Final Four predictions

Steven M Miller Jr, Staff Writer


Before I hit the sack to go to bed, I just had to spill out my Final Four predictions and analysis. I think this year's tournament has been exceptional. A couple of really big upsets, some marquee match-ups and surprises along the way. Those I will highlight for you at the end of the post. So now lets get to the predictions.

Florida-UCLA

-Lets look at it this way, of the teams remaining, both have the experience behind them to make anyone bet the house on them being the favorite to win the title. UCLA returns junior guard Arron Alffalo (leads team with 16.9 pts per game) and junior center Mata Lorenzo (leads team with 7.5 rebounds per game). But Florida returns 5 starters. For instance, they return all four starters who average double figures in points scored and Horford (9.5 rebounds) and Noah (8.2 rebounds) average and have out rebounded Lorenzo. And I think Florida is also a deeper team. Not only that, but they spread the ball around well as each of the starters average more than an assist a game. You don't see it often, especially with both the 4 and the 5 man averaging more than two a game.

-Florida is the kind of team that starts slow, and then all of a sudden kicks it into high gear around the 10 minute mark of the first half. They then play with a fire and intensity that makes them one of the best teams in the nation, and worthy of the ranking for the overall #1 seed in the tournament. The question that I ask you is, can UCLA play defense and make it tough for Florida to get into a grove and get into a scoring run if they are down by 10-12 points? I don't think that is going to happen. UCLA may have beaten a deep and very dangerous Kansas team. UCLA may have also won the regular season Pac 10 title. Don't get me wrong, the Pac 10 is one of the best conferences in college basketball, with 3 teams representing the conference in the Sweet 16. But let me refresh your memory about something, Florida plays in the dangerous SEC. The SEC also had three representatives in the Sweet 16 as well (Tennessee and Vanderbilt). This game will be interesting indeed. Two really good teams facing off for a defensive battle down the stretch. Or at least that's my hunch.
-Pick- Florida


Ohio State-Georgetown

-In watching these two teams play throughout the tournament, they just seem to just hang on. Ohio State almost lost to Xavier, had it not been for an amazing 3 point buzzer beater. Not to mention a great win over Tennessee with an outstanding block from man-child Greg Ogden. Georgetown is lucky to have made the Final Four after just getting by both North Carolina and Vanderbilt. But you know that great players make great plays and step it up when the game is on the line. You don't expect anything more and anything less. But any team can beat any other team on any given night.

-Georgetown made the tournament last year, and looks to avenge last years Sweet 16 loss to Florida. Ohio State has been in the Top 5 all year and proven itself a worthy challenge to beat Florida or UCLA for the championship. The question is, which team is going to step it up? I don't know about you, but this games going to come down to the wire. Both teams possess excellent play-makers with Ohio State's Greg Ogden, Ron Lewis, Mike Conley Jr and bench man Daequan Cook. And Georgetown has Roy Hibbert, Jeff Green, Ewing Jr. and Johnathan Wallace. I just have this feeling about Ohio State right now.
-Pick- Ohio State


-Final 2: Ohio State vs Florida
-Pick- Florida


Random thoughts about the tournament:

-Even though there were less at-large teams from teams from mid-major conferences, we saw Southern Illinois and Butler make it to the Sweet 16 as at-large teams. Had both teams won their tournaments like they were supposed to it would have opened the door for other at-large mid-major schools, but it didn't. But I just wanted to point out that both teams lived up to expectations of being ranked in the Top 25. But both teams just couldn't get past the #1 seed's. Someones got to win and someones got to loose I guess.
-Please someone get rid of Billy Packer. I am sick of him. Bring on the Simmons Ipod list to listen to during the game while its going on so you didn't have to listen to him. I should e-mail Simmons and tell him to make a list to listen to during every McCarver-Buck broadcast of a Yankees-Sox game. Thank god that happens only six times a year.
-This is the first year without a 5-12 seed upset. In fact, three of the 5 seeds made the Sweet 16. Maybe it wont happen again next year, who knows?
-There was also no "Cinderella" story this year. I mean not that I wouldn't have enjoyed listening to America buzz about it, random people you didn't know followed NCAA Basketball to start talking about it, and then the exclusive story interviews with the coaches, players, and passionate fans from whatever institution. But I would have gotten sick of the people who always say, "Oh I always root for the upsets in any tournament." Then again, I would have most likely enjoyed this much more than any headline involving Anna Nicole Smith. I think I'm getting sick to my stomach mentioning that name.
-Here are some notable upsets from this years tournament to recap-
-#11 VCU over #6 Duke
Best part had to be when they showed VCU on CBS and they were absolutely ecstatic they were facing Duke in the first round. Man Duke must have really sucked this year or what.
-#7 UNLV over Wisconsin
I thought Wisconsin just sucked when they played Ohio State. I mean they really, really kicked the bucket. That might have been just fatigue on their part, but UNLV really beat them, pretty good. Was UNLV that good? Well, when you have two teams other at-large teams making the tournament from the Mountain West, and Air Force make the final four of the NIT, that sure tells me that UNLV plays some pretty good competition. And besides, the Big 10 wasn't that good a conference this year anyway. I'll give props for every team for making it to the second round of play (from the Big 10), but that's as far as they got (minus Ohio State). For a conference that had three representatives in the final four two years ago, that's just sad.
-#11 Winthrop over Notre Dame
Consider this for a second: Winthrop had made the tournament 7 out of the last 8 years and was 0-7 all-time in NCAA Tournament history. But, one thing I was thinking about when I was filing out my bracket was how Notre Dame had a 106 CBS rating on strength of schedule. Not only that but they lost to such teams as South Florida, St. Johns, and DePaul; the bottom of the Big East. Their only quality wins were over Maryland, Alabama, West Virginia (ill give them credit for the NIT winner), Louisville, and Marquette. They just couldn't get it done versus the good teams (like loosing to Georgetown twice). Remember that when your filling out your bracket next year with overrated teams. Look a the schedule. Id love to meet someone that had Notre Dame in their Final Four. If they put money down (if gambling is legal?) I sure hope they had Georgetown, UCLA, and Ohio State in their Final Four.
-#2 Memphis over #3 Texas A & M
In my bracket, I had A & M going to the finals. And they almost won this game had they not blown the 20 chances they had to ice the game in the last minute. I mean, a missed layup by Ace Law III (who's been the clutch guy for them all year), the two missed free throws to go up by three, the four Memphis offensive rebounds, and a poorly executed desperation shot. No, I did not punch my fist through my 20" TV when the game was over, I just sighed and passed out for the evening.
-#2 Georgetown over #1 North Carolina
I thought a lot of people had NC winning the whole thing, plus not to mention all of the other NC fans rooting them on in this match up. It was an upset, even though it was a higher seed match up. The question is, did the better team win?
-#5 USC over #4 Texas
Lots of people thought Texas had the chance to beat North Carolina, but that just didn't happen did it. Guess USC was in the Pac 10 finals for a reason. I guess Kevin Durant's 30 points we rent enough to win the 68-87 ball game either.
-#8 Kentucky over #9 Villanova
No this wasn't even an upset, but this victory alone was not enough to keep Tubby Smith his job. Guess we know how hard it must be for any coach under that much fire, when an entire state expects an SEC championship (let alone National Championship). We wish Tubby the best of luck trying to rebuild the Minnesota Golden Gophers program. Minnesota's record the last 5 years has been a mediocre 77-80 (29-51 in the Big 10)