NCAA Men's Capsules: Duke beats Baylor to return to Final Four

HOUSTON — Mike Krzyzewski insisted all along the drought didn’t bother him. Sure, he hadn’t been to a Final Four since 2004. But there was no need to put extra pressure on this Duke team just because the last five fell short.

Hey, Coach K, look who’s chasing another national championship. Duke restored some order to a topsy-turvy NCAA tournament on Sunday, getting a career-high 29 points from Nolan Smith in a 78-71 victory over Baylor that put Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils back in college basketball’s biggest event.

"It’s not about the moments that I’ve been in, it’s the moments that your players put you in right now," Krzyzewski said. "I’m really happy for this group. ... It’s as close a team as I’ve had. You want great things to happen for people who are great with us."

Jon Scheyer added five 3-pointers and scored 20 for Duke, ending Baylor’s run to redemption in the South Regional final. The Blue Devils became the only No. 1 seed to advance to Indianapolis and earned their 11th Final Four berth under Krzyzewski.

"I don’t know if it’s a relief, but it’s nice that no one can say anymore that we haven’t been to a Final Four in so many years," Kyle Singler said.

Now, Singler and his teammates get the chance at a championship that every player who goes through the program expects to have.

"I don’t know that it’s fully hit me," said Scheyer, one of the three Duke seniors. "I’m sure after the year I’ll have a better appreciation. But right now, I’m just ecstatic."

Smith hit the tiebreaking 3 with 3:33 remaining immediately after missing a free throw. Senior forward Lance Thomas grabbed the rebound — one of Duke’s 17 offensive boards after halftime.

"I can’t put it into words," Thomas said. "It took us four years to get here and we’re not done yet."

The Blue Devils will play East Regional champion West Virginia in the national semifinals Saturday night. They have won 11 of their last 12 regional finals under Krzyzewski, but haven’t won a national title since 2001.

Coach K made his first Final Four with Duke in 1986 and hadn’t had a gap this long between trips. To end the drought, Duke had to win at Reliant Stadium — only 3½ hours from Baylor’s campus. Most of the crowd of 47,492 was dressed in the green and gold of the Bears.

"We played against a great team," Krzyzewski said. "It was such a well-played game, and we were fortunate to win."

Smith and Scheyer helped the Blue Devils (33-5) offset a poor game from Singler, who was 0 for 10 from the field and made only five free throws. It was the first time in his college career the junior forward failed to hit a field goal.

LaceDarius Dunn had 22 points and Ekpe Udoh scored 18 for the third-seeded Bears (28-8), whose program was in shambles when coach Scott Drew took over in the wake of murder and scandal less than seven years ago. Drew took the Bears from tatters to the cusp of their first Final Four appearance in 60 years. After three consecutive 20-win seasons and an inspiring postseason run, maybe Baylor can be recognized more for its success now than the tragic summer of 2003 that is finally starting to feel like a long time ago.

"I really hope so and I really feel it has," Drew said, his voice quivering. "I do really want to thank all the fans in the state of Texas."

After tying the game for the 12th time on a free throw with 3:36 left, Smith missed his second attempt. But Thomas grabbed one of his nine rebounds and quickly passed the ball right back to Smith, who hit a 3-pointer from the right wing to put Duke up 64-61. Scheyer then extended the lead to six with his fifth 3-pointer.

"Those two 3s in a row, by Nolan and then Jon, those were big-time plays," Krzyzewski said. "The big guys kicked it out and those are the best 3s to take."

And the long-range shots were the best for Duke against Baylor’s tenacious zone defense featuring a combination of a 7-footer and a pair of 6-10 players. The Blue Devils made 11 of 23 3-pointers (48 percent) — and shot only 11 of 38 from inside the arc. But they didn’t need a miracle shot on the 18th anniversary of Christian Laettner’s game-winner against Kentucky in the 1992 tournament.

With Baylor desperately trying to get the ball back after a turnover by Tweety Carter, there was a scuffle by the sideline following a whistle and Quincy Acy was called for a technical foul. Scheyer hit both free throws, pushing the lead to 10 with 1:19 left. The fairy-tale ending wasn’t meant to be for the Bears — at least this year.

"It’s not over for this program. It was a great season," said Dunn, the junior guard who had obviously shed tears before the postgame interview. "Teammates should hold their head up high and be proud of the things we accomplished this year."

Carter and Acy had 12 points each for Baylor. Udoh had 10 rebounds, six assists and five blocks.

Drew was 32 when he was hired and had been a head coach only one season, winning 20 games at Valparaiso after nine years there as his father’s assistant. He had to rebuild in the powerful Big 12 with reduced scholarships and a roster decimated by the transfers of the top three scorers after that tragic summer in 2003 when Patrick Dennehy was shot to death by a teammate. Baylor made it to the NCAA tournament two years ago, when it lost in the first round to Purdue, and to the NIT championship game last April.

The Bears were picked 10th in the preseason poll by the Big 12 coaches at the beginning of this season after losing three 1,000-point scorers to graduation. But they were the last Big 12 team still playing.

After Dunn darted through traffic for a layup and then made two free throws, the Bears were up 57-54 with just under 6 minutes left. Their lead didn’t last long. Scheyer missed a 3-pointer, but Mason Plumlee got the rebound and threw the ball right back to the senior guard — who hit from about 25 feet to tie it.

Bears fall short in South Regional final to Duke

HOUSTON — Maybe Baylor can finally escape its past, even if the Bears couldn’t cap their breakthrough season with a perfect ending. Baylor’s long road to recovery stalled one win shy of the Final Four on Sunday, when the Bears lost 78-71 to Duke in the South Regional final. It was a disappointing, emotional end to a great NCAA tournament run for a program shattered by murder and scandal seven years ago.

