SALT LAKE CITY — BYU and Gonzaga have been gone for a week. UTEP, Vanderbilt, Minnesota, Florida and Florida State have been gone even longer.
And now the West Regional is down to two teams, Butler and Kansas State, who will play today at 2:30 p.m. at EnergySolutions Arena for the right to advance to the Final Four.
For Butler, the dream is to get to the Final Four for the first time in school history, with the added bonus of playing in its hometown of Indianapolis.
Meanwhile, Kansas State is trying to get back to the Final Four for the first time since clear back in 1964 when the Wildcats were ousted by eventual champion UCLA in Kansas City.
Both teams are coming off thrilling victories Thursday night at EnergySolutions Arena. The Bulldogs overcame a four-point deficit in the final four minutes with an 11-0 run to beat No. 1 seed Syracuse 63-59, while the Wildcats needed two overtimes to eliminate the pesky Musketeers of Xavier, 101-96.
Several questions at Friday's press conference focused on the possibility of Butler playing at home next week with a victory today. The Bulldogs' youthful 33-year-old coach, Brad Stevens, dismissed them all, saying he's never mentioned the possibility of going home for the Final Four as Michigan State coach Tom Izzo did a year ago when the Final Four was played in Detroit.
However, some of his players acknowledged they've talked about it.
"When we sat down and made goals and thought about the season, we said, 'Why not shoot for the ultimate goal,' " said junior forward Matt Howard. "Why not try to win the whole thing?"
Guard Shelvin Mack said it would be "amazing" to go home for the Final Four, but said his team is focusing on today's game.
Another starting guard, Ronald Nored, one of the heroes of Thursday night's win, called the possibility of playing in Indianapolis "a dream come true," but, like Mack, isn't looking ahead. "We have a job to do on Saturday. If we get back to Indy, it sure would be a lot of fun," he said.
The Bulldogs, who are riding a 23-game winning streak, will need good performances from the aforementioned players, but the key guy could be sophomore Gordon Hayward, a guard in a forward's body who leads the team in scoring (15.2 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 rpg).
"Hayward is big-time," said Kansas State coach Frank Martin. "He's a matchup problem for everybody. He's a very underrated driver of the basketball. Everyone talks about his shooting ability, which he is a very good shooter, but he has the ability to drive."
Howard is Butler's other inside player, averaging 12.0 points and 5.3 rebounds, while Mack (14.1 ppg) and Willie Veasley (10.2) are the outside threats.
Kansas State is led by its dynamic duo of guards, Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente, who scored 28 and 25 points, respectively, in the scintillating double-overtime win Thursday.
"I think those guys play much bigger than they are," said Butler's Stevens. "They have huge hearts and are incredibly fast. Right now, Clemente scares you as much as any player, as does Pullen. Pullen might be having the best tournament of anybody in the country right now."
As good as the two guards are, they have a lot of help, which may give them the edge in today's contest.
Curtis Kelly, a 6-8 transfer from UConn, scored 21 Thursday night and averages 11.2 points and 6.2 rebounds. Forward Dominique Sutton averages 7.5 ppg and 5.8 rpg, while forward Jamar Samuels averages 11.3 ppg and 5.1 rpg off the bench.
"The great thing about this year's team is so much pressure has been taken off me and Denis's back," said Pullen. "Any night, anyone here can come out and control the game."
West Final on TV
TextNCAA Elite Eight - West Regional Final
No. 2 Kansas St. (29-7) vs. No. 5 Butler (31-4)
Today, 2:30 p.m.; EnergySolutions Arena
TV: CBS, Ch 2. Radio: 1230 AM
e-mail: sor@desnews.com