At various points in the regular season, three of the teams appeared unlikely to make the field while the other, Kentucky, was considered an underachiever until a late season surge. Winning their respective conference tournaments saved Butler and Connecticut, while VCU was a controversial at-large selection, one of the last teams in the field, and sent to the First Four in Dayton to earn a line in the bracket of To further put its randomness in perspective, , people entered the NCAA.
On average, only 0. Butler - No. Hayward departed for the NBA after the season, and when Butler lost three in a row in early January, it appeared destined to be remembered as a one-hit wonder.
But the Bulldogs rebounded late to earn a share of the Horizon League regular season title and claimed the conference tournament to earn the automatic bid. It was the first of several close calls. The road: def. Connecticut - No. After a start, the Huskies sputtered to a mark in the next 20 games, finished ninth in the Big East and entered the conference tournament having lost four of five.
The flashy, fearless point guard erupted, electrifying the Madison Square Garden crowd by scoring points in leading the Huskies to five wins in five days. The Huskies became the first team to accomplish that feat, although breaking new ground was familiar for a unit picked 10th in the Big East preseason poll.
A path to Houston opened wide when Arizona stomped defending champion and No. Kentucky - No. Their replacements struggled early to find footing and despite closing the regular season with three consecutive wins, managed just a record and second place SEC finish.
Still, the Wildcats had flashed their potential in defeating regular season champ Florida. They hammered the Gators again in the SEC final to enter the tournament riding a wave of momentum. Facing a demanding draw, the Wildcats relied on stifling defense and timely shooting to advance to the Final Four for the 14th time in school history - but first since VCU - No.
Certain TV talking heads were irate when VCU, the fourth place team from the Colonial Athletic Association, received what was for all intents and purposes the final at-large entry to the team field. While the CAA was a three-bid league for the first time in history, the Rams finished the season on a sour note, dropping four of five to close the regular season. Not only did the Rams prove they belonged, they made history. They shored up a shaky defense and turned white-hot beyond the arc to become the only team to ever advance from the First Four to the Final Four.
It was a magical run during which their coach became a national treasure known simply by his first name: Shaka. The road : def. MORE: College basketball's 7 most burning questions right now. The mid-majors, Butler and VCU met in the first national semifinal. The perennial powerhouses, Kentucky and UConn met in the nightcap. It was a spotlight unfamiliar to the players, from the size of the stadium and the crowd to the police escorts, interviews and fanfare that came with that big stage.
VCU apparel was available in stores nationwide and security guarded the Rams when they traveled. Wherever the Rams went, the excitement was felt back in the River City. From the streets to the Siegel Center, a sea of black and gold was present.
Crowds gathered to see the team off and welcome them back from each round, while bars and restaurants were packed with fans eager to see the games and celebrate.
Burgess played his high school basketball at Benedictine, while Rozzell is a Highland Springs product. Butler topped the Rams, , bringing the incredible run to a close. The loss brought mixed emotions from the guys in the locker room. Connecticut would top Butler the following Monday, , to claim the national championship. Submit a news tip. Skip to content. Get News In Your Inbox. Podcast: How We Got Here.
Vaccine in Virginia. Your Money with Carlson Financial. Election Results. Jamie Skeen led all scorers with 27 points for VCU. The final game of the night featured a match-up of two traditional college basketball powers: Kentucky and UConn. While the game went down to the wire, it was clear that the Huskies wanted it more than the Wildcats. Kemba Walker led all scorers with 18 points and Jeremy Lamb had 12 points and eight rebounds for UConn.
The Wildcats were led by Brandon Knight's point, eight rebound performance.
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