"Can’t put into words what they’ve done for the school, what they’ve done for the team, what they’ve done for the program," said coach Scott Drew, who took over the ravaged program in August 2003. "Coaches coach a lifetime and might not have a team like that."

Baylor (28-8) led 61-60 after Ekpe Udoh’s floater in the lane with 3:53 left. Duke’s Lance Thomas grabbed an offensive rebound and passed to Nolan Smith for a 3-pointer after that, and the Blue Devils never trailed again.

The Bears won’t be at next week’s Final Four, but what a journey they took to get so close. The program was in shambles after the summer of 2003, when a player was killed by a teammate and former coach Dave Bliss was caught in a web of lies and illegal payments. Drew took on the challenge of rebuilding Baylor and used Duke as the model for what he wanted the program to be, from the victories to the clean-cut image.

The Bears are obviously getting there, but they’re still not the Blue Devils, who’ll make their 11th Final Four appearance under Mike Krzyzewski. LaceDarius Dunn scored 22 points, Udoh added 18 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks and Carter added 12 points and four assists for the Bears, picked to finish near the bottom of the Big 12 last fall by the league’s coaches. Carter couldn’t hold back tears on the podium after the game, breaking down as Udoh was answering a reporter’s question.

"It all started in the summer," Udoh said. "Nobody thought we had something special coming together. You know, we all just came together and we loved each other."

Carter and center Josh Lomers are the only seniors in this group, so the Bears certainly won’t be underestimated next season.

"It’s not over for this program," Carter said. "You hate for it to end, as far as you not playing this year. We worked to make it to the Final Four and win the national championship, but it didn’t go that way."

Baylor beat Sam Houston State and Old Dominion to earn a berth in the round of 16 in Houston, less than a 4-hour drive from Waco. Riding momentum from a roaring crowd of fans clad in green and gold, the Bears overwhelmed St. Mary’s 72-49 in Friday’s regional semifinal.

Their followers were out in full force again Sunday, drowning out the lone section of Duke fans, but the Blue Devils finally pulled away in the closing minutes. The Bears huddled on the court moments after the final buzzer, then waved to misty-eyed fans as they walked off.

"The toughest part of every season is always just the thought that it’s the last time you’re going to get a chance to coach the team, the last chance they’re together," Drew said. "That’s always the toughest, especially when it’s been a real close team, and a team that obviously has done wonders for our program and the school."

Considering where this program was in 2003, they should all hold their heads high. Carlton Dotson pleaded guilty to fatally shooting teammate Patrick Dennehy and is serving a 35-year prison term for murder. The death opened up a scandal that led to the resignation of Bliss, who was caught on tape trying to portray Dennehy as a drug dealer. The school also determined Bliss improperly paid up to $40,000 in tuition for Dennehy and another player and solicited money from boosters.

The school imposed harsh penalties, but Drew plunged into the job anyway. Louisiana prep stars Dunn and Carter came to help, turning away interest from other programs to blossom into one the top backcourts in the nation.

The 6-foot-10 Udoh completed the puzzle for this season, after transferring from Michigan. He earned top newcomer and best defensive player honors in the Big 12 after breaking the league’s single-season record for blocked shots.

Baylor couldn’t beat Duke and finish the dream run in Indianapolis, but how far the Bears have come.

"This just brings your program to another level," Drew said. "Whenever you can advance to an Elite Eight, people look at you in a different light. Hopefully, it will help with recruiting and continue to grow with the fan base and everything else."

-- Chris Duncan

Final Four

2010 Final Four features familiar, unusual

There’s a coach they call "Huggy Bear" and a team better known for its fieldhouse than its players. There’s a Final Four regular that hardly anyone figured would get this far and, bringing a wee bit of normalcy back to the party, there is Duke.

One of the most unpredictable NCAA tournaments in recent history served up a bit of the familiar for the Final Four — and a good dose of something completely different.

Coached by Bob "Huggy Bear" Huggins, West Virginia will make its first appearance since 1959, back when Jerry West played guard. Its opponent Saturday will be Duke, the only No. 1 seed to make it to Indianapolis. The other game features Butler against Michigan State in a meeting of two No. 5 seeds — the first time that’s happened.

Butler, enrollment 4,500, plays in the gym where they filmed the basketball classic "Hoosiers" and is making its first Final Four appearance. Michigan State is making its sixth and perhaps most unexpected trip in the past 12 years.

"I talked to them this morning about separating themselves," said Spartans coach Tom Izzo, at the helm for all those Final Four trips. "We’ve gone through a lot of things this year, not as bad as sometimes portrayed, and yet not as smooth as some years that we’ve had."

The Spartans (28-8) defeated Tennessee 70-69 on Sunday to win the Midwest Regional despite the loss of one of their top players, Kalin Lucas, who tore his Achilles tendon last week. They still have the core of the team that made the national final last year in an inspiring run that ended close to home, in Detroit, with a blowout loss to North Carolina. The Tar Heels didn’t make the tournament this year.

Raymar Morgan, Durrell Summers and Korie Lucious helped picked up the slack. Michigan State also benefited from being in the most topsy-turvy region in a tournament that long will be remembered. No. 1 seed Kansas, the odds-on favorite to win the title when the brackets came out, went out the first weekend, upset by No. 9 Northern Iowa. Tennessee took out No. 2 Ohio State, and No. 3 Georgetown was gone only a few hours into the tournament, upset by No. 14 Ohio.

The Spartans only had to beat one team seeded higher, and that was No. 4 Maryland on a buzzer-beating 3-point shot by Lucious in the round-of-32 — the kind of shot that could make a team wonder if there might be something special going on. Speaking of destiny ... Butler (32-4) will bring a 24-game winning streak to Lucas Oil Stadium — which happens to be only about a 10-minute drive from campus.

The Bulldogs are the first team since UCLA in 1972 to play a Final Four in their hometown — one of about a dozen intriguing story lines for America’s favorite little guy.

