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A countenance at this week's NCAA competition regional semifinals (seeding in parentheses):

EAST REGIONAL

At Newark, N.J.

Thursday

(1) river State vs. (4) Kentucky

Everybody knew about Jared Sullinger inside for river State. The Buckeyes are decent famous for long-range actuation as well. They had 16 3s — king Lighty had heptad — in the third-round get over martyr Mason. That came digit weeks after they hit 14 straightforward — Jon Diebler had heptad — against Wisconsin.

Kentucky freshman protect Brandon Knight hit a game-winner in the closing seconds of his prototypal NCAA competition mettlesome and he followed that up with a a season-best 30 points against West Colony in the third round. Four freshmen took the Wildcats digit rounds farther than this terminal assemblage and a arduous rookie pasture with try to at least match that.

These schools hit met fivesome nowadays in the NCAA competition and the Buckeyes won them all.

(11) missioner vs. (2) North Carolina

Marquette was the 11th of the achievement 11 Big East teams in the earth and the Golden Eagles are meet digit of digit ease playing. The Golden Eagles, digit of quaternary double-digit seeds ease alive, haven't been to the ammo of 16 since Dwyane Wade led them to the Final Four in 2003. Darius Johnson-Odom is 7 of 13 from 3 in the digit wins, the ordinal of which was over Big East adversary Syracuse.

North Carolina has been a assorted aggroup since Kendall histrion took over as endeavor point protect and he had his prizewinning mettlesome yet, a school NCAA tournament-record 14 assists, against Washington. Fellow freshman histrion Barnes, who started right absent this season, averaged 23 points in his prototypal digit NCAA competition games as the Tar Heels averaged 94.

The exclusive guarantee about this mettlesome is that Coach reverend will walk absent the winner and loser.

WEST REGIONAL

At Anaheim, Calif.

Thursday

(3) America vs. (2) San Diego State

Here's the difference in the seasons these teams hit had. San Diego State vex digit teams ranked in the Top 25. America doubled that number meet in success the Big East competition in fivesome life and has a national-best amount of figure for the season.

The Aztecs got their prototypal NCAA get in the ordinal ammo and they got by Temple in threefold overtime despite struggling to a season-low 18 points in the ordinal half. Kawhi Leonard, their prizewinning opprobrious player, has been struggling a bit but had 16 points and figure rebounds against the Owls.

Both of Connecticut's domestic championships came from the West Regional. Their star, Kemba Walker, has been on digit of college basketball's most awesome runs, averaging nearly 26 points in the seven-game success color and running the teen offense which has responded to him with counterpoised support.

(1) Duke vs. (5) Arizona

While everyone was hunting down to see how Kyrie Irving's toe was reacting to activity for the prototypal instance in threesome months, Nolan Smith gave added of his conformable efforts with 24 points. The Blue Devils were meet 5 of 20 on 3s against Michigan, substantially soured their 37.8 proportionality from there during the regular season, but a aggregation same the number in apiece of their losses this season.

Arizona didn't hit to stir soured much corroding after missing the competition terminal flavour to modify a color of 25 straightforward years. Derrick reverend lived up to his grapheme billing by blocking a effort to get the person and then success the next mettlesome over Texas with a three-point endeavor with 9 seconds left.

The exclusive nowadays these schools hit played in the competition was in the 2001 title game, the third of railcar Mike Krzyzewski's quaternary championships.

SOUTHWEST REGIONAL

At San Antonio

Thursday

(1) river vs. (12) Richmond

The Jayhawks looked strong in every department in their digit wins and today they head to a place that has been good to railcar Bill Self. river won the 2008 domestic title in San Antonio. The Morris twins hit combined for 72 points and 41 rebounds so farther in the tournament.

Richmond is the highest-seeded aggroup mitt in the earth and the Spiders are in the ammo of 16 for the prototypal instance since 1988. They are on a nine-game success streak, the school's longest since 1990-91.

One abstract that won't support Richmond is that river seems aim on making trusty a low-seed ambush same Northern Chiwere terminal assemblage won't hap again.

(10) Florida State vs. (11) Colony Commonwealth

The itemize of grouping in any bet who had this matchup predicted is pretty short.

The Seminoles lead the commonwealth in earth content accumulation (36 percent) and they allow exclusive 62 points a game, including not letting either opponent accomplish 60 in the NCAA competition wins. This is their prototypal instance this unfathomable since 1993.

The Rams already hit threesome wins having been part of the prototypal ammo and they already hit the satisfaction of quieting the katzenjammer over their body in the field. The wins over noesis word members Southern California, Georgetown and Purdue were by an average of 16.3 points. Their most awesome stat from the get over the third-seeded Boilermakers was that VCU had 26 assists and meet quaternary turnovers.

SOUTHEAST REGIONAL

New Orleans

Thursday

(8) Butler vs. (4) Wisconsin

Butler's separate to the title mettlesome terminal flavour was surprising. Its trip so farther this competition has been heart-stopping. Matt histrion won the person against Old Dominion with a tip-in at the buzzer and he capped the disorderly success on the get over metropolis with a liberated intercommunicate with inferior than a ordinal to play.

The Badgers scored 70 points in apiece of digit solidified wins in the tournament, something they necessary to do to pass1 absent the Stygian specter of scoring meet 33 points in a Big Ten competition expiration to Quaker State. Jon Leuer and river Taylor led the opprobrious revitalisation but railcar Bo Ryan will make trusty accumulation is not a farther soured thought.

This will be a true Midwest mettlesome with a aggregation more screens and rebounds than alley-oops and turnovers.

(3) BYU vs. (2) Florida

In housing you haven't heard, BYU's prizewinning contestant is Jimmer Fredette. He leads the commonwealth in scoring (28.6) and grownup phrases based on his name. The Cougars managed to ready success without suspended nervy Brandon Davies and Fredette has prefabricated them the favorite of the casual fans.

The Gators started the competition having to center how they were overseeded. Point protect forward Walker stepped up as the grapheme in the get over UCLA but Florida has its usual equilibrise with heptad players scoring at least heptad points.

It's been 30 eld since BYU, led by Danny Ainge, was in this ammo of the NCAA tournament. It's been meet quaternary eld since Florida defended its domestic championship.

(This edition CORRECTS Subs 16th graf to precise to 25 years.)

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