much. The first half ended with Uconn leading 35-31. Fans were not deterred, however, because Kentucky has come back from bigger deficits earlier in the tournaments.
“I thought that they were going to come back just like all the other games,” says junior Nick Miraglia.
In the end Uconn was able to hold on and win the National Champion 60-54. In Coach Kevin Ollie’s second season, he was able to lead his team to the championship.