In the Southeast Regional finals, contrary to many people's expectations, the University of Connecticut showed the strength of the top seed and completely crushed its opponents in the first half.
At 29:43, at the end of the half, the point difference had been widened to 14 points.
In the slow-paced NCAA competition, it is not an easy task to recover such a point difference.
The most important thing is that Connecticut blossomed inside and outside, and every player on the field scored, while Cincinnati collectively failed to achieve success, and the game was almost no longer suspense.
Li You played 8 minutes and 42 seconds in the first half, made 4 of 4, and scored 8 points, 1 rebound and 4 assists.
With the inside advantage, he finished the offense closer to the basket. Coach Calhoun was very satisfied with this. During the entire half, the opponent failed to make an effective transition attack.
During the halftime break, the Cincinnati fans who flew all the way to Lexington seemed very disappointed. Watching the game live could better feel the opponent's talent. They were completely crushed.
"It seems that there will be new faces in this year's semi-finals. The University of Connecticut is worthy of being the top seed. Maybe they have a chance to win the championship!"
Jim Nantz started to be rude again. This senior sports reporter just likes teams with good talent. Cincinnati has been eliminated in his heart...
Billy Parker just smiled. He has always been more optimistic about the University of Kentucky, which has always crushed its opponents in the championship:
"Winning the championship is not an easy task, but in a game that determines the outcome, anything is possible. This is also the charm of the NCAA."
"..."
After the start of the second half, Cincinnati did not give up, still trying to chase points and trying to speed up the offensive rhythm.
He just missed consecutive shots from the outside and was easily scored by the steady University of Connecticut.
Big man Knight completely dominated the inside in this game. With his stable 2 points, the point difference was widened to 20 points in less than 5 minutes of the game.
In Rupp Arena, University of Connecticut fans were jumping up and down and cheering loudly. Everyone had already begun to celebrate that the team had made history and reached the Final Four!
Coach Calhoun was very cautious, and the huge point difference still did not expand the rotation.
Li You's playing time has increased, but after playing, he is more responsible for sorting out the offense, slowing down the pace, and passing the ball inside.
One side was anxious to speed up, and the other side was playing slower and slower. The game time passed quickly. Many Cincinnati fans at the scene had already covered their faces and shed tears.
As the final buzzer sounded, everyone at the University of Connecticut screamed and rushed to the center of the field. Everyone hugged and shouted happily along with the fans.
60:77, in the Southeast Regional finals, Connecticut defeated Cincinnati and successfully reached the final four!
Danny Fordson was in tears. As the core of Cincinnati, he shot 5 of 17 in this game and only scored 12 points.
And most of the points were scored in the second half. The score difference was widened in the first half, largely because he was so strong.
The entire arena was filled with excited shouts from Connecticut fans.
Li You smiled and hugged Calhoun. The 10-year veteran coach at the University of Connecticut also cried with joy:
"We will win the championship! The semi-finals are just the beginning!"
Patting the good old man on the shoulder, Li You could understand the mood of head coach Calhoun at this time.
Connecticut has been unable to recruit talented players, and its best result in the past was to stop in the quarterfinals. Calhoun, who has been running around for the team for many years, has been rewarded this year.
"Thanks to your performance, Lee, you will become a big star!"
Coach Calhoun restrained his emotions and patted Li You on the shoulder. These players were recruited and trained by him personally. He sincerely hopes that everyone can succeed.
...
On March 24, all the top four teams in the NCAA tournament were announced:
In the Eastern Region, UMass defeated Georgetown 86:62 and successfully advanced as the top seed.
Marcus Camby of the University of Massachusetts played 28 minutes, made 9 of 19, scored 22 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 3 blocks.
Allen Iverson, who has high hopes, played 36 minutes and made 6 of 21 shots. He scored 23 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 5 turnovers with a shooting percentage of less than 30%.
Despite the poor statistics, most media still praised Iverson's hard-working spirit on the court...
In the Midwest Regional final, Kentucky defeated Wake Forest with 20 points, 63:83!
Tim Duncan, who has high hopes, played 39 minutes, made 2 of 7, scored 14 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 4 blocks and 5 turnovers.
Another star player Antoine Walker made 3 of 11 shots and his performance was poor. He only scored 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.
The two star players failed to play the matchup that everyone expected, but Kentucky guard Tony Delk performed well:
He made 9 of 13 shots and 5 of 7 from beyond the arc, scoring 25 points efficiently and stealing the limelight from both of them.
In the Western Regional Finals, Syracuse University defeated its opponent 60:57 and reached the semifinals for the third time in its history.
Coupled with Connecticut, which defeated its rival in the Southeast Region, two new faces appeared in this year's semifinals!
Both the University of Macau and Connecticut College have created the best records in team history. In the Final Four, four teams will fly to Rutherford, New Jersey.
The national semifinals and finals will be held at Continental Arena.
Connecticut's opponent in the semifinals is Syracuse University. There is still some time before the 30th, and head coach Calhoun also gave the players a day off.
Due to NCAA regulations, players are not allowed to accept any gifts in any form. Therefore, even Ray Allen, who is about to become a millionaire, does not have many benefits.
Agent Mark Bartelstein naturally followed the whole process and has been staying in Lexington these past few days.
Seeing the University of Connecticut reach the Final Four makes me happy.
Li You made 6 of 7 in the regional finals, 1 of 2 from beyond the three-point line, and 2 of 2 free throws. He efficiently scored 15 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 turnover.
This performance has surpassed many star players who are popular in the draft, and Mark Bartelstein is also very satisfied with this.
Even if he is a bad guy, being able to perform like this shows Li You's strength.
However, the exercises across the ocean in the past two days gave the agent some bad premonitions.
During lunch time on the 24th, Mark Bartelstein made a special appointment with Li You. Looking at the young man eating meat in front of him, he pointedly said:
"Li, have you paid attention to the news these past two days? You know, as you reach the semi-finals, not only the sports media, you may also encounter some social problems..."
Before the other party could finish speaking, Li You raised his eyebrows and immediately said:
"Wanwan problem? No one will come to ask me for my opinion on this matter, right? I'm just a college player. Will it be my turn to express my opinion on this kind of thing?"
Mark Bartelstein didn't expect that Li You really knew about this, and he was a little surprised, and then reminded him with a smile:
"Be prepared, Li, you should understand your situation!"
Li You continued to devour meat and responded without raising his head:
"Wanwan Province belongs to China, and there is only one China in the world. This is a matter of principle!"
Noticing Mark Bartelstein's helpless expression, Li You secretly complained:
"The ABCs who come here are not human beings, I just want to stand and make money!"
