Now, we look towards the Final Four in Atlanta. An event featuring three teams that coming into the season most people would not have been surprised to see here, as well as one team that surprised even die-hard fans, and alums with their Final Four berth. Here are my thoughts on the teams that are left.
"Shocking" The World(Had to get the cheesy pun out of the way early. Sorry.)- Coming into the tourney, I felt like a team from the Missouri Valley Conference could cause some havoc. In my mind, that team figured to be Creighton. Much to my surprise, the Wichita State Shockers, made their way through what many deemed to be the softest region, to the Final Four. They dominated LaSalle in the Sweet Sixteen and then knocked out an Ohio State team that many picked to win the region.
Under normal circumstances, you would label a #9 seed in the Final Four a "Cinderella" story. However, if you have watched this team, you know they are far from it. They play a grinding, grimy style of basketball, and are not intimidated regardless of the opponent. They're mantra is "Play Angry" and they have done just that in making it to the Final Four. While I do not believe they will beat Louisville, they have a chance based upon their style of play to make it a much more interesting game than people may expect.
"Win For Kevin"- Louisville was in the middle of a tight first half battle with Duke when Kevin Ware jumped to block a shot. The injury that ensued has been well documented, and if you saw it, is an image you will not be able to shake for a while. It is something that I still cannot get out of my head. However, after crying, and going to the locker room to get their mind right at halftime, the Cardinals came out, and did what they have done all tournament. They ran, pressed, and trapped the Blue Devils into the ground on the way to another blowout.
Louisville has played every game precisely the way the #1 overall seed in the tournament should. Their closest win was in the Sweet Sixteen against the Oregon Ducks. Even though they only won beight, there was never a sense of them being in trouble. Behind the dynamic backcourt of Peyton Siva, and Russ Smith, the Cardinals came into the tourney as the odds-on favorite to win it all. Nothing they have done has changed that in my mind. You add the incentive of winning the whole Tourney for Kevin Ware, and I believe the Cardinals will be tough to handle this weekend.
In Their Zone- Depending on who you talk to, the 2-3 Zone is either: A)A gimmick defense to used to hide weak defenders or B) a defense that can confuse offenses, and slow teams down. Regardless of how you feel about it, you have to be impressed with how Syracuse is playing it in the tourney. Jim Boeheim has said that this team is playing zone better than any of his teams have ever played it in the past. I am pretty sure Tom Crean and Indiana will agree with that assessment. You probably won't get much argument from Buzz Williams and Marquette either.
The Orange is taking advantage of a starting five who's shortest player is 6'4. The combination of length, and active hands in the 2-3 zone has made it difficult for teams to score. The zone is difficult for teams who rarely see it to prepare for. The question is, will they be able to put up good enough numbers on offense to win? They had a sixteen point lead with 15:50 left in the game against Louisville in the Big East Final, but fell apart offensively and ended up losing by seventeen points. An offensive drought like that this weekend, will make it a short trip to Atlanta for the Orange.
More Than Trey- Coming into the tourney, it was my belief that any sub-par performance from Trey Burke would be Michigan's demise. That was before John Belien made the very wise move to start Mitch McGary. He has been a revelation in the tourney. Without him, the Wolverines would have been blown out of Jerry's World by halftime of the Kansas game. His hustle, rebounding, and putbacks kept them in striking distance. It set Trey Burke up for Burke's heroic second half and overtime that got the Wolverines out of the Sweet Sixteen.
Against Florida the Wolverines rode the hot shooting of Nik Stauskas to a huge early lead, and never let the Gators off of the mat. The Wolverines will need more of that good shooting against Syracuse to beat the zone. They need to get out and run, and try not to let Syracuse get settled in defensively. When the zone is set, the Wolverines will need smart play from everyone to get good shots. Tim Hardaway, Jr, and Glenn Robinson III will have to be ready to step up and knock down shots. It will be interesting to see how this team handles the stage.
As a fan that has been slightly disappointed in the Tourney, I am hoping for a great Final Four. Saturday, Louisville should handle Wichita St. in a game that may be slightly tougher than most expect. All week, I have wrestled with the Michigan-Syracuse game. It should be a tightly contested game, but I believe that in the end, Michigan will make just enough shots to knock off the Orange. I am definitely looking forward to seeing the matchup between Trey Burke and Michael Carter-Williams. These are two NBA ready guards, and it should be fun to watch.
