Final: UConn 56, Kentucky 55. Brandon Knight hits a 3 at the buzzer, but it doesn't matter. It's too late. The UConn Huskies have emerged with a dramatic victory, and they're headed to the national final. Calhoun moves on; Calipari goes home.
As expected, Kemba Walker gives a solid all-around effort to lead the way for UConn. He drops 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds to fuel the victory. Jeremy Lamb quietly adds 12 points and eight boards.
It'll be UConn versus Butler in the final on Monday night. One team has made the Cinderella run in back-to-back seasons, advancing to another title game; the other has made an amazing run through the postseason with five straight wins in the Big East tourney and five more in the Dance.
The Huskies are now the favorites to win it all, no doubt about it. Can they get it done? We'll have to wait until Monday to find out.
Second half, 16.0 seconds, UConn 54-52: A crucial turnover gives Kentucky the ball back with a chance to tie or even win the game. Unbelievable.
Looked like UConn had this one in the bag. No longer. There's more than a slight glimmer of hope for the Wildcats now.
Who gets the ball for the last shot? Will Calipari go with Brandon Knight? The freshman sensation has had a big second half after a quiet start.
Second half, 56.5 seconds, UConn 54-51: DeAndre Liggins has his first hoop of the night, and it's a huge one. The Wildcats are back within three.
Brandon Knight got the ball back and rushed a 3 right away for the tie. Not a good shot.
Knight and the Wildcats look a little overwhelmed by the moment. They still have a lot of time left to equalize a one-possession game. They can't get too frazzled.
Second half, 2:49, UConn 52-48: UConn's defense is holding down the fort. With under three minutes to play, the Huskies appear to be in control.
Alex Oriakhi, Roscoe Smith, Jeremy Lamb and Kemba Walker have combined for 29 rebounds. The Huskies' effort on the glass has been fantastic. They're closing out each possession like champions.
Second half, 5:26, UConn 50-48: What a play. Alex Oriakhi blocks the shot, the ball goes flying out of bounds, and Kemba dives to save it. UConn ball.
The Huskies are really playing like they want this one now. The Wildcats were hoping just to coast to victory with their talented six-man group, but they don't appear to have enough. UConn is just giving the better overall team effort.
Second half, 8:30, UConn 46-42: Kemba Walker blazes his way into the paint and gets tripped up by Brandon Knight. Good, strong aggressive play to draw contact.
Kemba is playing out of his mind right now. He's got 14 points, seven assists and four rebounds. UConn might ride this performance straight to the title game.
The lead has swung back and forth in this second half, but right now the Huskies look like the more confident, composed team. You've got to like their chances.
Second half, 13:51, Kentucky 39-38: Wow. It's an 18-7 run for Kentucky to open the second half. Brandon Knight has caught fire, dominating on both ends over the last six minutes.
Knight gave the Wildcats nothing in the first half. From out of nowhere, he's piled up 12 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Kentucky has two of the biggest stars in the nation. UConn couldn't silence them all night. No one can.
Second half, 16:26, UConn 33-29: The Wildcats open the second half on an 8-0 run, charging back into the game, but the Huskies create some separation on a mid-range jumper from Roscoe Smith.
UConn is back up by four. Smith's shot ended a long scoring draught — almost six minutes. Maybe now they can regain some momentum and pull away again.
Or maybe not. The Wildcats are shooting the lights out right now.
Second half, 18:39, UConn 31-24: Brandon Knight has come to life for Kentucky, knocking down a deep 3 from the top of the key. The Wildcats aren't going down without a fight.
If they can get an efficient shooting performance out of Knight, DeAndre Liggins, Darius Miller and the rest of their supporting cast, they've got a real shot at a comeback victory.
Halftime, UConn 31-21: For the first time in the entire tournament, the Wildcats are behind by double digits. The Huskies close the first half on a 10-2 run, and they're in commanding position now to advance to Monday night's national final.
Kentucky is really struggling. They're shooting 29.0 percent from the field and 18.2 percent from long range. Everyone not named Terrence Jones has been terrible.
Kemba Walker leads the Huskies with nine points; Jeremy Lamb adds eight. If the Huskies can play some lock-down D in the second half, we'll be seeing them on Monday night.
First half, 4:22, UConn 27-19: It's another quick scoring burst from the Huskies — a 6-0 run, punctuated by a big dunk in transition from Kemba Walker.
Kemba's got nine points for UConn. Terrence Jones has nine for Kentucky.
The Wildcats' erratic shooting is really killing them, though. They're 8-for-26 from the field, and 2-for-10 from beyond the arc. They can't even hit free throws — they're 1-for-5 in that department.
