Just how close where the Wildcats to the Final Four...

Just how close where the Arizona Wildcats to the Big Dance...the NCAA Final four...the ultimate goal for a college basketball program?

Very! The only team to beat the Wildcats in this year's heart-stopping, jaw-dropping, upsets-in-the-making tourney was the UConn Huskies. And that occurred, of course, when the Huskies escaped with a two-point win over the Wildcats in the Sweet Sixteen contest in Anaheim over a week ago.

The 3-seeded Huskies had their hands full with the Wildcats, and yesterday afternoon eked out a one-point win over Kentucky to reach the championship game, setting up a showdown Monday night with 8-seeded Butler to decide the best collegiate basketball team in the country for 2011. The Huskies' play, in their win over the Kentucky Wildcats, is shockingly similar to their victory over own 'Cats.

We, as in the Arizona fans...and the team from Tucson that left it all on the court -- just a week ago, came all so close to the BIG DANCE.