They play and practice in Hinkle Fieldhouse, the gym where scenes from the ultimate hoops underdog story was filmed. In "Hoosiers," a small Indiana high school makes an inspiring run to the state title. In real life, Butler isn’t quite that kind of underdog, but the coach, Brad Stevens, said there’s no way to play for his program without getting the gist.

"Not a week goes by where somebody who hasn’t seen the fieldhouse doesn’t walk into the fieldhouse and at least mouth the word, ‘Hickory,"’ Stevens said, conjuring the name of the movie’s fictional high school.

Butler-Michigan State is a matchup of No. 5 seeds, a turn of fortune that’s certain to reintroduce the idea of reseeding the tournament once it reaches the Final Four. The other game pits No. 2 West Virginia against No. 1 Duke. Led by Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer, the Blue Devils defeated Baylor 78-71 on Sunday to win the South Regional and earn the final spot in Indy. They are the new, odds-on favorite to win it all, listed at 3-2 in the line that came out Sunday night. West Virginia is next at 9-5 and the Spartans and Bulldogs are both 3-1.

This is the first time since 2004 that only one No. 1 has made it to the Final Four. (None made it in 2006, the year No. 11 George Mason captured America’s imagination.) The year 2004 was also the last time Duke and coach Mike Krzyzewski made it. This will be the Duke coach’s 11th time in the Final Four; the last trip resulted in a semifinal loss to Connecticut.

"It’s not about the moments that I’ve been in, it’s the moment that your players put you in right now," Krzyzewski said. "I’m really happy for this group. You get a chance to win a regional championship game and go to the Final Four, it’s something that will be a part of your life forever."

Returning after a much longer time away is Huggins, who made it in 1992 when he coached Cincinnati. Since then, he’s been on a coaching odyssey that has included trouble with the NCAA, a heart attack and a one-year stop at Kansas State before he returned to his alma mater in Morgantown.

Through it all, there has been a lot of winning. The latest was Saturday’s 73-66 upset over No. 1 Kentucky in the East Regional that put the Mountaineers (31-6) in the Final Four for the first time in 51 years — back when West was their biggest star. Huggins wants his team thinking about making it to Monday night’s final, and winning there, as well.

"I talked to them about trying to be special," he said. "If we can somehow find a way to win a couple more, that will be really special."

-- Eddie Pells

Huggins has WVU heading back to Final Four

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — On the day he was hired Bob Huggins told his alma mater was back to win a national championship. At West Virginia, that was quite a lofty goal.

The Mountaineers hadn’t advanced to the Final Four since 1959, when they were led by Jerry West. That 51-year drought flipped from an eternity in sports to a mere blip in the mind for the Mountaineers fans who came to celebrate — and sing.

West Virginia fans waited outside the Carrier Dome late Saturday night to serenade their team as the Final Four-bound Mountaineers boarded a bus so they could head back to home to Morgantown, W.Va., for a long-awaited night of celebration. The fans belted out lyrics to the John Denver hit that’s become tied to the school.

"Country Roads, take me home. To the place I belong."

They’ll be singing in Indianapolis this week when West Virginia plays in the Final Four. And years after he was nearly tossed in the coaching scrap heap, everyone is singing Huggins’ praises. He’s two wins away from delivering on the promise he made in 2007.

"I talked to them about trying to be special," Huggins said. "If we can somehow find a way to win a couple more, that will be really special."

West Virginia just might be special. The Mountaineers, the Big East tournament champions, have won 10 straight games and controlled top-seeded Kentucky for almost all 40 minutes in a 73-66 victory in the East Regional final Saturday night.

"The wonderful thing about these guys is they never doubt," Huggins said.

Huggins also never doubted he would be the coach to take West Virginia to the Final Four and put the team in position to play for a national championship, even as his career strayed from those country roads he holds close to his heart.

He made his niche molding Cincinnati into an NCAA tournament regular and made his only other Final Four trip in 1992. Huggins might still be there if not for a string of player arrests, a heart attack in 2002, and his drunken-driving arrest in 2004 that eventually led former Cincinnati president Nancy Zimpher to force him out in 2005. He took a season off from coaching and then returned for one season at Kansas State where he reignited the Wildcats.

Huggins has done it all in his own unique way. He eschews game day suits for a warm-up jacket more suited for a fan in the stands. He usually places the palm of his hand on chin and appears bored during news conferences. But he can be a crackup with his deadpan delivery. Asked how the Mountaineers have stayed so loose during the tournament, he replied, "Being around my effervescent personality all the time."

He made all the right moves against a Wildcats team that will soon have its roster dispersed throughout the NBA. Huggins gave seldom-used Joe Mazzulla his first start of the season because Darryl "Truck" Bryant broke his foot this week during practice. Mazzulla responded with a career-high 17 points and was selected the East Regional MVP.

"Everything just went in my favor," he said.

Huggins also mixed his defenses, using a 1-3-1 that closed the lanes to Kentucky’s speedy guards and forced them to settle for 3-pointers. The Wildcats missed their first 20 3-point attempts and didn’t sink one until late in the game.

"We didn’t give them any easy looks at the basket," Mazzulla said. "I thought the 1-3-1 was a lot more physical than we’ve played in the past."

They’ll get a few more days to work even more on their defense — a scary thought for any team in Indianapolis. Huggins reminded the team of his promise to win a national championship and not settle for the Final Four. The Mountaineers got the message.

"That’s just the attitude that Huggs has instilled in," Mazzulla said. "We have the mindset that we have 80 minutes left to really do something special."

-- Dan Gelston

WVU’s injured Bryant hopes to play in Final Four

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Truck might not be parked, after all. West Virginia’s medical staff is looking at options that could allow point guard Darryl "Truck" Bryant to play in the Mountaineers’ first Final Four since 1959.

