12-12-2019, 02:26 AM
INDIANAPOLIS -- The shot came from NBA range, and if things play out as expected, Aaron Harrison and a lot of those Kentucky kids will be playing in that league soon enough. Fake Jordan . First, theyre heading to the Final Four -- a trip to Big D courtesy of Harrisons unforgettable big shot. The 6-foot-6 forward made a 3-pointer from about 24 feet with 2.3 seconds left Sunday to lift the Wildcats and all those freshmen to a 75-72 win over Michigan and the programs 16th trip to the Final Four. He backpedaled slowly, almost expressionless, after ball hit twine. Teammates Dakari Johnson and Julius Randle chased him down. "Making that shot and seeing my teammates so happy and turning toward me, its the best feeling in the world," Harrison said. Mississauga, Ont., native Nik Stauskas missed a desperation heave for Michigan at the buzzer and then, it was Harrisons turn on the bottom of a dog pile. Make that a puppy pile. Eighth-seeded Kentucky is the first all-freshman starting lineup to make the Final Four since the Fab Five at Michigan in 1992. The Wildcats (28-10) will play Wisconsin next Saturday outside of Dallas at AT&T Stadium. "They made a great shot," said Stauskas, who led the second-seeded Wolverines with 24 points. "I thought we did a pretty good job contesting it. Its part of basketball." The Wolverines (28-9) ended their season one win shy of a second straight Final Four. What a ride this has been for this group of Wildcats, an all-new collection of McDonalds All-Americans who were touted as the team that could go 40-0, then dismissed out of hand when the bad losses and bad basketball piled up in January and February. Coach John Calipari got things turned around by March, and for the second straight game in the Midwest Regional, Harrison made the shot that gave the Wildcats the lead for good. On Friday, he made the key 3 in Kentuckys 74-69 win over Louisville. This time, he took a handoff from his twin brother, Andrew, in the corner and dribbled three times to the top left of the arc. He was standing a good three feet behind the line when he elevated over Caris LeVert and took a bit of contact on the hand from the Michigan guard as he shot. No matter. The ball rattled in. Aaron Harrison scored 12 points off four 3-pointers over the last 8:05 and was Caliparis obvious choice to take the game-winner. "Ive been around guys who make these kind of plays," Calipari said. "Ive always said, You cannot be afraid to miss. Hes not afraid to miss. Thats the whole thing about making those kind of plays. And if he does miss, hes going to shoot it again." It wasnt all Harrison, of course. While he was being shut down early, it was Marcus Lee -- surprisingly -- keeping the Wildcats in the game. Lee, another of the McDonalds All-American freshmen on Caliparis roster, had scored a total of nine points since the beginning of January, relegated to the bench after an early season illness. In this one, he got minutes that would have normally gone to the injured Willie Cauley-Stein, and finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. Eight of those points came on put-back dunks that were part of Kentuckys 18 offensive rebounds. Harrisons first 3 gave Kentucky a 58-55 lead and was part of an 11-0 run that made it 62-55 with 6:30 left. The Wolverines fought back, and during a nine-possession stretch of sublime basketball the teams traded scores. The next stop gave the Wolverines the ball with about a minute left, trailing 72-70. Stauskas missed a layup and a 3-pointer, then Derrick Walton missed an open 3. But the fourth attempt went in with 31 seconds left and got credited to Jordan Morgan on a scramble under the basket, though it was Randles hand that tipped the ball in. Calipari called a timeout. Michigan burned a foul. And the endgame started with 10 seconds left. The ball went to Harrison and it was clear he was going to take the shot. "In that stage, that atmosphere, that game, to make that shot and send us to the Final Four, its just amazing. I was proud of him and it was shocking at the same time," Randle said. Randle finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Hes a Dallas kid and will play in the sports biggest spectacle not far from home. If that doesnt feel like hitting the lottery, well, a few weeks later, he probably will. Randle is considered lottery pick material if he decides to go to the NBA, as expected. Others could join him in the Association, the latest group of one-and-done Wildcats that Calipari has put together. Theyll deal with that in 10 days or so. "Were going to go back and practice, go back and see if we can get better between now and the Final Four," Calipari said. "These guys arent real happy about it, but we are." Discount Air Jordan . - A week after a late-game debacle on defence, the Pittsburgh Steelers showed they can finish. Air Jordan Sale . -- At the beginning of training camp, Andrew Bogut set a goal to play all 82 regular-season games and regain his place among the NBAs best centres. https://www.wholesalejordanshoeschina.com/ . has left the San Jose Sharks to become the Boston Bruins director of player personnel.What a difference a year makes. With Opening Day less than a week away, the excitement surrounding the Toronto Blue Jays is much different than it was a year ago. Going into last season, many believed this team could win the World Series, or at the very least, make the playoffs for the first time in 20 years. This, of course, never came to fruition and the Jays have gone from pre-season favourites to almost an afterthought in the baseball world. Their window to win with this group of players might only have a season or two left, so the time to be successful is now. Having said that, what are your expectations for the 2014 Toronto Blue Jays? The Jays Opening Day roster wont look drastically different from 2013. Aside from losing the much-maligned J.P. Arencibia (replacing him with Dioner Navarro) to the Texas Rangers and Josh Johnson to the San Diego Padres, the Jays have pretty much stood pat. Will another year of the same crew result in a similar outcome, or, with a season together already under their belts, is it possible Toronto can find their grove and be a competitive ball club?? The pitching rotation has been a major question mark this spring with R. Cheap Retro Jordan. . Dickey, Mark Buehrle, and the oft-injured Brandon Morrow returning to this years staff. Youngster Drew Hutchison, 23, who missed last season due to Tommy John surgery and long-time Blue Jay Dustin McGowan round out the rotation. Will the Jays go as far as their starters take them? How much faith do you have in this group to stay healthy and produce wins? It looks as though the AL East is as strong as its ever been with the Orioles, Yankees, Red Sox and Rays making improvements to their ball clubs over the off-season. Are the Jays good enough to compete in the toughest division in baseball? There is the opinion that the expectations – and pressure – were so high for the team in 2013, that they were set up to fail. With the team not having the weight of the world on their shoulders this time around, its possible the team could pull a 180 and play like they were supposed to last year. So, what are you expecting from the Toronto Blue Jays in 2014? As always, its Your! Call. ' ' '