Last year’s draft was all about a shallow pool of players, international picks and Kentucky. This year, Kentucky was still a factor, but that was the only similarity. The draft is always fun to watch, but this year seemed a little uneventful.

The themes of the first round last night were North Carolina, Kentucky and gingham. That’s right, gingham. Overall, the suits were disappointingly muted, with the only semi-oddball being Terrence Ross from Washington in his green bow tie (see below). But a huge number of next year’s NBA rookies were wearing some form of gingham.

The night began with a video of the top picks climbing up a ladder in their suits, I guess that’s supposed to be inspiring? David Stern then emerged from backstage (what’s back there anyway?), and was promptly booed, as per usual.

No surprise to anyone: Anthony Davis and his now trademarked unibrow were picked first by the New Orleans Hornets. As Davis headed to the stage, our commentators Jay Bilas, Jeff Van Gundy, Chris Broussard and Rece Davis spent a moment to discuss how big men No. 1 picks have had trouble in the league due to injuries, citing Yao Ming and Greg Oden.

Davis is the first No. 1 pick since Kareem Abdul Jabbar to also be the AP National Player of the Year and play for the National Championship team. Along with his eyebrow, Davis sported a striped shirt and – you guessed it – a gingham tie.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrest from Kentucky goes No. 2 to the Charlotte Bobcats. This is the first time any school has gone one and two in the draft, and the first time the first two players sported a form of gingham.

» Continue reading “The Unibrow™ Picked First – And Other 2012 NBA Draft Shockers”

Big Blue Nation is rejoicing tonight. They’re also wreaking havoc, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

Despite a late comeback from the Jayhawks (32-7) , the Wildcats (38-2) hung on for a 67-59 victory, bringing coach John Calipari his first championship.

UK, who boasts a boatload of players that are likely leaving the Bluegrass State for the NBA sooner rather than later, dominated Kansas early on and led 41-27 at the half, but KU wasn’t willing to go down without a fight. Rock Chalk gave Big Blue a scare late in the game, but it was simply too little, too late. Kentucky lead by as many as 18 points, while the Jayhawks’ biggest lead was two.

Both teams are full of quality players, but UK was just a little bit better overall. Anthony Davis, who has lead the Cats all year, had an off night offensively, but was solid on the defensive side of the ball, contributing 16 rebounds. Doron Lamb lead the Wildcats with 22 points, two rebounds, and three assists. Thomas Robinson was the Jayhawks’ top player, with 18 points, 17 rebounds, and one assist. Each team had three players score in double digits. Davis and Kansas’ Jeff Withey set a tournament record with 31 blocked shots each in the entire postseason.

Kentucky fans took to the streets of Lexington following the win and proceeded to pretty much go insane. The feed from the city’s police scanner is available online and…just, wow. Putting the madness in March Madness, fires, nudity, gun shots, and other tomfoolery and shenanigans have been occurring since the Cats won, and the fans (or crazy people in Lexington) are still going strong. Stay classy, I guess. And perhaps act like you’ve been there before – this isn’t your first national title ever, after all.

This is it, kids. The game for all the marbles. UK vs. KU. One blue team against another.

Almost no one is surprised that the Wildcats made it this far. The No. 2-seeded Jayhawks are a bit more surprising, but they’ve come a long way since the beginning of the season.

As the No. 1 overall seed, Kentucky (32-2) is favored to win this match up, but Kansas (27-6) is likely to keep it close.

Both teams are solid on both sides of the ball, though UK does have a bit of an edge. How these squads perform inside the paint will play a key role in who comes out on top.

The Wildcats average 75 points a game and give up just under 62. The Jayhawks score almost 77 points each game and allow 59.

Both teams are going to have to be careful about ending up in foul trouble, too. If the Jayhawks can get either Anthony Davis or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to commit a lot of fouls, they’ll definitely have an advantage.

The Wildcats were picked by a lot of people a long time ago to go all the way, and anything less than a national title will be a disappointment. KU obviously wants to win, too, and there’s no reason to believe that this won’t be a hard-fought game on both sides.

Who to watch for: Kentucky – Davis (14.4 ppg, 10.2 rpg, .639 FG%), Kidd-Gilchrist (11.9 ppg, 7.5 rpg, .489 FG%); Kansas – Thomas Robinson (17.7 ppg, 11.7 rpg, .510 FG%), Jeff Withey (9.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, .547 FG%)

The game tips off at 9:23 ET on CBS. We’ll have live coverage on our @Aerys_NCAA twitter account, too!