Bryant broke his right foot during practice Tuesday and was expected to miss the rest of the NCAA tournament. He didn’t play against Washington in the East Regional semifinals or against Kentucky in the final on Saturday, but might be able to return next weekend in the national semifinals.

Bryant hasn’t been cleared to play, but West Virginia trainer Randy Meador told The Sporting News that Bryant could wear a specially designed shoe that would shift weight away from his fractured fifth metatarsal.

In a television interview Saturday on CBS, Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins said Bryant was in Durham, N.C., getting fitted for the special orthotics that are supposed to take pressure off his injured foot.

"We don’t know yet whether it’s going to work or not," Huggins said.

West Virginia star Da’Sean Butler said Bryant is a key member of the team.

"He does a lot more other than just bring the ball up the court," Butler said. "He’s one of the team’s leaders."

Starting in place of Bryant, Joe Mazzulla scored a career-high 17 points Saturday night in West Virginia’s 73-66 victory over Kentucky.

Final Four finally gives Butler reason to party

Butler’s players sat in the locker room, nursing the scrapes and bruises that had come with another round of gnawing through two more opponents and extending a run that seemed improbable to everyone but the Bulldogs themselves.

They didn’t know who was next and didn’t care. The Bulldogs were headed home to Indianapolis and their first ever Final Four.

"You know, I’ve never been in this situation before, and I can’t even tell you what it will be like," forward Matt Howard said. "I’m sure it will be a little nuts."

Just a little? The Bulldogs got a taste of that early Sunday when they arrived home to a swarm of fans who had waited hours in the cold rain to greet them.

"There is nothing like coming home and being able to play the Final Four in front of the people who have been watching you all year," sophomore point guard Ronald Nored said. "Everyone was texting me, telling me there were a ton of people here. But I didn’t believe it."

Welcome home, Bulldogs.

"We’re stepping into a little bit of the unknown in terms of bringing the hometown team back to Indianapolis," athletic director Barry Collier said. "It’s another huge positive and another big step — another huge step — for our program."

Butler clinched its first Final Four berth with a 63-56 win over Kansas State on Saturday in the West Regional final. This week the Bulldogs will play Michigan State just five miles from campus. The Bulldogs (32-4) have been able to build their reputation as the team from the little school that could to the team from the little school that’s actually doing it.

The Horizon League champions are two wins from the national title. The Bulldogs extended their winning streak to 24 by beating top-seeded Syracuse on Thursday and then shutting down the No. 2-seed Wildcats on Saturday. While waiting for the postgame interviews Saturday, a few of the Bulldogs headed off the anticipated questions from friends and family by asking coach Brad Stevens how many tickets the players would get for the Final Four.

"Coach said ‘I don’t know. I don’t know what to tell you. I’ve never been there before,"’ Nored said. "We haven’t been here before either. I think this is going to be something that we’re going to cherish for a while."

Even if it means another week of facing repeated questions about the movie "Hoosiers." The 1987 movie’s fabled ending was filmed at Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse and has provided endless comparisons to basketball underdogs for the last 23 years.

For the doubters who question the legitimacy of an unbeaten run through the Horizon League, the Bulldogs’ last two opponents were the top two seeds in the West Regional.

Butler played its usual smackdown defense and held both teams under 60 points — dropping back and plugging up all easy routes to the basket while doggedly trying to get a hand on any ball that came within reach. The Bulldogs will dive for every loose ball, take a freight-train charge and anything else needed to maintain a nice, moderate pace. Don’t like it? Fine. Try to score on them.

"We’ve got a system that these guys buy into. We’re not going to get out and pressure people. We can’t afford to do that," Howard said. "We play defense as a unit and as a team. Sometimes that throws some teams off initially."

Kansas State was averaging more than 80 points before scoring a season low in a 63-56 loss on Saturday in the West Regional final. Syracuse also was averaging more than 80 before running into the Bulldogs’ brick wall. In four NCAA tournament games, nobody has scored 60 points on the Bulldogs yet. Butler’s 20 turnovers against Kansas State was one short of the season high, but the Bulldogs offset the damage by outrebounding the Wildcats 41-29.

"It’s hard to be happy for someone when you lose, but I’ve got to think it’s going to be a great, great week for Butler people and people of the city of Indianapolis to have one of their own in the Final Four," Kansas State coach Frank Martin said.

-- Michael Marot

Michigan State returns to Final Four — again

ST. LOUIS — The players come and go, the years pass. About the only thing that doesn’t change is Tom Izzo and Michigan State’s mastery in March.

The fifth-seeded Spartans are on their way to their second straight Final Four and sixth in 12 years after Raymar Morgan’s free throw with less than 2 seconds left lifted Michigan State to a 70-69 victory over Tennessee in the Midwest Regional final Sunday.

"There is nothing greater than going to a Final Four that I know of," Izzo said, "except winning it."

No team in the country — not North Carolina, not Kansas, not UCLA, not Kentucky — has been better during the Spartans’ run. And all six of those trips have come under Izzo, the hard-nosed coach who preaches defense, rebounding, defense, physical play, and have we mentioned defense? Izzo, who took over from longtime mentor Jud Heathcote for the 1995-96 season, is 6-1 in the regional finals. His only loss was to top-seeded Texas in 2003.

"Tom Izzo does his best in the NCAA tournament," said Magic Johnson, who sat in the Michigan State cheering section and embraced Izzo after the game. "He loves the big moment. He understands what he needs to do against every team. He comes up with a great game plan every single time. He deserves all the credit in the world."

The Spartans, last year’s national runner-up, will be looking for championship No. 3 next weekend in Indianapolis. They play Butler, also a No. 5 seed and sure to be the hometown favorite, in the semifinals Saturday night.

"They’re hot right now. They’re playing some of their best basketball," Morgan said. "But we’re also hot right now. We’re playing some of our best basketball."

