Final Four Preview
West Virginia vs. Duke
The match up containing the only 1 seed to make in the fabulous four WV and DU is a interesting game that will be decided in 3 areas of play; Threes, rebounding, and free throws. In the east regional final between KU and WV if you didn’t look at the score and only watched the game you would have thought Kentucky won by a landside. They out rebounded WV on the offensive glass 22-9, 45-34 overall. At halftime WV had yet to hit a two point field. Kentucky had 18 fast break points compared to 8. The difference in the end was WV ability to hit the three (10-23) and KU’s inability to do likewise (they were 0-20 until less than 2 minutes). Duke on the other hand won their game against Baylor by crashing the boards (23) and hitting free throws (80%). Free throws is more about coaching then the players, it’s about putting the kids in situations where they feel pressure. A Mike Krzyzewski coach team holds a superior advantage at the line over their opponents. This WV team has struggled from the line, in which they shoot a crummy 67% vs. Kentucky. Because of the closeness of this match up a one and one from the charity strip could be the difference in a Duke win or a WV loss. Likewise Duke is a good shooting team and surly will not go 4-32 from beyond the arc they need extended their D to frustrate WV’s shooters. However the most intriguing matchup in this game is not the athleticism of WV against Dukes smarts, but who will win the rebounding margin. WV is the leading o-rebounding team in the nation snatching 42% of their misses. While Duke showed they can change a game by getting second chances at the bucket.
The Pick: WV’s length will keep then in it but they will be forced to drive and they are not productive enough from the free throw line to combat Dukes offensive execution. Duke 68-64
Michigan State vs. Butler
The wild west and mid west gave us the most upsets and barn burners. The two that crawled out of the carnage are two completely different stories. Making it home for Butler coach Brad Stevens could only be a dream at the begging of the season. Despite a preseason top ten ranking the Bulldogs had an uphill battle, however this team sprinted up this hill. Led by an incredibly high FG percentage from 3, and free throws they out TEAM the opponent, with unselfish players that have had to earn everything. When you combine that unselfish play with a great coach, the underdog role, and a little luck, you’re looking at a team who get to live their dream. A final four appearance with home court advantage. Mich St. after playing in the national championship in ’09 was a favorite to make it to Indianapolis. However a disappointing 24-8 season left Spartan nation bummed by the 5 seed, Tom Izzo did something to change the teams focus. Mich St. is has proven to truly be a tournament team having been to 5 final fours in the last ten years, none more unpredicted then this. Half way through the Maryland game in the second round hope appeared lost when superstar Kalin Lucas went down with a torn Achilles. Izzo once again rallied the troops and pushed Maryland to the brink, then buried them with a Lucious jumper at the buzzer. Still more doubt developed when the mighty Spartans met Cinderella Northern Iowa and Tennessee. But here the Spartans find themselves against another Cinderella in Butler, in the final four with no special formula, incredible strength, or dominating superstar just simply finding ways to win.
The Pick:This has the makings to be an incredible game. An underdog powerhouse against a Cinderella story and two great coaches . I think the game comes down to Michigan State’s athleticism finally overwhelming Butlers smaller players. The clock strikes midnight; Michigan State 65-64 F/OT.
The Pick:This has the makings to be an incredible game. An underdog powerhouse against a Cinderella story and two great coaches . I think the game comes down to Michigan State’s athleticism finally overwhelming Butlers smaller players. The clock strikes midnight; Michigan State 65-64 F/OT.
2010 Men’s Tournament Preview
Match Up Nightmares
In collegiate basketball, there is always a certain style or method of play that each tournament team hangs their hat on, whether its Syracuse’s 2-3 zone, Missouri’s 40 minutes of hell, or Temple's famously instituted Princeton offence. But what really brings teams to this level of success are the superstars that take the floor night in and night out. Phenoms like Evan Turner of Ohio State, and Da'Sean Butler of West Virgina will also most assuredly determine how far their teams go in the Big Dance. Some teams are blessed with an abundance of these talents such as North Carolina's 2009 title team. Others will ride their sole leader as far as they will take them.
