If there were two players who raised their NBA draft stock, it had to be Michigan’s Aday Mara and Connecticut’s Tarris Reed Jr.

Mara, a 7-foot-3 center from Saragoza, Spain, was a huge reason why the Wolverines captured their first men’s NCAA tournament title since 1989. His presence in the paint, particularly on defense, allowed Michigan defenders to stay home on shooters and his guard-like skills afforded Michigan head coach Dusty May another playmaker on the court to go with point guard Elliott Cadeau and Yaxel Lendeborg.

The 21-year-old Mara was projected to be a late first- or early second-round pick, but after his impressive performances in the NCAA tournament, some mock drafts elevated him in the top 20 of the first round.

The other center who elevated his draft stock was UConn’s Reed Jr. The 6-11, 265-pound burly big man — who spent his first two college seasons at Ann Arbor, Mich. — was the driving force behind the Huskies’ run to the national championship game where they lost to Mara’s Wolverines.

Projected to be late second-round pick in the draft, Reed, who turns 23 in August, has completely flipped his draft status and could hear his name called in the first round.

A closer look at Reed and Mara.

Tarris Reed Jr., 22, senior, center, UConn
Reed averaged a double-double during March Madness, posting averages of 19.5 points and 13.1 rebounds while shooting 54.4% from the field. During the regular season, Reed posted 14.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

His tournament run was highlighted by a historic 31-poing, 27-rebound effort in the first round against Furman. Reed became the first men’s college player in 58 years to achieve a 30-25 stat line in the NCAA tournament. Elvin Hayes was the last player to pull off the 30-25 feat, doing in twice in 1968. Reed was also the first player since Bill Walton in 1972 to record a 30-point, 20-rebound game while shooting over 80% from the field.

In a highly anticipated matchup against AP and Naismith player of the year Cameron Boozer of Duke in the Elite Eight, Reed more than held his own, scoring 26 points and grabbing nine rebounds with four blocks and two steals.

PFSN’s Alex Kennedy wrote: “Tarris Reed Jr.’s NCAA Tournament run has been nothing short of spectacular. The UConn Huskies star has turned March Madness into his coming-out party.”

Kennedy added: “After transferring from the Michigan Wolverines, Reed has maximized his potential under UConn head coach Dan Hurley while taking on more responsibility.

And yet, Reed’s NBA draft projection is a bit complicated. He’ll be 23 years old in August, and his game does not stretch beyond the arc in a league where that’s now extremely important. He’s currently the No. 55-ranked prospect in PFSN’s NBA Mock Draft Simulator, and ESPN ranks him as the 63rd-best prospect on their 2026 NBA Draft big board, meaning there’s a chance he doesn’t even get drafted.”

Reed struggled a bit against Mara and Michigan in the national championship game, but still put up a decent stat line. He finished with 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds.

Aday Mara, 21, junior, center, Michigan
In the national championship game against UConn, Mara contributed eight points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block in 30 minutes. More importantly, he provided an inside presence that made life difficult for UConn’s Reed.

“He probably won’t go in the first 10 [NBA draft picks], but in five years [NBA teams] will be like, ‘I probably wish I had taken Mara,’” former Michigan coach John Beilein told the New York Times.

Through five games in the 2026 NCAA tournament, Michigan center Aday Mara is averaging 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game.

The 7-3 junior center has been a focal point of Michigan’s run to the national championship game in Indianapolis. He saved his best in the Final Four as he pumped in a career-high 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the field in a 91-73 blowout win over Arizona. Mara was on the receiving end of several nifty lob dunks, which he triggered with some old fashioned screen-and-rolls.

Mara’s outstanding performance on both ends overcame the partial absence of All-American forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who injured his knee and ankle in the first half and was never himself the rest of the game. With Lendeborg hobbled, Mara stepped up and became the focal point of Michigan’s inside attack. His length bothered Arizona’s frontcourt players, including freshman star Koa Peat, who had to earn all 16 of his points on 6-of-18 shooting from the field.