Feel free to leave any feedback, thoughts, and comments. They are greatly appreciated. Check back on Monday for my Championship game thoughts.
I'm Jimmy Wilson, Jr. and I approve this message.
Under normal circumstances, you would label a #9 seed in the Final Four a "Cinderella" story. However, if you have watched this team, you know they are far from it. They play a grinding, grimy style of basketball, and are not intimidated regardless of the opponent. They're mantra is "Play Angry" and they have done just that in making it to the Final Four. While I do not believe they will beat Louisville, they have a chance based upon their style of play to make it a much more interesting game than people may expect.
"Win For Kevin"- Louisville was in the middle of a tight first half battle with Duke when Kevin Ware jumped to block a shot. The injury that ensued has been well documented, and if you saw it, is an image you will not be able to shake for a while. It is something that I still cannot get out of my head. However, after crying, and going to the locker room to get their mind right at halftime, the Cardinals came out, and did what they have done all tournament. They ran, pressed, and trapped the Blue Devils into the ground on the way to another blowout.
Louisville has played every game precisely the way the #1 overall seed in the tournament should. Their closest win was in the Sweet Sixteen against the Oregon Ducks. Even though they only won beight, there was never a sense of them being in trouble. Behind the dynamic backcourt of Peyton Siva, and Russ Smith, the Cardinals came into the tourney as the odds-on favorite to win it all. Nothing they have done has changed that in my mind. You add the incentive of winning the whole Tourney for Kevin Ware, and I believe the Cardinals will be tough to handle this weekend.
In Their Zone- Depending on who you talk to, the 2-3 Zone is either: A)A gimmick defense to used to hide weak defenders or B) a defense that can confuse offenses, and slow teams down. Regardless of how you feel about it, you have to be impressed with how Syracuse is playing it in the tourney. Jim Boeheim has said that this team is playing zone better than any of his teams have ever played it in the past. I am pretty sure Tom Crean and Indiana will agree with that assessment. You probably won't get much argument from Buzz Williams and Marquette either.
The Orange is taking advantage of a starting five who's shortest player is 6'4. The combination of length, and active hands in the 2-3 zone has made it difficult for teams to score. The zone is difficult for teams who rarely see it to prepare for. The question is, will they be able to put up good enough numbers on offense to win? They had a sixteen point lead with 15:50 left in the game against Louisville in the Big East Final, but fell apart offensively and ended up losing by seventeen points. An offensive drought like that this weekend, will make it a short trip to Atlanta for the Orange.
More Than Trey- Coming into the tourney, it was my belief that any sub-par performance from Trey Burke would be Michigan's demise. That was before John Belien made the very wise move to start Mitch McGary. He has been a revelation in the tourney. Without him, the Wolverines would have been blown out of Jerry's World by halftime of the Kansas game. His hustle, rebounding, and putbacks kept them in striking distance. It set Trey Burke up for Burke's heroic second half and overtime that got the Wolverines out of the Sweet Sixteen.
Against Florida the Wolverines rode the hot shooting of Nik Stauskas to a huge early lead, and never let the Gators off of the mat. The Wolverines will need more of that good shooting against Syracuse to beat the zone. They need to get out and run, and try not to let Syracuse get settled in defensively. When the zone is set, the Wolverines will need smart play from everyone to get good shots. Tim Hardaway, Jr, and Glenn Robinson III will have to be ready to step up and knock down shots. It will be interesting to see how this team handles the stage.
As a fan that has been slightly disappointed in the Tourney, I am hoping for a great Final Four. Saturday, Louisville should handle Wichita St. in a game that may be slightly tougher than most expect. All week, I have wrestled with the Michigan-Syracuse game. It should be a tightly contested game, but I believe that in the end, Michigan will make just enough shots to knock off the Orange. I am definitely looking forward to seeing the matchup between Trey Burke and Michael Carter-Williams. These are two NBA ready guards, and it should be fun to watch.
Feel free to leave any feedback, thoughts, and comments. They are greatly appreciated. Check back on Monday for my Championship game thoughts.
I'm Jimmy Wilson, Jr. and I approve this message.
