I figured since I previewed the first half of the Sweet 16 in yesterday’s paper, I might as well take a look at the Final Four games of the round, which will be played this evening.
Michigan vs. Tennessee: To be honest, I hadn’t seen top-seeded Florida play all year until the Gators faced off against the Volunteers in the SEC Tournament two weekends ago. What I saw out of Tennesee impressed me a lot.
Cuonzo Martin’s squad has a lot of toughness down low, led by Jarnell Stokes and Jeronne Maymon. The Volunteers are really solid on the wings and in the backcourt, too. Jordan McRae is a solid guard, as is Josh Richardson.
I like the Wolverines a lot, though. Sharpshooter Nik Stauskas leads the charge, and Michigan has been on this stage before, having made it to the National Championship Game before losing to Louisville. John Beilein is one of my favorite coaches in college basketball, and he’ll lead his squad to the Elite Eight.
Iowa State vs. Connecticut: Two words come to mind when thinking about the UConn Huskies: Shabazz Napier. The senior guard played out of his mind last weekend as the Huskies upset Villanova in the Round of 32. I look for him to have another nice outing against the Cyclones.
That being said, Iowa State has a better team than UConn. Big 12 Player of the Year Melvin Ejim is fantastic, and DeAndre Kane is arguably better than his award-winning teammate. The third piece of the Cyclones’ arsenal, Georges Niang, is fantastic,too, and it’s an absolute travesty he got hurt in the first round of the tournament and is out for the rest of the season.
Still, Fred Hoiberg has done an incredible job as Iowa State’s head coach, and I expect he’ll be directing his team into the Elite Eight.
Louisville v. Kentucky: I can’t imagine what life is like in the Bluegrass State right now. It would be an absolute blast to be there leading up to this showdown of in-state rivals. Adding to the rivalry is the fact that this contest will feature the preseason No. 1 team, Kentucky, against the reigning national champion.
The most exciting element of this game is the fact that the Wildcats are peaking at just the right time. The young squad struggled out of the gate but is now playing up to the potential everyone thought it had in November. Julius Randle is playing like a man possessed, and Kentucky will be riding the wave of beating a previously undefeated Wichita State team last weekend in the Round of 32.
I love the Wildcats, but I’ve gotta go with experience in this one. A few of the instrumental pieces on the Cardinals’ roster a season ago are gone, but I think they’ll come out on top. You can’t go wrong with Rick Pitino as the head coach.
Virginia vs. Michigan State: This is definitely the weirdest matchup of this round. The Cavaliers snuck up on everyone this season en route to a No. 1 seed, yet no one is talking about Tony Bennett’s squad.
Making matters worse for Virginia is that the Spartans have national championship-caliber talent but were inconsistent and got a 4-seed in the tournament. Like Kentucky, Michigan State is getting hot at just the right time.
Combine talent and momentum with one of the best coaches in college basketball history, Tom Izzo, and the Spartans will knock off the Cavaliers.
I said this yesterday, and nothing has changed. I love March Madness.