Mara left UCLA for Michigan in April 2025 primarily due to a desire for more playing time and frustration over not achieving his personal, high expectations during his two seasons in Westwood under UCLA head coach Mick Cronin. Despite enjoying his time at UCLA, Mara felt his development was stalled and sought a better fit for his skill set under Coach Dusty May.

“I had expectations when I came here that I didn’t achieve… so I took the decision to go to Michigan to try to meet all the expectations,” Mara said.

He felt Michigan offered a better system for his, specifically looking at how Coach Dusty May uses big men. May had success with Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf (both seven footers), and Mara joked that he saw both up close and personal as a sophomore — from the UCLA bench.

USA Today’s Bryan Kalbrosky thinks Mara jumped into the middle of the first round with his March Madness performance.

Kalbosky said: “After leading his team to the collegiate national championship game, Michigan center Aday Mara became one of the prospects who helped himself the most during March Madness. The 7-foot-3 big man, who transferred from UCLA, is a fantastic rim protector. Opponents only attempted 20.9 percent of their field goals at the rim when the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year was on the court, per CBB Analytics, which ranks near lowest among all NCAA players. He can also pass well, finding some awesome outlet looks in transition and at the rim. Especially in short spurts, Mara would make an excellent backup to Victor Wembanyama.”

Cooper Flagg and Johni Broome have they eyes on an NCAA tournament title run. (Getty Images)

Jack Gohlke and DJ Burns weren’t household names at the start of March Madness last year. By the time the tournament reached peak interest, Gohlke and Burns became major headlines.

Gohlke starred in the opening round of the 2024 NCAA men’s tournament, spearheading tiny Oakland University to an upset victory over Kentucky. Gohlke finished the game with 32 points, making 10 3-pointers. Burns’ tournament celebrity status lasted two weeks as he powered North Carolina State to its first Final Four appearance since Jim Valvano’s Cinderella run in 1983. Burns’ big moment came in the Elite Eight when he scored 29 points to knock off ACC rival Duke.

Who will be this year’s Gohlke and Burns? A closer look at new potential March Madness heroes. OMFB picked eight players who could be major difference-makers in the 2025 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. These are not necessarily the best pro prospects — although Flagg and Queen are high on most experts’ mock drafts — but they may deliver the shining moments in this year’s Big Dance.

Cooper Flagg
Duke’s NCAA championship hopes hinge on Flagg’s ankles. He’s only got one healthy ankle entering the tournament, and that may be good enough. The Blue Devils have a good roster, but they have a great roster with Flagg in the lineup. Flagg was the engine that drove Duke to the No. 1 seed in the East Region. He finished the regular season leading the team in points (18.9), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.1), blocks (1.3) and steals (1.5). There is no one on Duke’s roster who can provide that same type of productivity.

Johni Broome
Three years ago, Auburn was ranked No. 1 and was among the favorites to win the NCAA title. Bruce Pearl’s squad was then led by a fabulous freshman, Jabari Smith Jr., who was selected third overall in the 2022 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets. Pearl and the Tigers enter the field of 68 in 2025 with another big-time forward, Johni Broome. Broome, a fifth-year senior who started his college career in 2020 at Morehead State before transferring to Auburn, was the SEC player of the year and led the conference in rebounds (10.6) and blocks (2.3).

Walter Clayton Jr.
The Florida Gators are among the favorites to cut down the nets in San Antonio. The SEC tournament champions have the talent and depth to make a deep tourney run. They have a top-10 offense and top-10 defense. It all starts at the point with Walter Clayton Jr. When he’s rolling, there is no team in the West Region that can keep up with the Gators. Clayton led Florida in scoring (17.4) while shooting 38% from the 3-point line.

Derik Queen
Queen is the reigning Big Ten freshman of the year and a key member of Maryland’s “Crab Five,” which might be the coolest nickname in college basketball. Queen nearly averaged a double-double (15.7 points, 9.2 rebounds) during the regular season. He and senior Julian Reese form one of the best frontcourt duos in the nation. This might be Queen’s only tourney appearance as he’s expected to go high in the NBA draft.