Michigan State is the only team from last year’s Final Four to make it back. Heck, North Carolina, which demolished the Spartans in the title game, didn’t even make the NCAA tournament. Neither did Connecticut, and Villanova was knocked out in the second round.

How’s this for some symmetry? This happens to be the 10th anniversary of the "Flintstones," the team that gave Michigan State its second national title. Highlights from that run were included in the video montage of past championships that played on the Edward Jones Dome’s massive Jumbotron during halftime.

The Spartans (28-8) led by as many as eight in the second half, but Brian Williams pulled sixth-seeded Tennessee (28-9) within 69-68 on a putback with 2:10 left. Korie Lucious, who took over as point guard after 2009 Big Ten player of the year Kalin Lucas ruptured his Achilles’ tendon last weekend, missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 29 seconds left and Scotty Hopson got the rebound.

Hopson was fouled at the other end, and made the first. But after a Michigan State timeout, he missed the second and Lucious — generously listed at 5-foot-11 — ended up with the rebound. Morgan was fouled by J.P. Prince with 1.8 seconds left and made the first. After timeouts by both teams, Morgan bricked the second shot on purpose.

Williams came up with the rebound and Tennessee called a quick timeout. But Prince fumbled the inbounds pass and had to heave up a prayer from midcourt just before the buzzer.

"It’s just tough, 1 second," Prince said. "You want to shoot it perfect but you’ve got to rush. You don’t want it to come down to a half-court shot, but that’s what it came down to."

Prince wasn’t even close, and Michigan State and its fans — led by Johnson, the Spartan-in-chief — began the celebration that’s practically become a rite of spring.

"What’s unique is it’s been a little bit more bumpy road," Izzo said.

Bumpy? More like missing big chunks of asphalt. While Izzo is a master at reloading on the fly, this might have been his toughest test. In addition to Lucas’ injury, Delvon Roe is playing on a torn meniscus and Chris Allen is nursing an aching foot.

The Spartans have been forced to go with an offense-by-committee but, somehow, it works. Durrell Summers, who’s taken over the bulk of the scoring, finished with 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting despite playing just 9 minutes in the first half because of foul trouble. Morgan and Draymond Green added 13 each, and Morgan also had 10 rebounds.

"Things happen throughout the season," Summers said. "Once we got to tournament time, we said we’ll have a fresh start."

Tennessee, meanwhile, will have to take comfort in knowing it got further than any other Volunteers team. This was their first appearance in the regional finals, and there is no question they belonged. They made their first six shots of the game — going 4 for 4 from 3-point range, shot 51 percent overall and had four players in double figures, led by senior Wayne Chism’s 13 points. Prince finished with 12 on 5-of-5 shooting, and Williams had 11.

"It’s going to stick with us," senior Bobby Maze said. "Anytime we watch college games or during tournament time, we’ll always come back to that very moment where we were just too short."

Tennessee has long been a basketball powerhouse — in women’s hoops. But coach Bruce Pearl has energized the men’s program, as evidenced by the orange-hued dome and the Vols’ first appearance in the regional final. Few would have thought the Tennessee men would last longer than the top-seeded women, who were beaten by No. 4 Baylor on Saturday in the regional semifinals.

"We came to St. Louis expecting to win two games and we played pretty well both nights," Pearl said. "We saw all that orange out there. This isn’t close to home, either. They got in their car and they drove here. I think they enjoyed this group tremendously."

Though they were going against a team that oozes experience — "Final Fours are a big thing in this program," Green said Saturday — the Vols came in with swagger and strut. But confidence is no match for toughness, and few can match that of Michigan State.

"I said (before the game), ‘You put yourself in a position where you have a chance to do something you talked about,"’ Izzo said. "Not many people get a chance to do that."

-- Nancy Armour

Magic touts faith in Michigan State coach Tom Izzo

ST. LOUIS — Even the ever-bubbly Magic Johnson lost confidence in Michigan State’s chances of making a return trip to the Final Four when point guard Kalin Lucas went down with a season-ending injury.

But not for long. Joining the on-court celebration minutes after the Spartans’ one-point win over Tennessee, Johnson said Sunday he wasn’t surprised coach Tom Izzo found a way to make it work.

"Tom Izzo does his best job in the NCAA tournament," Johnson said. "Everybody had to step up and they all stepped up in different ways when Lucas went down.

"But they never gave up and they never lost faith. They said, ‘We can win without him,’ and they’ve done that."

Johnson is one of the game’s greatest point guards. He led the Spartans to their first national title with a victory over Larry Bird and Indiana State in the 1979 championship game before helping the Los Angeles Lakers win five NBA crowns. Johnson was impressed with the way Michigan State responded this weekend without Lucas, who leads the team in scoring and assists.

Tennessee hounded replacement starter Korie Lucious, a sophomore who was 2 for 9 from the field with five turnovers, offsetting five steals and four assists in 35 minutes. Teammates did their best to ease Lucious’ load and Michigan State got strong offensive performances from Durrell Summers, who had 21 points, and Raymar Morgan and Draymond Green, who had 13 apiece.

"That’s what I say about this team: ‘We don’t have to have the point guard bring it up, we’ve got a lot of guys who can handle the ball,"’ Johnson said. "Almost back-to-back games, a lot of guys have to contribute, and they did."

Now, Michigan State is in the Final Four for the second consecutive season. It is the Spartans’ sixth trip in 12 years, all under Izzo. Johnson said the 70-69 win Sunday reflected Izzo’s no-nonsense style. He called Summers a "big-time player" and commended Morgan for his leadership.

"He recruits the type of players that fit his personality and his system," Johnson said. "They’re all about defense, rebounding, toughness, and they play just like him.

"So here we are once again, going back. It’s beautiful."

Michigan State’s 1979 title team rode the 1-2 punch of Johnson and forward Greg Kelser to beat top-seeded Indiana State, with Johnson getting 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists and Kelser adding 19 points and eight rebounds. Johnson said the present team is much deeper.

