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When Kentucky and Connecticut battle in the 2011 Final Four on Saturday night, many people are viewing that game as the unofficial national championship game.

That is, at least the most ignorant people believe that to be the truth.

It is like when the NFL playoffs were down to the AFC Championship and NFC Championship back in the 1980s and 1990s, many people viewed the NFC title game as the real Super Bowl, because the AFC was inferior, and its teams so often got blown out by their opponent in the title game.

But just because one semi-final matchup pits two traditional powerhouses, while the other features two relatively newcomers, no one should think that Butler and VCU stand no chance against whoever wins the other game between the Wildcats and the Huskies.

The Final Four consists of four teams (hence the clever name), meaning that all four teams have just as good of a chance as any to cut down the nets on Monday night. Count out the Bulldogs and the Rams if you will, but they deserve to be here just as much so as do the other two schools.

Maybe even more so, based upon where they had to come from to get to this point. They don't have as many recruiting opportunities as schools from the power-conferences have, yet they have accomplished the same feat as of right now.

Butler and VCU are here because they earned their spots. Just because people know more about the storied programs at Kentucky and Connecticut, that does not mean that their game is like the real championship game. The winner of that takes on the winner of the first game Saturday to determine the national champ on Monday night.

Just because more people know more about Kentucky and Connecticut, does that make them better than Butler and VCU? 

Hardly.

I'll go out on a limb and say that more people followed the Kansas Jayhawks, Pittsburgh Panthers, Florida Gators, Georgetown Hoyas, Purdue Boilermakers, Wisconsin Badgers and Florida State Seminoles than Butler and VCU as well.

But those teams all failed to reach this point, as all were eliminated by the Bulldogs and the Rams.

Tradition counts, but it is not the ultimate factor. A team also has to be talented, lucky, deep, well coached and capable of handling pressure situations.

Clearly, Butler and VCU are all of the above. That is why they are in the Final Four and the aforementioned programs will be watching them play on Saturday, and why they will watch one of them against either Kentucky or Connecticut on Monday night.

In the true national championship game.

For more on all four teams, make sure to check out Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Tom Fontenault, who takes a look at the NCAA Tournament Final Four: Who Cuts Down the Nets in Houston on Monday?

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Ashton Gibbs, the junior guard for the Pittsburgh Panthers, has declared himself eligible for the 2011 NBA Draft, but will not hire an agent.

Last season, Gibbs averaged 16.8 PPG and shot 49.0 percent from behind the three point line in helping Pitt earn a No. 1 seed in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, although they were upset by the Butler Bulldogs prior to the Sweet 16 round.

As of now, Gibbs is projected as a possible borderline pick, although his status will drop if many of the talented underclassmen declare early, which is typically the case. If many of them remain in school, it is still unlikely that Gibbs gets selected in the first round.

With all of that being said, it sounds absurd that Gibbs would even declare for the draft, but it may be all for not.

Since he has not hired an agent - and does not plan to do so - Gibbs can test the waters to see where he may fit in the draft. He is most likely going to go back to school for his senior season at Pitt.

Gibbs can withdraw from the draft by the May 8th deadline and return to the Panthers as long as he does not sign with an agent.

Gary Parrish of CBS Sports reported that "A source close to Gibbs told CBSSports.com that Gibbs returning for his senior year remains the most likely scenario given his uncertain draft status."

Parrish said that that same source claimed that "I think he just wants to get some workouts in with NBA teams." In all likelihood, it will just be a few workouts and then he will come to his senses, at least in my opinion.

I understand when kids come out early when they are almost guaranteed to be a lottery pick. But if you may not even get selected in the first round, it is pure insanity to remain in the draft pool. I think that Gibbs is fully aware of that, and he will return to Pittsburgh next season. Hopefully for his sake, one more season in college basketball will only improve his draft stock.

As some of the kids at Butler and VCU have proven, sticking around for your senior season can be quite beneficial in the long run. I believe that Gibbs will realize this, if he does not do so already.

