ATLANTA (AP) a Louisville already had greater names, the greater group and some unfinished business after coming up quick in last year's Final Four. All Wichita State had was the cute-and-cuddly underdog perspective. Now the Shockers don't have even that. Kevin Ware is everyone's favorite person because he broke his leg in ugly fashion last weekend yet summoned the energy to encourage his teammates, and having him at the Final Four has provided the top-seeded Cardinals (33-5) added determination to claim the title that eluded them last year. "We want it, specially because we are right back here for an additional year," Louisville forward Wayne Blackshear said Friday. "With Kevin going down, specially the way he did, it is just making us play harder." Louisville plays Wichita State (30-8) in the initial national semifinal Saturday evening. The Cardinals are 10A-point favorites. Wichita State has one player (Carl Hall) who salvaged his career after in a bulb factory and two their way was paid by more ( Ron Baker and Malcolm Armstead ) who to arrived at college and started on the staff as walk-ons. Fans have been invited by its coach in to the locker room after big wins. Yes, it is a college with the ingredients of a staff the whole nation could easily get behind. Challenge is, in this instance, Louisville and Ware happen to be taking on America's heart strings. "I am just happy to know Kevin Ware now much more when he has become the most well-known individual I know," Peyton Siva cracked. "You know, when you've Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama call you, it's pretty good to express you know that person." Louisville's trip to last year's Final Four was some thing of a surprise, coming after the Cardinals skidded in to the Big East tournament only two games over.500. Then when they got to the NCAA tourney and finally got returned by archrival and top-ranked Kentucky in the nationwide semifinals, it was not a shock. Or a huge disappointment. In 2013, nevertheless, the Cardinals a' and everyone else a' expect Louisville to win it all. "I think that may be the one huge difference from last year to the year," Chane Behanan said. "Last year, I really do not need to say because we were a great baseball team it was a. This year is just completely different. We've the No. 1 seed. It is a lot of pressure with every one wanting us to win." Until Ware got hurt, the Cardinals seemed immune to the pressure and the objectives, to express nothing of letdowns. Their first four NCAA tournament games were won by them by typically nearly 22 points. Opponents were limited by them to 42 percent and 59 points shooting while harassing them in to nearly 18 turnovers. Oregon was the only team to obtain within single-digits of Louisville at the buzzer. The Cardinals blew out great Duke by 22 points. Russ Smith was named Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest Regional after averaging 26 factors in the initial four games and tying an NCAA record with nine takes against Vermont A&T. Gorgui Dieng has 10 blocks. But losing Ware was big. He was the primary substitute a the only substitute, really a ' for Smith and Peyton Siva, the high-octane guards that are the key not only to Louisville's suffocating press but its offense, too. "Our participants fully understand the process that lies ahead with this specific Wichita State team," coach Rick Pitino said. "We understand with Kevin out that we not merely have to play very hard, we've to play very, very smart." Particularly contrary to the Shockers. This is the first Final Four look for Wichita State since 1965, but the ninth-seeded Shockers are no fluke. They are large, they're running, they jump and they could take 3s much better than virtually anybody. Only question Pittsburgh, a first-round victim of the hot-shooting Shockers. Or No. 1-seeded Gonzaga, which was out before the first weekend of the match was over because of Wichita State. Or Ohio State, a popular pick for a third straight Final Four until the Shockers sent them packing. (Pitino, in addition, swears he picked Wichita State to access the Last Four.) "Their entire staff is hard. It is not merely one guy," Siva said. "Macolm Armstead, obviously, makes them go. But on any given night, anybody on the group may have a large night. It's as much as us to play collective defense, struck the glass and continue to play how we have already been playing." Armstead is calculating almost 16 points through the tournament, one of four Shockers in double figures. Tekele Cotton is 5 of 10 from 3-point variety, while Ron Baker is 6 of 15. However the number that may catch Pitino's consideration is 34, the shooting proportion for Wichita State's first four competitors. "What you've surely got to do is not turn the ball over," Shockers coach Gregg Marshall said. "If we are giving them change chances and turning the ball over, then we are not doing what we are attempting to do." The main element to avoiding that is containing Siva and Smith. Or keeping them in foul trouble. Siva, specifically, has a tendency to pick up fouls. He enjoyed only the first 5 minutes of the first half against Duke after getting whistled for just two quick ones. He was in foul difficulty in last year's Final Four, too, sitting the last eight minutes of the very first half. "I stay away from nasty trouble every sport. Sometimes it just sees me," he explained. "I don't know how." Smith and Siva know they have to be much more careful against Wichita State a' although not to the level where it creates them careful. "We are likely to hold our aggressiveness," Smith offered. "Nothing will probably change." All things considered, the Cardinals have unfinished business. For for and themselves Ware, who plans to be on the counter Saturday night. "One of our teammates went down," Behanan said. "We as a team have to move it up."
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