"We don’t have one guy you have to count on, that’s the one good thing about this team," Johnson said. "They’ve got a lot of guys that can score 12-15 points, so you can’t say I’ve got to stop so-and-so.

"And they play well together."

Izzo and his players definitely appreciate Johnson’s presence. While following the Spartans he’s been known to attend film sessions.

"Earvin’s been so good to our program," the coach said. "He’s still like a kid in a way, but he’s still like a coach in a way. He still interacts with the players and yet he doesn’t have to say much, and they respond."

Not long after the final buzzer, Izzo and Johnson embraced on the court.

"He just said, ‘Man, I’m proud of you,"’ Izzo said.

Izzo apologized for the tight finish, telling Magic, "We got a little sloppy there at times."

"He said, ‘Ah, don’t worry about it, worry about next week,"’ Izzo said. "And I said, ‘Thanks."’

-- R.B. Fallstrom

Inside The Games: Names and numbers from the regional finals

Mike Krzyzewski and Tom Izzo moved into some pretty elite company. Duke’s Coach K will take a team to the Final Four for the 11th time, moving him into a tie with Dean Smith of North Carolina for second place on the all-time list, one behind UCLA’s John Wooden. Krzyzewski’s first Final Four was in 1986 and his most recent was in 2004.

"We’re ecstatic, proud, feel very honored and privileged to be going to the Final Four," Krzyzewski said.

Michigan State’s Izzo moved into a three-way tie for fifth-most appearances (6) with Denny Crum of Louisville and Adolph Rupp of Kentucky.

"It’s incredible, the consistency and obviously the expectation," Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said of Izzo, who has made all his appearances since 1999.

"You know, I thought that — the accomplishment certainly speaks for itself. And to do it with numbers of different teams. And it’s obviously a great accomplishment. Tom Izzo is probably as accomplished and outstanding a coach as there is in our profession."

DOUBLE NICKEL: This will be the first Final Four with two No. 5 seeds in it, and they will meet in one of the semifinals.

Michigan State, the No. 5 seed in the Midwest Regional, and Butler, who held the same position in the West, will play Saturday.

Five other No. 5 seeds have reached the Final Four since seeding began in 1979: Iowa in 1980, Mississippi State in 1996, Florida in 2000, Indiana in 2002 and Michigan State in 2005. None went on to win the national championship.

Michigan State is making its eighth Final Four appearance and Butler its first, but they do have one thing in common: The Spartans played in the Final Four in their home state last year in Detroit, while the Bulldogs will be the first team to play in a Final Four in its home city since UCLA in 1972.

FAMILY FINAL FOUR: Duke junior guard Nolan Smith will get to experience a Final Four like his father did 30 years ago. In the same city, no less.

"It’s definitely a very special win," said Smith, who had a career-high 29 points in the 78-71 victory over Baylor. "This team has worked so hard starting in the summertime until now. Really working hard, and we have such great team chemistry. We’re having fun playing together. This team from the beginning of this tournament has been living in the moment. Really enjoying every single game, and you know, just playing hard. And it just feels great right now."

Derek Smith was a sophomore starter on Louisville’s national championship team in 1980. He died in 1996 at age 34, apparently of a heart attack. He played nine seasons in the NBA.

OLD RIVALRY: Saturday’s Final Four meeting between Duke and West Virginia will be the third time the schools meet in the NCAA tournament and the first two were both in the second round.

Duke won in 1989, while West Virginia prevailed in 2008. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski knows just playing Duke is enough to get most teams ready.

"We’ve had a target on our backs for about 25 years since we went to our first Final Four in ‘86," he said. "So these kids are accustomed to that."

The other Final Four matchup between Butler and Michigan State will be the first time those schools meet in the NCAA tournament.

SUMMERS’ RELIEF: When Kalin Lucas ruptured his Achilles’ tendon in Michigan State’s second-round win over Maryland, all eyes fell on his replacement at point guard, Korie Lucious.

The player who did the most to replace the 2008-09 Big Ten Player of the Year turned out to be off guard Durrell Summers, who almost doubled his regular-season scoring average in leading the Spartans to a second straight Final Four appearance.

Summers, who came in averaging 10.9 points, scored 80 in the four NCAA tournament games, including 21 on 8-of-10 shooting in the regional final win over Tennessee. His best outing of the tournament was 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting in the game when Lucas went down in the first half with the season-ending injury.

His biggest shot Sunday was a 3-pointer with 2:52 to play that broke a 66-all tie.

"Well, it was a big shot by Durrell, and we always are looking for him on the perimeter to make those shots because we know what he can do. And he’s a great shooter," Lucious said.

NO ONES: Duke is the only No. 1 seed to reach the Final Four. Since seeding started in 1979, only twice had a No. 1 seed not advanced to the Final Four. This will be the 11th time only one No. 1 reached the Final Four and the first since 2004.

Overall No. 1 seed Kansas lost in the second round to Northern Iowa this year, while Syracuse lost to Butler in the regional semifinals and Kentucky lost to West Virginia in the regional final. None of the No. 1s made it in 1980 and 2006.

CONFERENCE CALL: There will be four different conferences represented in the Final Four for the third time in four years. The Big East had two — Connecticut and Villanova — last year.

From 1999 through 2006, all but one year saw two teams from one conference advance. The Big Ten did it three times in that eight-year stretch, the Atlantic Coast Conference twice and the Big 12 and Southeastern conferences once each.

"I’m just going to say I’m proud to represent Michigan State, and I’m proud to represent the Big Ten, that conference that sometimes gets maligned but always seems to have teams in the Final Four," Spartans coach Tom Izzo said.

ONLY ONE: Butler is this year’s only first-time Final Four participant. The last first-time entrant in the national semifinals was George Mason in 2006, a Final Four also held in Indianapolis.