Old dogs + new tricks
One of the most obvious examples of a team with a plethora of stars is the number 1 overall seed Kansas. Studs like Sharod Collins and Cole Aldridge are major impact players on both ends of the floor. They also have the experience to most favorably take the title home to their fellow Jayhawks. Kansas along with their experienced talented leaders have two of the best scoring underclassmen in the nation. Xavier Henry as well as Tyshawn Taylor feature the rare talent to shoot and take defenders off the dribble "Xavier is real, real athletic," said teammate Jeff Withey. "You see some crazy things in our practices sometimes. It would be worth the price of admission." Of course it helps when you’re throwing the rock to a. all-American in Collins, and a 6’11’’ monster in Aldridge; watch out for KU when April rolls around.
One trick pony
On the opposite side of the spectrum lies the 2009 Eastern regional champs Villanova Wildcats. They are almost unarguably carried by one player."I watched one of their preseason practices," Hall said, "and one of the best things Coach Wright told me was, 'Everything you told me about Scottie Reynolds is true. He's going to go down as the best leader in the history of Villanova basketball.' Villanova couldn't ask for a better ambassador. College basketball couldn't ask for a better ambassador”. A three seed in last year’s bracket Villanova was favored through most of their games till March 28th when the Cats battled #1 seed Pittsburg. An epic game came down to one possession tied at 76 with 5 ticks on the clock. "In that situation, you have four dribbles and a shot. That's five seconds. All that goes in your head. That's why we practice that every day in practice so we can make an instinct play. We did that-Reynolds”.Villanova unpredictably threw the ball to Cunningham, then on queue handed the ball to their playmaker who took the ball coast to coast in a mad dash weaving between Pits Olay defense and drained a runner with no time left. Though that Final Four team was carried by Scottie it also had other options such as Cunningham who have since departed. Villanova’s 2010 team is much more dependent on Reynold’s. His quickness and ability to finish through contact have allowed his Wildcats to gain a two seed in the upcoming tournament. However down the stretch Villanova has shown signs of weakness and lost their opening Big East tournament game to Marquette. If Reynolds and the Cats have any hope of another Final Four appearance, it surley rests on number 1’s ability to make another mad dash through the competition.
Fab 2
John Calapari has been known for his amazing recruiting classes making immediate impacts on his team. During his first head coaching opportunity at UMass he recruited National Player of the Year award winner Marcus Camby, who in turn led UMass to their first final four appearance ever. At Memphis Calapari built a national power house by recruiting players such as Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, and Shawn Williams. And most recently, after being hired by prestigious Kentucky, John once again brought in two of the best players in the nation. As freshman DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall have returned UK to its historical prowess as one of basketball powerhouses. "He's fearless and he's won a ton of games at the end," Auburn coach Jeff Lebo said of Wall. "He has the demeanor that he expects to make those plays. Everybody knows he has to make the play, they are trying to stop him from doing it and he makes it anyway." Of Cousins"Somebody compared him earlier in the year to (former LSU star Shaquille O'Neal) and I played against Shaquille," said Pelphrey, a former Kentucky standout. "I don't know if that's fair to anybody, but Cousins is the next-closest thing. Physically, one man can't guard him. Similarly carried solely by their 5 freshman, The University of Michigan managed to reach the championship game against Duke but lost embarrassingly by 20 in 1992. No freshman class, on a single team has ever came close to having the hype that Michigan’s Fab 5 endured that year. Only time will tell if Wall and Cousins can reach the status of the Fab 2, Kentucky fans sure hope they will…
By Ben Cary
Why March is the best college sports season.
For some of us spring does not start when the first trees flower, or when the snow melts. Spring is not marked by when Mr. Groundhog sees his shadow, or when the Temperature strikes 70. Spring starts on that Sunday in mid March when The Brackets are released and order is restored to the world of sports. For 3 months sports fans struggle through meaningless NBA games, NFL combine, and this year the Olympics…. It’s tough but the payoff, or should I say playoff, is worth the wait. The excitement of millions of Americans doing the same activity at the same time is astounding. Only during the Super Bowl is their a single question wandering through Americans heads 24/3(Monday-Wednesday) “so who you got”. This question leaves some rambling on about why this is the year their team wins it all and leaves the other small minority, who have no idea what basketball is, curious …and or feeling stupid. The display of unification and teeming excitement is what is known as March Madness the single greatest sporting feat in the history of mankind. A combination of hope, stress, Cinderella stories, upsets, an excuse to call in sick, almost 96 straight hours of basketball, and best of all gambling the NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship has one up on anything and everything.
By: Ben Cary
By: Ben Cary