The Final Four
One for the Money
Two for the Show
Three better get ready
Four is gonna go....down hard.
This is the easiest way to describe this year's NCAA Final Four teams...but which team matches which description? Shouldn't be too hard to decipher.
One for the Money
One of the stories stemming from this year's tournaments is the money being paid out to the different conferences based on their tournament performance. No conference has earned more than the ACC this year, and though the term "Moneyball" was coined in the baseball world, a few universities could be deemed "moneyball" teams in NCAA basketball. UNC is certainly one of these teams, especially since they are senior heavy and their top players will enter the draft...and will get paid. But is their notoriety and fan base enough to carry them to a championship this year? Maybe. But the team is also stacked with talent. With four players averaging double digit PPG and a dynamic insider with nearly 400 rebounds this season alone (B. Johnson), it is easy to believe that UNC could be the favorite to win it all.
Two for the Show
The biggest show in college hoops is Buddy Hield. It can be argued that fans watch sports to see scoring. Defense usually gets a bit overshadowed by the casual fan. Thus, to put on a big show, you have to have a big scoring player and team. The Oklahoma Sooners have that showmanship. Averaging 25 points per game (29 in the tournament), Hield is lighting up the hardwood and exciting the sports world as he inches closer to the record of total point for a single player during the NCAA Tournament. The record is currently held by Glen Rice of the University of Michigan's 1989 team who had 184 points. Hield is currently at 117. (For those of you who aren't mathletes, it means he only needs 67 points in two games to tie that record.) Can this high scoring circus translate into a title? Many believe it can.
Three Better Get Ready
It is no secret that I have not been on the Villanova Wildcats bandwagon this season. I have picked against them in big games far more than I have chose them to win. For me to jump to their ship now, they better get ready for their best playing of the season as they have to matchup against the high-scoring Sooners. The Wildcats have allowed 63 PPG this season which is ranked 15th in the nation. Their defense is good. They have the potential to shut down the Sooners but they have to be on their game and focused on defense to keep the scoring opposition close. Also, I believe Ryan Arcidiacono will have to come up big.
Four is Gonna Go Down Hard
As bad as it sounds, I am not really giving Syracuse much of a chance to win. One headline from social media chastised 'Cuse fans saying that just because both their men's and women's teams made the Final Fours, they are not and no where near the best teams in the nation. It is absolutely true. Luck helped the Orange get as far as they did. An easy first round with Dayton. A second round match with 15-seeded Middle Tennessee who stunned Michigan State but wasn't talented to make it all the way anyhow. A meeting with an inconsistent Gonzaga team (who honestly should have won that game but beat themselves in the last few minutes). And one well played game against Virginia. Sorry, but Syracuse has a very little chance of winning their Final Four game against UNC.
In The End
In the end, the team cutting down the nets will be a team from south of the Mason-Dixon line. That eliminates Villanova and Syracuse who will both be eliminated in their next games. The championship matchup between Oklahoma and UNC will be a bit of a shootout. And who has the better shooters?
Oklahoma.
I predict that the Sooners will win their first National Championship ever, which will be an amazing moment as this is their 30th appearance in the tournament.
BOOMER SOONER.
Two for the Show
Three better get ready
Four is gonna go....down hard.
This is the easiest way to describe this year's NCAA Final Four teams...but which team matches which description? Shouldn't be too hard to decipher.
One for the Money
One of the stories stemming from this year's tournaments is the money being paid out to the different conferences based on their tournament performance. No conference has earned more than the ACC this year, and though the term "Moneyball" was coined in the baseball world, a few universities could be deemed "moneyball" teams in NCAA basketball. UNC is certainly one of these teams, especially since they are senior heavy and their top players will enter the draft...and will get paid. But is their notoriety and fan base enough to carry them to a championship this year? Maybe. But the team is also stacked with talent. With four players averaging double digit PPG and a dynamic insider with nearly 400 rebounds this season alone (B. Johnson), it is easy to believe that UNC could be the favorite to win it all.
Two for the Show
The biggest show in college hoops is Buddy Hield. It can be argued that fans watch sports to see scoring. Defense usually gets a bit overshadowed by the casual fan. Thus, to put on a big show, you have to have a big scoring player and team. The Oklahoma Sooners have that showmanship. Averaging 25 points per game (29 in the tournament), Hield is lighting up the hardwood and exciting the sports world as he inches closer to the record of total point for a single player during the NCAA Tournament. The record is currently held by Glen Rice of the University of Michigan's 1989 team who had 184 points. Hield is currently at 117. (For those of you who aren't mathletes, it means he only needs 67 points in two games to tie that record.) Can this high scoring circus translate into a title? Many believe it can.
Three Better Get Ready
It is no secret that I have not been on the Villanova Wildcats bandwagon this season. I have picked against them in big games far more than I have chose them to win. For me to jump to their ship now, they better get ready for their best playing of the season as they have to matchup against the high-scoring Sooners. The Wildcats have allowed 63 PPG this season which is ranked 15th in the nation. Their defense is good. They have the potential to shut down the Sooners but they have to be on their game and focused on defense to keep the scoring opposition close. Also, I believe Ryan Arcidiacono will have to come up big.
Four is Gonna Go Down Hard
As bad as it sounds, I am not really giving Syracuse much of a chance to win. One headline from social media chastised 'Cuse fans saying that just because both their men's and women's teams made the Final Fours, they are not and no where near the best teams in the nation. It is absolutely true. Luck helped the Orange get as far as they did. An easy first round with Dayton. A second round match with 15-seeded Middle Tennessee who stunned Michigan State but wasn't talented to make it all the way anyhow. A meeting with an inconsistent Gonzaga team (who honestly should have won that game but beat themselves in the last few minutes). And one well played game against Virginia. Sorry, but Syracuse has a very little chance of winning their Final Four game against UNC.
In The End
In the end, the team cutting down the nets will be a team from south of the Mason-Dixon line. That eliminates Villanova and Syracuse who will both be eliminated in their next games. The championship matchup between Oklahoma and UNC will be a bit of a shootout. And who has the better shooters?
Oklahoma.
I predict that the Sooners will win their first National Championship ever, which will be an amazing moment as this is their 30th appearance in the tournament.
BOOMER SOONER.
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