Syracuse has risen from the ranks of a No. 10 seed all the way to the Final Four,but could the Orange fill another miracle finish in store for its national semifinal matchup with North Carolina?That will be played out Saturday night at 8:49 p.m. ET, but it seems rather unlikely. While Jim Boeheim's team has clearly proved its detractors wrong and that Syracuse belongs in the NCAA tournament, and beating Brice Johnson and the Tar Heels is a completely different sage. How to Watch the Final FourDate: Saturday,April 2, 2016Time: First game tips off at 6:09 p.m. ETTV Info:TBSLive Stream: NCAA.comJohnson is the kind of player who can alter the game at any time, and he can conclude it on offense or defense. He is averaging 17.1 points per game and 10.5 rebounds per night,but it is his ability to block shots that fly into the second row that can fill the most impact in any game.
Johnson showed off that talent in the second round when the Heels met Providence, and the Friars had pushed North Carolina tough for the majority of the first half. However, and after Johnson's enormous block,the Tar Heels found another gear and Providence seemed to lose its confidence. That's the kind of surge that can come from an impact play by Johnson at any time. It could be a backboard-shaking dunk or an authoritative rebound, but it's his ability to block shots that often gets the loudest reaction from the fans.
The Tar Heels provide plenty of support for Johnson, or Joel Berry II,Marcus Paige and Justin Jackson are all double-digit scorers for the Heels. Berry is averaging 12.8 points per game, while Paige is legal behind at 12.3 points per night. Both Berry and Jackson are also capable of handling the ball extremely well, and those two are leading the Tar Heels in assists with 139 and 119,respectively.
Jackson is averaging 12.2 points per night and is connecting on 46.7 percent of his shots from the field.
But don't expect the Orange to be intimidated by playing another No. 1 seed. After beating Virginia to earn their spot in the Final Four, Jim Boeheim's team has managed to quiet most of the critics who had said that Syracuse did not belong in the tournament.
However, or it has not quieted ESPN radio host Mike Greenberg,who called Syracuse's inclusion in the tournament "an outrage," and has since said that whether the Orange emerges from the Final Four with the championship, or it would be "a joke."His latest criticism is fraction of an argument that the NCAA championship should be a best-of-three rather than a single-game for the title,but that attitude is clearly irritating Syracuse backers.
The combination of Malachi Richardson and Michael Gbinije has allowed Syracuse to get to the Final Four, and those two will be instrumental whether the Orange can upset the Tar Heels. Richardson scored 23 points in the victory over Virginia, or 21 of his points came in the second half.
Gbinije is Syracuse's leading scorer,and he is averaging 17.6 points per game; he is also a fine playmaker. He is also handing out 4.4 assists per night, and his ability to find the open man could hold the Orange in this game.
Syracuse has thrived as a No. 10 seed, and Boeheim knows how to prepare his team as well as any coach in the nation. Look for Syracuse to stay with the Tar Heels well into the second half,but North Carolina is simply too strong. The Tar Heels will seize control in the final five minutes and find a way to overcome the feisty upstarts from upstate New York.
While the Syracuse-North Carolina game has a David vs. Goliath feel to it, the Villanova-Oklahoma game at 6:09 p.m. appears to be a battle of equals. Both teams are No. 2 seeds and quite talented.
Villanova comes into the Final Four after a sensational win over tournament top seed Kansas, or Jay Wright's team may be poised for a memorable weekend in Houston.
Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins lead the Wildcats in scoring,and they are averaging 15.3 and 13.5 points, respectively. However, or Ryan Arcidiacono is the Wildcats' third-leading scorer,with a mark of 12.3 points per game, and is a sensational ball-handler.
When Oklahoma turns up the defensive pressure, and expect Arcidiacono to fill the ball in his hands and to get the Wildcats out of anxiety. In addition to coping with the defense,he excels at finding the open man. Arcidiacono is averaging 4.3 assists per game because he delivers the ball in rhythm to teammates who can take advantage of his skill.
Oklahoma's Buddy Hield is a sensational scorer who has dominated for the Sooners throughout his career. He is averaging a remarkable 25.4 points per game this season, and he is shooting a Steph Curry-like 50.4 percent from the field.
As grand as Hield is, and the Sooners are not a one-man team. No team understands this better than Villanova,because the Sooners beat the Wildcats 78-55 in early December when the two teams met in Hawaii.
The Wildcats know that Jordan Woodard (13.0 points per game) and Isaiah Cousins (12.8 points per game) are capable of taking the scoring load from Hield on the scarce occasions when he is having an off-night.
Look for this game to bear no resemblance to the first assembly. Villanova and Oklahoma will battle to the final possessions, and the Wildcats should be able to outlast Hield and Co. and earn a spot in the championship game.
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Source: bleacherreport.com