ELITE EIGHT PREVIEW: March 23
South Region: KENT STATE (10) vs. INDIANA (5) | Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET

Wow, can you believe it? Kent State vs. Indiana in the South battling for a trip to the Final Four! Not many people would have thought the Dukies would be sent home by the Hoosiers. Indiana showed heart, guts and a sense of pride.

Mike Davis' team did not quit despite falling behind 17 points in the first half. Now the Hoosiers take that momentum into the regional final against a Golden Flashes team that still feels it has something to prove.

Davis showed a burst of jubilation after the win over Duke. His team plays with intensity and emotion and has come on after a 7-5 start this season. Indiana played a quality non-league schedule that helped prepare this team for the tournament run.

Huffman was originally told he couldn't play for a Division I school. His mother told him to go to Division II before (former coach) Waters gave him a shot. He's now the school's all-time leading scorer.

While Duke struggled from the foul line against Indiana, Kent State was strong against Pittsburgh, hitting 19 of 23 from the line.

Can the Hoosiers put together another big performance after the emotional effort against the Dukies? Jared Jeffries was the main factor late against Duke, unstoppable on the offensive glass. He scored 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and he figures to give the Golden Flashes problems inside.

Both of these teams can scrap and battle on the defensive end. It figures to be an intense battle where the team that can show consistency from behind the arc has an edge.

If Jeffries had stayed healthy, I believe Indiana would have won the Big Ten title outright. Jeffries is so special with his versatility. He can beat you inside with penetration or by posting you up, or by going outside to shoot the jumper. The Hoosiers have other weapons like Jarrad Odle, who came up big against Duke.

Indiana is in the Elite Eight for the first time since 1993, and you know this match-up is special. It is the revenge factor, baby, as the Hoosiers remember last year's first-round loss to the Golden Flashes. Indiana led by eight points at halftime before Kent State, then coached by current Rutgers coach Gary Waters, outscored the Hoosiers, 43-31, in the second half.

Jeffries was held to nine points in that loss. Trevor Huffman, who has been the key for Kent State so far in this tournament, scored 24 points in 38 minutes in the shocker. Indiana was plagued by 18 turnovers in the loss.

Remember, Huffman was originally told he couldn't play for a Division I school. His mother told him to go to Division II before Waters gave him a shot. He's now the school's all-time leading scorer.

The Golden Flashes have had a great run with victories over Oklahoma State out of the heavyweight Big 12; Alabama, the SEC West regular season champions; and Pittsburgh, one of the premier teams in the Big East.

Kent State has an outstanding perimeter game. That's the one thing about mid-majors -- they usually have strength on the outside because they return experienced players.

Stan Heath, the former Michigan State assistant under Tom Izzo, knows a thing or two about winning. He's one game away from another trip to the Final Four! Kent State struggled early, but Heath convinced his team that the style of play would work. The team learned the style that was needed and after a 4-4 start, Kent State has confidence and a 21-game win streak.

Antonio Gates has become a dominant player on the wing, and inside-outside threat who was brilliant against Pittsburgh with 22 points and nine rebounds. Huffman gives them the toughness and an ability to make the big play. Andrew Mitchell gives them an exceptional ballhandler.

Kent State can flat-out defend and guard people. They come out and play hard, and they take good shots on offense. They have earned their spot in the Elite Eight.

This will be another Maalox Masher. The difference will be Jeffries on the baseline. I feel the Hoosiers will march on in a tough battle, making the Final Four for the first time since 1992, the season that Indiana lost to Duke in Minneapolis.