The 2011 NCAA Tournament will wrap up this weekend as the Final Four begins in Houston on Saturday with Virginia Commonwealth and Butler playing in the first game and with Kentucky and Connecticut following.
The Kentucky Wildcats made it to the Final Four after a 76-69 win over North Carolina in the Elite Eight. Also in the national quarterfinals, the Connecticut Huskies beat Arizona 65-63.
Connecticut’s offense, ranked No. 59, will match up against Kentucky’s No. 58 defense. However, the Huskies’ 43.5 percent average field goal percentage is less than the Wildcats’ 46.3 percent. It is Kentucky’s first Final Four appearance since 1998, while UConn has been to the Final Four three times in that span (1999, 2004 and 2009).
The VCU Rams gained a spot in the finals for the first time in program history after their 71-61 upset in the Elite Eight against Kansas. VCU won an unprecedented five games to get to the Final Four. The Butler Bulldogs claimed a 74-71 win against Florida and made it to the Final Four for the second year in a row. VCU — Butler is the highest combined seeding number ever to play in a Final Four game, with VCU a No. 11 seed and Butler a No. 8 seed.
VCU is heading in with the No. 134 ranked defense, but Butler has an advantage of a 44.3 percent field goal percentage, whereas the Rams have a 43.5 percent average.
Editors’ Final Four Picks:
Mary Sue Greenleaf — Butler and UConn
Patrick Burns — Butler and Kentucky
Madison Pelletier — Butler and Kentucky
Mark Bell — Butler and Kentucky
Ryne Sulier — VCU and Kentucky
Marshall Doig — VCU and UConn
Editors’ Final Four Picks:
Mary Sue Greenleaf — Butler and UConn
Patrick Burns — Butler and Kentucky
Madison Pelletier — Butler and Kentucky
Mark Bell — Butler and Kentucky
Ryne Sulier — VCU and Kentucky
Marshall Doig — VCU and UConn
Final Four Schedule
Saturday
No. 11 VCU vs. No. 8 Butler
When: 6:09 p.m.
TV: CBS
No. 4 Kentucky vs. No. 3 UConn
When: 8:49 p.m.
TV: CBS
