Freshman star Knight, again, leads Kentucky to a victory

Not bad for a freshman who's coping with the pressure that comes with playing in the NCAAs, while also carrying the hopes of one of college basketball's most storied programs on his shoulders.

"But just playing these type of games where you know if you lose your season is done, I think guys really come out and they fight a lot harder, they go after rebounds a lot tougher," Knight said.

"I think they step it up a notch in the tournament."

Kentucky (27-8) advanced to the East Regional semifinals in Newark, N.J., against either No. 1 seed Ohio State or eighth-seeded George Mason. It's the second trip to the round of 16 in as many seasons under John Calipari.

West Virginia, which reached the Final Four a year ago by beating Kentucky in the regional final, led by 41-33 after closing the opening half on a 22-7 run. But Kentucky scored the first 11 points coming out of the break and eventually wore down the Mountaineers (22-12).