NCAA Tournament Insider: Kentucky, Wisconsin, Michigan State & Duke
“40-0.”
Everyone is talking about it. But the Wildcats say that belongs only to them, 38 games into the season.
Check out the legal battle that’s brewing over “40-0”: last week, the University of Kentucky “sent a cease-and-desist letter to Louisville lawyer David Son, whose company is selling blue-and-white ‘40-0’ T-shirts on his website, 40and0.com.”
None of that will matter if Wildcats don’t win two more games. But how could they possibly lose? Here’s one answer.
It’s a good question, indeed, but maybe people should be a little more concerned about Duke, which faces a 7 seed in its game. (No disrespect, Michigan State.) Duke seems to be peaking and that peak extends all the way to the NIT. Stanford beat Miami in OT, 66-64, to win the tournament that everyone forgets about. Stanford Coach Johnny Dawkins was an All-American point guard under Coach K way back when.
And if that extremely thin connection isn’t enough for to persuade, how’s this: to beat Duke, Michigan State will have to do something only one other team has ever done in the tournament. Should the Spartans topple the Blue Devils, they will will have beaten a 1 seed, 2 seed, 3 seed and 4 seed. That had never happened even once until UConn did it … last year.
Here are a few more headlines to get you psyched about Saturday’s games.
• Wisconsin doesn’t hide from ‘white guys’ reputation
• Five bold predictions for the Final Four
• With 50-1 Bet, Casino Owner Sits Two Michigan State Wins From $1 Million
• A look at the 20 greatest Final Four Saturday games since 1970
• Final Four could build lasting legacies for one-and-dones
• Tale of the Tape: How do Final Four superfans Rodgers, Romo, Judd and Magic stack up?
And, finally, here’s the TV schedule:
Saturday, April 4
All times Eastern
Semifinals
6:09 p.m.: No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 1 Duke, TBS
8:49 p.m.: No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 1 Wisconsin, TBS
Monday, April 6
Championship
9:18 p.m. on CBS