For more on NCAA basketball, make sure to check out Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Sam Blum, who takes a look at the Final Four 2011: The Five Biggest Winners and Losers in the Tournament 

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John Calipari is coaching the Kentucky Wildcats in the 2011 NCAA Final Four in Houston this weekend. It is the third different school he has led to this point.

The first two did not end all that well.

Not only did Calipari fail to win a national championship with Massachusetts and Memphis, but both of those Final Fours were later vacated following NCAA rules violations.

With that being said, this trip has to work out better for Calipari and Kentucky.

That is, unless we find out that some of his talented freshmen were recruited illegally in the months and years to come.

Nah.

While he never led the Minutemen to the title game, Calipari came up just short with the Tigers, who blew a late lead in the 2008 title game to the Kansas Jayhawks. That was undoubtedly his best opportunity to finally cut down the nets. Could this year finally be the year for him and his Wildcats?

Kentucky looked very good in its win over North Carolina in the Elite Eight. But they also knocked down more three pointers than normal and were fortunate that John Henson could not stay on the floor for the Tar Heels. Kentucky did prevail, but a lot of things had to fall in their favor throughout the game. North Carolina just did not play smart the entire game.

Connecticut has more experience and depth than Carolina, so Kentucky should expect much better ball from them on Saturday night.

Kemba Walker is the best player in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. He has simply carried the Huskies to the Final Four, but his teammates have stepped up their game greatly over the last couple of weeks. He can now get the ball to Jeremy Lamb and others to help out late in the game. Walker does not necessarily have to take every big shot anymore.

Kentucky is still led by Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones, although Josh Harrelson has come out of nowhere this season to give the Wildcats a big inside presence. Whereas this is not a typical UConn team who blocks more shots than every other team, they may struggle a bit in the paint - both offensively and defensively.

In the NCAA Tournament, momentum can mean more than anything else. Connecticut has had more momentum than any team remaining for a longer period. While both teams are very talented and led by two living legends, Calipari is going to once again leave the Final Four without a national championship.

The Huskies will knock out the Wildcats on Saturday and go on to defeat the Butler Bulldogs in the championship game on Monday night.

It was another great season for Calipari, but it will once again end in disappointment.

For more on the 2011 NCAA Tournament, make sure to check out Bleacher Report Featured Columnist James Evans, who takes a look at the Final Four 2011: 10 Keys to Victory for Kemba Walker and the Connecticut Huskies.

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Kemba Walker of the UConn Huskies has had an incredible run in the postseason to this point.

Walker has simply put the Huskies on his back and carried them through the Big East Conference Tournament, winning five games in five days, and has now led his team to the Final Four in Houston this weekend.

At this rate, he is the runaway favorite for the Most Outstanding Player award in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

Is he also a consideration for the No. pick in the 2011 NBA Draft?

Well, he would have to actually declare first for that to become a possibility.

That is what gets me at this time of the year. Everyone is working on their mock NBA Drafts for June, but we have absolutely no idea who will even enter yet.

I'm sure that everyone has Jared Sullinger of Ohio State as the consensus top pick. As of this moment, Sullinger said that he is absolutely coming back to the Buckeyes next season. While he could still change his mind, you have to remove him from consideration right now.

Other underclassmen who have not declared should also not be discussed right now. Forget about Harrison Barnes at North Carolina and Kyrie Irving at Duke. We have no idea about Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones of Kentucky. They are all still undecided.

As of now, so is Walker. But if the junior guard does leave early, is he the likely No. 1 draft pick?

While his talent is immeasurable, there are factors that could drop him down slightly on the draft board.

First off, Walker if listed at 6'1'', yet he is probably closer to a shade under 5'10'' in all honesty. His size could affect his draft position.

Walker is also a point guard, but he is a shoot first, shoot second, pass last type of point guard. I am not saying that that is an awful thing, but many teams want their point guard to lead the offense, where Walker is someone who tends to carry his offense. Because of his size, he is not really an option as a shooting guard.

