Louisville vs. Kentucky: Cardinals' Magic Ends with Kentucky in Final Four

Louisville has enjoyed a remarkable run in March and should be commended. In the end, a Final Four pat on the back is all they will get, because the Kentucky Wildcats are just too big a hurdle. 

With unrelenting defense and some underrated stars in the paint, Rick Pitino has put together a Final Four run for the ages. 

If only this were the destination and not merely one more trial by fire. Watching Louisville through the last couple of weeks should have us wildly confident that the upcoming Final Four clash of hated rivals will be close, but the finish has very much been written. 

There are several reasons that Kentucky continues their journey to the NCAA Championship, and that means an admirable run by the Cardinals ends in defeat on Saturday. 

Anthony Davis

You will again hear a great deal about him in the next day, so we might as well get this out of the way. Yes, Davis is as good as you have heard, and yes, he will be just as dominant on Saturday. 

I am fully aware of Gorgui Dieng and what he has meant to Louisville in the paint. I just don't care, not when you have a player like Davis who is long and moves like a small forward. 

He has also proved capable of keeping the fouls to a minimum. Look for a great deal of Davis to be on the floor. 

Depth on Offense 

It's a tricky thing, this March Madness business. Teams come and go, but it's precisely when their main weapons are isolated that they leave. 

Anthony Davis may be the household name of the tourney, but there are plenty of NBA-level players on this Kentucky roster that can take over. 

The Wildcats' versatile attack has delivered four straight games of 80-plus points and a 47.8 percent shooting from the floor. 

Louisville may be a top-notch defense, but Kentucky has too many weapons to account for.

Round 2

We already have some idea how these two teams match up because we saw it on December 31st, when the Wildcats beat Louisville, 69-62. 

Kentucky owned the boards, grabbing 49 to the Cardinals' 28. What's more is Louisville needed 30 points from Russ Smith to stay close. 

Smith is 15-for-49 from the field in the past five games and will not play the part of hero on Saturday. Despite a very solid team, Louisville will be turned away by a better one in the Final Four. 

Follow @gabezal