NCAA Tourney Review

NCAA Tournament Review 

West (4 out of 4 Correct)
1. Duke: Got outplayed by a talented Michigan team, but still survived thanks to suspect officiating and timely buckets. G Nolan Smith is a baller and put up 24 against the Wolverines. I still doubt that they have the athleticism to reach the Final Four. Prediction: Loss in Elite 8.
2. SDSU: Sneaked by Temple in double overtime despite shooting 40% from the field. The Aztecs play the best defense in the bracket and hit their free throws. I think their best ball is still to come and should handle UConn on Thursday. Prediction: Final Four.
3. UConn: G Kemba Walker is fantastic. There is no question that Walker can carry the Huskies past inferior teams. The problem is that he has very little help which will be a problem down the line. The Big East has lost 9 of their 11 teams in the tourney so far, which reflects poorly on the Huskies. Prediction: Loss to SDSU.
5. Arizona: The Wildcats got lucky to sneak by Texas last round. The Cats almost collapsed in the second half due to poor defense and lack of an inside game. There are too many weaknesses in their game to overcome a team like Duke. Derrick Williams is great, but isn't really a shooter and showed some flaws in his game. Arizona's inexperienced coaching worries me. Prediction: Loss to Duke.

East (2 out of 4 Correct)
1. Ohio St: The best team in tourney has dominated so far. No one has more skill and size than the Buckeyes. They slaughtered George Mason last round and showed no weaknesses on the court. They are the complete team and will need to play horrible in order to lose. Prediction: NCAA Title.
2. North Carolina: The Heels escaped Washington last round when UW disintegrated in the final minutes. UNC has a lot of talent and likes to run but I worry about them. Their offense likes to push the tempo but can struggle in the half court. Hall of Fame Coach Williams always does a fine job. Prediction: Loss in Elite 8.
4. Kentucky: Their great comeback against West Virginia showed how explosive they can play. Their starting five is great but their weakness lies in their lack of depth. They are young and will face the experienced OSU Buckeyes next. Ouch. Wildcat fans will have to wait until next year. Prediction: Loss to OSU.
11. Marquette: Upset Syracuse last round with solid defense despite shooting 41%. They won the game at the free throw line hitting 19 of 23, while Syracuse hit 5 all game. That won't happen again vs UNC. Their inconsistency will catch up with them. Prediction: Loss to UNC.

SouthEast (3 out of 4 Correct)
2. Florida: Love the Gators. They battled and defeated a talented UCLA team last round by 8. Their main strengths are their balance on offense and senior leadership. Their weakness was exploited by UCLA's height and inside toughness, as the Gators aren't the biggest team. If G Erving Walker can step it up then they will be tough to beat. Prediction: Finals.
3. BYU: When Jimmer is hot then the Cougars are unstoppable. He made 7 of 12 3-pointers vs Gonzaga as his team routed the Zags by 22. The Cougar offense relies heavily on outside shooting and is very streaky. They lack an inside presence and will struggle to beat physical teams. You gotta love watching these guys play when they are on, but I worry about them against superior teams. Prediction: Loss to Florida.
4. Wisconsin: Rallied to beat Kansas State by four last round. I thought that they were outplayed across the board but cashed in at the three point line hitting 9-20. They play slow and grind the clock without turning the ball over. I questioned their 4 seed and still view them as being overrated. They aren't big or quick or athletic, and I really don't see them being a serious threat. Prediction: Loss to Butler.
8. Butler: How did these guys pull an 8 seed after losing in the Finals to Duke last year. They were very impressive against Pitt across the  board. They play tough defense, hit 3s and have the experience to win big games. F Matt Howard might be my favorite player to watch in the tourney. Nobody plays smarter or harder on both sides of the court. Oh yeah, he also has two game winning scores in two games so far. Pitt shot 56% and still lost to the Bulldogs--think about that...truly amazing. Prediction: Elite 8 or better.

SouthWest (One out of four correct)
1. Kansas: Real good team, but not great. They pummeled Illinois last round by attacking the rim. The Morris Bros are fantastic, but I worry about their outside shooting. They pretty much pushed the Illini around and created easy buckets. They have to play better ball to continue their run. Prediction: Final Four.
10. Florida State: They dominated an overrated Notre Dame squad last round with sensational zone defense. They are long and athletic and are finally hitting shots on offense. They are real dangerous right now. The Seminoles struggled to score in the regular season, but have played great so far in the tourney. They might play the best defense out of all the teams remaining. Watch Out! Prediction: Elite 8 or better.
11. VCU: Best surprise of the tourney so far. If they can keep pouring in 3 pointers like they have so far then they are dangerous. They play solid defense but are probably overrated due to their competition. They have played 3 terrible offensive teams so far (USC, G-Town, Purdue), so it will get tougher. Their hot streak will have to come to an end. Prediction: Loss to Florida St.
12. Richmond: I love the way these guys play ball. They are tough on defense and can hit jumpers. They crushed Morehead State by 17 but will face a much tougher test in Kansas next round. I would love to see them take down the Jayhawks and think that they can. I just worry about them inside the paint against a bigger Kansas squad. Prediction: Loss to Kansas.

**One NBA Game Tonight: Bulls (-3.5) at Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks are 4-6 in their last ten games, and have really struggled against elite teams. Boozer is back and the Bulls are playing sensational ball. The Bulls have won ten of their last eleven games. Go Bulls!!