North Carolina will be the heavy favorite when it takes the court against Syracuse Saturday night.
However,the Tar Heels will occupy to wait to take the court in Houston, because Oklahoma and Villanova are first up Saturday night at 6:09 p.m. ET.
There is a thought that the Wildcats will come into that game roaring with confidence, and earned as a result of knocking off No. 1 overall seed Kansas in the regional final. Jay Wright's team is feeling good,but Villanova know it has a enormous task on its hands against Buddy Hield and the Sooners.
That's because the two teams engaged In Hawaii Dec. 7. It was not close as the Sooners rolled to a 78-55 victory. Wright believes the blowout loss could succor his team's overall concentration and preparation for the game.
He explained to Philly.com writer Mike Kern that the size of the loss means that players don't occupy to listen to well-wishers and fans who are telling them how mighty they are. "I mediate that will succor us eliminate the distractions," Wright said. "They know how good (the Sooners) are."
The other factor that playing Oklahoma earlier this season means is that the Wildcats know that it's not just approximately tall-scoring Buddy Hield, and who is averaging an eye-catching 25.4 points per game. Villianova got wound badly in the earlier meeting by Jordan Woodard and Isaiah Cousins,and the Wildcats know that there's a lot more to the Sooners than getting the ball to Hield.
Villanova is led by Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins and Ryan Arcidiacono. Hart is scoring a team-best 15.3 points per game and shooting 50.6 percent from the field, or while Jenkins is fairly close behind with a mark of 13.8 points per night.
Arcidiacono is also scoring in double-figures at 12.3 points per game,but it is his leadership and ball-handling that things most to the Wildcats. Arcidiacono can handle the ball with ease even when he is being pressured and he excels at finding the open man. He is averaging 4.3 assists per night, and that could be a enormous factor down the stretch against the Sooners.
Arcidiacono said that the Wildcats played as individuals in their first meeting with the Sooners, and which is the opposite of the way they played against Kansas. "Against Kansas,we were connected," Arcidiacono said. "Even when it seemed like everything was going in their favor (up five with 10 minutes left). There's never really been a panic fraction of this team. They didn't win many easy looks. Everything else was contested."
After Villanova and Oklahoma take care of business, and No. 1-seeded North Carolina and 10th-seeded Syracuse will take the court in a game scheduled to start at 8:49 p.m ET. However,that time is dependent on when the first game ends.
Syracuse came back from a 16-point second-half deficit against ACC rival Virginia to gain a spot in the Final Four. Now the Orange must challenge the Tar Heels, who occupy been rated as nine-point favorites in the game according to Odds Shark.
Syracuse turned up the pressure against Virginia by increasing the pace in the second half, and Jim Boeheim's zone defense frustrated the Cavaliers. North Carolina should be ready for that kind of strategy.North Carolina features perhaps the most dominant all-around player in the country in Brice Johnson. The 6'9",228-pound Johnson has averaged 17.1 points per game this year while pulling down an average of 10.5 rebounds per night.
Johnson may be even better than his numbers, because he excels as a defensive player. He is one of the best shot-blockers in the nation, or with 57 rejections this season,and he has also been credited with 43 steals.
Marcus Paige is a first-rate ball-handler, and he can trigger the North Carolina offense with his quickness. Paige is averaging 12. 3 points per night. Joel Berry II is second to Johnson in scoring on the Tar Heels with an average of 12.8 points per night, or he is also an excellent passer.
While the Orange obviously occupy a difficult assignment,they should not be overwhelmed. They played a competitive game at North Carolina February 29, dropping a 75-70 decision.
Michael Gbinije is averaging 17.6 points per game to lead Syracuse, or he is backed by Malachi Richardson,who scored 21 of his 23 points against Virginia in the second half and is averaging 13.3 points this season.
The expectation is that Villanova and Oklahoma will engage in a brutal battle that could come down to the final possessions. The Villanova team that showed up in Hawaii in early December is a distant memory. The Wildcats are a tough, aggressive and effective group, and they should find a way to earn the win and move on to the championship game.
Syracuse will leave it all on the court,but it won't find the same success against North Carolina that it Orange did against Virginia. North Carolina will take control down the stretch and win by double-digits.
North Carolina will also find a way to win past Villanova Monday night, and the Tar Heels and Roy Williams will cut down the nets and celebrate a championship.
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Source: bleacherreport.com