Elite Eight Preview: Kansas City Regional

Last year, Oklahoma reached the Final Four behind the combination of Courtney and Ashley Paris and Whitney Hand, the Big 12 freshman of the year.

But the Paris twins graduated and moved on to their pro careers and Hand's season ended last November with a torn ACL.

So the Sooners moved on.

They moved on with junior point guard Danielle Robinson, one of the best floor leaders in the land. They moved on with senior Nyeshia Stevenson forward Amanda Thompson and Abi Olajuwon taking over in the paint.

And now Oklahoma is one game from returning to the Final Four after a 77-72 overtime win over second-seeded Notre Dame in Kansas City on Sunday.

Olajuwon has stepped out of the shadow of the Paris sisters. She had 20 points and 14 rebounds against the Irish.

Meanwhile, Kentucky -- picked to finish 11th in the SEC when the season started -- has used its quickness and athleticism to reach its first regional final. The Wildcats play four guards. They swarm and they pressure and they win by forcing turnovers and beating people to the ball under the glass.

And their roster includes forward Victoria Dunlap, the SEC Player of the Year.

"This means a lot, but we are definitely not satisfied," said guard Amber Smith after the game.

Not with the Final Four one game away.


Coaches: Kentucky's Matthew Mitchell (91-68 in five seasons); Oklahoma's Sherri Coale (312-142 in 14 seasons).

Road to the Regional Final: Oklahoma opened the tournament with 68-57 win over 14th-seeded South Dakota State and then defeated Arkansas-Little Rock, 60-44, in the second round. The Sooners battled No. 2 seed Notre Dame in the regional semifinals and came away with a 77-72 win in overtime. Kentucky opened the tourney with a 83-77 win over Liberty and then defeated Michigan State, 70-52, in the second round. Then the Wildcats pulled off one of the tournament's biggest upsets, defeating No. 1 seed Nebraska 76-67 in their first Sweet 16 appearance in 28 years.

Starting lineups:

Oklahoma
G Danielle Robinson (16.7 points, 3.2 rebounds per game)
G Nyeshia Stevenson (14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds per game)
F Amanda Thompson (13.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game)
C Abi Olajuwon (10.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game)
F Jasmine Hartman (2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game)

Kentucky
F Victoria Dunlap (17.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game)
G A'dia Mathies (13.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game)
G Amber Smith (9.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game
G Amani Franklin (7.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game)
G Keyla Snowden (6.8 points per game and a team-leading 50 3-pointers)

The Matchup to Watch: Kentucky guard A'dia Mathies vs. Oklahoma guard Danielle Robinson. Mathies, the SEC freshman of the year, put up 21 points in the regional semifinal win over Nebraska (after putting up 32 in a first-round win over Liberty) and she played a big role in the Wildcats pressure defense. Robinson, a junior and one of the top point guards in the country, is poised, quick and a strong scorer.

The Player to Watch: Oklahoma guard Nyeshia Stevenson. Stevenson hit the game-winning 3-pointer, followed by two more free throws to seal the Sooners' overtime win against Notre Dame. The senior said that in the moment she hit the shot she thought, "I want to play some more." She could be playing her team into a return trip to the Final Four.

Outlook: Kentucky is undersized and quick. Oklahoma has Olajuwon playing the best basketball of her young career and she will need to have another big game, taking advantage of her size inside. Danielle Robinson is quick enough to hang in against the Wildcats' trap and press, and if Stevenson hits a few more big shots, the Sooners go back to the Final Four.