Will Big East Louisville And Syracuse Prevail In Final Four

Louisville already had the bigger names, the better team and unfinished business after coming up short in last year's Final Four.

All Wichita State had was the cute-and-cuddly underdog angle. Now the Shockers don't even have that.
Kevin Ware is everybody's favorite player since he broke his leg in gruesome fashion last weekend, and having him at the Final Four has given the top-seeded Cardinals added motivation to claim the title that eluded them last year.
"We really want it, especially since we're back here for a second year," Louisville forward Wayne Blackshear said Friday. "With Kevin going down, especially the way he did, it's just making us play harder."
Louisville plays Wichita State in the first national semifinal Saturday in Atlanta. The Cardinals are 101/2-point favorites.
Wichita State has one player (Carl Hall) who salvaged his career after working in a light bulb factory and two more (Ron Baker and Malcolm Armstead) who paid their way to come to school and started on the team as walk-ons. Its coach has invited fans into the locker room after big wins. Yes, this is a school with all the makings of a team the entire country could get behind.
Problem is, in this case, Louisville and Ware already are tugging on America's heart strings.
"One of our teammates went down," Chane Behanan said. "We as a team have to step it up."

Syracuse vs. Michigan: Syracuse is brimming with

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confidence, largely because of its suffocating style when the other team has the ball. Next up, in the national semifinals, a guy who knows a thing or two about breaking down opposing defenses.

Trey Burke, meet the Orange Crush.

"It's tough to go against our zone when you've never seen it before," Syracuse forward C.J. Fair said, then, referring to Burke, added: "We want to force him to do some things he's not done before."
Burke already came up huge in the regionals, leading the Wolverines back from a 14-point deficit against Kansas with less than seven minutes remaining. He made a long 3-pointer at the end of regulation to tie the score, then finished off the upset of the top-seeded Jayhawks in overtime.
"We've just got to try to find different ways to attack the zone," the sophomore guard said of Syracuse's defense. "They play a really good 2-3. It's tough. We've got to make sure we knock down uncontested 3s."

Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights coaching scandal spiraled deeper Friday.

Athletic director Tim Pernetti resigned over his failure to immediately fire coach Mike Rice, who was caught on video hitting, kicking and taunting players with anti-gay slurs at practice.

Also resigning was John B. Wolf, Rutgers' interim senior vice president and general counsel, who is believed to have recommended against firing Rice in December over the video.
Two of Rutgers' leading donors have threatened to cut their contributions following Pernetti's resignation.

Ohio State: Forward Deshaun Thomas will forgo his final season of eligibility and will enter the NBA draft. He averaged 19.8 points and 5.9 rebounds this season.

FINAL FOUR

Saturday in Atlanta. TV: CBS.
Louisville (33-5) vs. Wichita State (30-8), 3:09 p.m.
Michigan (30-7) vs. Syracuse (30-9), 5:49 p.m.