But even with all of that said, you cannot take away what Walker has been able to do on the court this season with not as much talent surrounding a UConn star as usual. He has had 10 games with at least 30 points scored this season, and is there anyone in the country who has been more clutch this year?

Ultimately, I see Walker leaving the Huskies program whenever his run ends. Whether it takes place on Saturday in elimination or culminates Monday night with a national championship, I strongly feel as if Walker's collegiate career is quickly winding down.

I'm not sure whether Walker should be the top overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. Teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Wizards all expect to be in the mix for the top spot. The Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors and New Jersey Nets could also be in the running, depending if they can get a little bit of luck with the ping pong balls.

In fact, if Walker does declare, he may be a great fit with the Nets, especially if they fear that Deron Williams could bolt in 2012. If not the Nets, Walker could be a solid fit with the Detroit Pistons if he was still on the board when they select.

For more on Walker and the Huskies, make sure to check out Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Tom Fontenault, who takes a look at the NCAA Tournament Final Four: Who Cuts Down the Nets in Houston on Monday?

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Shaka Smart is coaching the VCU Rams in the 2011 NCAA Final Four, but could his time be running out in leading this program?

Smart has done a phenomenal job leading this school for the last couple of seasons. He has taken them from CBI Tournament champions to the Final Four in the span of one season. When he was an assistant at Clemson and Florida, everyone knew that he had the potential to be an excellent head coach in college basketball.

But nobody figured that it would happen this quickly in a non-power conference program.

As strange as it sounds, could winning too much be a bad thing for Smart?

It could be for VCU as they hope to retain him as their head coach.

Remember what Anthony Grant did at VCU just a few seasons ago? He led the Rams to an NCAA Tournament upset over Duke in 2009 before bolting for the head coaching job at Alabama.

Will the same thing soon happen to the Rams? Will Smart be the next great coach to lead this team into the tournament and then take off for a more lucrative job at a more high profile program?

Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg News says that "VCU, which has an enrollment of 32,000, has already -- and will continue to -- generate revenue for the school, according to [VCU President Michael] Rao and Robby Robinson, the university’s associate athletic director for corporate partnership."

Soshnick also wrote that "Robinson said the enthusiasm surrounding the team’s run -- like the 7,000 fans that filled Verizon Wireless Arena to welcome the team home after the Kansas game - will extend to sponsors."

Still, it may not solely boil down to money in the long run for Smart. Many other factors could influence his decision on whether to stay or to go, and it could also depend on what vacancies remain when VCU finished its season, whether that happens to be on Saturday or Monday.

If Smart does decide to at least entertain offers, which school may stand the best chance to land one of the best young coaches in the country?

As of now, it appears as if Matt Painter could be leaving Purdue to head to Missouri. The reason for making such a move is lost on me, as the Boilermakers have notoriously been a better basketball school than the Tigers for years.

Could Oklahoma make a run at Smart following the dismissal of Jeff Capel? It may be a good fit?

What about North Carolina State? The Wolfpack are looking to land a high profile coach. Could the ACC be enough to lure Smart to take over the Wolfpack?

Smart has been an excellent coach for VCU. But how longer will he lead the Rams after what should be a bombardment of offers comes his way over the next few weeks?

For more on Smart and his Rams, make sure to check out Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Sam Blum, who takes a look at the Final Four 2011: The Five Biggest Winners and Losers in the Tournament.

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Cuonzo Martin has been hired by Tennessee to clean up the mess left by Bruce Pearl in the men's basketball program. Martin was formerly the head coach at Missouri State.

Tennessee announced that it had hired the 39-year-old Martin as the Volunteers' 18th head coach. He was a former NCAA Final Four player at Purdue in 1994.

Martin will be walking into a difficult situation, at least potentially. As of this moment, he has no idea what sort of sanctions he may be facing due to the recruiting violations by the program's recently fired head coach in Pearl.

"Cuonzo is among the most promising young coaches in the game, and we are excited about the coaching ability, toughness and energy that he brings to our program," Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton said. "He has a proven track record of success as a head coach at Missouri State and an assistant at Purdue as well as an outstanding career as a college basketball player."