L.J. Cryer
The 23-year-old fifth-year senior certainly has loads of experience. He was a member of Baylor’s 2021 national championship team and started 37 games last season for the Houston Cougars. He came back for his super senior season (thanks to the COVID eligibility rule) with hopes of helping coach Kelvin Sampson reach the Final Four. The Cougars have a balanced offense and a rugged defense. Cryer, who averaged a team-leading 15.2 points while shooting 42.2% from the 3-point line, is the head of the snake on both ends.

Chaz Lanier
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes leaned on All-American Dalton Knecht to provide much of the firepower offensively for the Vols last season and this season he has leaned on fifth-year senior Chaz Lanier. Barnes’ teams have historically been very stout defensively. His previous Achilles’ heel has been on the offensive end. Knecht fixed that Achilles’ heel last season and Lanier continues the same formula in 2025. Lanier is a knock-down shooter who can heat up like a microwave oven. He set the Vols single-season record for most 3-pointers, becoming only the third Tennessee player to make over 100 3s in a season. The SEC newcomer of the year is shooting 40% from 3-point range.

Braden Smith
Point guard Braden Smith had some massive shoes to fill this year after the departure of two-time NCAA player of the year Zach Edey. Smith didn’t dominate the Big Ten like Edey did a year ago, but he did manage to lead Purdue back to the NCAA tournament. Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn formed a potent 1-2 punch for Matt Painter’s Boilermakers. Smith is one of the steadiest guards in the country, averaging 16.3 points and 8.8 assists while shooting 39.7% from 3-point range.

Jase Richardson
The last time Michigan State won a national championship, Jase Richardson’s dad, Jason Richardson, played for coach Tom Izzo. Jase may not be the slam dunk prowess of his NBA dad, but what he brings to the table is shooting. Izzo has a well-balanced squad that had just two players average over 10 points per game. Jase Richardson was second on the team in points (11.6) and second in 3-point percentage (38.8%). If Jase gets hot, Izzo and the Spartans might make a Final Four trip.

Mark Few is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in college basketball. His resume speaks for itself. He has an incredible .830 winning percentage and has led Gonzaga to the national championship game in 2017 and 2021. His program has produced five first-team All-Americans (Dan Dickau, Adam Morrison, Kelly Olynyk, Nigel Williams-Goss, Rui Hachimura) and several NBA standouts (Ronny Turiaf, Domantas Sabonis, Zach Collins, Brandon Clarke, Corey Kispert, and Jalen Suggs).

The only thing missing on Few’s resume is an NCAA championship plaque.

There are three major ingredients in order to win the NCAA tournament.

You must have a first-round NBA talent on your roster.

You need experienced guards.

You must be able to defend at a high level.

Few’s 2022 Bulldogs team checks all three of those boxes. They have a potential No. 1 pick in 7-foot center Chet Holmgren, and All-American forward Drew Timme is one of the best low-post players in college basketball. Point guard Andrew Nembhard is a senior guard who was on last season’s Bulldogs squad that came within one game of completing an undefeated season.

Gonzaga enters the 2022 NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 overall seed and the top-seeded team in the West Regional. The Zags are the betting favorites (somewhere between +300 to +350 on various betting sites) to cut down the nets and enjoy their one shining moment. Here are the four teams OMFB projects will reach the Final Four in New Orleans.

Gonzaga — Aside from having the top offense in the nation, the Bulldogs are also a top-notch defensive unit. Anchored by Holmgren in the middle, the Bulldogs make it difficult to score in the paint. Their offensive efficiency keeps them from having to scramble defensively. NBA scouts are giddy over Holmgren’s potential matchups against other projected lottery picks in the West regional. Holmgren could potentially see Memphis’ Jalen Duren in the second round and he could have a rematch with Paolo Banchero of Duke in the regional final. Holmgren and Banchero went head-to-head Nov. 26 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Blue Devils won the game, 84-81, and Banchero outscored Holmgren 21-16. the stakes will be even higher if Holmgren and Banchero meet again. On the line for the top-seeded Bulldogs and the second-seeded Blue Devils is a berth in the Final Four in legendary college basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final NCAA tournament.

