Here we go again.
Though there were only 8 games played these past couple days, that didn't stop the remaining teams from posting multiple upsets.
First, (2) Florida and (3) BYU put up a nice OT game. Jimmer struggled, especially from beyond the arc, but the rest of the team was almost able to bail him out and take the game. Again, I'm liking Florida and expect to see them in the Final Four.
(3) UConn took out (2) SDSU with probable POY Kemba Walker leading the charge. This team is playing amazingly, especially considering the fact that had to run through 5 games to win the Big East Tournament with 0 days rest inbetween and then hop right into the Big Dance. Fatigue doesn't seem to be an issue for this team so far, but there's still a ways to go. This team has all the momentum and confidence in the world, though, so I doubt it'll be a factor. Another team I expect to see in the Final Four.
(8) Butler continued their hot run by eliminating (4) Wisconsin. Solid team play all around for the Bulldogs and strong defensive showing as well. I expect them to fall to (2) Florida, though, in the Elite Eight. I wouldn't be shocked if they win, but I really don't think they can hang with Florida right now.
(5) Arizona absolutely manhandled (1) Duke. The defending champ's POY candidate Nolan Smith really didn't show up to the game. Seemed like he was inconsistent for Duke down the stretch, but Kyle Singler had a nice game as he tried to carry the team. This Arizona team coming out of nowhere, though, proved too tough. I had them losing to (12) Memphis in the first round so needless to say I'm impressed with this squad. They wont get past (3) UConn, though.
My big upset pick, (11) Marquette over (2) North Carolina didn't really work out. North Carolina played well as a team and they're going to need to keep it up if they want to beat (4) Kentucky next round, who looked damn good in their win today.
(4) Kentucky upset (1) Ohio St.behind Brandon Knight's 30 points. With a 62-60 final score, Knight accounted for nearly half his teams points. Ohio St. struggled to shoot the ball, as they shot 32.8%, but still almost came out with the W in the end. I didn't know much about this Kentucky team heading into the tournament and I'm extremely surprised to see them this far. With the win over the #1 overall seed, though, they've got to be feeling good about themselves. Bad news for North Carolina.
(1) Kansas decimated (12) Richmond. Don't really know what to say here. Kansas played like a 1-seed and Richmond played like a 12-seed. All was right with this one. Their journey ends.
(11) VCU, on the other hand, is still going forward after squeaking out an OT victory over (10) Florida St. Exciting game from two evenly matched teams. Now, VCU's reward is a date in the Elite Eight with Kansas and their depth and athleticism.
The Matchups:
(1) Kansas vs (11) VCU
(2) North Carolina vs (4) Kentucky
(2) Florida vs (8) Butler
(3) UConn vs (5) Arizona
The Verdict:
Kansas will easily handle VCU. No contest really here from the eventual national champs.
There's no way to predict the North Carolina - Kentucky game. It'll just come down to which team is playing better on that day, plain and simple. Both teams have been playing well leading up to the game, so the determining factor will be consistency. Which team will be able to continue their solid play? I think North Carolina comes out with this one. Too much experience on the team to let a slip up happen this deep in the tournament. Kentucky can definitely come out blazing and catch NC off guard though, but I just think NC is too tough.
I think Florida - Butler will be a close one. Butler knows what it takes to get to the finals and they definitely have the talent to get them there. As I'm typing this I want to say Butler is going to win, but since Round 3 I had Florida in my Final Four, so there's no turning back now. Florida is taking this game.
UConn will mop the floor with Arizona. There's no player in the nation like Kemba Walker and I don't think Arizona will be well equipped to defend him. Again, I picked Arizona to lose the first game they played, and doesn't seem like I'm going to give them any respect yet. They're still just a fluke team in my book. If they go out there and beat UConn, I'll be damn impressed.
Predicted Final Four matchups:
(2) NC vs (3) UConn
(1) Kansas vs (2) Florida
That's it for this blog. I'll be back after the Elite Eight.
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