March Madness 2011: We Meet Again! Kentucky and West Virginia Ready for Rematch

Victory is sweet.

Revenge is sweeter.

Kentucky will be looking for a taste of both when the Wildcats square off against their old nemesis, the West Virginia Mountaineers, in the third round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.

Although these are two distinctly different teams from last year, the names on the front of the jerseys are the same, and Kentucky hasn't forgotten the 73-66 beatdown it received last year in the Elite Eight.

Last year's win propelled WVU to its first Final Four since 1959 and extended Kentucky's Final Four drought to 12 seasons. The Wildcats have not been back to the national semifinals since 1998, when they took home the title, defeating the Utah Utes, 78-69.

Not only will Kentucky be looking to avenge its loss from last season, it'll also be looking for a little redemption. Kentucky's two key contributors from last year's team, Darius Miller and DeAndre Liggins, combined to shoot 2-for-13, with Miller going 0-fer and Liggins 2-for-7 before fouling out.

By contrast, West Virginia's Joe Mazzulla, making his first start of the season after shoulder surgery, sliced up the Kentucky defense for 17 points, streaking inside for several easy layups, while the athletic Kevin Jones kept several possessions alive with his rebounding ability and contributed 13 points.

Even West Virginia coach Bob Huggins can brag. He holds a 8-1 career mark against Kentucky's John Calipari.

But this year is Coach Cal's.

Although he brings another largely inexperienced bunch back to the dance, led by freshmen Terrence Jones, Brandon Knight and Doron Lamb, this team has grown up before our eyes in the last three weeks. They've proved they can win close games by getting contributions from across their six-man rotation.

They finished the season on a hot streak, winning eight of their last nine, and then they breezed through the SEC Tournament, including a 70-54 victory over top-seeded Florida in the championship game.

And now they can add a 59-57 first-round victory over Princeton to their resume that will do wonders for their confidence going forward. 

These 'Cats are learning to win the close games, and they're doing it together.

So when Kentucky and West Virginia square off on Saturday afternoon, don't expect a repeat of last year.

These 'Cats won't be fielding a starting five that has their eye on NBA draft boards; they'll have their eye on the prize in hopes of bringing Kentucky Nation their eighth title.

Predicted score: UK 67, WVU 62