UCLA — Around this time last year, the Bruins had to play their way into the NCAA tournament. Once they secured a spot in the 64-team field, the Bruins went on a phenomenal run that culminated in a trip to the Final Four and it took a miraculous half-court heave from Jalen Suggs in overtime to knock them out. This season, head coach Mick Cronin brought back the core of his Final Four team led by Pac-12 all-conference first-teamers Tyger Campbell, Jaime Jaquez, and Johnny Juzang. Juzang caught fire in last year’s tournament, and the Bruins Juzang can recapture that same shooting stroke. UCLA is among the leaders in the nation in offensive and defensive efficiency, and it has four quality wins (Arizona, Villanova, Marquette, USC). Campbell controls the pace, Juzang and Jules Bernard provide most of the offensive punch, and Jaquez is the team’s heart and soul. UCLA feels it has some unfinished business and anything less than another Final Four trip would be considered a disappointment in Westwood.

Arizona — The Wildcats started the season unranked and finished the regular season 31-3, and won the Pac-12 regular-season title and tournament title. First-year head coach Tommy Lloyd was an assistant under Few for two decades and he brought with him Gonzaga’s winning culture to Tucson, Ariz. Lloyd’s Wildcats are loaded with NBA prospects, led by Pac-12 player of the year Bennedict Mathurin. Arizona also boasts one of the tallest team’s in college basketball, a frontcourt anchored by 7-1 junior center and Christian Koloko. When Koloko goes to the bench, the Wildcats insert 7-footer Oumar Ballo. When Azuolas Tubelis is on his game, Arizona is nearly unbeatable. The 6-11 Lithuanian native is one of the most versatile forwards in the nation. The one concern for the Wildcats is the injury to point guard Kerr Kriisa. The sophomore point guard injured his ankle in the Pac-12 tournament.

Wisconsin — The Badgers will attempt to erase the stain of the Big Ten’s failures in last season’s tournament. Nine Big Ten teams competed in the 2021 March Madness. The conference finished with an 8-9 record. This season, the Big Ten has nine teams again in the Big Dance. The conference will have extra motivation to do better than eight wins in 2022. When coach Greg Gard is not sticking a finger on the chest of Juwan Howard, he’s usually a steady hand on the sidelines. Gard has one major concern heading into the tournament. Big Ten player of the year and first-team All-American guard Johnny Davis hurt his ankle on March 9 and didn’t look particularly good against Michigan State in the conference tournament. If Davis is not 100%, the Badgers could have some trouble getting past the Sweet 16. But if Davis’ ankle holds up and he’s anything close to the player who scored 25 points or more in nine games, the Badgers could be booking a trip to New Orleans.

NCAA championship: Gonzaga will battle Arizona in the title game. In a battle of the two best offensive teams in the nation, Few will beat his former assistant Lloyd and finally get the monkey off his back. Zags win, 83-81.

Jaime Jaquez, Tyger Campbell and Johnny Juzang led UCLA to the 2021 Final Four. (Getty Images)

It took one of the all-time great Final Four buzzer-beaters to eliminate the UCLA men’s basketball from the 2021 NCAA tournament. Jalen Suggs’ near-halfcourt bank shot in overtime lifted top-seeded Gonzaga to a 93-90 victory over 11th-seeded UCLA in the national semifinals. Suggs’ “banked robbery” (a great headline from the Los Angeles Times) ended one of the greatest tournament runs in recent memory. Basketball pundits were shocked how far the Bruins went in March Madness.

But was it really that shocking? If you ask the majority of experts, it was. But if you look under the hood, it should have been expected.

UCLA made the Final Four after beginning the tournament in the First Four, becoming the second team to do so. Tyger Campbell, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Johnny Juzang became instant March Madness stars. The Pac-12 put four teams in the Sweet 16, and three reached the Elite Eight. Those teams finished with 11 more wins than the seeds would have projected. Oregon State, USC and UCLA advanced to the regional finals. USC — led by potential 2021 NBA lottery pick Evan Mobley — eliminated Oregon in the Sweet 16.

