Cinderella has a name – and while everyone might have thought that name was Florida Gulf Coast (which was a wonderful story), her real name is WICHITA STATE!!!!!!

With 11 minutes left in the game, the Shockers had a 20 point lead and looked like it would just be watching the seconds count down until the coronation party would begin.  And then a strange thing happened in Los Angeles.  The Buckeyes started to cut into the lead.  By the 8 minute mark, the lead was down to 13.  By the 4 minute timeout, it was down to 8.  The Shockers hit 2 FTs to extend the lead to 10, just to watch the Buckeyes to score 7 points in the next minute.  And suddenly, with 2:49 left in the game, it was suddenly 62-59.  All the momentum was looking like another classic collapse where a large run happens and the clock strikes midnight for Cinderella.

But Tekele Cotton had other plans.  With the shot clock running down and Fred Vanvleet driving to get an open shot, he kicked it out to a wide-open Cotton – who calmly nailed the three-point jumper.  Ohio State quickly cut the lead back to 4 and the Shockers took things all the way down again.  Vanvleet missed the three-pointer before the shock clock expired – but there was Cotton – who fought to get the offensive rebound.   After taking the shot clock down to the end again, this time Vanvleet’s wild drive to the basket ended up in an amazing lay-up to give the Shockers a 6 point lead with 1 minute left.

Aaron Craft tried to hit a 3 pointer to cut the lead – but this time, Craft was unable to create some heroics.  The Shockers hit their FTs at the end of the game, and Wichita State has advanced to the Final Four in Atlanta.

The Shockers win was the first time since the tournament expanded to 64 teams that a 9 seed has made the Final Four.  And it was the first time since 1979 that a team from the Missouri Valley has made it to the Final Four – that was the year Larry Bird led Indiana State to the championship game.  Ironically, 1979 – the first year the committee seeded the teams – also was the only other time a 9 seed (Penn) made the Final Four.

Congratulations to the Wichita State Shockers – Atlanta will be happy to welcome Cinderella to the dance.  We’ll see if Prince Charming matches the other glass slipper to the Shockers’ feet…..