April 2, 2012
Previous: Kentucky 69, Louisville 61
On the heels of a 69-61 win over in-state rival Louisville, Kentucky advanced to the national championship game for the 11th time in school history and the first time since the Cats won the 1998 national championship.
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| Gameday Information |
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| National Championship Kentucky vs. Kansas Mon., Apr. 2 – 9:23 p.m. ET New Orleans, La. Game Notes: UK  | KU UK Postseason Guide |
| Coverage |
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Tourney Central TV: CBS Radio: UK IMG  March Madness on Demand Live Blog Text Updates Game Program |
Anthony Davis tallied his 20th double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds while adding five blocked shots.
Darius Miller (13) and Doron Lamb (10) also scored in double-figures for the Wildcats, while Marquis Teague dished out a game-high five assists.
The Wildcats shot 57.1 percent from the field, while holding Louisville to just 34.8 percent.
Series History
This is the 27th meeting between Kentucky and Kansas. Kentucky is 20-6 all-time against Kansas.
The last meeting in the series came earlier this season when the Wildcats defeated the Jayhawks 75-65 in the Champions Classic in Madison Square Garden.
Kansas has won three of the last four in the series.
John Calipari collected his first win against the Jayhawks in the win in November. However his most memorable game against Kansas came in the 2008 NCAA title game while he was with Memphis.
Kentucky-Kansas Connections
- Kentucky head coach John Calipari cut his teeth in Lawrence, Kan., beginning his coaching career at Kansas as a volunteer assistant coach. He also served as an assistant coach at Kansas from 1983-85.
- UK assistant coach John Robic began his career at Kansas. He was a graduate assistant in Lawrence, Kan., for the 1987-88 season.
- Former Jayhawk Danny Manning is a current member of KU’s staff, as an assistant coach. He played at KU from 1985-88, facing UK three times during his career. The Jayhawks were 1-2 during that time.
- Jayhawk assistant Kurtis Townsend played his college ball at Western Kentucky. Townsend also was a point guard for the Hilltoppers, guiding the team to the 1980 OVC title. He later was an assistant at Eastern Kentucky in nearby Richmond.
Memorable Kentucky-Kansas Games
- Dec. 14, 1959 – Playing on the road for the fourth straight game, the Cats snapped their two game losing streak with a 77-72 overtime win in Lawrence. Ned Jennings led UK with 21 points, while KU star Wayne Hightower had 33 points and 14 rebounds.
- Dec. 9, 1978 – After forcing overtime, the Cats were down 66-60 with 31 seconds to go when Dwight Anderson scored back-to-back baskets, then stole the inbounds pass and fed Kyle Macy for the tying jumper. Macy completed the comeback by adding a technical free throw when Kansas called a timeout it didn’t have. The Wildcats won the game 67-66.
- Dec. 12, 1981 – Derrick Hord had five points in overtime as UK defeated Kansas at home for the fourth consecutive time, 77-74. Jim Master had 27 points, while Hord finished with 13.
- Dec. 31, 1984 – Unranked Kentucky gave one of its best performances of the season, defeating No. 12 Kansas, 92-89, in Freedom Hall. Kenny Walker had 36 points and 19 rebounds, while Jayhawk Danny Manning led KU with 30 points.
- Dec. 16, 1989 – UK’s last trip to Lawrence ended in the second-worst loss in Wildcat history and the worst in modern history. A highly motivated Jayhawk team coached by Roy Williams forced Rick Pitino’s debut Wildcat team into 27 turnovers and a 150-95 loss.
- March 14, 1999 – After defeating Kansas 63-45 in the Great Eight earlier in the season, defending NCAA champs Kentucky faced off with the Jayhawks in NCAA second-round action in New Orleans. Behind a 29-point, 10-rebound effort from senior Scott Padgett, UK overcame a five-point deficit with 1:29 left in regulation to beat Kansas 92-88 in overtime. Down 79-74, UK forced OT when Wayne Turner sank two free throws and Padgett drained a three-pointer from the top of the key. It was all Padgett in overtime as the Louisville native hit a jumper and five free throws to secure the win. KU’s Ryan Robertson had a game-high 31 points.