The Big Ten, on the other hand, had one of the all-time faceplants by a conference. Rarely has a league been so well-positioned to have a big tournament, yet it still fell flat. Of the five teams seeded to make the Sweet 16, only one advanced to that round. Good performances by the lower-seeded teams in the Big Ten helped to save a little face. Still, Big Ten teams won eight fewer games than expected. The Big Ten is now the first league to put more than seven teams in the tournament and finish below .500.

It was not a great year for the ACC, either, which got two wins each from Florida State and Syracuse but saw the other five teams lose in the first round. The league’s 4-7 mark ties the Pac-12 in 2016 for the worst record for a conference with at least seven teams in the tournament. Despite that poor performance, the ACC kept alive its streak of putting at least one team in the Sweet 16 every year since 1980. The second-longest such streak belongs to the Big 12, which goes back to 1999.

For the third year in a row, Kentucky and Duke have the most active players around the NBA. From the opening day rosters in the 2020-21 season, Kentucky led the way with 32 players on NBA rosters followed by Duke at 29. The next-best college program was North Carolina with 13. Yes, the ACC and SEC still dominate the league when it comes to producing NBA talent. But the Pac-12 is on par with the conference blue bloods in terms of being a pipeline for the NBA. And you can make a strong case that the Conference of Champions (as Bill Walton likes to refer to it) is just as good if not better than the SEC or the ACC at producing NBA All-Star talent.

Here are some notable active NBA players and which conferences and schools they came from.

Pac-12 — James Harden (Arizona State), Klay Thompson (Washington State), DeMarr DeRozan (USC), Nikola Vucevic (USC),Russell Westbrook (UCLA), Jrue Holiday (UCLA), (Zach LaVine) (UCLA), Trevor Ariza (UCLA), Kyle Anderson (UCLA), Norman Powell (UCLA), Kyle Kuzma (Utah), Kevin Love (UCLA), Brook Lopez (Stanford), Deandre Ayton (Arizona), Lauri Markkanen (Arizona), Aaron Gordon (Arizona), Andre Iguodala (Arizona), Jaylen Brown (Cal), Dillon Brooks (Oregon), Chris Boucher (Oregon), Dejounte Murray (Washington), Matisse Thybulle (Washington).

SEC  – Jamal Murray (Kentucky), Devin Booker (Kentucky), Anthony Davis (Kentucky), Kark-Anthony Towns (Kentucky), Bam Adebayo (Kentucky), Julius Randle (Kentucky), De’Aaron Fox (Kentucky), Julius Randle (Kentucky), Tyler Herro (Kentucky), John Wall (Kentucky), Demarcus Cousins (Kentucky),  Enes Kanter (Kentucky), Keldon Johnson (Kentucky), P.J. Washington (Kentucky), Rajon Rondo (Kentucky), Collin Sexton (Alabama), Bradley Beal (Florida), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Georgia), Jordan Clarkson (Missouri), Michael Porter Jr. (Missouri), Tobias Harris (Tennessee), Ben Simmons (LSU).

ACC – Kyrie Irving (Duke), Jayson Tatum (Duke), J.J. Redick (Duke), Brandon Ingram (Duke), Zion Williamson (Duke), R.J. Barrett (Duke), Grayson Allen (Duke), Seth Curry (Duke), Gary Trent Jr. (Duke), Luke Kennard (Duke), Mason Plumlee (Duke), Wendell Carter (Duke), Tre Jones (Duke), Tyus Jones (Duke), Harrison Barnes (North Carolina), Cole Anthony (North Carolina), Danny Green (North Carolina), Cam Johnson (North Carolina), Malik Beasley (Florida State), Patrick Williams (Florida State), Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia), De’Andre Hunter (Virginia), Joe Harris (Virginia), Carmelo Anthony (Syracuse), Montrezl Harrell (Louisville), Terry Rozier (Louisville), Donovan Mitchell (Louisville).

Big 12 – Joel Embiid (Kansas), Andrew Wiggins (Kansas), Kelly Oubre Jr. (Kansas), Marcus Morris (Kansas), Markief Morris (Kansas), Devonte Graham (Kansas), Royce O’Neal (Baylor), Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State), Trae Young (Oklahoma), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), Buddy Hield (Okahoma), Talen Horton-Tucker (Iowa State), Tyrese Halliburton (Iowa State), Monte Morris (Iowa State), Kevin Durant (Texas), Myles Turner (Texas), P.J. Tucker (Texas), Tristan Thompson (Texas), D.J. Augustin (Texas), DeAndre Jordan (Texas A&M), Khris Middleton (Texas A&M).