A Kansas team that has barely been getting by the entire tournament, did what many thought couldn’t be done Saturday night, and that was advance to the Final game of the NCAA tournament.

Ohio State was on top the entire game and during the first half, completely dominated Kansas. The Buckeyes were ahead by 13 points at one point in the game, but the Jayhawks just wouldn’t buzz off. It didn’t help that in the last 5 minutes of the game, Ohio State was shooting under 30 percent. Oddly enough, that’s what has saved the Jayhawks in the last 5 games. The Jayhawks seem to be waiting for other teams to have meltdowns and take advantage. The same thing happened when they played Purdue and NC State. I would hope head coach, Bill Self has an alternate plan because waiting for teams to breakdown is not going to work against Kentucky on Monday.

Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger didn’t have the game that was expected, but in case you missed it, Aaron Craft is good; really good. One of the key components of the game for Kansas was that they outscored Ohio State 19-8 in transition Saturday with 10 of the 19 points coming off blocks, 8 of the points just off Jeff Withey blocks. Kansas also outscored the Buckeyes in the paint, 32-16. Foul trouble for Buckeye Deshaun Thomas, who was guarding Thomas Robinson, was also an issue when he headed to the bench.

The game leaders were pretty even across the board for both teams, Buckeye William Buford and Jayhawk Thomas Robinson both had 19 points.

At the end of the day, Kansas has been extremely lucky throughout the tournament and honestly, I think that luck will run out Monday night in New Orleans. It will be a coaching rematch for Kentucky’s John Calipari and Kansas’ Bill Self. Calipari was the Memphis head coach in 2008, when Memphis lost to Kansas in overtime.

The 2012 Final features two of the most hated teams in college basketball, with a 8:23 PM CST scheduled tip-off on CBS.

It’s Final Four time! Louisville and Kentucky face off in an interstate rivalry today. Kentucky beat Louisville in their regular season game but who will be the victor today?

Kentucky is an excellent all around team. They have a very good all around defense. The Wildcats average 8.6 blocks per game and out-rebound opponents by 7.1 per game while allowing opponents to shoot just 37.5 percent from the floor and 31.5 percent from the 3-point line. UK is also very good in transition and their half court offense.

Kentucky is prone to turnovers. Louisville forces a lot of turnovers and this could become a problem for Kentucky. During the regular season, UK’s opponents shot more free throws than they did. Foul trouble could be a problem for their bench depth.

Kentucky players to watch: Anthony Davis- 14.3 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 4.6 bpg; Michael Kidd-Gilchrist- 12 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 48.6% FG; Terrence Jones- 12.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.8 bpg.

Louisville is a great defensive team. The Cardinals hold opponents to 37.4 percent overall and 26.5 percent from 3-point range. They have a balanced offense with six players averaging at least 9.1 points.

Louisville does struggle to score and rebound. Kentucky can take advantage of both of those weaknesses to blow the Cardinals away.

Louisville players to watch: Peyton Siva- 9.1 ppg, 5.6 apg, 1.7 apg; Gorgui Dieng- 9.2 ppg, 9 rpg, 3.2 bpg; Chane Behanan- 9.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 51.3% FG.

Tip-off is at 5:09 pm CST on CBS. Who do you have picked to win this interstate rivalry?

In what was no surprise, the Kentucky Wildcats ran all-over the Baylor Bears on Sunday in Day 2 of the Elite 8. Kentucky is bigger, stronger and the talent level was way beyond what Baylor could handle. Watching the Wildcats play is like watching a young NBA team on the court.

Baylor fell flat after the first 5 minutes of the game and from then on it was all Blue. For as lop-sided as the game was, Baylor’s Quincy Acy had a pretty good game. He led the Bears in points (22) and rebounds (8). Baylor had 16 offensive 16 rebounds but only scored 14 second-chance points.

They were also shooting around 30 %, which was a major set-back considering they started out the tournament shooting around 53%. When you are shooting 30 % during an Elite 8 game, you are not going to beat a team like Kentucky. The Wildcats had built a 20 point lead by half-time.

In case you were wondering, Baylor went with the camo highlighter look, which Katie, our resident SEC guru has dubbed, “The Fighting Highlighters.”

Kentucky will take on in-state rival, Louisville in the Final Four. Hopefully the state of Kentucky will not burn down over the week.

The other Big XII team in, Kansas, kept the game a little more in check then there conference mate, Baylor. Perennial basketball powerhouses, North Carolina and Kansas are playing for the last Final Four spot to take on Ohio State in New Orleans.

