And then there were four

Wow, what a wild and crazy weekend in the world of college athletics. After a bunch of blowouts on Friday (I was 4 of 4 picking those games, by the way), Saturday and Sunday provided us with some much better competition.

North Carolina vs Louisville
Tyler Hansbrough put up a huge double-double (28 points, 13 rebounds, surprise surprise) and hit several clutch jump shots down the stretch to lead the Tar Heels back to the Final 4 for the first time since 2005, when UNC won the national championship. Certainly it helped that Carolina was playing in Charlotte, but this team looks to be the clear front runner to take it all home next weekend.

Memphis vs Texas
Wow. As impressed as I am with UNC, Memphis has gone from a blip on the radar screen to perhaps the scariest team in the tournament. After sending Tom Izzo and Drew Neitzel (or is that Mini-me from Austin Powers) home with their tails between their legs, the Tigers handled Tejas with relative ease, cruising to an 85-67 victory over the Longhorns. While Memphis has still looked like the same old team we've grown to love (if you like slashing to the basket and dunking), they've started to hit their free throws. The Tigers shot 75% against Michigan State and a blistering (relatively speaking) 83% against Tejas. If the Tigers can maintain their focus and continue their success at the charity stripe, they could definitely surprise some people in San Antonio.

Kansas vs Davidson
The Little 12-year-old That Could just couldn't get it done against the Jaychickens, as this year's sole Cinderella came up just short against Kansas 59-57. Davidson went a heck of a lot farther than anyone would have predicted, and the mercurial Stephen Curry will be back next year. This trip to the Final 4 ends years of frustration for the Kansas faithful, as they have toiled, mostly in futility, for a bulk of the last decade to get over the hump and into contention for a national title, only to get bounced from the tournament before they felt they should have. Facing juggernaut North Carolina will be no small task, but exacting a little revenge against The Old Kansas Coach (otherwise known as Roy Williams, current North Carolina head coach) will provide plenty of motivations for the Jaychickens.

UCLA vs Xavier
Didn't see this game. Didn't care to. UCLA beat Xavier 76-57 and will advance to their third consecutive Final 4. Therein lies the rub, UCLA has been here the last two years and has been absolutely ROCKED both times. Fortunately for the Bruins, Florida didn't make the tournament this year. I'm starting to get the feeling that UCLA may be the new Kansas.

Now that I've broken down this past weekends Elite 8 games, we'll take a look ahead to the Final 4.

UNC vs Kansas
Kansas finally made it to the Final 4. Now we'll find out if they're just happy to be here or if they really made it over the hump. Even better for KU is the fact that they get a shot at Roy Williams, The Old Kansas Coach, in an opportunity to spoil what has thus far been a dream season for the Tar Heels. Now don't get me wrong, I like the Jaychickens; great coach, great tradition, and some great players. However, I really like what UNC has been doing of late, and the win against Louisville really solidified, in my mind at least, that they are the best team in college basketball. Kansas will make a game of it early, but UNC's superior speed and athleticism will ultimately carry the day.

Memphis vs UCLA
Kevin Love. I swear, if i hear any more about how great this guy is I'm going to puke. I'm not sure if you guys have noticed, but he looks more like a washed up Backstreet Boy than a top-tier college basketball player. People in LA act like he's the second coming of Bill Walton. Unfortunately for Love, Joey Dorsey wasn't around back when Walton was manning the low post for John Wooden and the Bruin Dynasty. This time around the Tigers will have the upper hand, as no team thus far has been able to match up against their deadly combination of length, speed, and athleticism. If Memphis continues to hit their free throws, and Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose maintain their level of play the Tigers should send the Bruins home empty handed for the third straight year.

Yeah, that leaves UNC and Memphis in the final. More on that later.

In other news,
The Lady 'Dores tournament run ended Saturday night as top-seeded Maryland bested Vandy 80-66. Christina Wirth finished with 13 after being held scoreless nearly the entire first half. Jessica Mooney added 11.

Shan Foster was named a Second Team All American by the Associated Press this Morning. Tyler Hansbrough (UNC) and Michael Beasley (Kansas St.) were the only two unanimous first teamers. They were joined by Chris Douglas-Roberts (Memphis), Kevin Love (UCLA or BSB), and D.J. Augustin (Texas). This marks the first year since the AP began selecting the team in the 1947-1948 season that no senior has made the team.

Second Teamers:
Shan Foster- Vanderbilt
Luke Harangody- Notre Dame
D.J. White- Indiana
Roy Hibbert- Georgetown
Stephen Curry- Davidson

Third Teamers:
Chris Lofton- Tennessee
Darren Collison- UCLA
Brook Lopez- Stanford
Derrick Rose- Memphis
Eric Gordon- Indiana

Shan will also be appearing in the 20th Annual State Farm 3-point Championship at St. Mary's University in San Antonio. Foster will face off against Drew Neitzel of Michigan State, Chris Lofton of Tennessee, A.J. Graves of Butler, Derrick Low of Washington State, Jamar Butler of Ohio State, Brian Roberts of Dayton, and Jaycee Carroll of Utah State in the competition. The competition will be aired on Thursday night at 8 PM CT on ESPN.