UConn--a 7 seed--will play Kentucky--an 8 seed--tonight in Dallas for the NCAA Championship. While both teams' seeds suggest they have been massive underdogs in this year's tournament, both programs have won NCAA championships in the last 4 years. And the two teams couldn't be more different.
Kentucky won it all just 2 years ago. The core of that team is gone now. A team that was built around the most talented freshmen in the country jumped to the NBA (or in Kyle Wiltjer's case transferred to Gonzaga) and coach John Calipari replaced them with...more freshmen.
Kentucky's "Fab 5" hasn't been the media sideshow that Michigan's 5 freshmen starters were in the early 90s. Mainly because Kentucky was distinctly average in the regular season. Kentucky was swept by Arkansas, lost at LSU, lost at South Carolina, and lost to Florida by an average of 15 points in 2 regular season matchups.
Heading into the tournament, Kentucky's record in games decided by 5 points or less was 2-8. They looked like a team that wasn't mature enough to handle the pressure in the most crucial moments. A team that was prone to mental errors and mistakes due to their lack of experience.
Since then, Kentucky has won 4 consecutive games by 5 points or less to get to the Championship game. The first team ever to do that in the NCAA tournament. The script flipped completely. Almost overnight, Kentucky's kid's grew up. All of a sudden, Kentucky's freshmen are the kings of the clutch moments.
UConn won it all 3 years ago behind a series of heroic performances by senior UConn guard Kemba Walker. Shabazz Napier and Niels Giffey were freshmen, and both played heavy minutes for John Calhoun's championship team. Napier was the starting point guard. In the 3 years since, John Calhoun resigned due to health problems, the Big East fell apart, and the program faced a one-year post-season ban last season due to NCAA academic sanctions.
The UConn stars stuck around through this adversity, and it has reaped major rewards for the Huskies. UConn's best 4 players are upperclassmen. Napier and Giffey are seniors, and Napier is reminding a lot of people of Walker with his number of impressive performances in the tournament. Ryan Boatright and DeAndre Daniels are juniors.
New coach Kevin Ollie had a very long NBA career, and like Fred Hoiberg at Iowa State, this professional approach to college coaching seems to be working very well. Ollie's tactical decisions against Florida confused the Gators after the SEC champs and #1 overall seed failed to build on their early 16-4 lead in the semifinal.
The contrasts between UConn and Kentucky couldn't be more obvious. Only time will tell whether UConn's experience will win over Kentucky's talent.
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