Two of the NCAA's biggest rivals will square off on Saturday in the Final Four, as the fourth-seeded Louisville Cardinals take on the overall top seed Kentucky Wildcats, in what's sure to be a game chalk full of intensity.
It's not particularly surprising that Kentucky managed to get to the Final Four, given that they're the top seed in the tournament. What is somewhat surprising is that the fourth-seeded Cardinals were able to get there. A big reason for Louisville's success has been the play of point guard Peyton Siva, who recently turned his season around.
SB Nation's Mike Rutherford has an excellent analysis of what's happened since Kentucky beat Louisville, and he chalks up Louisville's recent success to better play from Siva.
he biggest catalyst behind Louisville's sudden upswing has been Siva. Rick Pitino's floor general had been having an extremely disappointing junior season before a performance inside Madison Square Garden that had him flying home with a Big East Tournament MVP trophy. He's shooting the ball slightly better -- although he's still not going to set the world on fire from beyond 15-feet -- but the biggest key for Siva has been that he's playing far more under control. Turnovers are down, assists are up, and the wild offensive fouls that had consistently led him into foul trouble have been curtailed.
We'll see on Saturday if Siva continues to play in control. If he does, the Cardinals will have a very good chance of upsetting the Wildcats. If not, it's likely curtains for Louisville.
For more on Louisville, be sure to check out Card Chronicle.