Tennessee was trying to make it the first time for two first-timers in the Final Four since 1996, when Mississippi State and Massachusetts made their debuts.

FAST START: The shooting percentages finally caught up with Tennessee. The Volunteers entered the regional final against Michigan State shooting 31.7 percent for the season from 3-point range, a figure that had them 10th in the 12-team SEC and 239th among the 347 Division I schools.

Against the Spartans, they hit their first five from beyond the arc before the reality of stats showed up. Tennessee, which went 4 of 15 on 3s in the regional semifinal win over Ohio State, made only two of their last 11 attempts, finishing 7 of 16.

"We looked good offensively. We were making shots. We had a really good inside-outside attack going and there was some real flow," Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said. "In the second half we didn’t get much of a fastbreak."

TOUGH GOODBYE: The NCAA tournament allows only one team to end the season with a victory. That means even a tremendous season ends on a sour note.

"The toughest part of every season is always just the thought that it’s the last time you’re going to get a chance to coach the team, and last chance they’re together," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "That’s always the toughest, especially when it’s been a real close team, and a team that obviously has done wonders for our program and the school."

-- Jim O’Connell

Elsewhere

Tennessee knocked out by Michigan State on late FT

ST. LOUIS — The ball thudding away after J.P. Prince’s desperation heave fell short, several Tennessee players collapsed in front of the bench, pressing their foreheads against the hardwood.

Scotty Hopson snatched off his opulently orange headband and flinged it to the floor in disgust. Coach Bruce Pearl stared blankly for a moment before going to congratulate the victors. The Vols came up short. One second. One free throw. One step short.

To come this far, to get this close was heartbreaking. Agonizingly close to its first Final Four, Tennessee left NCAA tournament decidedly dejected after losing 70-69 to Michigan State in the Midwest Regional final on Sunday.

"This is painful, this is disappointing," Pearl said. "This is not what we came here to do."

The final margin was Raymar Morgan’s free throw with 1.8 seconds left. There were so many opportunities.

The sixth-seeded Vols (28-9) couldn’t stop Michigan State’s suddenly-hot-shooting guard Durrell Summers, who hit four 3-pointers and scored 21 points. Hopson couldn’t hit a second free throw with 11 seconds left, one that would have put Tennessee up one and the Spartans into a more desperate mode.

Tennessee couldn’t come up with the ball after Hopson’s miss, allowing Michigan State’s whispery 5-foot-11 point guard Korie Lucious to sneak in and grab the rebound. The Vols couldn’t keep Morgan out of the lane, forcing Prince to foul him. And Prince couldn’t get the handle on what could have been the greatest finish in an NCAA tournament filled with them. To come this close makes it hurt even more.

"This will sting for a while, most definitely," said Prince, who had 12 points and five assists in his final game in orange and white.

The wrenching finish ended a season unlike any other in Tennessee’s history. The low point came on New Year’s Day, when a traffic stop led to the discovery of a gun and marijuana in a car carrying four Vols.

Pearl kicked leading scorer Tyler Smith off the team after learning the illegally altered guns found in the car belonged to the senior. He also suspended Brian Williams, Cameron Tatum and Melvin Goins for their involvement; Williams later pleaded guilty to drug possession, Tatum pleaded guilty to speeding and all charges were dropped against Goins.

Less than two weeks later, the Vols stunned then-No. 1 Kansas with six scholarship players and a handful of walk-ons. Later, they beat Kentucky, another NCAA title favorite.

Tennessee was routed by the Wildcats in the SEC tournament, but made an unprecedented run in the NCAAs, escaping against San Diego State in the first round, beating Ohio in the second and then wearing down Ohio State in the Midwest semifinals.

That set up Sunday’s showdown against a Michigan State team equally talented to the athletic Vols. And they put on quite a show, trading 3-pointers, flying dunks and scoring bursts throughout the day.

Tennessee ranked 239th in the nation on 3-pointers (31 percent), but opened the game by making six straight and finished 7 of 16 overall. The Vols also shot 51 percent from the floor, kept Michigan State from dominating the boards and had four players score in double figures.

They just couldn’t close it out, allowing Lucious to race up the floor, Morgan to get into the lane, their season to drift away.

"We get back defensively, we get matched up, we go to overtime," Pearl said. "And we like our chances in OT."

They never got the chance and the sting will linger. The imprint on the program will likely last much longer, though.

The school known for its women’s team now has two power programs. While the men aren’t quite on the same footing — Pat Summitt and the Lady Vols have won eight national titles, after all — they are at least a few steps closer.

Tennessee finished the season with the second-most wins in school history — the 2007-08 team had 31 — and reached its fifth straight NCAA tournament under Pearl, the longest active streak in the SEC. The Vols have established tradition, have an immensely loyal fan base — the Edwards Jones Dome seemed a shade brighter with all that orange — and have developed a solid talent base with more recruits coming.

And get this: they outlasted the women. While the men were going where no other Tennessee team had gone before, Summitt’s team went out in the round of 16.

"We added to the history and tradition," Pearl said.

Even if it does hurt.

-- John Marshall

Smith watches as former Tenn. teammates advance

Even in Turkey, Tyler Smith has heard what the people in Tennessee are saying about him. If the Volunteers were better without him as they advanced further in the NCAA tournament than any Tennessee squad before, then Smith is happy how things turned out.

"I know they are hearing a lot of stuff about how better they are off without me, and I just tell them if that what it really was then I am happy for them and for the fans to get to see them accomplish so much this year," Smith wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Sunday.

Smith watched every Tennessee tournament game either online or on TV at a nearby Army base — and sometimes in the middle of the night — in between his workouts and games for Bornova in the Turkish Basketball League. His computer has become his best friend in Turkey as he trades e-mails and instant messages with his former teammates, encouraging and congratulating them.

