Post by 01- PirateDave on Mar 26, 2015 8:58:59 GMT -6
Four ways we could get from Sweet 16 to Final Four
FOXSports, by Stewart Mandel
After a dizzying opening week that whittled the field from 68 to 16, our remaining NCAA tournament participants find themselves halfway to the pinnacle that is the Final Four. But Indianapolis seems a lot closer for some than others.
Which four teams will still be standing a week from now? Let’s look at a few possible variations.
My Best Bet for a Final Four
Kentucky forward Willie Cauley-Stein (15) works for a rebound against LSU forward Jordan Mickey (25) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinal round of the Southeastern Conference men's tournament, Friday, March 14, 2014, in Atlanta.
I admittedly haven’t picked much right so far this tournament, but at least my original Final Four are still standing. Why change now?
Kentucky (Midwest): Cincinnati was able to match the Wildcats’ physicality for about a half, but eventually Kentucky’s insane length became impassable. "It's hard to see the rim,'' Bearcats guard Troy Caupain told reporters afterward. "I mean, they're blocking shots at the top of the backboard.'' If a team’s going to take down the 36-0 Wildcats it will need to both frazzle them defensively and knock down a whole bunch of threes. Sweet 16 opponent West Virginia can do the former but not the latter. Notre Dame and Wichita State are scarier but still long shots.
Arizona (West): Arizona has one thing few teams in this tourney do: An elite veteran point guard, T.J. McConnell. He was at his do-it-all-best in Saturday’s victory over Ohio State, scoring 19, dishing six assists, grabbing six rebounds and notching five steals. The second-seeded Wildcats will likely be viewed as the underdogs if they do end up facing No. 1 seed Wisconsin in the Elite Eight, but Arizona is just as talented, just as seasoned and a little bit better defensively.
Oklahoma (East): The Sooners showed serious mettle in fending off pesky Dayton in front of a highly partisan crowd. The Flyers had all the momentum after climbing back to build a 49-40 lead seven minutes into the second half, but OU clamped down on defense, holing Dayton without a field goal for more than eight minutes. Buddy Hield did not even have a great game, but he did make the most important play with his last-minute block to negate a turnover. This is a tough, defensively stout squad, not to mention the highest remaining seed in the region.
Duke (South): The Blue Devils may have a harder road over the next two games than any of my other picks. Nobody wants to play Utah, the No. 8 team overall in Ken Pomeroy’s efficiency ratings, one with a superstar in Delon Wright. Win that and the Blue Devils may get a brutal Elite Eight matchup with Gonzaga, whose bigs would present a legit challenge for star Jahlil Okafor. But I still believe Duke is the best team in the tournament not named Kentucky.
FOXSports, by Stewart Mandel
After a dizzying opening week that whittled the field from 68 to 16, our remaining NCAA tournament participants find themselves halfway to the pinnacle that is the Final Four. But Indianapolis seems a lot closer for some than others.
Which four teams will still be standing a week from now? Let’s look at a few possible variations.
My Best Bet for a Final Four
Kentucky forward Willie Cauley-Stein (15) works for a rebound against LSU forward Jordan Mickey (25) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinal round of the Southeastern Conference men's tournament, Friday, March 14, 2014, in Atlanta.
I admittedly haven’t picked much right so far this tournament, but at least my original Final Four are still standing. Why change now?
Kentucky (Midwest): Cincinnati was able to match the Wildcats’ physicality for about a half, but eventually Kentucky’s insane length became impassable. "It's hard to see the rim,'' Bearcats guard Troy Caupain told reporters afterward. "I mean, they're blocking shots at the top of the backboard.'' If a team’s going to take down the 36-0 Wildcats it will need to both frazzle them defensively and knock down a whole bunch of threes. Sweet 16 opponent West Virginia can do the former but not the latter. Notre Dame and Wichita State are scarier but still long shots.
Arizona (West): Arizona has one thing few teams in this tourney do: An elite veteran point guard, T.J. McConnell. He was at his do-it-all-best in Saturday’s victory over Ohio State, scoring 19, dishing six assists, grabbing six rebounds and notching five steals. The second-seeded Wildcats will likely be viewed as the underdogs if they do end up facing No. 1 seed Wisconsin in the Elite Eight, but Arizona is just as talented, just as seasoned and a little bit better defensively.
Oklahoma (East): The Sooners showed serious mettle in fending off pesky Dayton in front of a highly partisan crowd. The Flyers had all the momentum after climbing back to build a 49-40 lead seven minutes into the second half, but OU clamped down on defense, holing Dayton without a field goal for more than eight minutes. Buddy Hield did not even have a great game, but he did make the most important play with his last-minute block to negate a turnover. This is a tough, defensively stout squad, not to mention the highest remaining seed in the region.
Duke (South): The Blue Devils may have a harder road over the next two games than any of my other picks. Nobody wants to play Utah, the No. 8 team overall in Ken Pomeroy’s efficiency ratings, one with a superstar in Delon Wright. Win that and the Blue Devils may get a brutal Elite Eight matchup with Gonzaga, whose bigs would present a legit challenge for star Jahlil Okafor. But I still believe Duke is the best team in the tournament not named Kentucky.
good luck to all!