“In 1814 we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip.
We took a little bacon, and we took a little beans.
And we caught the bloody British in the town of new Orleans.”
Kentucky (36-2/16-0) vs. Louisville (30-9/10-8)
Kentucky owns a 29-14 record in the all-time series and has won six of the last eight against Louisville including three straight. This is the sixth post-season meeting between the teams and the first since the 1984 NCAA Tournament.
The series began in 1913 with UK winning seven of the first nine contests. The teams then met three times in the NCAA Tournament between 1948-59. After a 24-year absence, the series was renewed at the 1983 NCAA Mideast Region title game in Knoxville, with Louisville winning the “Dream Game,” 80-68 in overtime to advance to the Final Four.
UK coach John Calipari is 9-5 versus Louisville. UofL head coach Rick Pitino is 4-7 against the Cats. Pitino was 6-2 against the Cards while coaching at Kentucky.
Current UK assistant coach Kenny Payne played his college ball at Louisville. A four-year letterwinner at UL from 1985-89, he helped lead the Cardinals to the 1986 national championship. He finished his career scoring 1,083 points and shooting 40 pct. from 3-point range.
UofL head coach Rick Pitino spent eight seasons (1990-97) as head coach of the Wildcats, leading UK to a 219-50 record, two SEC championships, five SEC Tournament titles, three Final Fours and the 1996 National Championship.
UofL executive assistant Vince Tatum served as a UK student manager under former UK equipment manager Bill Keightley from 1990-93.
UK is 17-7 in the Final Four and has been to two straight Final Fours, the only team in the country to achieve that feat. The Wildcats are 170-73 against the Big East overall. Since 1992, UK is 103-27 (.792) in postseason play (SEC, NIT and NCAA). UK is 35-13 all-time in the New Orleans metro area, and 5-2 in NCAA Tournament games played in New Orleans.
Louisville has advanced to its ninth NCAA Final Four and its first since 2005. Only four coaches have coached more Final Four teams than Pitino’s six, a feat matched by three others. Pitino is the first coach to lead three different teams to the Final Four. Louisville’s NCAA Final Four teams: 1959, 1972, 1975, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1986, 2005, 2012. UofL advanced to its 1986 NCAA Championship by way of the West Region, reached its 2005 Final Four through the West, and have a collective 14-5 record in that region. The Cards have reached the Sweet 16 on 18 occasions and have advanced to the Elite Eight three of the last five seasons.
Louisville is making its 38th NCAA Tournament appearance. The Cardinals have reached the NCAA Tournament 29 of the last 36 years (six straight, nine of the last 11, 11 of the last 14 years, 17 of last 21). The Cards have reached the Sweet 16 on 18 occasions, including advancing to the Elite Eight three of the last five seasons. Louisville is sixth in tournament victories (64) and is fifth in NCAA Tournament appearances (38). U of L has a 64-39 overall
NCAA Tournament record, reaching the Final Four nine times. Only four teams — Kentucky (52), North Carolina (43),
UCLA (42), and Kansas (41) — have more NCAA Tournament appearances than Louisville’s 38.
TEAM STATISTICS UK OPP
SCORING 2959…. 2303
Points per game 77.9….. 60.6
Scoring margin +17.3 –
FIELD GOALS-ATT 1045-2143 ……….843-2248
Field goal pct . 4 8 8……. . 3 7 5
3 POINT FG-ATT 217-574……. 210-667
3-point FG pct . 3 7 8……. . 3 1 5
3-pt FG made per game 5.7…… 5.5
FREE THROWS-ATT 652-897……. 407-586
Free throw pct . 7 2 7………. . 6 9 5
F-Throws made per game 17.2…… 10.7
REBOUNDS 1480………… 1211
Rebounds per game 38.9………. 31.9
Rebounding margin +7.1 –
ASSISTS 510……… 404
Assists per game 13.4…….. 10.6
TURNOVERS 428…….. 445
Turnovers per game 11.3……… 11.7
Turnover margin +0.4 –
Assist/turnover ratio 1.2…….. 0.9
STEALS 231……….. 207
Steals per game 6.1……. 5.4