Calipari's crew has come too far to go out like this. They're capable of playing so much better.
First half, 8:17, UConn 19-12: Now it's a 10-0 run for UConn to seize control. Kemba's now got nine points, shooting 3-of-7.
The Wildcats just can't hit a shot. They really look out of their element.
John Calipari should be able to get his guys back into this thing. He knows a little something about coaching in the Final Four — he's been here twice before, with UMass and Memphis.
First half, 9:53, UConn 14-12: Kemba Walker is pressing. He's the one who brought the Huskies to this stage, and he's feeling the pressure to carry them to the title game.
He's forcing a lot of shots. He's got six points, and the Huskies have the lead, but he's also just 2-of-6 from the field. He's got to calm down and let the game come to him.
Brandon Knight is having an even worse night — he's 0-for-4 from the field, including three 3s. He's got to find his touch.
First half, 13:09, Kentucky 10-9: Terrence Jones is singlehandedly killing the Huskies. He's got seven points and four rebounds already, in just four minutes.
Jim Calhoun needs a timeout. He came in with a game plan to contain Brandon Knight, but the way Jones is taking over, he needs to adjust a few things.
First half, 17:09, UConn 6-4: The Huskies start strong, making their first three attempts from the field. They've got an early lead.
Kemba Walker has hardly even touched the ball yet. Jeremy Lamb, Tyler Olander and Alex Oriakhi have each scored once.
The Huskies are showing their versatility. Kemba's taking his time. He's in no rush to take the game over just yet.
8:56 p.m.: Kentucky and UConn are up next. The Huskies have one of the game's fiercest competitors in Kemba Walker, but the depth of the talent under Wildcats coach John Calipari makes UK the clear favorite in this one.
The 'Cats are young and inexperienced, though, which could be their Achilles' heel. Are Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones ready to be national champions?
Final: Butler 70, VCU 62. The Rams get a couple of opportunities down the stretch, but they can't quite get it done. Their Cinderella story ends in the round of four.
For the second year in a row, the Butler Bulldogs have shocked the world and advanced to the national championship game. It's an incredible story — amid all the national heavyweights at the Final Four, little old Butler has made a name for itself. Last year, Butler took on Duke in the final; this year, it'll be either Kentucky or UConn.
Shelvin Mack finishes with 24 points and six boards to lead the way for Butler. Matt Howard adds 17 and 7. Those two guys were already big men on campus, but they got even bigger tonight.
Jamie Skeen puts up a heck of a fight with 27 points, but he and the Rams are headed back home to Richmond.
Stay tuned. The Wildcats and Huskies are up next.
Second half, 3:02, Butler 61-54: Shawn Vanzant knocks down a huge 3 in the waning seconds of the shot clock. That's a dagger through the Rams' hearts. The Bulldogs are now up seven with just over three minutes to play.
Shaka Smart needs a timeout. He might be running out of answers here.
Second half, 5:58, Butler 56-52: Jamie Skeen isn't ready to die quietly. He's played an inspired second half for the Rams, hitting a couple of clutch shots to keep things close.
Skeen now has 22 points and five boards. He's drawing the Bulldogs' focus on every single possession, making everyone around him better. The Rams have lived and died with this guy all year long, and they're hoping to ride him to a comeback win.
Second half, 9:39, Butler 52-45: The Bulldogs are rolling. They've got their biggest lead of the night, up seven with under 10 minutes to play.
First Shelvin Mack knocked down a ridiculous 3 from about 26 feet out; then he grabbed a loose ball and crushed the Bulldogs with a layup in transition.
Mack is fired up. He's now got 21 points, and he's ready to compete for a national championship.
Second half, 12:37, Butler 42-41: Butler's back. Matt Howard has picked up the intensity inside, muscling for rebounds to keep the Bulldogs within striking distance. He's now got five boards to go with his 11 points.
Neither of these teams is particularly physical. But finesse ball doesn't win national championships. The Bulldogs are showing a willingness to get down and dirty in the second half. They're willing to fight for their spot in the final.
Second half, 17:11, VCU 35-34: VCU is making its push. It's a 7-0 run to open the second half. Butler just can't hit a shot.
The Bulldogs have four turnovers in the first three minutes, and the Rams are capitalizing every time. They're getting everyone involved.
Butler's senior leaders need to rally everyone together and regain their composure. They've still got plenty of time.
Halftime, Butler 34-28: Despite shooting just 32.3 percent in the first half, including a gruesome 3-for-14 from 3-point range, the Butler Bulldogs have themselves a comfortable six-point lead at the half.
