Yesterday, there were some great games, and I picked 1-3 yesterday. Arizona nearly pulled off a close win (as I predicted), but LaQuinton Ross hit a huge three to save the day for the Buckeyes. Marquette finally realized they were in the NCAA tournament, and beat Miami pretty convincingly. Davidson is shaking their heads. Indiana let me down. Michael Carter-Williams made the Hoosier guards look silly, and Zeller hardly looked like the lottery pick he is protected to be. He is a good complimentary player at the next level, but can he be more? Finally, Wichita State's inside game, led by Early and Hall, was too much to handle for LaSalle. That was the one pick I was correct on yesterday. Let's hope this preview has a higher success rate:
- Oregon vs. Louisville: The Ducks should be happy about being a 12 seed, and not a 7-9. Think about it, sure they had a slightly tougher round 1 opponent, but in round 2 they avoided playing a 1 or a 2 seed. If they had switched spots with Missouri, they would have played Louisville last round. Because they were a 12, they had an easier run to the Sweet 16. This is true for every team in this scenario. Would you rather be a 9 seed, or an 11? I'll take the 11 if I want to make it farther. This Oregon squad should not be overlooked. Freshman Lloyd, Artis, and Dotson have been playing incredible team basketball, with good skill on the inside from Woods and Kazemi, who might have the best motor in the tournament. If the Ducks can score outside, and avoid turning the ball over against the ball pressure Siva, Smith and Ware will apply, they have a great chance of pulling this off. Louisville has played really well thus far. Russ Smith is the MVP of the tournament so far, and they have been forcing turnovers left and right. Colorado State is a very good rebounding team, which will have prepared the inside game for Louisville for Oregon's tendency to crash the boards. Siva and Smith are experienced, and Gieng and Bohanan have the ability to dominate inside. Oregon has had a great run, but I don't see how they keep up. Prediction: Louisville 78 Oregon 66
- Michigan vs. Kansas: Michigan has looked closer to the team they were in the top 5 in this tournament than the team that faltered down the stretch, leading to a 4 seed and not a 2. Trey Burke has had issues with turnovers, but has scored the ball very well, and controlled the pace of the game well. Kansas does not have a pure point guard, and could have trouble containing Burke. Michigan will also need big games from Hardaway and Stauskas to pull off the upset. Kansas has been an enigma thus far. Their best player, widely considered to be a contender to go #1 in the draft (Ben McLemore) has been pathetic thus far, to state it nicely. He seems far too content to be a complimentary player, but the Jayhawks are at their best when McLemore is one of their top scorers, instead of going 2-5 from the field. That said, Withey has been playing fantastic. In a draft depleted of top centers (and Len and Zellers stocks falling), he could rise all the way to the lottery if he can keep up his stellar play. If McLemore does not play well again, Releford, Johnson and Young have to be able to pick up the slack. I like Kansas, but it would not shock me at all if Michigan pulls this off. Prediction: Kansas 73 Michigan 70
- Michigan State vs. Duke: This is a coaching battle. Izzo and Krzyzewski have 32 combined sweet 16 appearances. WOW! Michigan State's squad relies on interior touches from Derrick Nix and Adrian Payne, and has good shooters around, especially Gary Harris, a potential lottery pick in his own right. Keith Appling is a fantastic college point guard, and has been in games like this before. The Dukies are led by energy player Mason Plumlee and Seth Curry. Duke's frontcourt is very athletic. Who will Nix have to guard? Kelly? Kelly has been the key for Duke, as their key losses, up until Maryland in the ACC tournament, occurred without him. Sulaimon is a fantastic freshman, and could be a lottery pick in the 2014 draft, when he can team with Jabari Parker to make another deep tournament run. For this game, I like Sparty's ability to score in the half court, and their ability to defend the perimeter. Prediction: Michigan State 68 Duke 64
- Florida Gulf Coast vs. Florida: Nobody saw this run coming from FGCU, and if they did it was sheer luck. Led by Sherwood Brown on the wing, the Eagles have made highlight reels by throwing alley-oop after alley-oop. They have made some spectacular plays. If FGCU wants to keep their magical run up, they will have to hit outside shots, and score in the halfcourt against a Florida squad that is one of the best defensive teams in the country. The Gators were upset in the SEC final against Ole Miss, which could have led to their 3 seed line, instead of 2. The Gators are balanced offensively, though struggle when their guards force threes, which if FGCU makes a run, could happen today. Erik Murphy is one of the best stretch 4's in the country, which could pose a match-up problem for the Eagles. Florida Gulf Coast has been one of the greatest stories of the year, but I don't see much chance that they beat Florida today. I hope they prove me wrong. Prediction: Florida 72 Florida Gulf-Coast 55
NBA Prospect of the Day: Ben McLemore- If he wants to be the number one pick, he has to perform well against Michigan today. Questions about his drive to be great, and his mental toughness, could come out if he does not have a good game today. If he scores 20 points, and does it efficiently while getting to the line, McLemore will stay a highly touted prospect.
Best chance of an upset? Michigan State over Duke (In a 2-3 match-up, is there really much of an upset? I'll take Michigan over Kansas as the #2 chance)
Getting to a final four is difficult. Teams have got to take care of business today. #heart
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