SOUTH: 1 FLORIDA
Who they beat: 16 Albany, 9 Pittsburgh, 4 UCLA, 11 Dayton
Not much surprise here. Florida is the sole one seed to make it to Dallas, or as CBS constantly refers to it as ‘North Texas.’
The Gators didn’t get much of a scare. They struggled with Albany in the first half of the game before putting them away and UCLA played them close until finally breaking it open in the second half. Other than that, Florida hasn’t really been battle tested or even in a close game. They’re the only Final Four team to not have a game decided by less than single digits, whether that is a good thing or not, who knows? But Florida does enter the Final Four on a 30 game win streak. Only three previous teams have had a 30-game winning streak going into the Final Four. The previous three teams: 1979 Indiana State, 1991 UNLV and 1999 Duke did not win the national title
What to expect: The Gators haven’t lost since last December when UConn’s Shabazz Napier beat them on a last second shot. That should be more than enough fuel to get Florida jacked up for their semi-final rematch with UConn. But what you can expect this weekend when Florida takes the floor is a constant discussion of Scottie Wilbekin and his past off-court issues and how he has turned it around.
You know, just in case you missed it, the first 238 times it was mentioned. The man allegedly loved his weed before finally coming around. You’ll also, get some tips on the Patric Young workout just in case you slob fans want to get ‘yoked’ after the game. Most importantly, you can count on coach Billy Donovan sporting that same Eddie Munster hairstyle — and find yourself wondering why his wife has never bought him a suit jacket to wear on the sidelines.
Prediction: Florida is the safest pick to win it and that is why all of the talking heads on the major sports networks are all-in on Florida being the national champions. They are the top team for a reason. If the Gators can win it, all 17 of their basketball fans will be really excited. Tim Tebow may even come down and perform a miracle.
Who they beat: 10 St. Joseph’s, 2 Villanova, 3 Iowa State. 4 Michigan State
Raise your hand if you thought UConn would be relevant after Jim Calhoun retired? Yeah? You’re a liar…or a UConn fan.
What head coach Kevin Ollie has been able to do with the 7th seeded Huskies is incredible. The backcourt of Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatwright are cooooold blooded (cue dated Dave Chapelle’s Rick James voice). After a first round overtime victory over Saint Joseph’s, the Huskies knocked off the most overrated 2 seed in Villanova. Their Sweet 16 inclusion wasn’t that shocking and after an injury to an Iowa State starter, it wasn’t too hard to imagine UConn getting to the regional final. But to knock off Michigan State? A team who was ranked No. 1 for a part of the season when healthy? No one expected that. The Spartans were the pick to win it all amongst all of the ESPN talking heads. So needless to say, when Napier’s 25 points lead to an upset over Sparty, what you heard was the collective sound of everyone just ripping up their brackets.
What to expect: You can count on endless highlights and mentions of the Calhoun era and how they are 6-1 in final four weekends. You may even find yourself looking at coach Ollie and saying “Hey, I know you. You’re whatshisname that played on every single NBA team .” There is also a legitimate chance that Jim Calhoun will be in North Texas wearing a letterman jacket while talking to spectators saying “I would have done it different.”
Prediction: UConn lost to SMU twice and Houston this past season. Not exactly powerhouses. So despite the current run, when you look at this roster, you are left scratching your head on how they got here. They have no frontcourt at all. Their leading rebounder is the 6’1” Napier with 6 rebounds per game. That short stature will be their ultimate downfall — getting dominated on the boards.
UConn may have beaten the Gators in December but despite an impressive and unexpected run to the Final Four, the clock will run out on the cinderella run.
Outcome: Florida 73, UConn 61
WEST: 2 WISCONSIN
Who they beat: 15 American, 7 Oregon, 6 Baylor, 1 Arizona
The Badgers are entering only their third Final Four in school history with their last one coming in 2000 and the other one being in 1941. Their fans are ecstatic to be this far into the tournament. With their one-point overtime win against Arizona in the regional final, the Badgers added another impressive win on their resume which already included wins over Florida, Michigan, and Michigan State.
