While the first half of Saturday's Final Four pits two low-profile teams, the second half of the draw has two traditional powers playing for a trip to the NCAA Final, when the Kentucky Wildcats face the Connecticut Huskies at Reliant Stadium in Houston.

Kentucky has been an impact basketball programs since the Adolf Rupp days of the 1940s. With the exception of the 2000s, the Wildcats have been in the Final Four in every decade, and have seven national championships.

The last time Kentucky won it all was 1998, and the 13-year drought has mercifully come to an end for perhaps the most dedicated fans in college sports.

While controversy has dogged John Calipari over the years, this season's over-achieving Kentucky team has put the focus on Coach Cal's strategies, and not his past NCAA allegations.

The Wildcats are led by a collection of talented players. Freshman point guard Brandon Knight leads the team in scoring with a 17.3 scoring average, and was responsible for hitting the go-ahead shot that eliminated first-seed Ohio State.

The Wildcats have received important contributions from a quartet of Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb, Darius Miller, and DeAndre Liggins -- all of whom are between the heights of 6'4 and 6'8.

The performances from those players has eased the transition from losing John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, and Eric Bledsoe to the NBA Draft.

But the Wildcats have also received a more than pleasant surprise from their lone big man starter, Josh Harrellson, who has come on strong in the last few weeks. Since the start of the SEC tournament, Harrellson has averaged 12.9 points per game, and shot better than 70 percent from the field.

For Connecticut, head coach Jim Calhoun has been the recent target of an NCAA probe. The Huskies' basketball program was put on three years probation and had scholarship reductions, while Calhoun was hit with a three-game suspension.

New reports from the recruit who was the center of the investigation, Nate Miles, points to inaccuracies from Calhoun regarding his knowledge of providing improper benefits to Miles.

Allegations aside, Calhoun has been a boon for the Connecticut program, making the Huskies a tournament fixture over the past 20 years, and having won two national championships.

Aside from a very close game with Arizona, the Huskies have sailed through the tournament.

Connecticut is led by perhaps the best player in college basketball, and probably the best player of the remaining four teams, Kemba Walker. The star guard is averaging nearly 24 points per game, and has been the leading scorer for the Huskies in every tournament game.

As much as the Huskies rely on the scoring of Walker, this is by no means a one-man show. Connecticut has seen the emergence of freshman guard Jeremy Lamb, who has strung together solid performances, particularly against San Diego State when he converted nine-of-11 shots.

The Huskies have also received quality play from big man Alex Oriakhi, and excellent play-making from point guard Shabazz Napier.

Kentucky and Connecticut haven't exceeded expectations like Butler and Virginia Commonwealth, but to say that their appearance at the Final Four was expected would not be inaccurate.

Both teams had better-than-expected performances from low-profile players, and their head coaches found a way to silence critics by putting the focus back on the court.

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