BLOCKS 326………. 124
Blocks per game 8.6…. 3.3
TEAM STATISTICS LOU OPP
SCORING 2666 ..2371
Points per game 68.4 ..60.8
Scoring margin +7.6 –
FIELD GOALS-ATT 939-2212.. 829-2184
Field goal pct . 4 2 5.. . 3 8 0
3 POINT FG-ATT 229-722… 216-713
3-point FG pct . 3 1 7… . 3 0 3
3-pt FG made per game 5.9… 5.5
FREE THROWS-ATT 559-813…. 497-746
Free throw pct . 6 8 8…. . 6 6 6
F-Throws made per game 14.3…. 12.7
REBOUNDS 1472…. 1411
Rebounds per game 37.7…. 36.2
Rebounding margin +1.6 –
ASSISTS 525 ……444
Assists per game 13.5….. 11.4
TURNOVERS 550…… 607
Turnovers per game 14.1 ……15.6
Turnover margin +1.5 –
Assist/turnover ratio 1.0……. 0.7
STEALS 348 ……….277
Steals per game 8.9……. 7.1
BLOCKS 189…… 137
Blocks per game 4.8…….. 3.5
Ohio State Buckeyes (31-7, 13-5 Big 10) vs. Kansas Jayhawks (31-6, 16-2 Big 12)
Kansas leads the all-time series with Ohio State 6-3, including a Kansas 78-67 win on Dec. 10, 2011, in Allen Fieldhouse. The previous meeting was during the 2000-01 season, a Kansas 69-68 win in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 23, 2000. The Jayhawks have won four straight in the series which dates back to 1965 when the Jayhawks won the first two meetings – 81-68 on Dec. 23, 1965, in Columbus and 94-70 on Dec. 5, 1966, in Lawrence. The two teams played twice in 1983, to start a three-game OSU victory run against Kansas. The Buckeyes won 64-61 on Jan. 2, 1983, in Kansas City, Mo., and 79-74 on Dec. 22, 1983, in Columbus. In 1986, OSU edged KU 79-78 in overtime in the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu. The two schools’ next meeting was 1997 in the Rainbow Classic, a Kansas 69-56 win. Before the Kansas win in 2000, the Jayhawks defeated the Buckeyes 80-67 on Dec. 16, 1999, in Lawrence.
Earlier this season, Kansas junior Thomas Robinson scored 21 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead Kansas to a 78-67 victory over Ohio State. Junior Kevin Young scored a season-high 14 points in the game, while Jayhawks Elijah Johnson (15 points) and Travis Releford (10 points) also reached double figures scoring. Ohio State was led by William Buford who scored 21 points, while Deshaun Thomas added 19. OSU played without All-American Jared Sullinger who was out due to an injury.
2012 marks Kansas’ 41st NCAA Tournament appearance. Kansas’ 23-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, from 1990-2012, is the nation’s longest active streak and ranks second-best all time. North Carolina had 27 straight from 1975-2001. KU is a number two seed for the fifth time since seeding began in 1979. The Jayhawks have been a two seed in 1990-93-96-2003-12.
Under head coach Bill Self, Kansas is 22-7 (75.8 percent) in the NCAA Tournament, with six Sweet 16s (2004-07-08-09-11-12), five Elite Eights (2004-07-08-11-12), two Final Fours (2008-12) and one NCAA National Championship (2008). In the last 10 NCAA Tournaments prior to 2012, Kansas has a 27-9 (75.0 percent) record with one NCAA National Championship (2008), three Final Four (2002-03-08) and six Elite Eight (2002-03-04-07-08-11) appearances. The Jayhawks’ 41 NCAA Tournament appearances are fourth nationally behind only Kentucky (51), North Carolina (42) and UCLA (42). Kansas sports an all-time NCAA Tournament record of 92-39 and the Jayhawks’ 92 wins rank fifth behind North Carolina (109), Kentucky (109), Duke (97) and UCLA (96).
This is Ohio State’s 24th appearance in the NCAA tournament. Overall, Ohio State has a 45-22 record all-time in NCAA tournament play. The Buckeyes have advanced to play in 10 Final Fours, have finished as the runner up four times (1939, 1961, 1962, 2007) and own one title (1960). Ohio State has finished third four times (1944, 1945, 1946, 1968). The Buckeyes have played in three-consecutive NCAA “Sweet 16s,” a feat last accomplished from 1960-62. Ohio State has made 14 “Sweet 16” appearances in NCAA Tournament play and has 11 “Elite Eight” appearances.
