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Kentucky Wildcats
In a move that surprised absolutely no one, all five of Kentucky's starters have declared for the NBA draft. John Calipari split the announcement into two parts, primarily to scare other teams into thinking that at least two of the five champions would return, but it was just a ruse; Calipari will have to hit the recruiting trail hard to make up his losses. All of the starters seemed pretty thrilled with their decisions (and who wouldn't? Winning a championship is a pretty good way to go out before entering the draft), but is Calipari's system a good thing?
Good or bad?
John Calipari's system of taking on players who don't plan on staying very long has worked out well for Kentucky, and his players don't seem to have much of a complaint either.
Davis' future?
Anthony Davis is the big prize in this year's draft, but will his game translate to the NBA?
Best of the rest?
Davis wasn't the only important factor in Kentucky's championship run. It's highly possible that every Kentucky starter could find a significant role in the NBA.
John Calipari's got his national championship, but now he plans to try for a perfect season. Is that out of reach for the Kentucky coach?
- 49erproudfan1980: "They should all come back and take a run at an undefeated season."
- iamlegendnyc: "Its sad that UK needed the second best team to lose its center and the third best team to lose its starting PG for the tourney."
- sirrmarlon1: "one thing is true.. he understands the system and he goes out and gets the player he wants because that selling tool called the nba after one year is working for him. he is the best salesman in the game by far."
- lake1308: "If Calipari is as amazing as you Kentucky fans are saying, then he ought to come out and say that he would like to stay until he retires. Build a powerhouse for 10+ years and become a legend with multiple championships."
- MD4257: "Let's not start praising Calipari as one of the greats just yet."
- JJFix: "Congrats to Coach Cal. Kentucky was easily the best team in the country."
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An eighth banner will hang in the rafters of Rupp Arena after Kentucky's 67-59 win over Kansas in Monday's national title game. Below you'll find Twitter reactions from around the sports world.
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John Wall, Washington Wizards (former Kentucky player)
Markieff Morris, Phoenix Suns (former Kansas player)The #BBN deserves #8....Happy for Coach Cal
— John Wall (@John_Wall) April 3, 2012
Jeremiah Trotter, free agentHard fought game good season youngins
— Keef Morris(@Keefmorris) April 3, 2012
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City ThunderMan #Kentucky starting 5 should go top 5 picks in #NBA #Draft
— Jeremiah Trotter (@JTrotter_54) April 3, 2012
Chase Daniel, New Orleans SaintsCongrats to Kentucky, it was a joy to hoop with them boys back in September!! Congrats to Coach Cal and the staff as well!
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) April 3, 2012
Valiant comeback effort by ku, but #Kentucky takes the crown! #SEC #Miz-SEC
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) April 3, 2012
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Editor's note: All grammar has been left as it was written by each person.
Which team wins?
Kentucky has been the favorite to win the NCAA tournament since the beginning, but Kansas is a basketball superpower as well.
Calipari or Self?
John Calipari's sterling résumé lacks a national championship, while Bill Self will be looking to add a second title to his list of accomplishments.
Davis or Robinson?
Anthony Davis was recently named the Naismith Trophy winner as men's college basketball player of the year, a fact that may motivate Thomas Robinson in their title matchup.
Rooting interest?
Kentucky and Kansas play an almost pro-style of basketball, with neither team having a dreary ride to New Orleans.
Did the tourney deliver?
Your bracket probably got busted a long time ago, but did you end up enjoying this year's tournament on its own merits?
Which team wins?
Kentucky and Louisville are fierce rivals, which makes this Final Four matchup one for the ages.
Too much of a spread?
Kentucky is heavily favored in this matchup, but Louisville isn't exactly a slouch of a program.
Surprising situation?
Most pundits have picked Kentucky to win it all, but it wouldn't be the first favorite in history not to live up to expectations.
Calipari or Pitino?
John Calipari and Rick Pitino are two of the marquee names in college basketball for a number of very good reasons.
Famous fans?
Ashley Judd is a fixture on the sideline of Kentucky's games and is regularly featured in camera shots of the student section.
How's your bracket looking? If you're President Obama, you have only two Final Four teams remaining, but that's still good for the 96th percentile of all brackets filled out. In our Tournament Challenge, only 25,304 people got all four Final Four teams correct. This whole tournament thing, in case you haven't figured it out yet, is not all that easy to predict. It's down to three games, however, which means you've got a much better chance of picking the ones left. You probably won't, though. It's still not that easy.
(1) Kentucky vs. (4) Louisville
Kentucky made short work of Baylor in the Elite Eight, while Louisville went on a 23-8 run late to eke out a win against Florida.
(2) Kansas vs. (2) Ohio State
Ohio State finally made Syracuse feel the absence of Fab Melo, while Kansas took care of North Carolina with a 13-point win.
Exciting matchup?
