The time is now upon us and I’m sorry, Johnny Marks, but I’m
pretty sure that Bracketology season is the best time of the year. Whether it is for an office pool, for fooling
around with friends, or just as a way to fuel your own competitive drive, I’m
guessing you are reading this to try and ease your thoughts about the
unbelievably tough choices fans are forced to make this year. I have to admit,
this year is remarkably difficult for any fan, even myself, with a relatively
even field of competitors. I hope that you don’t take the title of this post
too seriously, especially after you see my final matchup, but that you use it
as a guide to weigh your options. Without further ado, here are my picks:
Final Four:
Florida:
I see Florida being tested early by Pitt and then UCLA in
rounds 3 and 4 before a matchup with Jim Boeheim and the Orange. People easily
forget that the Pitt Panthers lost to Cincinnati by 1, Syracuse by a combined 7
points, and UVA by 3 points twice. Lamar
Patterson and Talib Zanna will wear down Florida with their physical play, but
Florida will be able to sneak by. UCLA is a team that is also very often
overlooked despite the fact that they just beat current 1-seed Arizona and have
7 ESPN Top 100 recruits on their roster. UCLA is very talented and are just
finding their groove, but I don’t see them getting past this veteran Florida
team. I think UCLA has the best chance to knock off Florida from the South
though, because they are a stronger team from the free throw line and have more
talented players. I think that the Gators will face Syracuse in the Elite Eight
but I don’t see them as a tough matchup. ‘Cuse is currently spiraling down with
only 2 wins in their last seven games and I see them struggling against a
underrated Western Michigan team before just barely sneaking past Ohio State
and a battered Kansas team. I think that if Embiid shows that he can fight
through the back pain, then Kansas could beat Syracuse and then Florida to
return to the Final Four, but I don’t see Embiid coming back even close to
100%.
Iowa State:
I love this team. Pop quiz: which team leads the NCAA in
assists per game? Which team is 6th in points per game? Which team
just beat Texas, Ok St, Kansas State, Kansas, and Baylor? That would be Iowa
State. Iowa State is also led by 2 seniors that put up over 17 points a game
and are 23rd in the nation in rebounding. Size is key. Providence
should be a fairly easy win, same with Villanova (who are incredibly
overrated). The real test is UVA and I think the seniors power them through.
Arizona:
Another team I like a lot. Aaron Gordon is a man on a
mission… If he can make his free throws. Gordon is a special talent that
dominated when I was able to see him last year at the Hoops Hall Classic in
Springfield. If he can improve his free throw percentage, I think he could
emerge as a Blake Griffin-type force during the final stretch. Nick Johnson is
one of those special players that I think will be nearly unstoppable during
this tournament. The Wildcats have size and work well together, with multiple
people that can take pressure off of Johnson later on in a game. Arizona is
even more stacked with talented players than UCLA and they know how to play
well together. The loss to UCLA makes me wonder if they will be discouraged at
the beginning of the tournament, but I have to believe they will use it as
fuel. When you shoot 37.5% from the free throw line it is nearly impossible to
win. I think if Arizona can get past Oklahoma State (with all the momentum they
have now that Marcus Smart is back) in the third round, Arizona can get past
San Diego State and Wisconsin to make it back to the Final Four.
Louisville:
Last but not least, Rick Pitino’s squad grabs the last spot.
THEY ARE A FOUR SEED! I was amazed when I first saw that on my TV. I think they
use that insulting placement to their advantage and angrily force themselves back
to the Final Four. People forget that they won the whole thing last year. They rebound,
they score, and they are unselfish (with Russdiculous being the only
exception). I see Louisville getting tested by NC State, Wichita State, and
Michigan before emerging from the Midwest. Wichita State could beat them,
obviously, because they have the most veteran leadership and are well coached,
but I don’t see them upsetting the reigning champs. Michigan has enough size to
sneak past Duke (which will lead Parker to return for a sophomore season), but
I don’t see them knocking off a more experienced and tighter knit team in Louisville.
My Championship picks will be posted tomorrow so
stay tuned…
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