When the word “Syracuse” popped up on the bracket for the first time, most of the so-called experts were crying “foul,” not shouting “Final Four.”So much for that.Coach Jim Boeheim’s “I Told You So” tour will travel all the way to Houston. The 10th-seeded Orange became only the fourth double-digit seed to make the Final Four. They aren’t the only surprise out of Syracuse.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kris Jenkins made two free throws with 13.3 seconds remaining, Jalen Brunson added two more with 3.5 seconds left and second-seeded Villanova upset top-seeded Kansas 64-59 on Saturday night in the NCAA Tournament South Region final to reach the Final Four.Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart each made big steals in the final minute to help the Wildcats (33-5) pull off the upset and end the Jayhawks’ 17-game winning streak. The Wildcats are back in the Final Four for the first time since 2009, and they can credit balanced scoring and ferocious defense.Jenkins, Hart and Ryan Arcidiacono each scored 13 points for the Wildcats. They used a 10-0 run to take a 50-45 lead and get key baskets and plays down the stretch in beating the Jayhawks (33-5).

This mini-Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament has even higher stakes than usual: The winner earns a spot in the national championship game.The entire right side of the NCAA Tournament bracket has boiled down to four teams — and they’re all from the ACC, with North Carolina and Notre Dame in the East, and Virginia and Syracuse in the Midwest.The Tar Heels and Fighting Irish play Sunday in the East Regional final in Philadelphia, with the Cavaliers and Orange facing off in the Midwest final in Chicago. Because those regions are paired in the Final Four, those winners will meet next Saturday night on the big stage in Houston with a spot in the national title game on the line.No wonder Notre Dame coach Mike Brey called the ACC “the sexiest league.”“I just remember the grind of the Big East and this is the same grind with the depth of this league now,” Brey said Saturday. “Everybody talks about our league now and the matchups.”The ACC got off to quite the hot start in this tournament, finishing the opening weekend with a 12-1 record.It joined the Big 12 and Big Ten in placing seven teams in the field but outperformed those leagues by having six of them — all but Pittsburgh — reach the Sweet 16.