Smith was Tennessee’s captain before he was arrested during a traffic stop Jan. 1. The star forward, center Brian Williams and guards Cameron Tatum and Melvin Goins were accused of a host of misdemeanor gun, drug and alcohol charges.

"I think it was a mistake — my players being in the wrong place at the wrong time," senior center Wayne Chism said. "They learned from their mistakes."

The other three were suspended for a few games. Williams pleaded guilty to drug possession, Tatum pleaded guilty to speeding and all charges were dropped against Goins.

Coach Bruce Pearl dismissed Smith on Jan. 8 after learning the illegally altered guns found in the car belonged to the senior. Smith pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and possession of firearm with altered serial number and was sentenced to two years of judicial diversion.

Without Smith, Tennessee upset No. 1 Kansas and No. 2 Kentucky and reached the NCAA round of 16 for the sixth time in school history. The Vols advanced to their first regional final with a 76-73 victory over Ohio State, but lost to Michigan State, 70-69.

"I am just happy they are getting to do those things and witness something that nobody has ever done in a Tennessee uniform," Smith said.

He signed a two-month contract to play for Bornova early in March, hoping to make some money to help support his son, Amare, and hone his skills in advance of the June 24 NBA draft. Bornova is fighting for a spot in the playoffs with five games left in the season, and Smith is enjoying just getting to play ball.

"Very physical, but the atmosphere and the energy of each and every game is amazing," he said. "The fans are so rowdy here, and I love that they are very passionate about their teams."

-- Beth Rucker

Kentucky’s rise falls one step short of Final Four

It didn’t take long for John Calipari to deliver on his promise to restore the roar at Kentucky. In Calipari’s first year on the job the Wildcats went 35-3, won the Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament championships and spent the entire season ranked in the Top 5 — heady territory for a program that spent the last decade slowly slipping from the national scene.

Yet all the victories, all the breathtaking plays by freshman star John Wall, all the style and energy college basketball’s highest-paid coach brought to one of the nation’s toughest jobs couldn’t quite get the Wildcats back to the Final Four for the first time in a dozen years.

Kentucky’s comeback season ended under an avalanche of missed 3-pointers in a 73-66 loss to West Virginia in the NCAA regional finals on Saturday, a dubious end to a remarkable year in which Calipari pulled off one of the quickest turnarounds of all-time.

One year ago, Calipari left Memphis to take over a wounded program that failed to make the NCAA tournament. Even as he cautioned fans not to get carried away, he brought in the best freshmen class in recent memory and rode it to within 40 minutes of the Final Four.

He made no apologies along the way. Not to the half-dozen players who either left the team or transferred after he took over. Not to the seven holdovers from the Billy Gillispie era, most of whom saw their playing time decrease while Calipari turned to freshmen such as Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe.

It was a new day. The best players were going to play, regardless of their age. And while Kentucky’s lack of tournament experience showed against the Mountaineers — particularly the way it struggled to stay poised in the face of West Virginia’s 1-3-1 zone defense — Calipari refused to make excuses.

"I think there were times that the inexperience, you know, hurt us," Calipari said. "Let me tell you, it also got us to where we are today with 35 wins. I mean, that same youth."

And next year, he’ll likely have to do it all over again. Wall — the SEC Player of the Year — and Cousins — the SEC Freshman of the Year — are all but certain to enter the NBA Draft. Both were vague when asked about their respective futures on Saturday night, instead focusing on an opportunity lost.

"It’s pretty tough," said Wall, who finished with 19 points before fouling out in the final minute. "We had goals as a team. We wanted to make it as far as we wanted to and that was the championship. We got it cut short."

Cousins, who evolved from a raw and somewhat volatile talent into arguably the best big man in the country, struggled to keep his emotions in check. He and Wall sat glumly next to each other on the bench as the final horn sounded and he fought back tears in the locker room.

"It hurts," Cousins said. "And the part that hurts the most is that we’ll never get a chance to play with each other again. That’s the part that’s killing me the most, that I’ll never be able to play with my teammates, my brothers again."

Cousins and Wall probably won’t be the only ones out the door. Junior forward Patrick Patterson, who will graduate in May and participated in Senior Day festivities at Rupp Arena earlier this month, is also likely gone. There’s even a chance Bledsoe and freshman center Daniel Orton could be right behind him.

If they all go, Calipari will have to find a way to replace four starters. Reinforcements are on the way in the fall — the Wildcats are expected to again have one of the top incoming classes — but it will be difficult for whoever comes in to duplicate the sizzle provided by Wall and company.

"I didn’t want it to stop," Wall said. "I wanted us to make it all the way."

Then again, maybe missing the Final Four did Calipari a favor in a way. Tubby Smith won a national title in his first year on the job in 1997-98 but never made it back to the Final Four before bolting for Minnesota in 2007.

At least Calipari has room to grow. Not much, though. Kentucky started the season with Wall being forced to sit out two games — one an exhibition, the other the season opener — by the NCAA for accepting improper benefits from his AAU coach.

No biggie. He hit a game-winner against Miami (Ohio) in his regular-season debut, and things only got better from there. Kentucky won its first 19 games, briefly rose to No. 1 and became the first school to surpass 2,000 wins.

The Wildcats knocked off Connecticut, North Carolina and rival Louisville and became humanitarians all the while. Calipari helped raise more than $1 million for earthquake-ravaged Haiti with his "Hoops for Haiti" telethon and the team received a congratulatory phone call from President Barack Obama as a result.

Obama wasn’t the only star checking on the Wildcats. LeBron James showed up for a game. So did Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin. Actress and Kentucky native Ashley Judd became a fixture again in the stands, often sitting a few rows behind the Kentucky bench in a white T-shirt. Yet they all stood in the shadow of Calipari, who in 12 dizzying months brought the swagger and the spotlight back to the Bluegrass.

It’s a role Calipari seems to revel in. Good thing, because the road only gets more difficult from here.

-- Will Graves