In what was
one of the greatest title games in recent memories, the Cardinals used a
45-point second half performance to defeat the Michigan Wolverines 82-76 last
night in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
On a
morning that started out with coach Rick Pitino being named to the Naismith
Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Pitino became the first Division I coach to
win a championship with two different teams. Pitino also guided Kentucky to a
title in 1996.
The
Cardinals came up just short in the 2012 NCAA Tournament as they lost to the
eventual national champion and also their in-state rival, the Kentucky Wildcats
69-61 in the Final Four.
Louisville
entered the season as the #2 team in the Associated Press preseason poll. They
returned one of the most experienced backcourt duos in the nation in G Russ
Smith and G Peyton Silva. Louisville was
picked to win the Big East along with Silva being named the Big East Preseason
Player of the Year.
The
Cardinals started off the season by winning 16 of their first 17 but then lost
three straight to Syracuse, Villanova, and Georgetown. But the Cardinals finished
the season hot by winning 9 straight and their second straight Big East Title.
It was the
first half of the Midwest Region Final. G Kevin Ware was coming off of a career
high 11 points against Oregon in the Sweet Sixteen. Ware went up to close out
after a Duke three-pointer and fell down awkwardly, thinking he had hurt his
right ankle. The video says it all as Ware snapped his right leg in three
places and suffered a compound fracture in his right leg. Players and coaches
on both sides were distraught as Ware lay on the floor as trainers worked on
him. I have never seen a coach give such emotion like I saw Pitino did during
and after the Ware injury. From then on, the Cardinals decided to play the
tournament for Ware. Perhaps the greatest part of winning the title last night
for the Cardinals players was Ware being able to cut down a piece of the net in
his hometown.
The
Cardinals played the whole season as one of the best teams in the nation and were
rewarded last night with their third title in school history. Congrats to the
whole team on the accomplishment and thus ends the 2012-2013 NCAA basketball season.
image was used from usatoday.com
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