Best final fours of all time (2 MU mentions)

[Secret of the Ouse]

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/7972622/The-best-Final-Fours-of-all-time?MSNHPHCP&gt1=39002

1977: AL MCGUIRE WEEPS
Teams: Marquette, North Carolina, UNLV, Charlotte:

Story line: Midway through the season, legendary Marquette coach Al McGuire announced he would be retiring. The Warriors barely reached the NCAA Tournament during his final campaign, but then they pulled together and fought their way to Atlanta.

Star power: Walter Davis (North Carolina), Phil Ford (North Carolina), Butch Lee (Marquette), Bo Ellis (Marquette), Reggie Theus (UNLV), Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell (Charlotte).

Outcome: In the phenomenal semifinal games, Marquette got past Charlotte 51-49 and North Carolina slipped past the Runnin' Rebels 84-83. With his team riddled with injuries, Tar Heels coach Dean Smith tried to buy time in the title game by running his four-corners offense -- but his team lost momentum in the process. As the Warriors wrapped up their 67-59 victory, McGuire held his head and cried.

"Sometimes I wonder, 'How did it happen?'" McGuire told the Milwaukee Journal many years later. "I had seven or eight teams better than that."


2003: ONE AND YOU'RE DONE
Teams: Syracuse, Kansas, Texas, Marquette.

Story line: Syracuse's Jim Boeheim was still another long-time coach looking for his first national title. With elite players racing right to the NBA, it was getting harder to build championship-caliber teams. But for one year, Boeheim had an extraordinary talent at his disposal. And he made the most of it.

Star power: Carmelo Anthony (Syracuse), Dwyane Wade (Marquette), T.J. Ford (Texas), Nick Collison (Kansas), Kirk Hinrich (Kansas).

Outcome: The spellbinding Anthony led the Orangemen past Texas 95-84 in the semis and past Kansas 81-78 in an exciting championship game. The Jayhawks stormed back from a late 12-point deficit and had three chances to tie the game in the waning seconds ... but couldn't hit one more 3-pointer.

"All my hard work paid off tonight," Anthony said after the game. "I paid a physical toll the whole night, the whole tournament. The whole season, everybody has been beating me up. Coach told me to tough it up."