Big Ten – Draymond Green (Michigan State), Miles Bridges (Michigan State), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Michigan State), Gary Harris (Michigan State), OG Anunoby (Indiana), Victor Oladipo (Indiana), Eric Gordon (Indiana), Cody Zeller (Indiana), Thomas Bryant (Indiana), D’Angelo Russell (Ohio State), Mike Conley (Ohio State), Trey Burke (Michigan), Tim Hardaway Jr. (Michigan), Caris LeVert (Michigan), Duncan Robinson (Michigan), Kevin Huerter (Maryland), Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin).

UCLA senior Larry Drew II is one of the best point guards in the NCAA Tournament. (GETTY IMAGES)

When it came time to pick the schools for the 2013 NCAA Tournament, the selection committee treated the Pacific 12 Conference like that high school friend who you really didn’t want to invite to your wedding but was forced to bring along and ended up stashing them all the way back in the room. Members of the selection committee must really hate the Pac-12 based on the seedings they handed out.

Arizona, ranked all year in the top 25, got no higher than a sixth seeding. Colorado got a 10th seeding, while California was seeded 12th. But the two biggest disses were felt in Eugene, Ore., and Westwood.

UCLA is the outright Pac-12 champion with arguably the best freshman in the nation in Shabazz Muhammad and the most efficient point guard in senior Larry Drew II. As a reward, the Bruins are given a sixth-seeding and shipped to the South Region where they travel to Austin, Texas, to face 11th-seeded Minnesota. Sure the Bruins are hobbling into the NCAA tourney without freshman starter and third-leading scorer Jordan Adams, who is out with a broken foot, and sure they have a big “L” on their resume at the hands of lowly Cal Poly, but giving them a No. 6 seeding is a huge slap in the face.

“The way the bracket is set up is very interesting. I’m just looking forward to going out there and playing. Anything can happen in this tournament,” Drew II told uclabruins.com.

Oregon was a top-15 team until freshman point guard Dominic Artis went down with an injury. Artis has since returned and the Ducks finished second in the Pac-12 regular season and captured the tournament title in Las Vegas, beating UCLA 78-69. The Ducks also have wins over UNLV (a fifth seed in the tourney) and Arizona, and swept UCLA. So how do you explain the Ducks’ No. 12-seeding in the Midwest Region? Baffling.

The Bruins came into this season with a boatload of expectations, bolstered by a top-10 freshman class. After a slow start and a few defections, the young Bruins bought into Ben Howland’s system and won nine of their last 12 games. The loss of Adams hurts, but don’t count out these battle-tested Bruins. Muhammad loves the big stage and what better way to audition for the NBA than having a sensational NCAA tourney run. Drew II is one of the best point guards in the country, but you’ll never hear about him because he’s not as flashy as Trey Burke or as hard-nosed as Aaron Craft. All Drew II does is manage the offense and plays with great poise.

Howland’s teams may not be entertaining, but they play the perfect style to win tournament games. They grind it out. L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke says there is a dark cloud hanging over Howland’s head and only a Sweet 16 appearance may save his job.

Expect Howland and the Bruins to at least advance past Minnesota, which has lost seven of its last 10, making the potential matchup with Florida’s Billy Donovan — Howland’s nemesis — looms large in the second round.

Morehead State head coach Donnie Tyndall (center) celebrates with Demonte Harper (22) and Terrance Hill (11) after defeating Louisville in the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament. (Chris Humphreys/US PRESSWIRE)

Not counting the play-in games that happened earlier in the week, the first round of the 2011 NCAA men’s basketball tournament has been nothing short of spectacular.

Matt Howard’s put-back lifted Butler over Old Dominion and Temple’s Juan Fernandez beat the buzzer against Penn State. But the best buzzer-beater from the opening week was executed by Morehead State’s Demonte Harper.