Wisconsin actually started the season red-hot at 16-0 before losing five of their next six games. They’re definitely legit. The country got a glimpse of their fantastic 7-footer, Frank Kaminsky, when he scorched Arizona for 28 points. Kaminsky is averaging 18.5 for the tournament and will be the key to this weekend’s game when facing Kentucky’s talented and powerful frontcourt.
What to expect: Wisconsin’s bandwagon just got a lot more fans on board due to who they’re facing Saturday night. Louisville, North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, Indiana, and any random fan out there are all pulling for the Badgers simply due to their unhealthy hatred of Kentucky and coach John Calipari. So you can expect many new Wisconsin fans to be saying “Them boys do it the right way” as they also, express their desire to get back to short shorts and to shoot on peach baskets again. Big Ten fans will sing a collective chorus of how Wisconsin is filled with actual ‘student athletes.’
If we are lucky, we may get Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan to reprise his role as The Grinch once his season ends on Saturday night.
Prediction: Wisconsin shoots the ball pretty well and they protect it too. They rank in the top five in turnovers per game, so they don’t beat themselves that often. Add Kaminsky’s scoring ability and Badger fans have to feel good about their chances. The problem is, they also, rank 261st in rebounds per game while Kentucky ranks 5th. That is not a good recipe to beating Kentucky.
Let’s just hope they do better than their 2000 appearance when they only scored 41 points in the semi-final match-up.
MIDWEST: 8 KENTUCKY
Who they beat: 9 Kansas State, 1 Wichita State, 4 Louisville, 2 Michigan
You know that sound you heard yesterday? That was the collective cries and groans from rival fans when Kentucky reached the Final Four.
The freshmen-led Kentucky squad was pre-season No. 1 but finished a disappointing 24-10, getting an 8 seed. The problem for everyone else is, this team decided to click at exactly the right time.
The Wildcats won the juggernaut Midwest region, by far the toughest region in the tournament, while knocking off three teams from the 2013 Final Four along the way. Kentucky was picked against every step of the way for the reason of “experience.” The Kentucky kids didn’t get the memo.
They wrecked your bracket when they knocked off unbeaten Wichita State, then proceeded to crush Louisville’s fans hearts with a thrilling comeback victory over the defending champs, and then finished the ‘critics’ off with Aaron Harrison’s clutch three-pointer with two seconds left to beat Michigan.
Kentucky’s Julius Randle has 24 double-doubles this year and has been an unstoppable beast for opponents and with the emergence of the Harrison twins, Kentucky has to feel optimistic about hanging their 9th championship banner.
What to expect: Grab a box of popcorn and read online message boards and social media for pure comedic gold. You will hear nothing but “Calipari is a cheater”, “Kentucky is ruining college basketball”, “God I hate Kentucky. Their fans are hillbillies”, “This trip will just get vacated later”, and my favorite, “I’m glad we don’t get these players. I like our ‘student athletes’ better.”
You’ll also, get an inevitable shot of Ashley Judd and wonder to yourself “Hey, remember when that woman was relevant?”
Prediction: After three Final Fours in four years, Calipari’s method obviously works and he may find himself with a second title ring by next week. It is becoming very difficult to doubt this team after their last three victories.
With their frontcourt depth, domination on the boards and the scoring ability of James Young and the twins, you can see why this team was the pre-season favorite. Wisconsin will need to be lights out from three point range to beat this squad. But I wouldn’t count on it with the way this team has turned things around.
Kentucky’s talent will overcome Wisconsin in probably another nail-bitter. However, Florida has been Kentucky’s kryptonite and have already beaten the young Cats three times this season. Maybe the fourth time is the charm?
Outcome: Kentucky 73 Wisconsin 69
Joshua Caudill is a writer for CraveOnline Sports, a surfing enthusiast, an unhealthy sports fanatic, and an expert on all things Patrick Swayze. You can follow him on Twitter @JoshuaCaudill85 or “like”CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
Photo Credit: Getty
