Turning point » Two days after the loss at Youngstown, Butler travelled north to first-place Cleveland State and won 73-61 as Mack (11 points, seven assists) became a distributor and the Bulldogs held Vikings’ standout Norris Cole to four of 13 shooting. The win ignited the current 13-game winning streak the Bulldogs are riding.

Agent of change » The streak began when Butler coach Brad Stevens replaced veteran guard Ronald Nored with sophomore Chase Stigall and divided ball-handling duties. The change has benefited all, even Nored, who has filled a vital role as a defensive stopper. Nored had much to do with Erving Walker’s 1-for-10 shooting performance in Butler’s Elite Eight victory over Florida.

Difference-maker » Mack (85 points) has excelled in the tournament along with Matt Howard (65 points, 28 rebounds), who has scored the game-winning points in the final second of two victories.

UConn

The struggle » Sure the Big East is brutal. But losing seven of its last 11 regular season games was a bad omen headed into the postseason.

Rock bottom » In losing 89-72 at St. John’s, starting guards Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb combined to miss 23 of 32 shots from the floor in a game in which the Huskies surrendered 54 points in the second half.

Turning point » With a crossover dribble, a shoulder roll, and a step-back jumper, Walker made the play that turned the Huskies’ season around. His buzzer-beating shot eliminated Pittsburgh in the Big East quarterfinals and helped catapult UConn to five wins in five amazing days in the conference tournament where Walker averaged 26 points a game.

Agent of change » Coach Jim Calhoun’s rotation bears little resemblance to the one with which he started the year, which makes this one of the best reclamation projects of his career as UConn has won nine straight.

Difference-maker » Jeremy Lamb. The 6-foot-5 freshman guard has scored in double figures in all of the Huskies’ postseason games, providing Walker a long-awaited sidekick. During the tournament, Lamb has hit 27 of 46 shots (59 percent) and 11 of 15 from beyond the arc (73 percent).

Kentucky

The struggle » The Wildcats lost six of seven road games in the SEC.

Rock bottom » A 77-76 defeat in overtime on Feb. 23 at Arkansas extended the Wildcats’ miseries as their last five road losses came by a total of 11 points. The loss came after Kentucky had beaten Arkansas 10 straight times and against a former Wildcat player, Arkansas coach John Pelfrey.

Turning point » A 64-58 win at Tennessee in the regular-season finale broke Kentucky’s road curse and ignited a dominant run through the SEC tournament. The Wildcats now have won 10 straight, including the last eight away from Lexington.

Agent of change » Coach John Calipari didn’t juggle his lineup, he just trusted his young team — all first-year starters — to grow up. Oddly, one of the players showing the most improvement in the tournament has been 6-10 senior Josh Harrelson (59 points, 36 rebounds).

Difference-maker » Freshman point guard Brandon Knight has delivered just enough in the NCAA tournament. In wins over North Carolina and West Virginia, Knight carried Kentucky with 52 points and 10 rebounds. When he struggled in games against Ohio State and Princeton, hitting four of 18 shots, he produced in the clutch, hitting winning shots at the end of both two-point victories.

VCU

The struggle » The Rams lost four of their last five regular season games. The tailspin began with a humbling 70-59 loss at home to Old Dominion, which outrebounded VCU 46-21. The lone win during the span was in the ESPN BracketBusters at Wichita State, 68-67, which helped get the Rams their NCAA at-large bid.

Rock bottom » Falling 71-51 at home to George Mason was VCU’s worst loss in five years. The Rams trailed early 11-2 and never challenged.

Turning point » Three weeks after its humbling loss to George Mason, the Rams evened the score with an equally decisive 79-63 victory in the CAA semifinals. Afterward, George Mason’s Cam Long said that the Rams’ smaller, quicker lineup was the difference.

Agent of change » Three-point success. In their four CAA losses to close the regular season, the Rams hit 30 percent from beyond the arc. During their NCAA tournament run, the Rams have hit 44 percent.

Difference-maker » Point guard Joey Rodriguez (51 points, 38 assists, 10 turnovers) has been stellar in the tournament, drawing the defense and distributing to players such as Bradford Burgess (79 points), who has hit 13 of 22 3-point tries, and streaky Brandon Rozzell (70 points), who has hit 17 of 35 from the arc.

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