Harper buried a 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 4 seconds left to put 13th-seeded Morehead State ahead, 62-61, over fourth-seeded Louisville. Then, when Louisville’s Mike Marra tried to launch a last-second shot from the wing Morehead State center Kenneth Faried stuffed Marra’s attempt and no foul was called. Ball game!

Replays show that Faried got a lot of basketball on the blocked shot, and it would have been a shame if the game ended on a controversial foul call. Watch the play:

Behind a rock-solid defense, the No. 5-seeded team from Indiana reached the championship game after overcoming Michigan State, 52-50, in one of the national semifinal games at Lucas Oil Stadium in – where else – Indianapolis.

Next up for underdog Butler is mighty Duke University – the last remaining No. 1-seeded team in the tournament.

The people who were responsible for bringing the movie “Hoosiers” to the big screen couldn’t have scripted this any better. Heck, the NCAA Tournament Committee couldn’t have scripted this any better.

Does Butler feel lucky to be in Final Four? Not at all. This is a squad that has won 25 in a row and was a preseason top-25 team.

“It doesn’t really matter. All that stuff is for debate,” said Butler’s thirtysomething head coach Brad Stevens, who will go up against the great Mike Krzyzewski in the final game. “It’s special to share this with the community and it’s special to share this with the city.”

“This team and this program has been built on guys ready to come in and contribute for the good of the team. It makes me proud to be their coach,” Stevens said after the win over Michigan State.

Duke against Butler is a matchup straight from the pages of Hollywood. The gap between the two schools when it comes to notoriety and accomplishments are about as long as a film strip.

However, the daunting task placed in front of them is met with quiet confidence. “I think our biggest strength is that we don’t know any better,” said Bulldogs guard Ronald Nored.

Duke has won three national championship banners since 1990 while Butler has none.

Duke has a roster filled with McDonald’s High School All-Americans while Butler’s players frequents McDonald’s during the season.

Duke’s campus is known for its Cameron Crazies while Butler is known for being the location of the movie “Hoosiers.”

It’s David vs. Goliath . It’s Georgetown vs. Villanova. It’s Milan vs. Muncie Central.

Jimmy, Buddy and Ollie…they’ve been replaced with Gordon, Shelvin and Ronald.

Can’t wait see how this story ends.

That last entry is the root of all evil. Can someone explain to me what is a Bracketology? Is it a cross between biology and philosophy? And does ESPN’s Joe Lunardi have a doctorate in Bracketology? I love what ESPN has done for college basketball, but the whole Bracketology thing is just overkill.

So-called experts from the Worldwide Leader network lead us to believe that they are Nostradamus and they have all the answers. In reality, picking winners is one big roll of the dice. It’s easy to predict No. 1 seeds vs. No. 16 seeds. It gets a little dicey from that point on.

Here’s my prediction: The Kansas Jayhawks and the Kentucky Wildcats will play for the National Championship.

The Jayhawks have an NBA-type starting five, beginning with point guard Sherron Collins and ending with center Cole Aldrich. Both men have a championship pedigree, having experienced and played on Kansas’ national championship team two years ago. Add freshman sensation Xavier Henry and you have three legit All-America candidates.

Speaking of freshmen, Kentucky boasts two of the best this season in point guard John Wall and frontcourt player DeMarcus Cousins. Wall has shown incredible poise this season and has a knack for making big plays when it matters most. NBA execs and scouts love Wall’s size (6-3) and speed at the point, and his intangibles are off the charts. Wall has the same qualities as Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans, two freshman guards who played under John Calipari, and both are budding superstars in the NBA.

Cousins, a 6-11 power forward/center, is a very physical player who has very good back-to-the-basket moves. Cousins doesn’t shy away from contact and is arguably the best rebounder in college basketball.

Kansas and Kentucky also have two very good coaches on the bench. Self coached the Jayhawks to victory in the 2008 NCAA Tournament title game against Memphis. The coach for Memphis that year…John Calipari, now the head man in Kentucky.

So, save yourself the agony and scribble in Kansas and Kentucky all the way to the Final Four and into the final game.