And then there were four--the Final Four.
Days of NCAA basketball championship action have finally narrowed down the field of 68 teams and national title hopefuls to the last four teams left in the tournament.
The Elite 8 of the NCAA national hoops tourney concluded Sunday in two memorable finishes. No.1 Louisville pounded No.2 Duke 85-63, the Cardinals overcoming a devastating injury to player Kevin Ware, who broke his leg in two places while coming down on a shot block attempt during the first quarter that left Louisville shaken up.
Meanwhile, Michigan guard Nik Staukas's 22 points and 3 assists powered the Wolverines to a dominating 79-59 trouncing of the No.3 seeded Florida Gators. Michigan's trip to the Final Four marks the first time the Wolverines have made it this far in the tournament since the early 1990s Far Four era featuring Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose and Jimmy King.
That group that went to the NCAA title game twice in 1992 and 1993, losing both times.
One day earlier on Saturday, the No.4 Syracuse Orangemen outclassed the No.3 Marquette Golden Eagles 55-39 on the back of Syracuse forwards James Southerland (16 points) and C.J. Fair (13 points).
Meanwhile, the No.9 Wichita State Shockers continued their run in the tournament by edging out the Ohio State Buckeyes 70-66 in a thriller thanks to Cleanthony Early's 12 points and seven rebounds.
Now, the stage is set for a showdown in Atlanta, the host city for the NCAA Final Four and the championship game this year.
On Saturday, Wichita State will test their luck against No.1 Louisville, hoping to ride the momentum of its recent win against Ohio State while Louisville, making a return to the Final Four from last season, look to get into the title game for their first national championship since 1986.
Meanwhile, Syracuse, which has been looking great through the whole tournament, look to get their first title since the Carmelo Anthony-led team of 2003 when they take on Michigan, who last won the national college hoops crown in 1989.
Latinos Post breaks down the schedule and live stream information for this weekend's Final Four games as March Madness continues:
Wichita State (9) vs. Lousiville (1)
Time: 6:09 p.m. EST
TV Channel: CBS
Live Stream: NCAA.com's March Madness Site
Syracuse (4) vs. Michigan (4)
Time: 8:49 p.m. EST
TV Channel: CBS
Live Stream: NCAA.com's March Madness Site
Tickets
For Information on how to buy tickets to the NCAA Final Four weekend, click on the NCAA's official website link here.
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