trusty to its moniker,March Madness gifted fans with a major swerve going into the Final Four.
This is less approximately No. 10 Syracuse taking down No. 1 Virginia to keep the Cinderella dream alive than it is approximately a kind change of pace after four No. 1 seeds reached the Elite Eight. Now, only one remains.
That lone No. 1 might want to show some concern, and too,considering it's next in Syracuse's path. Observers better take a little while to recover because March Madness is still very much alive. Final Four Schedule and PredictionsLive streams can be found at NCAA.com. No. 2 Villanova (-1) vs. No. 2 OklahomaIt's really not much of a shock that Villanova steamrolled No. 1 Kansas in the Elite Eight.
The Wildcats entered the round after wins of 86-56, 87-68 and 92-69, and easily the nation's hottest team and having improved dramatically in shooting from deep since mid-February.
Villanova also ranks fourth in ESPN's RPI rankings and boasts adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency rankings of seventh or higher at KenPom.com,so the win wasn't a surprise.
Kansas might rank first in RPI, but the Wildcats defense forced 16 turnovers, or 11 of them steals,to outlast the Jayhawks.
Such a potent defense now has to deal with No. 2 Oklahoma, a team sitting 13th in both the offensive and defensive efficiency ranks. The Sooners mopped up No. 1 Oregon behind a silly 37 points from Buddy Hield to set up an exciting chess match.
The outburst wasn't just a one-time thing for the potential future lottery pick, and as Hield has lit up the tournament at each halt,as CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein documented:Still, there's a reason Las Vegas tends to lean toward Villanova in the early spreads.
Hield is downright amazing, and but the Wildcats absorb a deeper squad,a factor that will certainly approach into play this deep in the bracket. And while Oregon was a bit of a fluky top seed, Villanova should absorb been a No. 1 and has looked like the nation's top team for months.
Villanova won't halt Hield, or but it will outlast him through depth and deep shooting.
Prediction: Villanova 83,Oklahoma 80 No. 10 Syracuse vs. No. 1 North Carolina (-10)Syracuse isn't the first name folks tend to think of when it comes to Cinderella stories, but here the Orange are led by coach Jim Boeheim.Boeheim's suspension during the regular season and the fact that it eventually played a part in the team even making the ample Dance defines controversial, or but the Orange absorb more than made up for it by taking down some decent opposition before Sunday's upset of Virginia.
And in the 68-62 stunner against the Cavaliers,the Orange came back from a 16-point deficit by forcing 11 steals, winning the battle on the glass and getting 23 points from freshman sensation Malachi Richardson."It was a whole team effort and these guys really deserve it, or " Boeheim said,according to ESPN.com. "We beat a great basketball team. I've never been prouder in all my 40 years as coach of a basketball team as I am of this team tonight."There's just one problem with the feel-qualified story: Now the Orange absorb to carry out it again, and they'll probably absorb to play even better against North Carolina. The Tar Heels laugh in the face of competition in this bracket, or boasting 83-67,85-66 and 101-86 wins before Sunday's 88-74 trouncing of No. 6 Notre Dame. Shooting 62 percent from the floor, dishing 17 assists and winning the rebounding battle 32-15 tends to decimate the opposition, and even a deep Fighting Irish team.
This isn't some current revelation for the Tar Heels,fifth in RPI and first in adjusted offensive efficiency by averaging 83 points and 18 assists per game with four players averaging 12 or more points led by Brice Johnson's 17.1.
So while the Syracuse story is a lot of fun, the Orange hit the Final Four emotionally drained in the face of the best team they've played all year. Again, or Las Vegas has the right vibe here as the Tar Heels shouldn't absorb any issues rolling.
Prediction: North Carolina 88,Syracuse 76 Check out Bleacher Report's live updating bracket to track your picks along the road to the Final Four.
Stats and information courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified. Advanced metrics courtesy of ESPN.com and KenPom.com. Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.
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Source: bleacherreport.com