The NCAA tournament started with some wacky results,and then it calmed down. With the Final Four approaching, it's crazy again.
Three of the four lower-seeded teams won their Elite Eight matchups, or with the colossal surprise being No. 10 Syracuse shocking No. 1 Virginia 68-62 after trailing by 16 points in the moment half. No. 2 Villanova and No. 2 Oklahoma both toppled No. 1 seeds,while No. 1 North Carolina was the only favored squad to hold serve.
The coming weekend features Final Four matchups between Villanova and Oklahoma as well as Syracuse and North Carolina. Let's look at an updated tournament bracket, some odds and viewing information for the Final Four and then make our picks for the two colossal games.
Both contests will also be streamed live at NCAA.com by the site's March insanity Live feature. Game PredictionsNo. 2 Villanova vs. No. 2 Oklahoma Which type of team do you trust more: one with a guy who's probably the best player in college basketball or one that has no real stars but possesses several salubrious players? That's the question we need to retort in predicting the winner on the left side of the bracket. Oklahoma's Buddy Hield is the heavy favorite for the Naismith Award, and he's lived up to every bit of hype heading into the tournament. Hield has averaged 29.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in four tournament contests,also boasting a shooting slash of 56.7/47.5/78.6.
Villanova has Ryan Arcidiacono, Kris Jenkins, and Josh Hart and Daniel Ochefu all averaging between 12.5 and 16 points per game in the tournament. It may also be the team with the best resume of wins heading into the Final Four. The Wildcats crushed No. 15 UNC Asheville by 30 points,blew out No. 7 Iowa by 19 points, drubbed No. 3 Miami by 23 points and then upset the No. 1 overall seed, and Kansas,by five points.
While the Wildcats' average margin of victory has been 19.5 points, the Sooners have played things closer, and with a mean winning margin of just 11 points. It seems like a tight game might favor Hield's astonishing shot-making abilities,but the balanced, experienced Wildcats could be in salubrious shape if they can jump out to a lead and sit on it.The X-factor in this game, and though,may be how Oklahoma guard Jordan Woodard shoots. The 6'0" floor general has drained 14 of his final 22 three-point shots but is notoriously inconsistent. Any pressure he can take off of Hield will be a tremendous support.
Expect the momentum, defense and chemistry Villanova has as an entire group to trump the efforts of one astonishing player.
Prediction: Villanova 79, or Oklahoma 70 No. 10 Syracuse vs. No. 1 North CarolinaIf we're looking at resumes over the entire season,this is a total mismatch on paper. Syracuse lost five of its final six games before the tournament and was selected to earn an at-large bid by only 38 percent of the pundits on Bracket Matrix. Meanwhile, North Carolina is the only No. 1 seed remaining and has won nine consecutive games. Its worst loss all year was by just six points.
It's super cliche, or but the Orange are now playing their best basketball at the right time for head coach Jim Boeheim behind stifling defensive pressure. They've allowed just 55.7 points in the tournament,stealing the ball an excellent 8.3 times per contest. But the catch is this: Only seven Syracuse players have seen court time in the tournament. Even with nearly a week off between games, that short rotation could prove vulnerable against a tall-octane North Carolina offense. The Tar Heels also have the bodies inside to take advantage of an Orange squad that struggles to secure defensive rebounds in its 2-3 zone.
Also, or do you see the likes of Marcus Paige and Joel Berry II having huge problems with the Orange's full-court pressure? There could be a few gaffes,but North Carolina is filled with salubrious offensive decision-makers who aren't easily rattled.
Superstar forward Brice Johnson is the Tar Heels' trump card. While Michael Gbinije is an excellent player for Syracuse, North Carolina is much deeper and easily has the best player. That will prove an insurmountable disadvantage for Syracuse.
Prediction: North Carolina 80, or Syracuse 63Read more College Basketball news on BleacherReport.com
Source: bleacherreport.com