TEAM STATISTICS… OSU… KU
SCORING ………………………..2851….. 2742
Points per game …………..75.0…… 74.1
Scoring margin ……………+15.3… – 12.5
FIELD GOALS-ATT …………….1037-2160….. 976-2051
Field goal pct……………… . 4 8 0……. . 4 7 6
3 POINT FG-ATT……………….. 191-574…….. 214-621
3-point FG pct……….. . 3 3 3….. . 3 4 5
3-pt FG made per game …….5.0 …………..5.8
FREE THROWS-ATT …………586-831……. 576-834
Free throw pct………….. . 7 0 5……. . 6 9 1
F-Throws made per game……. 15.4………… 15.6
REBOUNDS……………………… 1410……… 1393
Rebounds per game……… 37.1……. 37.6
Rebounding margin……… +7.7……….. – 5.7
ASSISTS……………………. 557……. 564
Assists per game…………… 14.7…….. 15.2
TURNOVERS……………… 447……. 481
Turnovers per game……. 11.8……. 13.0
Turnover margin……. +3.0…….. – +0.8
Assist/turnover ratio…. 1.2…………….. 0.8
STEALS……………… 274… 274
Steals per game………. 7.2……….. 7.4
BLOCKS……….. 118 ………..209
Blocks per game……… 3.1…………….. 5.6
All the great defensive plays Craft makes, and he doesn’t see the ball on that play that should have been a steal.
Love Ohio State’s defensive gameplan. Sullinger is fully fronting Withey and they are rotating well. This will keep Sullinger out of foul trouble.
Kansas shooting 30% and down just 3.
Kansas countered OSU’s post defense when Releford drove baseline, and Withey already had Sullinger screened. They need to go back to that.
Buford looks like the guy who lit up Michigan State earlier this season.
Did anybody else laugh about that graphic showing KU’s 1st half shooting percentages? 36% or lower against everyone EXCEPT Carolina. Somehow they shoot over 50% vs. UNC. Maybe if the Heels tried to defend someone, anyone.
Haha. That was funny. By the way, speaking of the Heels, their assistant Jared Haase is the new coach at UAB. He’s been with Roy Williams since Kansas days. He runs all the offense. Watch UNC struggle the next several years.
Yeah, I love how everyone called the first half of the UNC-KU so great because of their offensive numbers. Kansas probably wishes OSU would imitate the matador defense of the Heels.
No Haas? Roy is going to have to earn his money.
You’ll love the lead to this: https://www.daytondailynews.com/dayton-sports/kentuckys-defense-comes-up-big-against-louisville-1353232.html?cxtype=rss_sports&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Can Sullinger shoot over anyone without shooting a fade away jumper?
Wife asked the same thing. I like the 17 foot fade away over a 7-footer. Is there a shot chart for that? Would love to see his percentage.
Is Nantz and Kellogg insinuating that Kansas was flat for the first half? How are you flat for a Final Four game?
It is as if OSU got bored with denying in the post. Suddenly, Kansas is getting a lot mileage on passes that the Buckeyes tied up early in the game.
At the same time, the Kansas defense is pushing Sullinger away from the basket.
Sullinger looks lost right now. That shot from the wing was awful.
Smitty – the one where he thought he was fouled? That was a horrible shot. It was the first 21-foot 2-point attempt I’ve ever seen.
Casey , you are right. The post defense by OSU as this point is token at best. That catch and finish by Withey was way too easy. Sullinger didn’t seem too interested in guarding him.
Rey -exactly. He was fouled my left foot. There was no one around him. I was always told that the worst shot in basketball is just inside the three point line… or shooting a 3 when you are down 1 point with 10 seconds to go.
Wow.. It took 32 minutes before the first bench points in this game???
Now that I look at it, OSU’s pressure on the ball is soft. Those lob passes are getting in way too easy.
Remember how Sullinger tired out last week? He’s looking the same right now.
Rey – you mentioned above that UK’s Jones is a man despite his age. Ravenel might be 40.
Sullinger is 4 for 16 in this game.
Rey, I think those 17 foot fade away jumpers aren’t falling.
Ohio State is shooting 4-20 this half (20%). Kansas is 10-17 (58.8%)
A Buford jumper might be OSU’s best post-entry option right now. That way Sullinger can get position for the rebound.
Sullinger does. He is so polarizing for me. I love what he does down low, but then he starts wandering and becomes a jump shooter.
Kansas has taken just 6 free throws so far?
I see 9, but still.
Ohio State isn’t in the bonus yet in the second half. But I guess that is what happens when you settle for jump shots.
Wait.. now they are in the bonus.
Sullinger is having such a problem scoring over Withey , how the heck is he going to score over a more athletic Anthony Davis??
How does the baseline referee call that travel on Withey?? Was he really in a position to call that?
Whoa – horrible traveling call!
Taylor makes a great steal and then throws the ball away?Just dribble the clock out!!
Give Kansas a lot of credit for that comeback.