ATLANTA (AP) a' After having a time of doubt, there's an obvious favorite heading to the Final Four. The Louisville Cardinals. As the other No. 1s have dropped by the wayside, the top total seed romped to the Georgia Dome with four prominent wins in the NCAA tournament. And, if any extra motivation is needed by the Cardinals, it has been got by them. Sophomore guard Kevin Ware, who enjoyed his senior school ball in the Atlanta suburbs, suffered a nasty harm in Sunday's local closing against Duke. Before he headed down to surgery, his teammates were courageously urged by him in order to complete the task. Now, they would like simply to win all of it for Ware. "We mentioned it every timeout, 'Get Kevin home,'" mentor Rick Pitino said. Next stop, the A-T-L, where three somewhat impossible clubs is likely to be looking to knock off the great Cardinals. First up, the astonishing Shockers from Wichita State in the semifinals Saturday. The No. 9 seed has now pulled off two major problems, but this might be the biggest stunner however. If Louisville helps it be to next Monday night's title game, the opponent could be either Michigan, sporting a fresh number of Fab Wolverines, or Syracuse, which comes at you with the stingiest zone defense in college basketball. The 2 No. 4 seeds may meet in the other semifinal game. All are underdogs to the Cardinals, who are winning by on average almost 22 points a game title in the event. "I thought we'd a chance there, and then boom," said Duke mentor Mike Krzyzewski, who observed Louisville take away for an 85-63 success in the Midwest Regional final. "That is what they do to teams. They are able to boom you." In the other sport Sunday, Michigan captured the South Regional with a rout of Florida, leading from the opening tip. A day earlier, Syracuse turn off Marquette 55-39 to win the East Regional, while Wichita State hit its Final Four solution with a upset of Ohio State out West. In the final year of the Big East before it divides into two new conferences, Louisville and Syracuse provided an appropriate send-off to a league that quickly turned a powerhouse after it was created in 1979. This edition of the Big East includes a chance at yet another national subject, before it goes. With two teams, no less. The Cardinals a who, like Syracuse, are moving to the Atlantic Coast Conference a shook off the incredible shock of Ware's injury with about 6A minutes to go before halftime and blew out the second-seeded Blue Devils. The sophomore broke his lower right leg after coming down awkwardly while defending a 3-point shot. The damage occurred right in front of the Louisville seat, where the players gasped and turned away quickly at the sight of Ware's clinging leg, that has been broken in two places. Russ Smith collapsed onto the ground, along side several players, and was crying as health practitioners attended to Ware. While Ware was loaded onto a, the Cardinals collected at midcourt till Pitino called them over, saying the injured person wished to keep in touch with them before he left. "All he kept saying a and remember, the bone is 6 inches out of his leg a' all he's yelling is, 'Win the game! Get the game!'" Pitino said. "I have never seen that in my life. We're all distraught and all he's saying is, 'Win the game .' Kevin is a particular small man." This can be a special staff. Jones scored 23 points. Gorgui Dieng had 14 points, 11 boards and four blocks. The Cardinals (33-5) simply refused to lose, breaking open a game title which was tied at 42. They dove on the ground for loose balls. They pounded the boards ferociously. Like they'd an additional person on the court they contested every picture and swarmed around the Blue Devils. In as they were reminded by Pitino all through every timeout, a sense, they did. "This is just a gritty bunch," the instructor said. "From the beginning of the year to now, they've maybe not had a poor game. I'm really happy with these guys." Wichita State was the absolute most unlikely team to advance. The Shockers lived as much as their nickname in the West, knocking off top-seeded Gonzaga in the No and second round. 2 seed Ohio State in the local final Saturday night. Wichita State (30-8) developed a lead on the Buckeyes, then was able to hold on through a nerve-racking final five full minutes to display the newest upset in a match filled with them. That other team from Kansas is not content yet. "It thinks very good," said Cleanthony Early, a senior forward who, like the majority of of his teammates, was handed over by higher-profile plans, "but we understand the fact we have got to stay hungry and humble, because we've got two more games left to actually be excited about." Old-timers may remember Louisville and Wichita State as former meeting rivals. The Cardinals were a part of the Missouri Valley Conference in the 1960s and '70s, which meant annual activities from the Shockers. Louisville contains a 19-5 edge in the line, nevertheless the teams have not performed since 1976. Michigan (30-7) is headed back once again to the Final Four for the first time because the Fab Five age of the early 1990s, when the Wolverines lost in back-to-back national name games. This staff gets the same vibrant feel, light emitting diode by sophomore Trey Burke, the Big Ten player of the season, and three freshmen starters. They certainly were totally amazing against third-seeded Florida, never seriously threatened after scoring the first 13 items. "A large amount of folks said we were really small and that we couldn't get here," said Burke, who scored 15 details against Florida but really got through in a improbable return against top-seeded Kansas in the regional semifinals. "We are here now and we still have incomplete business." Among the freshmen, Nik Stauskas, struck all six of his 3-pointers and scored 22 points to cause the Wolverines. Yet another of the kids, 6-foot-10 Mitch McGary, chipped in with 11 points and eight rebounds. Florida became the very first team to lose three straight regional finals. The Wolverines could have their work cut right out against Syracuse (30-9), a staff that has entirely crammed its NCAA competitors with a stifling area defense. The Orange are headed with their first Final Four since winning everything in 2003 mainly because they have granted less than 46 points a game in the tournament. Syracuse brings the series against Michigan 8-5. Their last meeting was Nov. 26, 2010, if the Orange prevailed 53-50 in the Legends Classic at Atlantic City, N.J. The schools have not met in the NCAA tournament. Syracuse has been like an octopus when it forms in across the its lane a' turning off moving routes, preventing anybody from penetrating, though managing to defend the 3-point line with quickness and long arms. Montana, California, top-seeded Indiana and Marquette combined to create just under 29 percent from the subject (61 of 211) and a small 15.4 percent (14 of 91) outside the arc. "We were as active these two activities within Washington once we have ever been," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said after Saturday's win over group competitor Marquette, which is headed to a fresh version of the Big East next time. "I just can really not say enough about how exactly good these guys played on the end of the court." Etc Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963
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