The first Final Four matchup of the NCAA tournament between the Louisville Cardinals and the Wichita State Shockers will take place tonight at 6:09 p.m. on CBS. The game can also be live streamed here.
Louisville entered the 2013 NCAA tournament as the top No. 1 seed, the Big East champion, and heavy favorite to win the title. They now have the tournament's biggest emotional edge on their side, with Atlanta's own Kevin Ware bravely watching from the sidelines after suffering one of the most horrific injuries ever seen on a basketball court.
The ninth-seeded Shockers made good on their moniker en route to this Cinderella ride to the Final Four, upsetting No. 8 Pittsburgh, No. 1 Gonzaga, and No. 2 Ohio State, as well as taking care of a scrappy No. 13 seed in LaSalle.
The two programs are essentially opposites. This will be Louisville's ninth trip to the Final Four, while Wichita State is making its first appearance. Louisville was the champion of the Big East, both in the regular season and in the conference tournament. Wichita State was behind Creighton in the Missouri Valley Conference regular season standings.
The Cardinals have won their four games this tournament by an average of 22 points, but they are not taking the confident Shockers lightly.
Louisville guard Peyton Siva said, "Their whole team is tough. It's not just one guy. Malcolm Armstead, of course, makes them go. But on any given night, anybody on the team can have a big night. It's up to us to play collective defense, hit the glass and continue to play how we've been playing."
Armstead indeed is the engine that makes Wichita State go. He averaged 11 points, four assists and two steals a game this season while shooting 40 percent from the field, 80 percent from the free throw line and 36 percent from beyond the arc.
Louisville will also have to deal with Cleanthony Early, the Shockers leading scorer at 14 points per game.
Meanwhile, Wichita State will need to remain calm in the face of Louisville's unrelenting pressure defense, which tends to disrupt opponents' offenses and lead to fast breaks. Shockers coach Gregg Marshall is very aware of this facet of Louisville's game.
"What you've got to do is not turn the ball over," Marshall said. "If we're turning the ball over and giving them transition opportunities, then we're not doing what we're trying to do."
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