Louisville and Kentucky have an old rivalry to settle this year, but Kansas and Ohio State might be the more even matchup.
How does your bracket look?
Ours was busted a long time ago, so we're not even going to judge you if yours doesn't look all that great.
It's a battle of the Commonwealth of Kentucky as Louisville will face Kentucky with a trip to the national championship game on the line. On the other side of the bracket, Ohio State will take on Kansas for the right to advance. Which is the better Final Four matchup?
- jaykel0621: "Louisville plays great defense, probably the only type of team that can beat Kentucky"
- FLfan2004: "Congrats to UL..great comeback..great class..and I can't wait to watch the state of Kentucky showdown!"
- ludwigjk: "Good game Buckeyes!! Bring on Kansas!"
- goosu123: "OSU TO THE FINAL 4!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOO!!!!!! FIRST TIME SINCE 2007!!!!!"
- Krazen1: "As an OSU fan, UK scares me. They are really good, and I really hope Louisville takes them out."
- Deska4: "KENTUCKY more NCAA Tournament wins than North Carolina...............YES !!!!!!"
- midland23: "Lets party like it's 2008!!!! Go Kansas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
- RummyRoy: "KU won't even get past OSU, much less Kentucky. This is the last game they win this year."
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Sadly, at least for Michigan State fans, the Spartans have been knocked out of the NCAA tournament by Louisville. Michigan State is the first No. 1 seed to fall in the tournament, but both Kentucky and North Carolina could take the plunge this evening if all doesn't go according to plan. Three double-digit seeds will be looking to end some tournament dreams early and keep the clock from striking midnight on their own personal Cinderella stories, but will we see any more upsets in the second half of the Sweet 16?
(1) Kentucky vs. (4) Indiana
Kentucky has run roughshod over its first two opponents, while Indiana barely survived a scare against VCU.
(1) North Carolina vs. (13) Ohio
No. 13 Ohio is the lowest-ranked team still remaining, having upset both Michigan and South Florida in the first two rounds.
(2) Kansas vs. (11) NC State
Both NC State and Kansas survived close games in the round of 32 -- NC State upset Georgetown 66-63, while Kansas eked out a 63-60 win against Purdue.
(3) Baylor vs. (10) Xavier
Baylor and Xavier are coming off of big wins in the round of 32, a far cry from the close games they won in the round of 64.
- Rank 'Em: Is John Calipari one of the college game's five best coaches?
- More from ESPN Chicago: Nick Friedell's Bulls blog on the coaching search
Chad Ford's new NBA mock draft includes five Kentucky players coming off the board before the draft is even 20 picks old, including four guys -- John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton who spent just one season in Lexington. But might there be a another member of the Kentucky team heading to the NBA after a brief stay in the Bluegrass State?
John Calipari is reportedly working on a new deal with the Wildcats, but rumors persist he may still be interested in running with the Bulls and his former pupil, Derrick Rose.
Calipari is about as recognizable a name as there is in college coaching, but he doesn't have a national championship, and let's face it, whether you think it's fair or overblown, he comes with a little baggage. So is he worth all the hype?
“Cal is an average COACH, but the BEST RECRUITER, when it matters, it comes down to coaching!, just like in 08 when he should have had his team foul chalmers, instead chalmers busts a 3 and end of story
” -- bLEEdat75
“I'm a Memphis guy and we needed Cal to revive the program. He did BUT we got what we paid for. We have awesome facilities and lots of PT to offer. Great local talent also. He'll leave Kentucky too. His mentor is Larry Brown. He will also hold up the scholl for more money as long as he's there every year.
” -- thetambo
- Rank 'Em: What does your Power 16 look like? | Joe Lunardi's Monday chat
- More from ESPN.com: March 8 Bracketology | Vote: Bubble Watch
Syracuse must have been on top of the world after finally gaining the No. 1 spot last week. Finally, the Orangemen could enjoy being the top dogs for an extended period of time, like their brethren in Kansas and Kentucky. Now, just to take care of Louisville, and ...
Oh man, that's rough. Fortunately, they only fell to No. 3, so it's not like the voters have abandoned them completely (one guy even kept them as No. 1). They're in the catbird seed for a one-seed, but out of the next few teams, which would get your pick as the final top pick?
“I wonder what genius kept Syracuse as their #1...
” -- marchphog88
Justin (New Jersey)
Hey Jay, who do you think is gonna be that last number 1 seed after kansas st. and duke losing last night. Joe lunardi has it as kansas state? but they just lost by 17 to kansas!!
Jay Bilas
Duke has more top fifty wins, if that is your cup of tea. I go with the best team. There is still time left, and Duke could prove to be that team, but I still think that Ohio State will sneak into consideration. How come we are so worried about other injuries but nobody cuts the Buckeyes a little slack for being without Evan Turner for six games?! Watch out for the Buckeyes. Full transcript
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