2011 Final Four Bracket


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It has been one of the most improbable NCAA Tournament brackets in history, but the field is set and ready to go for this weekend.  If you are looking to follow the action and need a fresh bracket, view/download our Final Four bracket.  Now let’s take a quick look at how each team in the Final Four got there.

East Region – (4) Kentucky Wildcats

All five of Kentucky’s starters from last year’s Elite Eight team are gone to the NBA, but that didn’t stop the Wildcats from reloading and putting together another impressive run in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

Kentucky never really looked like a dominant team leading up to this point in the tournament.  They opened up against No. 13 seed Princeton and escaped with a 59-57 victory.

In round three they faced the West Virginia Mountaineers, the very team that ousted them from the Elite Eight last season.  The Wildcats responded with a 71-63 win and advanced to face the overall No. 1 seed in the tournament, Ohio State.

Led by senior Josh Harrellson (17 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks) and junior DeAndre Liggins (15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 assists), the Wildcats outlasted the Buckeyes by playing fundamental basketball.  Kentucky played extremely well defensively, particularly on the perimeter, where Ohio State had been scorching their previous opponents.  Final Score: Kentucky 62, Ohio State 60

The Wildcats showed the confidence they had gained with the Ohio State win in their Elite Eight round game against the North Carolina Tar Heels.  Kentucky jumped out to an early lead, and while UNC fought every step of the way the Wildcats always seemed to keep the Heels at arms-length.  Superstar freshman guard Brandon Knight broke out with 22 points, but five players on Kentucky scored in double digits and with Wildcats walked away winners 76-69.

Kentucky plays Connecticut on Saturday, April 2nd at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas at 8:49 pm ET.

West Region – (3) Connecticut Huskies

After winning five games over five days to win the Big East Conference Tournament, most experts left UConn for dead.  They would have to be gassed after exerting themselves against some of the best teams in the nation, right?  If anything, the incredible run seems to have energized the Huskies for the Big Dance, leading them into the Final Four.

UConn matched up with No. 14 seed Bucknell in the second round (formerly the first round), a team that many prognosticators listed as primed to upset the Huskies after their emotionally and physically exhausting performance in the Big East Tournament.  Connecticut certainly didn’t look exhausted in any sense of the word, destroying the Bison by nearly 30 points (81-52).

Their third round opponent, Cincinnati, turned out to be a bit more difficult, but the Huskies continued their winning ways.  Kemba Walker turned in a 33 point, 6 rebound, 5 assist night, leading UConn to the 69-58 victory.

Next in the Huskies’ bracket came No. 2 seed San Diego State, who had lost just twice during the regular season and who many experts thought had a legitimate shot at making the Final Four.  Unfortunately for the Aztecs, Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb combined for 60 points on route to a 74-67 Huskies’ win.

The Elite Eight paired UConn with No. 5 seed Arizona.  The Huskies kept Arizona star, Derrick Williams in check, played great defensively, and provided a more balanced offensive attack to earn a hard-fought contest 65-63.

Connecticut plays Kentucky on Saturday, April 2nd at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas at 8:49 pm ET.

Southwest Region – (11) Virginia Commonwealth Rams

VCU’s Cinderella run to the Final Four started in the first round (I still call it a play in game, but whatever) against USC.  The Rams held the Trojans to just 1-9 from three point range, while shooting 9-24 themselves beyond the arc, trends that would follow VCU throughout their run.

That victory earned the Rams a matchup with No. 6 seed Georgetown, where again VCU was an underdog.  Georgetown managed to shoot just 19% from three-point range (5-26) while the Rams hit 12 of their 25 three-point attempts (48%) making for an easy 74-56 VCU victory.

Most experts thought VCU’s run would come to an end against Purdue.  The Boilermakers were the first team to nearly match VCU in three-point shooting, hitting 8 of 25 shots to the Rams’ 8 of 21.  What won the game for VCU was simply making open shots.  The Rams shot 57% from the floor, while Purdue shot 45%, leading to a 94-76 shocker in favor of VCU.

VCU’s toughest test came in their Sweet 16 game versus Florida State, arguably the team most like VCU in their region.  The Rams fought for an early lead, but squandered it in the second half, needing overtime to edge past the Seminoles 72-71.

If USC, Georgetown, Purdue, and Florida State couldn’t get the job done, surely the No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks would be the team to end VCU’s tournament.  The Rams shot well from three-point range (12-25) forcing Kansas to shoot more from the perimeter than they were comfortable with and a combination of VCU’s defense and Kansas simply not shooting well resulted in KU hitting less than 10% of their three-point attempts (2-21) and VCU advancing to the Final Four 71-61.

VCU plays Butler on Saturday, April 2nd at 6:09 pm ET at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Southeast Region – (8) Butler Bulldogs

As a No. 5 seed in last year’s tournament Butler made their mark by advancing all the way to championship round, narrowly missing a title their game against the Duke Blue Devils.  As a No. 8 seed in this year’s tournament there were very few who believed Butler would be a factor, but here they are again in the Final Four, just one win away from making the championship in two straight seasons.

In their second round game against Old Dominion, Butler didn’t exactly remind fans of the team that advanced to the title game in 2010.  They shot poorly from three-point range, but hit free throws when it counted and held Old Dominion to just 36% from the floor, edging the Monarchs 60-58.

Things didn’t get much easier for the Bulldogs in the third round as they squared up against No. 1 seed Pittsburgh.  Pitt was thought to have one of the easier routes to the Final Four based on the competition in the region, but Butler came out firing, knocking in 12 of 27 from three-point range and pulling off the 71-70 upset.

Butler would need their defense in the Sweet 16 round against Wisconsin and it came through with flying colors.  The Bulldogs shot 42% from the floor and just 5-18 on three-pointers, but they held the Badgers to just 30% shooting from the floor and 7 of 29 from three-point range on their way to a 61-54 victory.

The Elite Eight saw Butler paired with No. 2 seed Florida, who looked to be on a roll.  Butler’s perimeter defense proved the deciding factor once again, holding the Gators to just 21% from beyond the arc.  The Bulldogs knew they didn’t have the size to compete with Florida in the paint, so they relied again on timely shots from beyond the three-point line.  In the end it took overtime and 33 three-point attempts (they made 9) and Butler was on their way to Final Four yet again, winning 74-71.

Butler plays VCU on Saturday, April 2nd at 6:09 pm ET at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.

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