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Celebration in Bluegrass Country - Page 2

© Chris Lin

Utah, on the other hand, had a tougher road to the championship. Unlike Kentucky, who feasted off the failures of Kansas and Purdue, the Utes had to face big-time foes such as Arizona and North Carolina. Andre Miller smoked opponents with a dangerous open-court game and a killer instinct. Mike Doleac paced the team late in games with solid post play and pinpoint accuracy from the charity stripe. All in all, Utah beat both of these mighty teams with patience and good shots. North Carolina, who beat UConn with patience, failed to do the same near the end of the game to cap off a furious rally. Utah calmly put the ball in the basket when it counted. 65-59 was the final score. Which brings us to the game of the century - The Kentucky Wildcats vs. the Utah Utes?

In the beginning, it was all Utah. Utah, Utah, Utah... you get the point. Miller, Doleac, and Hanno Mottola flourished in the first half. At halftime, the score was Utah, 41, Kentucky, 31. There was a sign of fatigue at that point however. Mike Doleac followed slowly as the rest of the team raced back into the locker room. The Utes would pay the price later. In the second half, Utah was still winning 50-40 with 15:48 in regulation. From there, it was all Kentucky. Heshimu Evans hit one from way downtown and the spark was ignited. Scott Padgett and Jeff Sheppard paced the offensive attack. Yet, with 5:43 remaining, Utah went up again by four. After a timeout, the Wildcats went on a 7-0 run and didn't look back. The Utes would only score one more field goal. The final - 78-69 in a thrilling battle between two of the most underrated and hard-working teams in the nation.

Here are my picks for the best players this year:

Center - With no question, Antawn Jamison of North Carolina is the best player in college basketball. With exceptional talent and great all-around play, it's no wonder that he won the Player of the Year award.

Forwards - Raef LaFrentz and Paul Pierce, both from Kansas, are two of the best forwards in the nation.

Guards - Mike Bibby of Arizona is probably the best guard in the nation. He leads a balanced attack and is one of the main reasons why the Wildcats won the championship last season. Don't forget Richard Hamilton of Connecticut, a budding star, Mateen Cleaves of Michigan State, and Andre Miller of Utah.

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