It's That Time Again (Finally)

Well, the pundits and prognosticators have had a full week to dissect all of the matchups, hype all of the rivalries and make their picks, but at nine o'clock tonight, the UK/UConn game will be decided by a small number of young men playing in the biggest basketball game of their lives.

I don't think I ever really expected to be here. Not this year. Not with this team. Mid-way through the season, even a sweet sixteen berth appeared nearly unattainable, and once the brackets were out, the collective groan from BBN was heard across the country.

But hand it to the players. Hand it to John Calipari. Traveling the undeniably toughest road to the Final Four, the Cats stuck together, executed their gameplans to perfection and proved a whole lot of people wrong.

Now, onto the matchup with the Huskies of Connecticut:

• For once in this tournament, the Cats actually have an experience edge on their opponents. UConn will start 3 freshmen, whereas UK will most likely go with Knight, Miller, Liggins, Jones and Harrellson, a great mix of young talent and gutsy veterans. Certainly there will be jitters on both sides at the beginning of the game, but I think whoever settles down earliest will have a huge advantage.
• The officiating in the tournament has been perplexing at its best and downright awful at its worst, and in order for the Cats to pull out a victory, a lot is going to depend on the men in stripes. If Harrellson and Jones can stay out of foul trouble early, I wouldn't be surprised to see UK win by double digits.
• Lamb, Liggins, Knight and Miller have all shot the 3 well in the tournament, and that will have to continue if they want to compete for the national title on Monday. Hopefully their shootarounds and practices have gotten them acclimated to the dome in Houston, and I think it will be obvious early on if they have adjusted well.

I think a lot of this game will come down to who wants it more, and based on the way Kentucky has played thus far, it should be a win for the Cats. Never discount Kemba Walker, however, who has, at times this season, put the Huskies on his back and carried them across the finish line. In the end, though, I think the Cats grind out another ugly win and head to the NCAA Championship Game with a 68-62 victory.