It’s tournament time in the city. Ring-a-ling. Hear them ring. Soon it will be the Final Four…
A trip to the Sweet Sixteen is on the line when the Big East meets the SEC in a re-match of last year’s East Regional final.
The Mountaineers tamed the Wildcats a year ago.
Some names on the backs of the shirts have changed.
Bob Huggins vs. John Calipari.
West Virginia vs. Kentucky
The Logo vs. The Program
West Virginia’s probable starters:
No. Name……………………. Pos…. Ht… Wt. …Cl……….. Statistics
5 Kevin Jones …………………F …..6-8..260 …Jr. 13.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg
2 Cam Thoroughman ……….F….. 6-7. 235.. r-Sr. 2.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg
41 John Flowers…………….. F….. 6-7.. 215…. Sr. 9.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg
25 Darryl Bryant……………. G ……6-2 195….. Jr. 11.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg
21 Joe Mazzulla……………… G ……6-2.200.. r-Sr. 7.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg
Kentucky’s probable starters:
P # Name…………………… Pts….. Rebs……. Assts
G 1 Darius Miller ………….11.4…. 4.7………. 1.7
F 3 Terrence Jones……… 16.3…. 8.7………. 1.9
G 12 Brandon Knight ……17.0…. 3.9………. 4.2
G 20 Doron Lamb ………..12.8…. 2.1………. 1.8
F 55 Josh Harrellson …….7.0 ….8.8 ……….1.5
West Virginia is making its 24th appearance in the NCAA championship, dating back to 1955.
• The Mountaineers are 25-23 all-time in NCAA championship play.
• The Mountaineers made their second Final Four appearance in 2010. The other was in 1959, led by the great Jerry West.
WVU advanced to the national championship game, falling to California, 71-70.
• WVU has reached the Sweet 16 in five of its last six NCAA tournament appearances (2010, 2008, 2006, 2005 and 1998).
• West Virginia is 19-6 in postseason games (6 NCAA and 2 NIT appearances) in the last eight seasons.
• Last year, WVU defeated No. 15 Morgan State, No. 10 Missouri, No. 11 Washington and No. 1 Kentucky to win the East
Region. The Mountaineers fell to Duke in the Final Four.
• Combining the NCAA championship and the NIT, WVU is 45-38 all-time in 39 postseason appearances.
Kentucky in the NCAA tournament
Overall Record: ……………………………………………………….102-45
Championships: ………………..7 (1948, ‘49, ‘51, ‘58, ‘78, ‘96, ‘98)
In Tampa: ……………………………………………………………………5-1
Third (Second) Round Record: ……………………………………..12-5
Record as No. 4 Seed: ………………………………………………….3-1
TEAM STATISTICS ………………………WVU………………………. OPP
SCORING ………………………………………….2240…………………….. 2063
Points per game ………………………………..70.0 ……………………….64.5
Scoring margin ………………………………….+5.5 –
FIELD GOALS-ATT …………………………761-1773……………….. 728-1777
Field goal pct ……………………………………. 4 2 9 …………………….. 4 1 0
3 POINT FG-ATT …………………………….199-592 ……………………166-574
3-point FG pct ………………………………….. 3 3 6 ………………………. 2 8 9
3-pt FG made per game ………………………..6.2 …………………………..5.2
FREE THROWS-ATT ………………………….519-731 …………………..441-634
Free throw pct ………………………………….. 7 1 0 ………………………. 6 9 6
F-Throws made per game ………………………16.2 ………………………..13.8
REBOUNDS …………………………………………1197 ………………………..1082
Rebounds per game ……………………………..37.4 …………………………33.8
Rebounding margin ……………………………..+3.6 –
ASSISTS ………………………………………………482 ………………………….355
Assists per game …………………………………..15.1 ………………………….11.1
TURNOVERS………………………………………… 386 …………………………..383
Turnovers per game ……………………………….12.1 …………………………12.0
Turnover margin ……………………………………-0.1 –
Assist/turnover ratio ……………………………….1.2 …………………………..0.9
STEALS ………………………………………………….149 …………………………..211
Steals per game ……………………………………….4.7 ……………………………6.6
BLOCKS ………………………………………………….134 ……………………………96
Blocks per game ……………………………………….4.2 …………………………..3.0
TEAM STATISTICS……………………………… UK ………………………OPP
SCORING ………………………………………………..2581……………………….. 2164
Points per game ……………………………………….75.9………………………… 63.6
Scoring margin ……………………………………….+12.3 –
FIELD GOALS-ATT ………………………………908-1967………………….. 772-1966
Field goal pct …………………………………………. 4 6 2……………………….. . 3 9 3
3 POINT FG-ATT …………………………………..248-623 ………………………193-586
3-point FG pct ……………………………………….. 3 9 8 ………………………….. 3 2 9
3-pt FG made per game ………………………………7.3…………………………….. 5.7
FREE THROWS-ATT ……………………………….517-723……………………… 427-594
Free throw pct ……………………………………….. 7 1 5 ………………………….. 7 1 9
F-Throws made per game …………………………..15.2 …………………………….12.6
REBOUNDS ………………………………………………1283 …………………………….1145
Rebounds per game …………………………………..37.7 ……………………………..33.7
Rebounding margin …………………………………..+4.1 –
ASSISTS ……………………………………………………431………………………………. 374
Assists per game ……………………………………….12.7 ……………………………….11.0
TURNOVERS ……………………………………………..361 ………………………………..412
Turnovers per game …………………………………..10.6 ……………………………….12.1
Turnover margin ……………………………………….+1.5 –
Assist/turnover ratio ……………………………………1.2 ………………………………..0.9
STEALS ……………………………………………………..186 ………………………………..176
Steals per game …………………………………………..5.5 ………………………………….5.2
BLOCKS ……………………………………………………..214 …………………………………121
Blocks per game …………………………………………..6.3 …………………………………3.6
A year ago, the Mountaineers used a 1-3-1 to pinch the lane and forct the Wildcats to shoot jumpers. This year’s version of Kentucky blue can connect from long range.
What is a “huggy bear” to do?
Notes courtesy of msnsportsnet.com and ukathletics.com.
Go Wildcats!!
Hey, does anyone see Ohio State getting beat before the semi-finals??? I don’t. And that’s not to say I think they’re gonna lose in Houston, but there are at least gonna be teams there capable of beating them.
End of first half. Kentucky is getting reemed by the officials … I cannot believe some of these calls away from the basket … they just handed WVU 5 points at end of the half. Meanwhile, Joe Mazzulla is schooling the entire UK squad.
Will Calipari continue to pull a Bobby Bowden and remain bumfuzzled or will he actually coach?????
That picture looks exactly like Miles Simon, former Arizona hero.