Then There Were Two

The Final 4 was cut in half on Saturday night, and I'll be the first to admit, I could not have been more wrong about Kansas. I gave the Jayhawks very little respect heading into the tournament, and gave them even less going into Saturday's game against the Tar Heels. Much to my surprise, Kansas proved to be quicker, bigger, stronger, and much better defensively.

With approximately 7 minutes left in the first half, Billy Packer declared the game "over". This rubbed me the wrong way, much like a lot of what comes out of Packer's mouth. However, his assessment held true, even with a Carolina rally narrowing the lead down to 4 midway through the 2nd half.

Hansbrough was held in check, Ty Lawson didn't show up, and UNC shot only 36% from the field.

In the early game, Memphis' guards (Rose and CDR combined for 53 points) outplayed UCLA's duo of Collison and Westbrook. Darren Collison was especially shaky, fouling out with only 2 points, and 5 turnovers (compared to only 4 assists).

What can be taken away from Saturday night's showdowns?

• Memphis is even more athletic than I previously thought. This was evident in the way they blew by the defensive minded Bruins for a number of easy layups.
• Memphis looked sharp at the foul line, hitting 20 for 23 against UCLA.
• Kansas' mauling of the Heels makes Davidson's performance even more impressive.
• While I'm not a huge fan of either Memphis or Kansas, Monday's championship should be fast paced and intense.
• Note to North Carolina: When you reach the Final 4, you need to come ready to play from the opening tip. It's a shame that they wasted this opportunity by coming out so lethargic.