Sunday Quickies: Kentucky vs. North Carolina Edition

If it lives up to the hype, this Elite Eight battle between the Kentucky Wildcats and the North Carolina Tar Heels will be a game for the ages. We all remember the last time they met, when Malik Monk exploded for 47 points and the Cats slipped by with a 103-100 win that put them on the map as National Championship contenders. North Carolina has been proving its legitimacy ever since, so it’s only fitting that these two teams have to take each other on for a shot at the Final Four.

Tweets of the day

You’re right, Bryan. Both of these teams do basketball good.

Your quickies

NCAA Tournament Preview: No. 1 North Carolina vs. 2 Kentucky - 247
UNC and Kentucky will square off for the second time this season. KenPom.com, the advanced analytics website, predicts Kentucky will come out on top once again, this time by a score of 82-81.

Kentucky vs. North Carolina: Odds, March Madness Betting Pick | Bleacher Report
A second consecutive rematch of a regular-season game will take place in the South Regional Final for the second-seeded Wildcats on Sunday in Memphis when they take on the top-seeded Tar Heels as small underdogs.

No. 19 Kentucky Claims Second Straight SEC Series | UK Wildcats News
The basketball Cats may be getting all the attention but Kentucky Baseball is off to its best start in SEC play in five years after beating No. 11 Ole Miss with a 4-1 victory. The Wildcats join the 2012 club with the best league starts in 25 years since the 1992 team began 7-0 in SEC play.

Hawkins, Willis coming up clutch for Kentucky - SEC Country
De'Aaron Fox and Malik Monk stole the show, but Kentucky seniors Dominique Hawkins and Derek Willis came up clutch again in the Sweet 16 against UCLA.

Tar Heels say they are not same team Monk lit up for 47 | Lexington Herald-Leader
It is not that the North Carolina Tar Heels have nightmares in which the number “47” flashes throughout their dreams.

Kentucky’s next sensation on NCAA ride as a practice menace | New York Post
“It was all about being prepared and not rushing things,” Diallo told The Post, before No. 2 Kentucky met third-seeded UCLA in a South Region semifinal at FedExForum in Memphis Friday night. “Just coming in, getting used to the system, getting used to [coach John Calipari], getting used to all the coaches, and getting used to these guys.”

Stoops’ Six Takeaways from UK’s First Spring Scrimmage | Kentucky Sports Radio
Speaking to the media for the first time since his contract extension was announced, Stoops was gracious, then described it as another building block for the football program. “It’s a very good situation. I’m very committed to this university and they’ve been very committed to me. None of us are content. We want to keep pushing the program forward.”

Fox’s 39 points ranks among UK’s greatest NCAA tourney games ever | Lexington Herald-Leader
The 39 points De’Aaron Fox scored for Kentucky on Friday night was the fourth-most ever by a Wildcat in an NCAA Tournament game.

Kentucky-UCLA: De'Aaron Fox leads Wildcats to Elite Eight | SI.com
Just like Kentucky over UCLA, De'Aaron Fox won the battle of the star freshman point guards over Lonzo Ball—and now unlike Ball, his college career li

Malik Monk, Derek Willis loving the fact SEC now has three teams in the Elite 8 - 247
After hearing about how bad the SEC is in basketball, Kentucky players are loving the fact that the conference now has three teams in the Elite 8.

UK Returns to Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate | UK Wildcats News
The Kentucky men’s golf team looks to continue its consistent play at The Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate in Awendaw, South Carolina, March 26-28.

Willis - after missing all night - hits big 3-pointer for UK | Lexington Herald-Leader
UK’s Derek Willis started Friday night’s game against UCLA 1-for-9 from the floor and 1-for-6 from three-point range. When his moment for a big shot came in the second half, he took it. And he made the shot.

Calipari on Booker's night: 'He showed up our team' - SEC Country
Kentucky got showed up Friday night, according to coach John Calipari. Just not by UCLA.

Gonzaga’s Mark Few feels like he doesn’t need a Final Four to validate legacy - Yahoo
Whether he feels like he needs one or not, he now finally has one after the Bulldogs beat the Xavier Musketeers yesterday.

Indiana hires Archie Miller as head coach - ESPN
Miller has been coaching at Dayton for the past six years. He led them to a 24-8 record, and the school’s first outright Atlantic 10 regular season title this year.

Joakim Noah suspended for violating anti-drug program - NY Daily News
It’s been a tough year for Noah, and his 20-game suspension will only make it worse. This is one of the many issues that New York has had this year.

Betting odds for Florida vs. South Carolina - Bleacher Report
Florida is the favorite in one of the more unlikely Elite Eight matchups you could’ve imagined this year.

Skip and Shannon said that Lonzo Ball was better than all of UK’s stars - FOX Sports
Yet another ice cold take from two of the worst talking heads in sports media.

Shaq’s rivalries continue to soften over time after statue unveiling - ESPN
Shaq has made plenty of enemies over the course of his life, with both opponents and teammates. But the hatred is wearing off over time.

24 Hours With Adam Schefter | The MMQB with Peter King
What’s life like for the NFL’s top news-breaker on his biggest day of the year? The MMQB went behind the scenes with ESPN’s Adam Schefter for the whirlwind first day of 2017 free agency as he chased scoops.