The road to New Orleans and the Final Four enters its second week of competition, already carrying a handful of memorable moments and upsets with anticipation for many more to come. From Minneapolis to Anaheim and Albany to San Antonio, this Thursday marks the beginning of a weekend of regional semifinals and finals for the remaining 16 teams vying for the 2003 crown of college basketball.
The Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. will play host to the four remaining teams from the Midwest bracket, the No. 1 seed Kentucky Wildcats, No. 2 seed Pittsburgh Panthers, No. 3 seed Marquette Golden Eagles and the surprise of the bunch, the No. 5 seed Wisconsin Badgers.
Head Coach Bo Ryan's UW Badgers are coming off a thrilling victory over the No. 13 seed Tulsa Golden Hurricanes in the second round. Junior guard Freddie Owens drilled a three-pointer with one second remaining to propel his team to a 61-60 win and a trip to their second Sweet 16 in the past four years. As tough as it was for the Badgers to overcome their 13-point deficit to Tulsa with less than three minutes remaining, their upcoming task seems even tougher as they must play the No. 1 seed and the overwhelming favorite, the Kentucky Wildcats.
\Right now, they are on a roll, playing as well, if not better, than anyone in the country as a team,"" said sophomore forward Mike Wilkinson. ""They are so dangerous because of how they play together, feed off each other and most of all don't make mistakes. They pick up all the little details, everything that is needed to win the game.""
Head Coach Tubby Smith's Wildcats come into this game riding a 25-game winning streak and with two impressive wins over IUPUI and Utah, returning to the Sweet 16 for the eighth time in the last nine years. Stacked with depth, the physical and defensively sound Wildcats are led by senior guard Keith Bogans and his 16 points per game average.
However, thus far during the tournament, the two players who have really made an impact have been junior guard Gerald Fitch and junior forward Marquis Estill. Estill has averaged a double-double in Kentucky's two victories and will be a force to reckon with in the paint for the Badgers.
""It is hard to say that Kentucky resembles any team we have played this year,"" said junior guard Freddie Owens. ""They are so talented from top to bottom and defensively they are just so strong. With their coach and all their players, we are just looking forward to playing these guys.""
This upcoming game marks the third No. 1 seed the UW program will have faced in the tournament in the past four years. As underdogs in both previous contests, the Badgers defeated the Arizona Wildcats in 2000 en route to the Final Four and got trampled by the Maryland Terrapins on their way to their 2002 National Championship.
Although the Badgers will not be looking at the past, they will use their experience from last year and the 2000 season as learning tools in preparing mentally for their game with the Wildcats.
""Being an underdog will get us pumped up,"" Wilkinson said. ""With a team like Kentucky, you have to have the adrenaline and be ready to go head-to-head. You always want to play the best and here is our chance. Last season, we hung in there with Maryland but let it slip from us at the end. We'll use that loss to better prepare ourselves for this game.""
The second contest in Minneapolis pits two other physically and defensively strong teams. The Conference USA champion No. 3 Marquette Golden Eagles and the Big East champion No. 2 Pittsburgh Panthers will tip-off at approximately 8:40 p.m.
Led by senior guard Brandin Knight and junior guard Julius Page, Head Coach Ben Howland's Panthers have forced 35 turnovers in their first two NCAA games as they look to advance to the Regional final for the first time in school history.
Page will have the toughest task for the Pitt as he looks to slow down Conference USA Player of the Year, Marquette junior guard Dwayne Wade. Wade has not dominated in the first two rounds like he is capable of, but with the help of his sidekicks, specifically sophomore guard Travis Diener, Head Coach Tom Crean's Golden Eagles narrowly got by Holy Cross and Missouri.
The deciding factor for UW and Marquette could indeed come down to the fact that the game will be in the Midwest and close enough to Wisconsin to be considered a home game. Whether it is the sea of red or the navy blue of Marquette, the crowd could truly play as the sixth man in hopes of two Wisconsin teams battling for a trip to the Final Four.
""Two state schools, Minnesota being so close, I think fan base is going to be really wild,"" Owens said. ""I'm hoping it will be like playing at home and it will give us that extra comfort on the court.""
Oh, how sweet it is for the state of Wisconsin.
