By John Fanta
The Wichita State Shockers have lived up to their mascot name in the tournament. They broke out early and held Aaron Craft to only nine points. Their hustle lifted them past the Buckeyes on Saturday night, 70-66. Guard Malcolm Armstead and forward Cleanthony Early combined for 26 points, and scrappy Tekele Cotton put up 10 points. The Shockers had a lot more balance offensively, and the Missouri Valley Conference will be represented in Atlanta, Georgia. The Shockers are the first team to reach the Final Four from the Missouri Valley since 1997 (Indiana St.). The Shockers are just the fifth team in history that is a #9 seed or higher to reach the Final Four since 1979. With 11 minutes to go, Wichita State was up by 20, and although the Bucks would try to battle back, the Shockers were already on their way to Atlanta. Thad Matta’s team, which was offensively challenged at the start of the year, finishes 29-8 with a season that cannot be frowned upon, as they took home the Big Ten Tournament Champion. Wichita State plays the winner of Louisville-Duke.
The Syracuse Orange have forced more turnovers than they have allowed points in the NCAA Tournament. They held Marquette to 39 points as they dominated the Golden Eagles 55-39. Jim Boeheim will be taking his first trip to the Final Four since 2003, when Carmelo Anthony led the Orange to a national title. Heading into the tournament, Syracuse gave up about 60 points a game. The 2-3 zone has given them a whole new weapon, as they have only allowed 46 points per game on average. Any time you hold a team to 39, it’s normally always going to result in a win. Marquette shot 22%, woah. Syracuse is looking a national championship team, and you wouldn’t have known that with their 11-7 Big East record in the regular season. They play the winner of Florida-Michigan next Saturday.
#3-Seed Florida Battles #4-Seed Michigan in a Match-up of Quick-Paced Attacks for the South Region Crown
Tip time is 2:20 pm at Dallas Cowboys Stadium Sunday
It’s the first time in 19 years that Michigan is in a Regional Final. Star point guard Trey Burke and the Michigan Wolverines come off an amazing win over Kansas., 87-85, whereas Florida used their scrappiness en route to a 62-50 win over Florida Gulf Coast. Michigan is ninth in field goal percentage per game (48 %) and Florida is eighth in field goal percentage per game (48 %), so it’s two good shooting teams matching up at Jerry Jones’ Palace. When looking at the Gators, they have four players averaging between 10 and 14 points per game. Forward Erik Murphy puts up 12.6 points per game and is a very versatile big who can hit the elbow shots as well. Billy Donovan’s team is also led by guard Kenny Boynton, who averages 12 points per game. On Michigan’s side, Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. have been the constants for the Wolverines all season, as they combine for about 34 points a game on average. Mitch McGary is Michigan’s big man, as the freshman has stepped up in a starting role and has performed at a high level, averaging seven points a game and six rebounds per contest. I see a down-to-the-wire game, and I think the balanced attack of Florida and their stout defense prevails past Mcihigan in a fight to the final buzzer. The match-up to watch is Trey Burke vs. Kenny Boynton. Gimme’ the Gators.
Battle of the Juggernauts: #1-Seed Louisville Takes on #2-Seed Duke for the Midwest Region Title
Tip time is 5:05 pm at Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday
The last time Rick Pitino and Mike Krzyzewski faced off in the Big Dance, this happened.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo3G2MfOYeA
The two coaches have combined for five NCAA Titles and 1,618 wins. Duke toppled Louisville earlier this season in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament in November. Now, the Midwest Region Title is on the line. Two great guards lead their respective teams out, as Russ Smith of Louisville (averaging 27 points per game) and Seth Curry of Duke (24 points per game). Louisville brings constant defensive pressure, whereas Duke loves to spread the floor with big man Mason Plumlee and versatile Ryan Kelly. Center Gorgui Dieng will face a tough challenge in trying to guard Plumlee, as that is a key match-up to watch, along with the foul situation. Simply put, it’s two Goliath’s squaring off in Indianapolis. They’re well-coached and they both have weapons across the board. Some may like the Cinderella teams, but hats off to the tournament committee as the top two seeds will meet today. I take the Cardinals in this one, because I love their defensive focus and their quickness. Duke has the post men, and Ryan Kelly can cause match-up issues, but I see the Cards going in transition and sticking right to Kelly to try and take him out. This afternoon brings an afternoon full of Easter treats on CBS. Enjoy everybody, and happy Easter!
