Final Four Frenzy

For the past two weeks college basketball fans have monitored their brackets and spent hours in front of televisions – all for this weekend.

The top 6.25 percent of the 64 teams admitted into NCAA Tournament stand in the Final Four and as anticipated, some upsets have resulted in staggering ranks.

Representing the South is the University of North Carolina led by Tyler Hansborough and the fully recovered Ty Lawson, who missed both the ACC Tournament and first round of the NCAA Tournament with a toe injury.

Saturday UNC will take on the East representative Villanova University – who knocked ACC Tournament Champion, Duke University, out of the tournament in Sweet Sixteen, as well as No. 1-ranked University of Pittsburgh in the Elite Eight.

On the opposite side of the bracket the Midwest No. 2 ranked Michigan State University will be challenged by the West’s No. 1, University of Connecticut.

I’ll admit, I went out on a limb this year with my prediction of a champion. I picked Michigan State.

Michigan State finished the season on the top of the Big Ten Conference with a record of 15-3 and 30-6 overall.

Led by Kalin Lucas, who averages over 14 points per game, the Trojans have taken the majority of their wins by more than 9 points at the final buzzer.

Granted, the odds are stacked against Michigan State whose trip to the Championship is currently blocked by UConn Husky A.J. Price whose points per game average has been lights-out since teammate Jerome Dyson was injured.

Price is averaging 20 points per game in the NCAA Tournament.

And if the Trojans can slow down Price – they still have to push their own offense past UConn’s Hasheem Thabeet who has accumulated 150 blocks over the season.

Look’s like Michigan State’s work is laid out for them for Saturday – and odds are, no one on its bench is whispering thoughts of a Championship bid yet.

If the Trojans do push through though, UNC has the obvious advantage over Villanova, who is the lowest rank entering the Final Four. Not to mention, UNC is still riding a basketball power trip since their last NCAA Championship in 2005 – which is supported by the school’s 45-9 record as a No. 1 rank.

The beauty of March Madness is the ability for any team to conquer another in single-game elimination though. So odds are, drama will occur this weekend and we’ll be left with an oddly-matched Monday night championship.

Who knows, Villanova may be able to swing a win against UNC, after they toppled Duke, who beat Florida State University in the ACC Tournament – who gave UNC its early exit.

Or maybe the Michigan State Trojans will out-shoot the Huskies.

Regardless, the tradition is coming to its seasonal close and I know I will be following. Maybe, just maybe, my bracket has a shot after all.

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Show/Hide comments