Unless you're one of the two of 5.9 million that picked the correct Final Four on ESPN.com, they're not the teams you thought would make it this far. Even so, the matchups are still intriguing.
On one side of the bracket, two renowned coaches face off. Jim Calhoun coached Connecticut to the Final Four just two years ago, backed by Hasheem Thabeet, but he has not won a title since 2004. For Kentucky, John Calipari has coached three different teams to the Final Four, but he has never been able to cut down the nets.
On the more surprising side of the bracket, two Cinderella teams look to continue their magic and make it to the final dance. Coached by Brad Stevens, No. 8-seeded Butler looks play for the title for the second straight year. Their opponents will be Shaka Smart's VCU team, which will be facing a mid-major for the first time this entire tournament. Big conference or not, both teams now find themselves just a game away from a title shot. If VCU makes it to the championship, and wins, can we call this the "Miracle on Hardwood?"
No. 8 Butler (-3) vs. No. 11 VCU
Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX, 6:09 p.m.
One thing to watch: The matchup between power forwards — Butler's Matt Howard and VCU's Jamie Skeen. Both seniors averaged at least 15 points and seven rebounds per game this season.
No. 3 Connecticut (+2) vs. No. 4 Kentucky
Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX, 8:49 p.m.
One thing to watch: The silent stars not named Kemba Walker and Brandon Knight. Freshmen Jeremy Lamb and Terrence Jones certainly have made names for themselves this year, but can the youngsters keep up their productivity in the final weekend? Lamb has stepped it up this tournament, averaging more than 18 points per game and making 11-of-15 three point attempts. On the other hand, although Jones isn't the scorer he was in the regular season, he's still a presence on the boards, who could cause problems for UConn's Alex Oriakhi.
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