The Bulldogs get 13 points from Shelvin Mack and nine from Matt Howard. The same two guys that have led them all season are now 20 minutes away from leading them to the national title game.
The Rams have gotten 12 points from Jamie Skeen and nine from Bradford Burgess. That's not enough, though. Someone else has to chip in to keep VCU alive.
First half, 4:13, Butler 25-24: Hello, Shelvin Mack. The Bulldogs started slow, but their leader has carried them back. Mack knocks down a 3, his third of the ballgame, and Butler is back in front.
Mack's got 11 points; Jamie Skeen has 12 for VCU.
Both teams are counting on the 3-ball to fuel them in this one, and both teams are doing a pretty good job of it.
First half, 8:22, VCU 17-15: Rob Brandenburg just made a big play for VCU, blocking a shot and taking it the other way for a fast break. He gets to the line for two shots.
The Rams have been the better team in this game by far, even if the scoreboard doesn't emphatically say it. They're moving the ball better, they're getting better shots, and they're controlling the tempo on both ends of the floor.
They're not hitting their shots very well — 31.6 percent, to be exact — but Butler is even worse in that departent. The Bulldogs are shooting just 27.7 percent from the field. Pretty ugly.
First half, 13:10, VCU 15-7: The Rams are moving the ball brilliantly, making the extra pass and creating open looks with ease. Their execution in this first half has been flawless.
The result? A 15-2 run to take a commanding lead. Bradford Burgess just hit his third 3 of the ballgame — he's singlehandedly outscoring the Bulldogs.
Butler has missed six of its last seven shots. Not good.
First half, 16:16, VCU 9-5: The Rams have knocked down three straight from long distance. Bradford Burgess hits a pair, fueling a 9-0 run to put VCU back out in front.
As expected, it's going to be a game of runs with two trigger-happy teams like this.
First half, 19:22, Butler 3-0: The Bulldogs live and die with the 3-ball, and so far, they're living large. Shelvin Mack knocks one down to give Butler an early lead.
Good start for the Bulldogs. Shooting lots of 3s is a volatile strategy — in this tournament, one fluky night of bad shooting can do you in. But both of these teams have been high-volume 3-point shooters throughout the tournament, and it's worked for them.
6:10 p.m.: The Butler Bulldogs have been introduced. Their intro speech includes the words "Hoosier heroes," and refers to them as the first Indiana-based team ever to make back-to-back Final Fours.
Bob Knight? Who's that? Never heard of him. IU is old news — these guys are the kings of Indiana now.
5:45 p.m.: The house is packed and the crowd is riled up in Houston. This may only be the opening act before the big UConn-Kentucky main event, but Reliant Stadium is raring to go for this one.
Two Cinderellas have made it this far, but only one can survive further.
4 p.m.: Butler in the Final Four may come as a surprise, but hey — they've been here before. The Bulldogs shocked the world by coming within one Gordon Hayward buzzer-beater of a national championship last year, ultimately falling 61-59 to Duke.
They've got the experience. Maybe that's why they're the favorites to return to the title game this year — they're favored by three points over VCU in tonight's national semifinal.
Not hard to see why. The Bulldogs are a solid all-around team — they shoot the 3 very well, they defend it even better, and they've got a heck of a big man in senior Matt Howard. Plus it never hurts to have one of the rising stars in coaching by your side in Brad Stevens.
Will the Bulldogs move on, or will the Rams pull off one more upset? Stay tuned and find out.
9 a.m.: The Big Dance is nearing its end, and March Madness has transitioned into one final April weekend with everything on the line. The field of 68 has been whittled down to just four teams competing for a national championship.
Two of the four are traditional national heavyweights; the other two might surprise you. There will be two of college hoops' royalty and two Cinderellas duking it out at Reliant Stadium in Houston on Saturday night.
In the early game, you get the two semifinalists that no one saw coming. VCU, who survived a play-in game and four more contests as the No. 11 seed in the Southwest regional, takes on Butler, the No. 8 seed in the Southeast. The Rams have come from out of nowhere, riding the play of forward Jamie Skeen past Kansas and into the Final Four; the Bulldogs are the Cinderellas for the second year in a row. They faced Duke for all the marbles last spring.
That game is at 6:09 p.m. Eastern. Then at 8:49, you get the main event, as Kentucky and UConn square off for the other spot in Monday's national championship game. There will be big names everywhere you look, as the Huskies' superstar Kemba Walker goes up against Brandon Knight, Terrence Jones and the rest of the highly touted Wildcats.
Come Saturday night, we'll know which two teams are one win away from glory. Don't miss a minute of the action, and don't miss a word right here at NESN's live blog.
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