Before the game, word on the street was that North Carolina was going to roll all over Kansas, who hasn’t been playing very well the entire tournament. They seemed to be skating by to get to the Elite Eight. Sunday seemed to be a new and rejuvenated Jayhawk team.

It was back and forth the entire game, with the Jayhawks usually ahead by one or two at times. They would get on a hot-streak then let the Tarheels come back and be within one. Until the last 2 minutes of the game, it seemed that Kansas turned on the after-burners and took over.

North Carolina played without their All-American point guard, Kendall Marshall. Jayhawk Elijah Johsnon started Kansas on the final 12-0 run in the last minutes of the game. Kansas’ players of the game included, Tyshawn Taylor with 22 points and Thomas Robinson with 18. Taylor also had 5 assists and 5 steals. Jeff Withey also made a huge impact for the Jayhawks.

Next Saturday is the second time Kansas and Ohio State have met this season, the first ended in 78-67 Jayhawk win. But this time OSU star Jared Sullinger will be on the court, and if you have watched any Ohio State basketball in this tournament, he is a game changer.
 

No. 1 Kentucky – 82, No. 3 Baylor – 70

Here’s a tip for Louisville, who plays Kentucky next weekend in the Final Four: the Cats are really, really good at making free throws.

Baylor (30-8) found that out the hard way this afternoon as the Wildcats dominated on both sides of the ball , plus at the line, en route to an 82-70 victory. To their credit, the Bears hung with UK (36-2) for most of the game. Little went right for them, though, and they were never able to match-up well with the crazy-talented Cats.

There was a scary moment when stars from both teams, Anthony Davis of Kentucky and Perry Jones III of Baylor, collided as Davis went to the hoop. Davis injured his knee and Perry hurt his hip, but they both returned to the game. They also both had to leave and returned again. Many people, including yours truly and the commentators, questioned the decision to leave Davis in, considering the Wildcats led by as many as 23 points.

Like I said, free throws made a difference in this game. The Cats were 16 of 19, which means they made about 84% of their attempts from the line. That, combined with their high-powered offense and shut down defense, spelled bad news for the Bears.

Davis led UK with 18 points, 11 rebounds, one0 assist, two steals, and six blocks. Three other starters scored in double figures: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (19), Doron Lamb (14), and Terrence Jones (12). Baylor was led by Quincy Acy, who had 22 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two blocks in his final game for the Bears. Pierre Jackson contributed 21 points and Jones chipped in 17.

Baylor also sported uniforms that were much tamer than the ones they’d worn earlier int he tournament. As the lower seed, the NCAA required them to wear dark uniforms so there’d be better contrast with UK’s white uniforms. The Bears still had some visual excitement, though, since their shorts appeared to be Zubaz-inspired and their uniforms had some neon yellow-green highlights.

Kentucky will take on No. 4 Louisville next Saturday in the Final Four.

Reminder: follow @Aerys_NCAA on twitter for live, up-to-date coverage of all the March Madness!

Welcome to Day 2 of the Elite Eight, SEC fans! Top-seeded Kentucky is the only Southeastern Conference team remaining in the Big Dance after Florida was bounced by Louisville yesterday, and they’re looking to keep their stellar season rolling. It’s pretty much national championship or bust for the Wildcats, and there’s no doubt that the Baylor Fighting Highlighters – er, Bears - would love to pull off an upset and send Big Blue home. Here’s what (and who) to watch for in this game.

No. 1 Kentucky (35-2) vs. No. 3 Baylor (30-7)

In case you were wondering, Kentucky is still really, really, really good. Baylor’s more than decent themselves, but they’re not on the level of the Wildcats (is anyone?). UK has trounced all the teams they’ve played in the tournament so far, but with the exception of Xavier, BU has rolled past their opponents fairly easily, too. The difference here is that the Cats just have more sheer athleticism and talent on their team.

Baylor’s best strategy might be to try and blind Kentucky with their crazy neon uniforms. The Bears have been rocking some DayGlo-inspired outfits that are…unique at best. Seriously, though, UK doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. BU needs to either figure out how to trip up the Wildcats, or they need to outplay them.

There have been plenty of upsets in this tournament already, so there’s no reason to rule out a Bears win. That being said, Kentucky is just good. Winning is kind of their thing. I doubt this game will be a blowout, but I also doubt that BU can hang with the Cats for a full 40 minutes.

The game tips off at 2:20 ET and will be televised on CBS.

