Saturday’s NCAA Tournament Elite Eight previews, game times, TV information
West Regional final
At Los Angeles
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 1 Wisconsin, 5:09 p.m. (TBS)
In a Kentucky-less universe, this could be the national championship game, a Rose Bowl meeting between the champions of the Pac-12 and Big Ten. This is a classic matchup of Arizona defense versus Wisconsin offense. The Wildcats have held 24 opponents to 60 points or fewer, and the Badgers average 79 points per game in the NCAA Tournament. The same squads met last year in a tense West Regional final down the road in Anaheim, Calif., won by Wisconsin 64-63 in overtime.
▪ Pick: Arizona 64-63
Midwest Regional final
At Cleveland
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Kentucky, 7:49 p.m. (TBS)
Both were at their best in the Sweet 16, the Irish pounding Wichita State by shooting 75 percent from the floor in the second half and the Wildcats holding West Virginia to 39 points, the fewest for a Sweet 16 team since 1975. “We are America’s team (vs. Kentucky),” Irish coach Mike Brey said. “We’ve got a monumental challenge on our hands. Going through the teams we had to go through ACC play, I think has us very prepared to play against a great team like Kentucky.”
▪ Pick: Kentucky 77-70
To reach Blair Kerkhoff, call 816-234-4730 or send email to bkerkhoff@kcstar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @BlairKerkhoff.
This story was originally published March 28, 2015 at 12:23 AM with the headline "Saturday’s NCAA Tournament Elite Eight previews, game times, TV information."