As the NCAA Tournament wore on, the level of basketball continued to rise, with close finishes and stunning upsets dotting the landscape throughout the second weekend of the tournament. It shouldn't be a surprise, but March Madness lived up to its name this year as brackets were busted and underdogs rose to the occasion. When the dust settled, the Final Four bracket was set, and its one few could've predicted.
Before we look forward, it's worth looking back at the weekend that was.
On Saturday, the Butler Bulldogs came full circle, securing a return trip to the Final Four with a 74-71 win over Florida. It took overtime, but Butler had enough left in the tank, thanks in large part to the team's effort on scramble plays while fighting for loose balls. The Pac-10 also lost its final representative, though the Arizona Wildcats didn't go down without a fight. Arizona had two shots at the win, but couldn't connect on either as Kemba Walker and the UConn Huskies advanced with a 65-63 win.
Sunday brought with it what may have been the biggest upset of them all. VCU, a team pundits, experts and fans discounted on Selection Sunday, advanced to the Final Four with a 71-61 win over No. 1 seed Kansas. Kentucky and UConn also went down to the wire, with the Wildcats prevailing after some clutch shooting in the waning moments.
Four teams, three games and a national championship hanging in the balance as the Final Four kicks off in Houston on Saturday. Check out the Elite Eight results and Final Four matchups below. Be sure to head over to SB Nation for an updated 2011 NCAA Tournament printable bracket, as well.
FINAL FOUR
No. 3 Connecticut Huskies vs. No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats
No. 8 Butler Bulldogs vs. No. 11 VCU Rams
EAST REGION
No. 4 Kentucky def No. 2 UNC, 76-69
WEST REGION
No. 3 Connecticut Huskies def. No. 5 Arizona Wildcats, 65-63 OT
SOUTHWEST REGION
No. 11 VCU Rams def. No. 1 Kansas, 71-61
SOUTHEAST REGION
No. 8 Butler def. No. 2 Florida, 74-71
Check out the rest of the weekend's results in our NCAA Tournament results StoryStream