ATLANTA, GA – Where other, more seasoned #1 seeds have faltered, the youthful Kentucky Wildcats are proving that talent can often overcome a lack of experience.
After a 16-0 run in the first half erased an early, seven-point deficit against Baylor, the Wildcats breezed to a 82-70 victory to give the state of Kentucky two teams in this year’s Final Four, with rival Louisville the other.
UK head coach John Calipari will make his fourth career trip to the Final Four, and second in a row, as he seeks to finally secure his first national championship.
Four Kentucky players scored in double-figures to lead a balanced offensive attack, led by a 19-point effort from Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, with Anthony Davis adding 18 points and 11 rebounds, and also endured a frightening moment when he fell to the ground after a collision and immediately clutched his knee. But after only a brief absence, Davis returned to the game and showed no ill effects from the collision.
Quincy Acy scored 22 for Baylor to lead all scorers, Pierre Jackson had 21, and Perry Jones III added 17, but the Bears could only a muster another ten combined points outside of their “Big Three.”
Ian Eagle and John Thompson called the action on the Westwood One Radio Network.
