Final Four Preview

The Final Four tips off in less than six hours, and we will experience what I'm predicting to be one of the best Final Fours ever. The 2018 San Antonio edition has all the components of a Final Four one could ask for. The heavyweights (Villanova and Kansas), the upstart momentum-riding Michigan Wolverines and the Cinderella in Loyola-Chicago. This Final Four doesn't lack anything. 

The two games tonight are a pure example of the unpredictable nature of the tournament. You have 3 Michigan and 11 Loyola-Chicago in one matchup, and 1 Villanova and 1 Kansas in the other one. The seeding didn't hold, but now we are guaranteed the gem of Villanova and Kansas playing each other in the tournament for the second time in three years. With Michigan and Loyola-Chicago, you get the two teams that have the toughest competition to get here. In both cases, neither team had to play a top-2 seed en route to San Antonio. Michigan highest-seeded opponent was 6 Houston. Each side of the bracket, and each matchup at that, tells a different story. Chalk and Chaos. 

The Chaos Matchup is our first game tonight: 3 Michigan vs 11 Loyola-Chicago. I picked Michigan to win the whole thing in all my bracket pools, but I also love the hometown Ramblers of Loyola. Still, I lean Michigan in both my fandom and my thoughts. Loyola-Chicago is a great story, but Michigan's defense is unlike anything Loyola-Chicago has seen in the tournament thus far. With the defense and the offense that can go off for 100 in any given game, Michigan is the clear favorite. I still, however, expect Loyola-Chicago to stay in this game to the very end. Clayton Custer and Ben Richardson make up a dynamic duo in the backcourt with Marques Townes and Donte Ingram providing additional scoring. Loyola-Chicago is the best 11 seed to make the Final Four, but I still like Michigan thanks to their perimeter defense and streaky shooting. 

The Chalk Side gives us the National Championship before the National Championship. It is widely expected that whoever wins this game will go on to win the whole thing on Monday. I actually haven't heard one person pick Michigan or Loyola-Chicago to win it all on any of the Final Four Preview shows. With the way Kansas and Villanova have been playing, I don't really blame them. Villanova has taken down two straight Big 12 opponents by double digits to get here, while Kansas just knocked off the most talented team in the country in Duke. Both teams have had great tournaments, so we should expect a great game. Kansas's Malik Newman has been the hero in the tournament for the Jayhawks. He hit multiple clutch shots against Duke to seal the Final Four trip for Kansas, and he has finally found his role on this team. For Villanova, it's been a team effort, but Jalen Brunson has been the guiding force behind it all. The AP Player of the Year has averaged 17.5 ppg in four tournament games, including 27 in the West Virginia game. The guards for both teams are what got them to this point, but I think the big guys will be the key aspect of this game. Omari Spellman for Villanova and Udoka Azubuike for Kansas both fill the big guy role, but they do it in opposite ways. Spellman is a lethal 3-point shooter while Azubuike is a traditional powerhouse big. Whoever wins that matchup will win the game for his team. I think Spellman will win it, as Azubuike will struggle guarding outside the paint. As a result, Villanova will win this game.

No matter what happens tonight, we will be seeing a great celebration of college basketball. Given the FBI crap that's been going on, this type of Final Four is needed. We have four great teams and a fantastic location in San Antonio. (I think it might be the coolest Final Four court ever.) College basketball is still the greatest spectator sport in the world, and this Final Four shows why. 

Jersey Appreciation Friday Vol. 63

This week's Jersey Appreciation Saturday goes to the Davidson Wildcats. I recently received a Steph Curry Davidson jersey as a gift, and I realized just how cool it is. The white jersey from the Curry era features black letters with a red outline. This may look clunky to some, but that's okay because the neckline is only accompanied by a red line going around it. It's simple in some areas and complex in others. Overall just a fantastic look. Click Here

Midwest Regional Preview

The Midwest Regional commences tonight, and it's not as good as the East. I do like the fact that we have Kansas and Duke playing, but Syracuse doesn't really excite me. Clemson, however, is the wild card here. The Tigers have played really well in the Tournament so far, knocking off a good 12 in New Mexico State and just pounding 4 Auburn. They play 1 Kansas, though, so we have to see how that goes. Clemson certainly has convinced me that they are good, but Kansas is a different animal. I'm way less excited for 2 Duke and 11 Syracuse. I just don't think this will be close. Syracuse had a nice run, but Duke looks so good right now. Marvin Bagley and Wendell Carter will make Syracuse pay for playing the zone, something the Orange's previous two opponents didn't do. 

Predictions:

1 Kansas over 5 Clemson

The backcourt of Devonte' Graham and Malik Newman will overpower Clemson's tough defense. 

2 Duke over 11 Syracuse

This will be a blow out. I will be punished if I'm wrong. 

2 Duke over 1 Kansas

Once again Kansas will lose in the Elite Eight. This time it won't be their fault. Duke is simply the better team. They have more inside than Kansas, and I don't think the Jayhawks will be able to counter that. 

East Regional Preview

The East Regional kicks off tonight with two awesome games in 1 Villanova vs 5 West Virginia and 3 Texas Tech vs 2 Purdue. This is probably the best Regional of the four simply because of the high-profile teams involved. This is also the chalkiest region we have left, so we should cherish the normalcy that it represents.