What to watch for: First of all, like I said, Baylor’s uniforms may require you to wear sunglasses while watching. Other than that, the Bears average just under 75 points per game and allow just under 65. UK scores almost 77 and gives up 59 on average. Both teams have powerful offenses, but the Wildcats’ D is probably going to overpower BU’s.

Who to watch for: Kentucky – Anthony Davis (14.2 ppg, 10.1 rpg, .632 FG%), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (11.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg, .479 FG%); Baylor – Perry Jones III (13.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, .503 FG%), Quincy Acy

Reminder: follow @Aerys_NCAA on twitter for live, up-to-date coverage of all the March Madness!

No. 1 Kentucky 102, No. 4 Indiana 90

Revenge is sweet. A trip to the Elite 8 is sweeter. Kentucky got both.

In what was billed as probably the biggest game of the Sweet 16, the Wildcats (35-2) showcased their pure athleticism as they dominated the Hoosiers (27-9) on both sides of the ball. IU kept the game close until about midway through the second half, when UK took a double digit lead for the first time. The Hoosiers pulled to within five points with about five minutes left, but then went cold for almost two minutes. In the end, they just couldn’t keep up with or catch the Cats.

Kentucky led by as many as 13 points, Indiana’s largest lead was four points in the first half. They trailed for the entire second half. Both teams were good from behind the free throw line, but the Wildcats were almost perfect, going 35-for-37 compared to the Hoosiers who were 13 of 17.

Though this was the first (and possibly only) Sweet 16 appearance for many of UK’s players, that didn’t stop them from controlling the game. The Wildcats were led by freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who had 24 points, 10 rebounds, and one assist. Four other Cats scored in double figures, and phenom Anthony Davis, who had only nine points, added 12 rebounds, but also spent a good deal of time on the bench in the first half, after getting called for two fouls.

The Hoosiers also had five players score in double figures, all of whom were starters. Christian Watford led the team with 27 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks. Freshman star Cody Zeller had 20 points and seven rebounds.

Kentucky will take on the No. 3-seeded Baylor Fighting Highlighters – er, Bears – Sunday at 2:20 ET. The game will be televised on CBS.

Reminder: Follow @Aerys_NCAA on twitter for live, up-to-date coverage of all the March Madness!

Welcome to Day 2 of the Sweet Sixteen, SEC fans! Last night No. 7 Florida pulled off an upset over No. 3 Marquette to punch their ticket to the next round. While Kentucky isn’t the underdog tonight, they’ll still have a hard battle against fourth-seeded Indiana, who handed the Wildcats their only regular season loss. A chance at revenge or a repeat upset plus earning a trip to the Elite 8? What more could you want out of a basketball game? Here’s what (and who) to watch for in this game.

No. 1 Kentucky (34-2) vs. No. 4 Indiana (27-8)

Both teams lost their conference championship games, but they’ve got their eyes on the national prize. Like I said, this is a rematch of a regular season tilt that saw IU down UK in Bloomington. The Hoosiers want to prove that their victory last time wasn’t just luck, while the Cats want to prove their dominance.

Kentucky has rolled through the Big Dance, while Indiana pulled off a close victory against VCU in the previous roudn. Emotions will no doubt be running high, and each team would love to send the other home.

IU is strong offensively, but they struggle a bit on defense. Despite being led by freshmen, Kentucky is just good everywhere. If they build a solid lead shut down the Hoosiers early, this could be the end for Indiana. The Hoosiers won’t go down without a fight, though, and as the underdog, almost anyone who didn’t pick UK to win it all might be an IU fan for the night.

Cats fans are expecting Kentucky to go all the way. Will that pressure, plus the rematch factor, cause them to fall apart? Unlikely, but possible. If that does happen, Indiana will need to capitalize as much as possible if they want to come away with the victory.

The game tips off at 9:45 ET with coverage on CBS.

What to watch for: UK averages just under 77 points per game while allowing 59. IU scores just over 77 per game, but gives up about 65. Both teams have four players who average in the double digits in scoring, but Kentucky’s team is just more talented. That doesn’t mean the Hoosiers don’t have a good chance at pulling the upset, though. They’re great from the free throw line, and if the Wildcats play physical and gets into foul trouble, IU can – and should – capitalize. Don’t rule out another upset.

Who to watch for: Kentucky – Anthony Davis (14.3 ppg, 10.1 rpg, .636 FG%), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (11.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg, .479 FG%); Indiana – Cody Zeller (15.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, .622 FG%), Christian Watford (12.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, .414 FG%)

Reminder: follow @Aerys_NCAA on twitter for live, up-to-date coverage of all the March Madness!