Underseeded finalists beat bumps, slumps

ARLINGTON, Texas - Connecticut and Kentucky couldn’t have met in last year’s championship game.

Few people, especially those on the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, gave them much of a chance to be in this year’s.

But here they are, storied programs that are rarely cast as underdogs, meeting at 8:10 tonight at AT&T Stadium for a chance to do something they have combined to do 11 times previously - win an NCAA Tournament championship.

An unlikely matchup?

These two programs have combined to win six of the past 18 NCAA titles.

“Playing against Connecticut, I mean, I’m just happy we’re still playing,” Kentucky Coach John Calipari said.

Both teams are, of course.

Connecticut, No. 7 in the East, got past No. 10 St. Joseph’s in overtime before facing and defeating Villanova (2), Iowa State (3), Michigan State (4) and Florida (1) to reach the title game.

Kentucky, stuck with an 8 seed in the stacked Midwest Region, knocked off No. 9 Kansas State before facing and defeating Wichita State (1), Louisville (4), Michigan (2) and Wisconsin (2).

Last year, neither team made the field of 68.

Connecticut (31-8) was banned from the postseason after failing to meet NCAA academic standards. It had practice limitations and lost a scholarship. The players could have transferred but didn’t. The Huskies finished 20-10 in Ollie’s first year. They took the hit and made it back to the biggest stage.

“It’s actually very impressive,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said Sunday. “To see that team hold together. I think it’s a commitment to those young men on that team that hung together.”

Kentucky (29-10) and its newest band of McDonald’s All-Americans went from preseason No. 1 to out of the rankings after some bad losses, but the Wildcats never lost faith.

“We just had too much talent and we saw in spurts how good we could be,” freshman star forward Julius Randle said, “so it just felt like it was a matter of time before it clicked.”

In the tournament, the Huskies have stopped some of the country’s top guards and put themselves in position for their fourth national championship, the previous three under Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Coach Jim Calhoun.

“Hopefully we have an opportunity to fall back on our defense,” second-year Coach Kevin Ollie said. “We have been doing that the whole year.”

If Kentucky has a chance to win in the final minute, that defense better pay attention to guard Aaron Harrison, one of five freshman starters.

He has hit huge three-pointers in the Wildcats’ last three games. Harrison rattled in a 26-footer with 5.7 seconds to go in the 74-73 victory over Wisconsin in the semifinals. He made almost the exact same shot with 2.3 seconds left against Michigan for a 75-72 victory that sent the Wildcats to the Final Four. Against Louisville, he hit a three with 39 seconds left to give Kentucky the lead for good in a 74-69.

“The biggest thing is he’s not afraid to miss,” Kentucky Coach John Calipari said. “He’s OK with it. He’s comfortable in his own skin. … If you’re going to make those kind ofshots, you absolutely cannot be afraid to miss them.”

UConn All-American Shabazz Napier doesn’t seem to be afraid of anything. He leads the team in almost every statistical category, and he’s the guy who makes the big shot or big pass.

“We all play the game of basketball to compete against the best,” Napier said. “This is one of them games. … They worked hard to get to this point and we did too. We’re going to do our best to get this ‘W.’ ”

Fellow guard Ryan Boatright has taken some of the spotlight recently for his defensive performances against the likes of Keith Appling of Michigan State and Scottie Wilbekin of Florida.

“Defense is the biggest thing for me. The points will come,” Boatright said. “I want to make him uncomfortable, don’t let him get in a rhythm or flow. Their guards, God blessed them with height and they will try to take advantage of smaller guys like us but I’ve been the smaller guy my whole life and I’ve never backed down.”

The same can be said for a Kentucky team that won the NCAA title in 2012 before suffering a first-round NIT knockout last season when Calipari’s new crew of Mc-Donald’s All-Americans never meshed.

But the Wildcats have picked up where they left off two years ago, are riding an 11-game winning streak in the NCAA tournament and are one victory from a ninth national championship.