In the first matchup, we have Villanova and West Virginia. This is an enticing matchup because we have the best offense in the country vs one of the best full-court defenses in the country. Villanova's Mikal Bridges has been playing like a top 10 pick in the Tournament, and the point guard matchup between Jalen Brunson and Jevon Carter is phenomenal. Both are Cousy Award finalists and both hail from Illinois. I expect a fast-paced ballgame with a lot of threes being shot. 

The second matchup is another offense vs defense thriller. We have the offensively beautiful Purdue vs the hard-nosed defense of Texas Tech. Again, the guard matchup will be something to see. Carsen Edwards has been one of the best guards all season, while Keenan Evans has carried his Red Raiders to this point. This is the best game we will see tonight. I expect a close game won on the final possession. 

Time for my predictions. What used to be my favorite part of college basketball is now turning into something I dread. Yesterday I went 1/4, getting only Michigan correct. Tonight I hope to do better. 

1 Villanova over 5 West Virginia 

Villanova shoots too well and scores too much for West Virginia to keep up offensively. West Virginia's press will be sliced up by the talented Villanova guard play, and their offense won't match the efficiency of Nova. West Virginia has struggled scoring in the second half all year, and I think it dooms them tonight. 

3 Texas Tech over 2 Purdue 

This is a really tough game for me to call, but I love a hot guard in March. This year, it's Keenan Evans. Purdue can easily win this game, but I think Isaac Haas not being at 100% if he even plays will hurt Purdue's efficiency around the rim. Texas Tech is a premier defensive team, and I think they can handle the Boilermakers. 

1 Villanova over 3 Texas Tech

Villanova's offense is historically good. This year especially I feel that teams that are more offensively challenged than defensively have been more vulnerable. Look at Cincinnati, Tennessee and Virginia for example. It's tough to win when you can't score. That's why Villanova will go to the Final Four, and Texas Tech won't. 

South Regional Preview

The South Region is completely messed up. This is the first time ever where seeds 1-4 were all eliminated before the Sweet 16. As a result, we have 5 Kentucky vs 9 Kansas State and 11 Loyola-Chicago vs 7 Nevada. Take that however you want. In my personal view, upsets in early rounds just lead to crappy regionals and Final Fours. I think we see this happening here. These matchups are fun because of the Cinderella aspect of each team, but expect the quality of basketball to take a nose dive due to the lack of top teams. Despite that, we should be seeing exciting basketball. Kansas State got here by killing Creighton and surviving 16 seed UMBC, and Kentucky got here by taking care of business against 12 Davidson and 13 Buffalo. The second matchup in this regional is a bit more exciting. In Loyola-Chicago and Nevada, you have two teams that love winning on the last possession. Loyola has won two straight games on buzzer beaters over 6 Miami and 3 Tennessee, while Nevada has survived second half double digit deficits in its first two games, the latter featuring a 22-point comeback against 2 Cincinnati. 

Since my South bracket is totally screwed, I'll do a new prediction: 

5 Kentucky over 9 Kansas State 

I like the way Kentucky is playing with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Also, K-State played horrendously against UMBC. 

7 Nevada over 11 Loyola-Chicago

I really want Loyola-Chicago to win as they're currently the best basketball team in Illinois. (I'm including the Bulls.) But Nevada has a really strong starting lineup consisting of the Martin twins, Kendall Stephens and Jordan Caroline, and I can't see them slipping up here. The Cardiac Pack got this.

7 Nevada over 5 Kentucky 

I really like the way Nevada is playing right now. They shoot lights out in the final 5 minutes of every game they've played so far, and the energy brought by Eric Musselman is enough to get Nevada to the Final Four. 

 

West Regional Preview

The West Region in the 2018 NCAA Tournament had some twists and turns without a doubt. The 1 and 2 seeds (Xavier and North Carolina) are both gone after losing in the second round, and the 3 seed Michigan would've been too if it hadn't been for Jordan Poole's crazy game winner against Houston. 4 Gonzaga had two close calls after blowing leads to both UNC-Greensboro and Ohio State, but they  managed to survive. The teams who beat Xavier and UNC, 9 Florida State and 7 Texas A&M, respectively, also pose as viable threats to get to San Antonio. 

Like the South bracket, this region is also pretty screwed up for me. I got Michigan and Gonzaga, but I was blindsided by Texas A&M and Florida State, so here's my second chance at predicting the West. 

4 Gonzaga over 9 Florida State

I've been high on Gonzaga all year, and I won't stop believing now. I had them in my Elite Eight, beating Xavier to get there, so I'll stick with that. Zach Norvell Jr is a star, and the Zags also have some nice size to combat that of FSU. 

3 Michigan over 7 Texas A&M

I'll be honest and say if I didn't have Michigan winning the whole thing in my original bracket, I would pick A&M. The Aggies ran UNC out of the gym behind the play of Tyler Davis and TJ Starks, and they are finally looking like the team we expected them to be back in December. These are guys dangerous. But I'll take Michigan because of their elite defense and their ability to get baskets by some method. Michigan doesn't have a star, but their offense is so methodical that it will frustrate the hell out of Texas A&M. 

3 Michigan over 4 Gonzaga 

Again, Gonzaga is a great pick here too, but I gotta be loyal. Michigan has momentum again after hitting that shot against Houston, and Gonzaga struggles in late-game situations and in holding early leads. I'll stick with Michigan. 

Jersey Appreciation Friday Vol. 62

This week's Jersey Appreciation Friday goes to the UMBC RETRIEVERS!! I honestly hate these uniforms but who the hell cares? They just became the first 16 seed to beat a 1 seed in NCAA Tournament history by knocking off Virginia. What a day! Click Here