He may have to be very tough, because it could be a couple of seasons before Martin really gets to put his imprint on the Volunteers following the problems caused by Pearl.

Pearl basically coached this entire past season as a lame duck head coach. Hamilton kept repeating how he was unsure of what the future held for Pearl, but I have no doubt that he never intended to retain the head coach once he found out about his lies and recruiting violations.

It was just a matter of time for Pearl, who was still one of the better head coaches in the program's history.

Martin told WGFX in Nashville that “I think it’s a great situation. I think, for us, it’s building a program and being successful. I wasn’t really concerned with the NCAA. Once I talked to Mike and these guys and they said … ‘We’ll find something out in June and we think we’ll be OK. We might get here and there, but we don’t think it’ll be anything major,’ I was fine with that.”

Martin is very optimistic about the opportunity, as he should be, but he may be facing an uphill climb for the first few years.

One has to wonder as of this minute, had Matt Painter agreed to coach Missouri before Tennessee hired Martin, would he have preferred to at least have the opportunity to coach at his alma mater with the Boilermakers.

I guess there is no point in wondering about what could have been, because the contract has already been signed.

Hopefully, Martin will not live to regret his decision.

For more on Tennessee and its former head coach, make sure to check out Bleacher Report Correspondent Chris O'Brien, who takes a look at Bruce Pearl: Where Does the Ex-Tennessee Coach Go From Here?

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Jimmer Fredette can flat out score. Nobody has ever questioned his ability to rack up some points. But does he play enough defense to make it at the next level?

Fredette will stop and pop from anywhere on the floor. Whether he is open or not, he has absolutely no problem launching it up and hoping for the best. He will also drive to the hoop and toss up some very acrobatic looking shots.

In case you haven't watched Fredette in too many games, I do not consider these to be positive attributes. After watching BYU get eliminated by Florida in the Elite Eight, I often wondered why so many people said that Fredette is a top pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.

In my opinion, he is not even a lottery pick, and that is regardless of how many talented freshman and other underclassmen declare for the draft. Fredette is a borderline first round pick if many of those young stars to opt for early entry into the NBA, and I have many reasons why I believe this theory.

Yes, Fredette can shoot. He doesn't care where he shoots from, and he will take 25-30 shots in any given game. That is how he scored almost 30 PPG last season. Just because you can shoot all night does not mean that you should.

I understand that he did not have a ton of talent surrounding him, especially once Brandon Davies got suspended. He doesn't have a Kemba Walker to dish it out to or a Derrick Williams to feed inside. The Cougars are made of Fredette and a bunch of other guys he hogs the ball from.

If I got off almost 30 shots per game, I could still score in double figures. He is not as impressive as everyone seems to think.

And I am just talking about his offense. 

His defense is absolutely atrocious.

If he cannot cover some of the better point guards in college, how can he possibly cover NBA stars such as Chris Paul Rajon Rondo and Russell Westbrook? He doesn't stand a chance.

Jaimie Canterbury of Dime magazine says of Fredette that "Jimmer’s undeveloped defensive foundation will hold him back immensely at the next level. At BYU, he never really faced the best competition throughout the season and therefore never had to defend any high-caliber guards. Those days have come to an end. He has also built a habit of conserving energy on defense for the offensive end. In the NBA, he won’t be able to do that. Last week against Florida, he looked exhausted from struggling to keep up with Walker and his shooting suffered from his fatigue (scoring zero points in the overtime period)."

Fredette can shoot from behind the three point line. So could Luke Jackson. He is pretty good at driving and getting to the free throw line. So was Adam Morrison. Fredette was one of the biggest names in the NCAA Tournament this season. Joe Alexander took that role a couple of years ago as well.

The bottom line is that just because a player can score and knock down some big shots does not make them a solid NBA prospect.

For more on the BYU star, make sure to check out Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Jamal Wilburg, who ponders the possibility of whether Jimmer Fredette is Basketball's Version of Tim Tebow.